Remembering Max

Max's Birthday

POV: Alec

I opened my eyes, and immediately wished I hadn't. The date flashed on and off in my mind, like a warning sign. It would have been Max's 12th birthday. My phone buzzed and I briefly debated leaving it. In the end, curiosity won out. I reached over and snagged the device off the nightstand. It was a group text from Izzy to Jace and I.

"Meet me at his grave in 20", the message said.

As much as I would like to refuse and mope in bed all day, I decided to get out of the warm bed for my sibling's sake. "I'll be there", I texted back and went in search of Magnus to tell him where I'd be.

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I left the house and headed toward the nearby cemetery. Although Max's body had been cremated and taken to the bone city, we decided to get a headstone so we could "visit" him. I slowly walked to the white marble stone engraved with runes of love and grief on the far side of the grounds, enjoying the beautiful weather.

When I got there I saw Jace sitting alone in front of the grave. I walked over and sat down without a word. A few minutes later I felt Izzy come up behind me. She knelt down beside me and put a comic book down on the stone. My eyes welled up when I realized it was the last book Max needed to complete one of his favorite collections.

"Happy Birthday, Max", Isabelle said.

I grabbed the envelope that was in my pocket and pulled the photo out. It was the picture Magnus had taken when he had been at the Institute one day. The four Lightwood siblings were sitting in the floor laughing at something Jace had said. Izzy's head was thrown back and I had my eyes closed and was smiling so wide it looked like my face was about to split in half. Jace was grinning triumphantly and looked quite pleased with himself. Max was 9 and his eyes were shining with laughter. I put the picture down next to the comic. It was Izzy and Jace's turn to get emotional. Jace reached next to him for the bundle that I hadn't seen.He set a bouquet of roses down next to the other gifts. I gasped because the flowers were a pure white, the color of shadowhunter mourning. I pulled both my siblings into a tight hug, the grief almost overwhelmingly strong. But, as I did so, I felt something slowly overtaking the sadness. I identified the feeling a moment later. Love. The grief was not gone as it never would be, but for now it was enough to just be here surrounded with the people I loved in remembrance.

"Happy Birthday, Max. I love you."