Secrets [m. clifford]

- 15 -

"Ashton?" I sniffle as I knock at his door.

"Hmm?" He groggily replies.

"It's today." I softly say.

"Yeah, it is." He whispers, looking at his phone.

I nod as he sits up in his bed.

"Hey, come here." He mumbles.

I rush over to his side and he wraps his arms around me.

"It's been three years.." I cry.

He sniffles but doesn't say anything.

"She was so young. It shouldn't have happened to her." I continue to cry.

"Look at me." He says, pulling away from me.

I look up from my lap to him.

"You know Mia is a better place now. I know our sister was young, I know she didn't deserve anything she had to go through. But she was in too much pain when she was here, she had to go." He mumbles.

I take a deep breath, "I miss Mia."

"Bec and I do too. So does mum but you know she can't talk about it." He whispers.

"You're gonna take me to her grave later right?" I softly cry.

"You, Becca and I are gonna go soon okay?" He says.

I nod in response.

"Just come get me when we're gonna go." I mumble as I walk back to my room.

Every year on this day, our household is very quiet and in a sad mood.

Our little sister Mia passed away three years ago on this day.

Mia was three when she was diagnosed with cancer, which unfortunately she wasn't able to beat and lost her battle when she was five.

She was my little fighter.

The times she wasn't in the hospital, I actually shared my room with her. She was so happy all the time, which I still don't understand.

We were so close, as close as we could be, even with the age difference. Every day after school I went to see her in the hospital and I was there until I absolutely had to go home. I would always only come home really late, then I would be up all night almost everyday trying to get homework done.

Not many people knew about her cancer. We never spoke about it. It wasn't something that needed to be broadcasted.

Mia meant everything to me and when I was holding her hand when she died.. I can't even think about it.

My phone rings snapping me out of my thoughts.

"H-hello?" I sob.

I didn't realize I was crying that much.

"Babe what's wrong?" Michael worriedly asks.

"Oh, it's nothing." I reply, trying to calm down.

"You can tell me about whatever's bothering you." He softly says.

"I-I can't talk about it." I whisper through my tears.

"I'm coming to see you." He replies.

I sniffle, "N-no, it's-"

"I'll see you soon." He says ending the call.

I get up and open one of my drawers. I dig through it until I find Mia's old stuffed animal. It was her favourite, and I refused to get rid of it.