The day I wrote a song about you

Chapter 27: Letter

The house was quiet. We all went to Ash's new house, to help him with a few things and to say goodbye. I nearly cried.

My family was not used to being apart. We've always been together, except for a few months when Brandon lived with his girlfriend while she was pregnant. When she passed away giving birth to Sandro, he came back home.

Ash was the biggest support for me at home, apart from grandpa. I could always go to him, he didn't mock me or think less of me. He always defended me and he always achieved to bring a smile to my face.

It was just one member of the family, two, if we counted my father, but the house felt empty. He didn't live that far, he didn't want to leave the neighborhood but still, he wouldn't be here everyday.

Justin was staring at me from the tire swing. I was sitting on the porch's steps, fidgeting with my shoe laces. He jumped off and ran towards me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders while I encircled his little waist with one of mine, as he always did. He liked to stand by my side. Enjoying a bit of my protection, but still able to look at the world.

"I'm sad." Justin whispered into my ear.

"Yeah?"

He nodded, sitting down between my legs.

"I'm sad, too." I caressed his hair. "It's okay to be sad. But we can go visit whenever we want. Don't you wanna see your baby nephew?" I asked softly, trying to cheer him up.

He nodded, a small smile curling up the corner of his lips. I kissed the top of his head. "Wanna go to the park?"

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My birthday was just around the corner. That meant, Christmas was coming too. And since I got always so excited about my birthday, I totally forgot I wasn't the main character that day. I needed to buy some presents.

I had already bought a necklace for my mom the weekend of the competition. Nothing too out of this world, but I knew she'd like it.

The kids always wrote a letter to Santa with three presents they wished to get. I always bought one of them, since I made more money, my older brothers the other one and my mom and grandpa the last one. Sandro couldn't write but we bought whatever we thought he might like. Justin liked to circle what he wanted in the toy catalog and then cut his choices and glue them to his letter.

Christmas Eve was on Thursday. My family liked to have a big dinner and then have the leftovers for lunch the next day. I also needed to go grocery shopping with my mom.

I was getting overwhelmed just by thinking about all the things I needed to do in so little time. Tomorrow was Monday and I didn't have any days off until Thursday.

I was a complete disaster. I should've thought his through.

Sometimes I thought these pills I took didn't really work. Weren't they supposed to help me? Why was I always so distracted and forgetful then?

I hated them.

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The faint sound of music came from Brandon's door. He liked country music, just 'cause his girlfriend used to love it. Sandro loved it too, since it was always playing on my brother's phone.

I knocked on his door and waited quietly.

"Come in."

Opening the door slowly, I took a deep breath and walked inside. "Hi."

"Hey." He nodded, not even looking at me from the bed. He was on his phone, Sandro long asleep in his cradle beside the double bed.

"Can I talk to you?"