Tears Unnumbered [EDITING]

Recollection

She first takes another long look at her brother. He has taken after their father, and it is then that she realizes that Aoife doesn't seem to resemble him at all!

"Aoife does not look too much like you. I assume she takes after her mother?"

"Aye. She looks just like her."

"She must have been a beautiful woman."

"To me she was. She was the loveliest of them all. She was a wonderful woman."

"I should have liked to see her once. Meet the woman who won the heart of that boy who would be satisfied with nothing."

His eyes take on a faraway look and she knows he is lost to those memories. There is a deep sense of nostalgia there, and one by one, the tales of their love spill forth. She does not mind it at all. She would have been happy for him had she lived to be his sister, yet she had heralded that wonderful woman's death and lingered to see it whilst doing nothing.

"Oh, I will have you know that it was all our sister's doing. It was she who introduced Aine to me. I remember that the first thing I thought of her was that she was beautiful and I told her as much before we could be introduced. In fact, that is where Aoife's name came from. It was our way of immortalizing that moment when I first noticed her, while of course, embarrassing myself."

"I suppose she would have quite a good laugh at your expense."

"A laugh? Our sister discreetly pinched me so hard till I began sputtering my apologies!"

"I'm more inclined to learn what the lady said to you for being gawked at."

"You know that the ladies here are far less imposing than ladies of court. She merely thanked me for being gracious while also telling me it is not gentlemanly to gawk at a woman. She was still polite, mind you, but I almost expected her to turn an unflattering shade of crimson."

"Then how did it all come about?"

"You see, our sister was not ready to let me off just yet. She had long decided that we would do a lot of good to each other and set me on her trail. I must say it took a lot of convincing on my part to even approach her after the initial tomfoolery. You know we people hate pretentious behaviour. I will not go so far as to say that we hated each other, but after a few interactions, we realized that it may not be a terrible idea after all. She was a wonderful woman who found beauty in little things. Aoife takes after her mother in that respect too."

"One would have thought you had chosen each other instead! I should have been there to see you so enamoured by a woman. That too, growing up with a woman like our sister!"

"You know that she was hardly home with her being married. You cannot fault me for that. It is not as though I had many women in my life growing up!"

He sobers up at that.

"Sometimes, it feels like I am cursed not to have their company. You, mother, sister, Aine... now I do not know if even Aoife will make it past these tough times. She is sick and I know it no matter how much she tries to hide it. I am her father after all."

His composed façade crumbles as the images of Aine's death pour in. Cara can only watch, unable to offer comfort as she watches her only brother lament hysterically. He has never had someone who would share his grief, and now that he knows his sister is here, he can finally unleash the torrent of emotions he has hidden away all along.

"When Aine died, it broke what little I had into bits. I watched the life leave her. I held her as she shuddered time and again, convulsing. I killed her! I sat there doing nothing so I would be there for her instead of finding help. Alma was right to blame me. She left that night. I was alone. Alone as I had to tell Aoife that her mother would never come back to her. Now I forgive myself because it wasn't all me! All that while, it was because of what happened to father because of you! Can you not see what you did to us? Why did you lie?"

He nearly shouts the last sentence, but regains his composure after that.

"I'm sorry. Just why does everyone have to leave me, sister-mine? Why does everyone have to leave?" He asks, forlorn.

It breaks Cara to see how quickly her brother changes. One moment he was lost in the joys of memory and the next, he is on the verge of tears. Life has really broken him, has it not? she thinks ruefully.

"I did not do you any favours either, did I?" She asks him wryly.

"No Bláthnaid. You did not. I never got to know you in anything but name. It started with you and I can only pray that it ended with Aine."

There it is. Bláthnaid. That is what her name had been. Little flower indeed! She turns to listen once more, sensing a question coming. She knows she would dread hearing his question, but she waits.

"Will you not come out of hiding and show yourself to me? They said you died. Have I been lied to all these years?"

"No, brother. I truly died. They spoke the truth."

"Then how-"

"How am I speaking to you? What do you remember of the banshee's tale?"

"I do not see what difference that would make, but yes, I remember it well, sister. How can I forget? It was a banshee who stole my lady love from me." The bitterness in his voice is unmistakable.

"Do you hate the banshee then? Will you hate her beyond reason?"

"I cannot forgive her. You know I cannot."

She will not break another life like she did with Aoife and Nolan. She knows it will drive Liam insane to know that it had been his own sister who had heralded the death of his lady love. She can feel the pain twisting into a deep knife-wound, but she says nothing. She merely sighs as she speaks to her brother one last time before she sees the last of him.

"There is nothing more about myself that I can say to you. That I got one last chance to speak to you is more than enough. Live well, brother."

He stands still. He does not understand what she is trying to say. He does not want to. He looks to the ground as he speaks once more, his voice signalling a final parting.

"I wish I could have known you. I wish I could have felt your love as our sister spoke of it. I have not forgotten you. I remember the void I have lived with all my life, not knowing what it was that I missed. I wish you would come back to me."

"You know you would not want me, but know this- I have always loved you, Liam. I am sorry that I could never show you how much."

"I know, sister. I have always known."

With that, he leaves her. Little does she know that she will meet him once more, upon the death of someone he holds dear.