Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

Finding a way back

Chapter 45: Finding a Way Back

Y/N’s breathing began to slow, her small body relaxing into Finneas’s arms as she drifted into sleep. He could feel the tension leave her limbs, and for the first time that morning, a wave of relief washed over him. Gently, he shifted to make sure she was comfortable, resting her head against his chest.

Billie watched them from her spot across the room, her heart heavy. She could see the exhaustion on Finneas’s face, the weight he was carrying. But for the moment, Y/N seemed at peace, and that was enough to keep them both grounded.

Once Y/N was fully asleep, Finneas gently stroked her hair, his gaze soft. He looked over at Billie, who scooted closer, her own shoulders slumping from the tension that had built up all morning.

“God,” Finneas whispered, careful not to wake Y/N. “This morning’s been… so hard.”

Billie nodded, her eyes full of concern as she glanced at their sleeping sister. “I don’t know how we’re going to get her back to how she was. She’s just… different. It’s like she’s shut us out.”

Finneas sighed, glancing down at Y/N’s peaceful face. “I know. She’s been hiding behind this wall she’s built around herself. I just don’t know what’s going on in her head anymore.”

Billie hugged her knees to her chest, her voice quiet but determined. “This afternoon needs to be different. We have to focus on getting her to smile, to actually laugh. Like she used to.”

Finneas nodded. “Yeah. She hasn’t had a real laugh in… forever. I miss that sound.”

“Me too,” Billie said, her voice thick with emotion. “She was always the one to make us laugh, you know? Now it’s like she’s lost that part of herself.”

Finneas gently shifted Y/N in his arms, careful not to wake her. He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “I just want to get her out of her shell. Maybe we can do something fun—something light, to remind her of better days. She needs to remember there’s more to life than what’s going on in her head.”

Billie nodded, her expression thoughtful. “We’ll take it slow, though. She’s fragile right now. But we’ve got to find a way to get her to relax, even just a little bit.”

They both sat there for a while, watching Y/N sleep, her face finally calm and free of the stress and sadness that had plagued her all morning. But they knew that as soon as she woke up, that heaviness would return. She’d retreat back into that shell she had built around herself, and it would take everything they had to pull her out.

“She used to laugh so easily,” Billie whispered, almost to herself. “Now it feels like she’s scared of it. Like she doesn’t want to feel happy.”

Finneas looked down at Y/N, his heart aching. “Maybe she feels like she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Or that if she lets herself be, it’ll just get ripped away again.”

Billie frowned. “That’s not true, though. She deserves to be happy more than anyone.”

“I know,” Finneas said softly. “But getting her to believe that… it’s going to take time.”

Billie sighed, leaning back against the couch. “This afternoon, though. We’ll focus on her. No pressure, no expectations. Just… finding a way to bring a little light back into her world.”

Finneas nodded in agreement. “We’ll take her somewhere—maybe the park or even just a drive. Anything to get her out of this mindset.”

“And we’ll do something fun. Something that doesn’t remind her of all the pressure and the comments and everything else. Just… a day for her to be a kid again. To feel safe.”

Finneas glanced down at Y/N once more, his chest tightening. “We’ll get her there, Billie. Somehow, we’ll get her back.”

Billie nodded, her eyes full of determination. “We have to. She’s our sister.”

As they sat in the quiet room, with Y/N sleeping peacefully in Finneas’s arms, they both made an unspoken promise to each other. Whatever it took, they would help Y/N find her way back to the happiness she had lost. They wouldn’t give up—not until they heard that real laugh again, the one that used to fill their lives with joy.

And today, this afternoon, would be the first step.