♡BRANDON♡
When I reached home, the familiar scent of dinner cooking greeted me as I opened the door.
Aunt Dina was home, which wasn't a surprise-she's always here, making sure there's something warm to eat when I get in.
She's been doing that for the past year that I've lived with her.
"In here, Brandon," she called from the kitchen, her voice tinged with the usual warmth that made the house feel a little less empty.
I walked into the kitchen to find her at the stove, stirring a pot of beef stew. Aunt Dina is in her early forties, with short brown hair that she keeps neatly tucked behind her ears.
She's never had kids of her own, and her husband passed away a few years ago.
Her husband, Uncle Levi, left a company in her name. She prefers to work from home, though.
From time to time, she goes to see what's going on physically.
"Hi," I said, standing by the doorway
She turned, offering me a soft smile, the kind that's meant to comfort. "Hey, how was school?"
I shrugged, not wanting to get into details. "It was fine."
She nodded, not pushing for more, which is one of the things I appreciate about her.
Aunt Dina knows when to ask and when to just let things be. She's been that way since I moved in, after everything happened.
"Dinner will be ready soon," she said, glancing over her shoulder as she added a pinch of seasoning to the pot. "Why don't you go get changed and take a moment to relax?"
"Okay," I mumbled, turning to head upstairs.
As I climbed the steps, the house felt as it always did-quiet, almost too quiet. It's a big place for just the two of us, especially after all the life that used to fill it.
Aunt Dina tries to keep things normal and tries to keep the house from feeling as empty as it really is.
But some days, no matter how hard she tries, it's like the walls echo with everything that's missing.
In my room, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the familiar surroundings.
The day's events played back in my mind, Athalia's bright eyes and easy smile, her questions, her warmth.
She was so full of life, so different from the emptiness that seemed to follow me around.
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. Downstairs, Aunt Dina was still cooking, trying to create some semblance of normalcy in a world that felt anything but.
I mean, she lost her husband, not so long ago. The few times she's mentioned him, you can tell that she truly loved him.
And not to mention that my mother was her younger sister.
They were just the two of them growing up, so their bond was very strong.
She's always there, doing her best, but sometimes, it feels like there's nothing she can do to fill the void that's been left behind.
And I'm not sure if anything or anyone ever will.
As I sat on the edge of my bed, I heard Aunt Dina's voice float up the stairs. "Brandon, dinner's ready!"
I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the weight that had settled on me. There was no point in bringing it to the dinner table.
Aunt Dina had enough to worry about without adding my silence to the mix.
YOU ARE READING
Cold Water
Romance[BWWM] I was only twelve years old when the world turned cold. The day my mom died in that car accident, I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my heart. My dad, who had always been my hero, suddenly became a stranger, filled...
