With Sorrow asleep, I might as well run over and check on her. She’s been through a lot today. Although I know she’s okay with my boys, I need to see with my own two eyes that she’s okay.
I rub my hand over my face and pull the blanket back before easing Sorrow up and into my arms. With the smell of paint still in the air and her throat already tender from talking, she’d be better off in her bed. I carry her upstairs, marveling that when she’s out, she’s out. I bypass her mom’s room and head for herold room at the end of the hall. I twist the handle and nudge the door open with my foot before carrying her inside.
It’s like going back in time. I only remember coming up here once—to check on her when she ran away crying from a couple of kids that used to live on this street. They’re long gone now, as are their parents, both leaving Tempest when the boys left high school. Some families are like that. They want somewhere quiet and safe to raise their kids, but once the kids are old enough to go to college and spread their wings, the parents are ready for more excitement than Tempest can offer. Others are lifers, like my family.
I swallow when I think of them and lay Sorrow down on her bed. I glance around, and though the room mostly looks the same as it likely did the day she left, things have been moved around and cleaned up since the house was searched.
I tug the comforter up from the bottom of the bed and cover her up. I gaze around once more, unable to resist. Walking over to the mirror, I see photos tucked into the edge of the frame.
Swallowing, I trace my fingers over the younger Sorrow. Though she’s smiling in most, I notice the progression through the images of the smile becoming more brittle and her happiness fake. The only genuine smiles I see are in the photo of her and Katy—the same one Katy has herself—and one of her on my back, both of us laughing at each other’s antics.
I look back at the photos where her smile seems fake and grit my teeth when I see Alec smiling cockily in each of them.
I’m not sure there will ever be a time when I look at a photo of my brother and it doesn’t hurt. But seeing him with his arms wrapped around the woman I love messes with my head, especially in light of what my mom said about him only chasing after her because he knew I was in love with her.
I never saw it before. Or perhaps I did, but I was too caught up in my feelings to pay attention to Alec’s. And then he was gone, and none of it mattered anymore.
Death has a way of stripping away indiscretions. The second they’re lowered into the ground, it’s as if their flaws get buried with them. We focus on their laugh and their scent rather than their temper or selfishness. None of that matters, especially not when a young man loses his life before he ever gets to really live it.
As I turn away from the photos, my eyes taking in the stained carpet on my way to the door, I can’t help but admit that I would have hated the man he would have grown up to be, given the chance.
I turn and take her in once more before closing the door and jogging back down the stairs. I slip my shoes on and head over to my place, letting myself in.
Katy is resting her head on Arlo’s shoulder. Her feet lay on Marcus’s leg.
Marcus turns, hearing me come in. “Hey, man, how is she?”
“Sleeping.”
Katy jumps up and hurries over to me. I yank her into my arms and hold her as she cries, looking between Arlo and Marcus, who look pissed. None of them likes to see her cry any more than I do, but she needs to get it out of her system before it eats her alive.
Once she’s done, she lifts her head and wipes her eyes. “Sorry for crying all over you.”
“That’s what big brothers are for.”
“How do you feel about snot?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve wiped your boogers all over me.”
She shoves me, but I see her grin.
“You okay if I head back over and spend the night with Sorrow? She’s asleep now, but I don’t want her to wake up alone.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“We’re staying anyway,” Arlo says, making Katy roll her eyes.
“You don’t have to. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Not everything is about you, Katy cat. What if I’m lonely? What if I want to snuggle up with Marcus, no questions asked?”
Katy snorts as Marcus rolls his eyes.
“We’ll come over and all have breakfast together. I think Sorrow needs to decompress. I know her throat is sore from talking.”
“Yeah, I’ll admit, I didn’t see that coming.” Marcus chuckles.
Katy shrugs. “It makes sense. Something bad happened, and she lost her voice. It took something bad for her to find it again.”
