The warmth of the sun had long since passed, leaving a cool evening breeze in its wake. My sister and I were making our way down the street in complete silence. Street lamps flickered on and off occasionally, but I didn't notice.
The closer we got to our destination, the heavier my steps felt. My arms were a little numb from carrying my sister all this time, but I never let go—and she never got off either. We both stayed exactly as we were.
All of a sudden, a sliver of light shone onto the tip of my shoe, freezing me in place. I felt Lily's heart pound against my back—her once warm body growing cold. I sighed and slowly looked up.
The light was coming from the small lamp that hung in front of our door.
I crouched down, allowing Lily to slide off my back. She lingered for just a moment. Once she got off, she reached towards my sleeve and gently tugged on it.
Without turning back, I held my hand out for her. She quickly took hold of it with the same firmness she showed me earlier.
I pulled the house key out of my pocket and slid it into the keyhole, unlocking the door. Before my hand could reach the doorknob, my Sister nudged it to the side. She came up beside me and gave me a resolute nod.
I took a small step back, letting her take the lead.
Lily took a deep breath and placed her hand on the doorknob. It trembled slightly, but her eyes stayed fixed straight ahead. She slowly twisted the it and opened the door.
The moment we stepped foot inside the house, the cool evening breeze vanished— replaced by a cold pressure that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand. My Sister's hand tightened as she stiffly shut the door behind us.
Lily stared at the floor, standing completely still.
I took off my shoes and stepped in front of her, blocking her view of what lay ahead.
I turned around and forced a light scoff, breaking the once heavy silence. She flinched, and she slowly turned her head up at me.
"Are you going to take off your shoes, or do you need Prince Charming to do it for you? I don't know about you, but I'm hungry, so hurry up."
My hand, which was still holding hers, tightened as I said that. Her eyes widened, a subtle smile forming on her lips.
"I-it's rude to rush a girl you know. I can't just get ready in 5 seconds as you can…" she said while hastily taking off her shoes.
When she finished, she hit me on the shoulder and softly whispered
"Thank you…"
I playfully rolled my eyes, which she gave a little chuckle to.
After a brief silence, we nodded to each other and turned towards the living room. We didn't have a clear view from where we were standing, but we both felt the dominating presence of our Mother over there.
Lily took steady steps towards the living room, and I followed right behind her. Breathing became harder with each passing step.
All of a sudden, Lily froze—her wide eyes staring into the distance. I was still behind her at the time, so it took me a little more time to realize what she saw.
I stood next to my Sister—and saw someone lying on the couch. It was Mom. Mom was usually a light sleeper, so the fact that she didn't wake up at the sound of us entering the house was…off.
I let go of my sister's hand and quietly walked over to mom—she was sound asleep. She looked completely normal, if it weren't for the fact that she was deathly pale. I glanced at the table next to the couch—pills were lying around messily, as well as an empty cup of water.
"...She's just asleep."
Even from where I was standing, I heard Lily's relieved sigh—but her gaze didn't leave Mom for a second.
"Is– Is she okay?"
"You don't have anything to worry about; it's nothing new."
I took the empty cup off the table and went to refill it with water. Once the cup was halfway empty, I walked back and gently placed it back on the table.
It was only then did I step back to my Sister's side. Lily's shoulders seemed to relax a little.
"So… now what?" she asked quietly.
"Nothing. There's no point in stressing out about this anymore today. She won't wake up anytime soon, you know that. So let's just go upstairs and enjoy our meal."
She nodded her head and cautiously made her way to the stairs. She continuously snuck glances at our Mom's sleeping body. But no matter how much she looked, Mom would not wake up. Once Lily reached the stairs, she made a mad dash towards the top, retreating into her room.
I followed suit, making sure I proceeded as quietly as possible. Before I could make it to the top of the stairs, a figure stood in my way. I glanced up—and saw a familiar smile waiting for me. It was Dad. He let out a gentle laugh.
"Hihihi, so, why did you decide to skip school today?"
I replied as I normally would.
"Why does it matter? Are you mad at me?"
He let out a little sigh while shaking his head. That obnoxious smile of his didn't waver in the slightest.
"Nonono. Did I say I was mad? I just wanted to know. Sorry if that annoyed you."
My eyes winced just a bit when he said that.
He—has nothing to apologize to me for…
I light-heartedly waved my hand, brushing off his apology as I answered in the same tone.
"Nah, it's fine. I skipped because I thought that was what was best for Lily. She couldn't go to school looking that miserable, after all. It doesn't take a genius to notice something was wrong."
The gleam in Dad's eyes seemed to shine just a bit brighter, more tender.
Why… is he looking at me like that?
Dad reached his hand towards me and gently grabbed my shoulder. My body immediately tensed when he did—but I didn't let him find out.
I let out a confused scoff.
"What are you do–"
Before I could even finish speaking, my Dad let out a smile that reached all the way to his eyes—for the first time. It almost looked like… he loved me.
"Thank you, my Son."
The moment he said that, I felt the breath escape from my lungs. My body went hollow.
Did he just… thank me?
Why is he thanking me?
It's too late.
I've wanted to hear that for so long…
I no longer need your thanks.
Why… Why now?
…
There's no point in thinking about this.
I bit the inside of my mouth, my mind clearing for a moment. I didn't know what to do—but if nothing changed, I wouldn't be able to control myself. So… I'll do what I do best.
I gently grabbed his hand and pulled it off of me. Dad flinched, and he hastily took a step back. The smile that had reached his eyes became strained.
"I-I'm sorry for doing that. I–"
Before he could misunderstand any further, I lifted my head and put on a smile on my face.
"No, it's okay, you didn't do anything wrong. I was just a little surprised. What are you thanking me for? Helping my Sister?"
I let out a dramatic sigh.
"Sorry to break it to you, but that comes with the job."
I shrugged like it couldn't be helped.
Dad took in a deep breath, then let out a loud, obnoxious laugh. A smile once again made its way to his face, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"HAHAHAHA, you got me, Son. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from you. You really do love your sister, after all! You should show that to her more—she thinks you hate her."
A worm of guilt wiggled its way into my heart, but my smile remained unmoving.
"Yeah, no can do. It's a lot easier to be mean to her. She can deal with it, though."
"That's why you guys always fight with each other."
"Well, the fights are entertaining. A lively house is better than a dead one."
Dad chuckled.
"Hihihi, that's true. Well, don't keep your sister waiting, go eat!"
My Dad pointed to the bag of food that was still in my hand. He stepped aside, allowing me to pass through. When I did, he lightly slapped my back, pushing me forward.
"Ow. What was that for?"
"O-Oh—uh…"
His hand trembled slightly before making its way up and awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"I was just trying to give you a little push, is all…"
I sighed.
"Well, do it a little more gently next time, you old fart."
I turned around and slowly walked away—waving him goodbye without looking back. He didn't say anything else, and neither did I.
I continued to give off the same air of indifference as ever, but I made sure to keep my back turned on him.