Alysa’s arm is wrapped around my back, mine draped over her shoulder, her temple pressed to my chest. The service ended about fifteen minutes ago, and most of the guests have gone. A few stragglers remain, but they don’t seem to mind us standing here, looking down into the two six-foot holes where our parents’ caskets rest.
Everything was beautiful, and I’m grateful we didn’t have to handle any of the arrangements ourselves. Our dad and stepmom had built a deeply loving family within the community of Maple Falls—the small town named in their wills as their final resting place.
“…to be laid to rest in Maple Falls Cemetery, surrounded by our true family, alongside one another.”
There were far more people than I expected. Some were distant relatives who, like my sister and me, had traveled from out of town. But most were locals who spoke of my father and stepmother as though they were family—siblings, even parents. They said this loss would wound their community for a long time, and that even afterthe grief faded, the mark left by their love would last a lifetime.
Our dad was a doctor at the local hospital—nothing as grand as San Francisco General—but I remember asking him once why he chose it. His answer was what pushed me to go into the medical field in the first place.
“Needing help isn’t determined by the size of the hospital, Ayden. Regardless of who someone is, where they are, their social status… everyone needs help. In a small town or a metropolis.”
I planned to do my residency at SF General and then move out of the big city. That had been the plan, until I met Michael…
Feeling my sister squeeze me, I look down at her. She’s got a somber smile, accompanying the red cheeks and tear-filled hazel eyes that match mine.
“I couldn’t have done this without you, righty.”
“The feeling’s mutual.” I drag my palm across her cheek, taking away the tear that draws down it. “Do you want to skip the communal lunch and grab some bad fast food?”
That smile of hers turns to a toothy one. “It’s like we are twins or something. You read my mind.”
She and I are fraternal twins, but we share many of the same features, minus our height. Almond-shaped eyes, long lashes now clumped from tears, and bold eyebrows. Her sleek, straight nose is red, and I’d told her not to wear makeup, but it’s bunched up just under where she’s been dragging the back of her hand.
As she tucks her honey-gold hair behind her ear, she pulls away from me and walks toward the rental car. She’d berated herself earlier when she asked if I wanted to drive. It pained me to see her nearly get on her knees to apologize when I reminded her that my license was still suspended.
I’m circling the black sedan when I hear tires crunching behind us. The single stretch of dirt that winds through this part of the cemetery is nearly empty now; only our rental and two other cars remain.
That is until a mossy-green truck rolls to a stop. The sound of a car door closing behind me pulls my gaze back to Alysa, who is starting the engine. I make my way to the passenger door but pause, glancing toward the newcomer.
From the driver’s side, thick, voluminous curls appear. I don’t need to see the face to know who it is—Keoni, my stepbrother.
I haven’t seen him since… god, my graduation party. We’ve both grown up, it seems, because holy shit, he’s even bigger than he was back then.
We’re a solid half-football field apart, and he doesn’t look my way. His gaze stays fixed on the blue canopy that shaded the guests during the service.
I watch him clench and unclench his fists. His shoulder-length, curly hair, always his signature, is pulled into a bun on top of his head. The white button-up strains against his muscles, and even from here I can see the rise and fall of his chest caused by his heavy breathing.
The moment I’m moving into my first step toward him, I hear Alysa. “Ayden, come on, I’m hungry. Please.”
I take a deep breath before slipping into the vehicle slowly.
Go to him…
Ignoring that idiotic idea, I grab the seatbelt and click it into place. Then, almost without thinking, I drop the visor and check the mirror. Adjusting it just enough to see the truck, I search for him—only to find he’s gone.
I steal a glance at my sister as she moves to put the car in drive, then shift my gaze past her. That’s when I see him, standing exactly where we’d been minutes ago. Alone.
Go to him…
My stomach tightens with indignation, directed at myself, for not telling Alysa to stop. Regardless of what happened the last time we saw one another, he’s our stepbrother, and he, like us, just lost a parent.
Still, humiliation wins out over everything, and I rest back against the seat as we get moving. We will all have to find a way to cope with this, because once my twin goes back to London, I too, will be alone again.
“Righty, come on, you didn’t even touch your damn waffles.” A blueberry hits me square in the chest, and I stare at her in disbelief. I’m wearing awhitebutton up. That could stain. “I get it, but you need to eat, you’re looking awfully skinny.”
I roll my eyes. “My weight is fine, says my doctor I saw a few weeks ago.”
“Speaking of doctors. How’s physical therapy?” She pokes her fork into the last of her syrup-drenched pancakes and rolls it to gather the rest of the scrambled eggs, before shoving it into her mouth.
