The Goodbye - part 2

Posted on Fri Jan 24th, 2020 @ 1:33am by Lieutenant Mica Rue

"What do we do now, Selin?" Yolan asked, his head resting against the back of the couch.

The others looked at their eldest brother, waiting for a response.

He took in a deep breath. "We deal with what we need to, handle the things mother and father left behind. And then we go back to our lives, I guess."

The three didn't respond. It seemed stupid to. What could they really say?

After a few minutes, Batan leaned forward. "I'd like to say that was a nice reception, but I'm not sure that's really true." He rested his elbows on his knees.

"It was fine." Yolan pitched in. "The service was nice."

Selin sipped from the glass that still hadn't left his hand, not even for refills. His eyes were glassy, the light from the fireplace flickering in his vision. "You're quiet, Mikey, what do you think?"

Mica mumbled to herself. "The people were not genuine."

Selin glanced at his brothers. They both sat back. "They were asking...questions of her." Yolan avoided meeting his big brother's eyes.

Selin's cheeks grew red. He had always been protective of his baby sister. From the day his mother had gone away on a two week job and come back with the two-day old bundle and declared her part of the family, Selin had been there, to watch over and protect Mica. It didn't matter that she didn't share their blood. Gods, it didn't even matter that she wasn't of the same race. Mikey was their sister, HIS sister.

Across from him, Mica was silent. The day had tolled even longer than she thought and the emotional anguish had done its damage. While her brothers struck up small chatter about the people that had come to pay their respects, and the conversations they had overheard, Mica laid her cheek against the arm of the couch, leaning over onto it, and stared into the fire. Eventually the flames blurred, her own silent tears distorting the colorful fire licking along the stones. Some time after that the flames disappeared completely when Mica's eyes closed and her chest rose softly with the escape of sleep.

Finding her sister distanced from the conversation Selin tried to coach her into it, squatting down by her to find her asleep instead. He nodded to his brothers then to the stairs, and while he carried her small frame to her room all three arranged the pillows and blankets, tucking their baby sister in for what they hoped would be a fit-free night.

Still, Selin sat on the bench for a long time after that, watching her sleep, making her an internal promise to never leave her like their parents had. He promised this and he swore that he would always be there to protect her.

She was his baby sister, always his duty.