I won't give up on you (Cimorelli)

Chapter 6: Lisa

I stayed behind after the funeral. Reality hits me and hard too. I broke down and kneeled in front of Lauren's grave.

" I'm so sorry, Lauren, I failed my job to protected you," I sob. I failed her as her sister. I can't do this. Please, God if you can hear, give her back to me. Please. Nighttime fell upon me. I had to go home. I couldn't even call it home. Home is not a place, it's a feeling. Home is where your loves are. "Home is where we both are," I remember saying that to Laur, one time when we got lost somewhere in the woods. And now she's gone. My home is gone. 

~Flashback~

Lauren and I were in the woods with the others. We were camping that day. Lauren was about 8 years old. She wanted to go stargazing so we found this nice hill of grass that we could lay on. It was just us two because the others were already asleep. She would point out the constellation she knew. Her eyes would shine with so much happiness and joy when she would talk about them. And from that moment on, I promised myself to make sure that happiness and joy in her eyes never faded nor the spark in her big brown eyes, that holds the universe in them. We were pretty far from the campsite. She began to shiver so I knew it was time to go. I wrapped her in my arms to warm her up a bit then took off my hoodie leaving me in a t-shirt.

" But you'll get cold, Lise," she says when I put the hoodie on her, worry seeping through her voice. Aww she's adorable.

" I'll be ok, Ladybug, as long as you are safe and warm then nothing else matters, I promise you that I'll be ok, just keep yourself warm and safe," I say rubbing her back. She shyly smiles at me. She grabs my hands and lace it together. I smile at her. We started to walk back to the camp but we got lost in woods.

" Lise, I'm scared, what if bad things attack us?" Lauren asks fear in her tone. I crouch down to match her height and even though I could barely see in the dark, I look straight into her eyes.

" I'm here, I won't let anything ever hurt you, I promise, but if something does happen, you scream as loud as you can and run, and don't ever look back ok?" I say placing a hand her cheek.

" What about you? I don't wanna leave you," she says leaning into my touch.

" I will be ok, I'll be behind you if something happens ok?" I say knowing that it wouldn't be true, if we were in trouble, I would protect her with my life, just as long as she makes it and alive then I'll be happy dying knowing that I kept my promise.

" I just wanna go home, Moose," she says with tiredness in her voice.

" I am home," I say smiling at her. She looks at me confused.

" What do you mean?" she asks.

" Home is not a place, Ladybug, it's a feeling, do you understand that?" I say, making her more confused.

" I don't get it," she says. I softly laugh at her scrunched up face as if she is trying to read my mind to understand.

" Home, well I don't know how to describe it, it's a feeling of comfort, love, safe haven, happiness, and joy. Home is where we both are. So we could be stuck in an island, and I would still feel at home, because you and our sisters are my home, my comfort zone, my safe haven, do you get it now?" I explain. She nods and smile.

" Your my home, Moose, my protector, my big overprotective sweet sister, my safe haven," she says making me tear up. She gives me a the most amazing smile in the world, her eyes shining with so much happiness and love and admiration.

" Home is where we both are," We both say at the same, as we finally found our way to the campsite. That night we went to sleep with a smile on both our faces.