The Silent One ✔

Chapter Seventeen

I stand in front of my bedroom mirror. This is my last day in my mother's old room before I get to Aunt Laura's house. I take a deep breath as I see another woman appear behind me, in the mirror reflection. I turn around quickly when she disappears. My heart skips a beat.

She can't haunt me forever.

I exhale when exiting the room. I wander around the house till I find my grandmother in her bedroom. She has to come with me to aunt Laura's while grandpa is in the hospital. What is she going to do without all her notes and pictures on the walls? She won't know who the hell she is. That thought churns my stomach.

Suddenly there's a knock. That must be her. I swing the door open to find my thirty-two-year-old aunt with her honey blond hair, skinny jeans and a white fur coat.

"Mum" she greets grandma who now stands beside me, "how are you holding up?"

"Holding up?" Grandma draws together her brows at her daughter.

"How are you?" My aunt rephrases.

"Oh I'm fine dear," My grandma assures her.

I immediately feel the tension between Grandma and Aunt Laura. I don't have many memories of the two but I still remember the stories of their fights, that I used to overhear as a child.

My aunt nods while redirecting her gaze to me, "what about you kid, how you holding up?" I respond with a small nod before Aunt Laura smiles. "I just got back from the hospital, dad's gotta stay another day or so for observation they said...so mum, you get to come home with me"

***

The ride from my grandparents home to aunt Laura's was only twenty minutes long. The only thing on my mind the entire time was my brother Jason.

Aunt Laura rings the doorbell and after a few minutes the door swings open. There I see him. Jason, sixteen, 5'11 which is so much taller compared to when I saw him last. He has chocolate brown hair and a taper fade haircut, last I saw him he had side bangs.

Grandma and Aunt Laura enter the house and Jason and I stand frozen in front of each other.

"Jas" I finally say.

"Angel" he greets as I slowly take a step towards him.

I wrap my arms around my brother slowly. My little brother Jason, it's been over two years since the last time I was able to hug you. God, I've missed you.

***

"Do you ever think about her?" Jason asks as we walk through the park.

"I try not to," I admit "but sometimes she finds a way to creep into my mind"

"She's back in New York" Jason reminds me.

My sister Trisha is somebody that I try my hardest not to think about. Although, some days she has the ability to creep up on me.

"Maybe that's where she belongs" I nod. "Change of subject...How you been?"

"Fine" Jason looks down at his shoes, "after you were sentenced I was shipped off to aunt Laura's...My life has never been so normal" be admits.

That's all I ever wanted for my brother. He was never cut out for The Bronx or the sketchy areas that we grew up in. I always knew that he deserved better.

Although, that would mean that my father is in New York without us.

"Glad to hear it" I smile, "...So you haven't seen him?"

"Not for a while, no" Jason tells me as his facial expression changes completely.

"He wasn't a bad person" I sigh, "......I'm sorry for leaving you"