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Amon looked up, as if he could see clearly again after being deep in his thoughts. “I believe we’ll have to let the crew know that we’ll have Evangeline’s remains on the flight. I’ve also prepared to donate a good amount to the care home in Gwendoline’s and Evangeline’s name. Other than that, I don’t believe there is much more. I have already taken care of most of it with Stacy’s help.”
Unable to sit still any longer, Silas jumped up and started pacing in the room. The guilt of not having met Evangeline and seeing past his own stupidity was weighing heavily on him.
“If you don’t sit the fuck down and stop pacing like a maniac, I’m going to break your legs,” Rayen threatened him.
“And how the fuck am I supposed to sit still while she is up there shattered into a thousand pieces? And I can’t do a damn thing to fix it.”
“You can. We all can,” Amon said calmly. “We might not be able to fix her heart, but we can be by her side and help her heal. When she is ready, she’ll come to us. She’ll want us close. She’ll want us to distract her from the pain. Or perhaps she’ll want us to listen to her sorrows.”
They all looked up at the ceiling as Gwen stepped out of the water and got dressed. It took her much longer than usual and she seemed to be frozen in place as she got ready.
After a while, she came downstairs and sat in front of Amon holding up a hairband. Her eyes were red and tired, her hair still damp. Without her having to say a word, Amon started to part her hair and braid it.
Rayen reappeared with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and some snacks. “Would you like to watch something? Or have Silas read to you?”
“Read,” she answered in a raspy, weak voice. “But one of your books.”
“Anything you wish.”
He quickly disappeared and grabbed one of his favorite books and sat down on the couch. He’d expected her to come crawl into his lap like she usually did when he read to her but instead, she cuddled up to Amon. At first, he was jealous, then he felt bad for feeling that way. She was seeking out Amon because Amon was the only one who could understand her loss.
He read to her and kept reading even after she’d fallen asleep, hoping his voice would keep her dreams far away from her sister. Amon held her close, stroking and caressing her while Rayen made sure she was warm enough. He encouraged Amon to feed while he wrapped Gwen with a fluffy blanket.
Gwen stirred a few times but never fully awoke, not until it was well past sunrise. She opened her eyes though, she didn’t move to sit up. Her eyes were sad and still red as if she’d been crying in her sleep too.
Her eyes flickered to each of them before she gently whispered, “Thank you.”
“Would you like me to make you breakfast?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not hungry.” Closing her eyes, she rubbed her cheek over Amon’s throat. “We need boxes.”
“I put some in the car yesterday.”
She nodded and stretched her body before standing on two wobbly feet. Silas watched as she walked up the stairs and out of sight. It took him all of his will power not to go after her and take care of her. When she came back down, she’d changed into jeans and a loose shirt with sandals, her hair still in the braids from the night before.
“I’m ready,” she said, her voice slightly stronger than before.
Rayen handed her wallet and phone. “Of course.”
Amon opened the door while Gwen looked down at her phone and walked out. “Will we be able to fly on Wednesday?”
“I’m hoping so, just waiting to hear from the funeral home again,” Amon said.
Then she stopped mid-way to the car, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m horrible,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Silas wrapped his arms around her immediately, holding her from behind. “You are anything but that.”
Amon took her hand in his and gently caressed it with his thumb. “Silas is right. You said you two have always wanted to go to the beach and that’s what you’ll be doing.”
“I’m being selfish,” she sobbed.
With his free hand, Amon cupped her face, tilting her head up so she would look at him. “You’re not. This is what Evangeline would’ve wanted. She didn’t want to be buried and stuck in the cemetery nor did she want to be in the funeral home. You’re doing what she wanted. You’re taking her somewhere beautiful and peaceful, somewhere where she would feel comfortable.”
She took in a deep breath and nodded before following Amon to the car where Rayen was already holding the door open for her. She sat in the middle seat, held by Rayen and him while Amon drove.
In the care home, a few people stopped Gwen to let their condolences be known but just like the night before, she seemed to have tunnel vision. In the room, Silas and Amon set up the boxes, while Rayen stood next to Gwen and studied the pictures on the walls.
“I can’t tell you two apart in any of these,” he said with an amused tone, likely in an attempt to make her laugh again.
