The Brightest Stars

Skyler

I smile down at the message from Ty telling me he wants to meet up at the pizza place by our school. I quickly put on a sweater and step out of my room. He's been quieter than usual and I hope he gets to open up today. Something's clearly bothering him.

Yet, I bump into someone as I put my phone in my pocket. "AJ! Jesus! How many times have I--" I stop talking when I see my uncle taking a hold of me before I lose my balance. "Uncle Steve?" I furrow my brows and gently step away from his grasp.

He gives me a warm laugh. He looks a bit older than the last time I saw him leave for the military. Ever since, he hasn't appeared at all. Not even for his own brother's funeral. His hazel eyes have the same tenderness except they hide years of secrets. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans and we stare at each other in silence.

I clear my throat. My mind is still confused at his arrival as I say, "Um. W-when did you get here?" I look around to see if either of my siblings is around. As usual, they're both out. Kristen is probably with Annabelle or Nate. Most likely Nate. And AJ...well, somewhere out there.

"About a month ago," he says in his low voice. He's a lot like Ty. He used to be much more expressive. Something has changed him and I know it's not the military.

"A month ago?!" I say in surprise. "Um. Wow. Sorry." I shake myself out of my shock and chuckle. "Why are you...I'm sorry. I'm just a little confused. H-have you heard of--"

"My brother? Yes. I'm so sorry for everything you've been through, kiddo. I wish I could've been there for you more often."

"Right." I awkwardly clear my throat. "Um. So...do you usually walk around in our house?"

"Sweetie!" I turn around to see my mother coming from her room. For the first time, she's not in her work clothes and she has a bright smile on. Her eyes quickly look at my uncle and then at me. She lays a hand on my shoulder and gives me a tender kiss on my cheek. "Sweetheart. I thought you were going out with Ty."

"I am," I say. My eyes try hard to understand what's going on. "I was just gonna go right now when I bumped into Uncle Steve." I look back at him and see that he's looking at my mother. His eyes carry this tenderness. This makes my stomach fall to the ground as I remember that same look in my father's eyes.

She gives me a small smile and says, "Well. He just came by to help me out a little. He came back from Afghanistan and heard about his brother."

"As you know, my brother and I didn't really have the greatest parents so we took care of each other," Uncle Steve says. "Now that he's dead, I feel obligated to help out his family."

I ignore him halfway through his sentence as I look back at Mom. I point at him and say, "How long has he been here, Mom?"

The moment my mother hesitates, my heart falls at the realization that she's hiding something. She gives me a small smile and says, "He's been here for quite a while. He's here to help."

Help?

I prefer to shut my mouth as I observe my mother. Her blue eyes beg for my understanding. Uncle Steve has his jaw tight as he looks at my mother. I hide away my pain and give them both a smile. "Okay," I quietly say. "I'm just going to..." I point towards the front door and my mother nods with a big smile. I wave goodbye to both of them and close the door behind me.

As I walk towards the back to get my bicycle, my heart is still unsteady at what just happened. All the way to the pizza place, my mind takes me back to the way she was dressed. The way she put on makeup and fixed her hair. That fake smile. Those nervous looks between the both of them.

AJ had told me a few weeks ago that he's seen Uncle Steve in the house with Mom. I didn't believe him at that moment. Now that I've seen the truth, I hope his theory of them seeing each other isn't true. It's been a while since Dad died, but how can she move on so quickly?