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We head toward the front door together; me with him sleeping in my arms, Hayzel and Edna just behind us, and once we reach the door, Hayzel nudges me lightly.

“Don’t forget to pack your bags, okay? You can’t back out now,” she murmurs with a smile, as if she’s trying not to get emotional.

“I won’t forget, don’t worry. Everything will be ready tomorrow,” I answer, even though my chest tightens a little at the thought of starting this new life.

Edna then pulls me into her arms, warm and reassuring, one of her hands supporting Milo’s back without waking him up. “You’re making the right choice, Reya,” she whispers. “And we’re here. For anything you need.”

Hayzel steps closer, wrapping her arms around both of us, and presses a soft kiss on Milo’s forehead. “Sleep tight, little man,” she murmurs. “We’ll see you tomorrow. And I’ll come check if your sister actually prepared everything.”

“Goodnight, you two,” I said. “Thank you… for dinner, and for everything.”

Then I step out into the night and start walking home. His weight against me is comforting. Knowing he trusts me, knowing he is sure that everything I do is for his sake soothes something inside me.

I walk home in silence, holding Milo a little too tightly.

Maybe I’m not ready for this new life, but for him, I didn’t have the right to be afraid.

4

Mireya

Play - Sleep by Azura Ray

Luminescence

I toss and turn in bed as I try to sleep. Tomorrow, I have a big day waiting for me, and I need to force myself to get some rest.

But… It’s not working.

I tried the bottle once, thinking it would fix something, but it didn’t. For some reason, it made me angrier and even more hopeless than before.

Milo found me on my bed one night, drunk, shaking, and throwing up into a bag. He cried like he didn’t recognize me, that empty soul lying there with empty eyes. He didn’t understand why I was inflicting that on myself.

Children shouldn’t even try to understand that.

That fear and worry in his eyes are forever engraved in my brain.

I was starting to look too much like Dad, like what was left of Mom before she died. So, I tried something stronger. Something that didn’t leave me slumped on a bed or crying on the bathroom floor. Something I could hide.

It started small, enough to take the edge off, then it wasn’t small anymore.

My brother never noticed that it got worse. That’s how I knew it was too late.

I was a confused kid. I just wanted something to help. Something to make the pain stop. To make the memories disappear. I didn’t find anything; but the blades and pills kept me sane.

I had someone to take care of, and it forced me to always stay conscious, because his childhood mattered more than my healing.

The sound of the door creaking open made me stir awake. At first, I thought I’d dream about it, but then I saw a little shadow standing there, wrapped in that soft blue blanket. I smiled when I recognized him.

“Hey, baby.”

“Reya, can I stay with you?”

“What happened, firefly?” I whispered

“I’m scared of the dark.”

For a moment, I lost myself again hearing this.