I miss her.

4

        I woke up to the sound of crying and someone shaking my leg. I looked around but my eyes had not adjusted well enough to see what was going on.

        "Ali! Ali!" Someone yelled right next to my bed.

        "Jaime?" I responded groggily. I reached out and I found a small child's shoulder. It was Jaime. "Jaime, what's wrong?"

        "I - I had a nightmare," she tried to stop sobbing but to no avail. She wailed. "Can I - s-sleep with you?"

        I moved over and said, "Mmhmmm... Just stop crying please."

        She scrambled into my bed and I put my arms around her to try to calm her. "Can," Sob. "Can you please sing to me?"

        "What?"

        "Mommy always sings to me to calm to me."

        I think for a second. I start to sing the only calming song that comes to me. "Love of mine, someday you will die. And I'll be close behind..." I don't get half way through the song before I feel  her breathing slow. "Jaime?" I whisper to make sure she is asleep. I roll over and fall back asleep.

        When I wake that morning the clock on the wall says 9:13 and Jaime is gone. I get up and go to the bathroom and take a shower. Jeremy and Donnie will be here in three hours. I make myself get ready for their arrival by making myself look presentable. I walk down to the kitchen and see Jaime and Luke at the table watching Saturday morning as they eat eggs and bacon. I grab myself a plate and join them.

        "Good morning sunshine." Luke greets me saucily. I punch him in the shoulder just hard enough for it to hurt. "Your hair didn't wash out in the shower. We look more alike than ever."

        I giggle. "Yeah we do." Luke has always a dark long brown hair. I always had an ugly lighter brown that just looked bad. It was too light. Jaime is blonde and blue eyed like my mom. Now with my hair dyed darker I look more like Luke.

        After we finish breakfast Jaime and I go out to see how deep the snow is while Luke goes and gets the sleds. It is only 28 degrees Fahrenheit out here.

        "Ali, look!" Jaime picks up a ball of snow.

        "Jaime, you know I don't like be called Ali. Just call me Alex please."

        "But Mommy calls you Ali."

        "I ask Mom to not call me that either." I pick up a ball of snow. It's the perfect type of snow for making snow men or having a snow ball fight

        When noon rolls around Luke and I go wait on the porch for our company. I have my hair up in a hat to surprise Jeremy. They pull up in Donnie's car. Jeremy gets out first and he almost slips on the ice. Donnie and him go to get their snow boots and gloves and such out of the back of the car. They look funny walking next to eachother. Donnie is much like a giant teddy bear. He is 6 foot and strongly bulit. Jeremy is about 5'8 and is very skinny and lanky.

        Donnie walks up to Luke and hugs him. I have Jeremy follow me inside. Donnie and Luke don't get much alone time and I like to help them all I can. Jeremy and I go up to my room.

        "So what's the surprise?"

        "Well," I say trying to annoy him with anticipation, "I hope you like it." I slowly pull off my hat so my hair falls down on my shoulder.

        His eyes widen and a big smile breaks across his face. He comes over towards me. He touches my hair and runs it through his fingers. "It looks so good. I love it."