Secrets Within the Family

2

Ashton and I leaned against each other, watching the ocean waves crash down in front of us. My brother smiled and laughed, but it never reached his eyes. Something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" I asked, searching his eyes. They looked ... it was like as if I stared into an empty void.

"I just wish you were here with me," he murmured, and I furrowed my eyebrows, not understanding.

"Ash, what are you talking about? I'm here," I insisted, reaching for his hand.

"Maisie, I have to go."

"What? No- go where?" I began to panic, my heart thrumming in my ears. He stood up and I followed him, grabbing his hand, refusing to let go.

"Come with me, Maisie. Come with me."

"Maisie."

"Go with you where?" I asked, tears streaming down my face. "I don't want to be away from you, I - Ashton, stop. Where are you going?"

"I need to go."

He began to tug out of my hand and walked towards the water.

"No ... no, please come back," I cried, reaching for Ashton. He smiled sadly and stepped into the water, darkness and ocean waves billowing around him. "Ashton ... please, don't leave me."

He raised a hand in goodbye before turning and disappearing into the dark sea. I sunk onto the sand, to my knees, crying out, my heart snapping in two. "Ashton, come back! Please."

I woke up, gasping for breath, "Ashton! Ashton, come back," I cried, clamping my hand around my mouth, hoping no one heard me.

Losing my brother shattered the very fabric of my existence. We were bound by an unspoken connection, a bond that went beyond mere words or gestures. His absence now feels like a gaping void, an emptiness that echoes in the spaces where he used to be.

It's as if a part of me is missing, a piece of my soul taken away. Now, I'm left standing on a path that was once meant to be walked side by side, but I'm walking it alone, stumbling through uncharted terrain without his presence.

Memories of our shared childhood play like a bittersweet movie reel in my mind, all of it a vivid tapestry that both comforts and tortures me. I long to turn to him, to continue weaving our story together, but he's nowhere to be found.

The world continues to spin, oblivious to my heartache. I see his reflection in strangers on the street, in the everyday things that once brought us joy. His absence is a constant reminder that life moves forward, even when it feels like time should have come to a standstill.

Grief is a silent companion that walks beside me, an ache that settles in my chest like a heavy stone. It's the quiet moments when I catch myself reaching out to share a thought, only to realize he's no longer there to listen. It's the solitary visits to places we once explored together, the longing to feel his presence by my side.

I missed him so, so much. I swallowed, glancing around the room, trying to find something, anything, to focus on instead of my thoughts.

"Maisie," Cameron called, knocking on my door. "You need to get up if you don't want to miss your class."

I groaned, not ready for the day. There was so much to do and I didn't want to do any of it.

My brother knocked again.

"Maisie ... are you up?"

"Yes, Cam," I yelled and forced myself to yank back the comfortable blankets, sitting up, and rubbing my eyes. Harry jumped up and started licking my face, his tail wagging.