Ethan

I waited for her response. I wanted to know. I needed to know.

Would she leave too?

The things Carmen said were still hanging in my head. A familiar frustration formed in my chest, intensified with every passing second that she kept silent.

In that exact moment I was in a place where I was questioning everything. I was close to discarding everything including any emotions I had towards her and right on the verge of categorizing them as ridiculous and absurd. As hard as I searched inside me I couldn't put my finger on one thing that would pull me out of this wreckage of self-loathing state. And right now, I didn't care if I made a whole deal out of a thought in my head or some hypothetical scene she just made up. I wanted my answer.

Skye placed a gentle hand on my head and all my nerves accumulated in response. Her touch was soothing, affectionate and clement. It washed over me softer than the rain drops that rolled down my skin. Every thought I had was shushed into silence leaving nothing but a quiet peace.

When she spoke, her voice reached me as soft as her touch, I could feel her face close to mine like she was looking inside my soul.

"I will stay next to you until you wake up."

My heart stuttered in my chest.

"Even if it took weeks?" I asked right away, still searching for something to hate. Still doubting how far she would go. Trying to prove to myself that she wasn't different from everyone else.

"For as long as it takes," she said sincerely, and no hesitation in her voice.

My demons were seized. Only then, I stood and let her guide me to her car.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" she asked after she got in too.

I shook my head. I didn't feel like going to an empty house.

"How about my house then?"

I shrugged.

"Is Hank coming?" she asked.

I shook my head, "No. He got caught up in the rain. I told him I will catch a ride."

"Do you want to call him?"

"He's on his way to the hospital."

Her hand gripped mine, "Why? What happened?"

"Grandpa had a heart attack this afternoon," the words felt heavy in my mouth and tasted like salt.

She gasped, "Oh my god! Will he be alright?"

I shook my head again, "We don't know yet. Hank didn't sound optimistic when he told me," and then I blasted, "I... I don't understand... I mean he doesn't drink or smoke, he exercises regularly and follows a healthy diet. There isn't a seventy-something year old I know of who follows a healthy life style like him. All green and organic."

Skye's griped my hand with both hers', "I'm really sorry, Ethan. Sometimes... things just happen. I'm sure he'll be fine," her voice nothing but sympathy and hope.

I hoped too.

There was a moment of silence between us filled with nothing but loud thuds of raindrops and the whistles of wind whipping outside. Her hand soft and comforting on mine.

"Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?" Skye asked.

I shook my head right away. There was no need to burden others with me right now.

"So, how about my house?" She offered again.

I shrugged. Even if she dropped me in the middle of the road I wouldn't care right now.

Skye drove silently allowing me to preserve the quiet mind state I was in. I didn't want to think about anything right now because I knew the moment my brain would start to form thoughts they would all fall under every bad thing I said or did. Every wrong action and bad choice I made in my life, and I have enough of those to make me stop wanting to get up in the morning.

"I'll go grab Matt. Do you mind waiting for a minute?" I heard her ask.

I didn't even notice that we have stopped. I shook my head. Her door opened and a gush of rain and wind below in before she shut it. A minute later two doors opened and then shut.

"Hi I'm Matt. You must be Ethan," A small voice said from behind me.

"Nice to meet you Matt," was all I said.

I could sense he wanted to say more, but he held back. Probably Skye told him not to or maybe I didn't give any talkative vibe, so our ride carried in silence.

"Here's a towel," Skye placed the soft material in my hand as soon as we reached her house. "The bathroom is down the hall. Sink on the left, toilet on the right, shower straight ahead".

She set me in the direction of the hall, "You can sit in the living room after you're done. It's the second door on your left couch in the middle."

Skye

I ran upstairs, taking them two steps at a time. I would have made three steps but my legs weren't that long. Took the quickest shower in the history of mankind. Didn't even wait for hot water.

Then got dressed in a lightning speed. Towel dried my hair and brushed it, I think I lost half of it on the brush from all the hustle. After that I dashed downstairs again. Record time.

I pulled Ethan's clothes from the dryer and asked Matt to hand them to him, too shy to do that myself. My face turned red by just getting his clothes out of the dryer.

I carried two mugs of hot chocolate to the living room. I left one for Matt in the kitchen for when he came down. Standing in the doorway for a minute- I took a look at Ethan sitting on the couch. He was silent, numb and distant. I saw him drowned in his own thoughts many times before, but not like this. He always appeared strong and collected, but never on the edge of breaking like he was now. It seemed like the weight he carried on his shoulders was finally taking its toll on him. It worried me seeing him like this.

Setting the mugs on the table, I peeled open his clenched fist and placed a warm mug there. Then I climbed on the couch too hugging my legs as I waited for him to say something.

Then a sudden thought only slammed into me that shocked me internally. What would I tell him if he asked about my parents? I'm not ready for that. A heavy feeling in my chest prevented me from breathing and my stomach clinched painfully. I didn't think about it on the way here. All I wanted was to get him out of the rain and make sure he was fine.

The front door opened interrupting my thoughts, "I'm home," Aunt Sophie announced her arrival. "Guys, are you back yet?"

"We're back," Matt yelled from upstairs.

She hasn't realized that we were in the living room and walked right passed us to the kitchen.

"Can you believe that I just had my car washed this morning and now it's raining, such a waste. All muddy and dirty. And now I have to clean it from the inside too."

Matt came downstairs with a thud as he jumped the last four steps, "Aunt Sophie, you will never guess what Skye brought home," he said in a telltale voice like he was about to rat me out. He glanced at me and winked.

I smiled when I heard her growl from the kitchen, "Skye, please tell me you didn't bring home another stray,"

I whispered to Ethan who had a pinched brow as he was listening to my crazy family, "I'm sorry, but I can't miss the opportunity."

Then I raised my voice so she could hear me, "I don't think he's a stray. He has a home."

Then I explained to Ethan quickly in a low voice, "I used to bring home strays I found on the streets and that drove her crazy. Not that she hated animals but... well... here it comes."

"Does it have a tag or a collar? Call the owner right away, please!"

"But Aunt Sophieeee... let's keep him for a little while it's raining... you should see him," I giggled.

Ethan beside me was starting to enjoy this.

"No! We talked about this before, you know we don't have space for a pet. You can't bring home every stray you find. Plus, who's going to take care of it while all of us are out. We can't keep it sweetheart and with Matt's asthma..." her sentence trailed off when she entered the living room.

"Aunt Sophie, meet the stray. His name is Ethan," I introduced them to one another cracking up under the glare she gave me and Matt.

Her face turned bright red and she cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize we had company. Human company."

Matt was hardly able to walk from the fret of funny laughs and snorts. His asthma made him wheeze as he laughed which made me laugh even harder.

"I... just... assumed you were furry... with a tail..." Aunt Sophie started to crack too at the sounds of our snorts, "Maybe a peak and feathers... fins... a shell... Nice to meet you, human Ethan."

By then Matt and I broke down, tears streaming down our faces. Not long before Aunt Sophie joined us. Ethan's face relaxed a little and he smiled. Almost.

After the wave subdued, Aunt Sophie apologized again, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Ethan, you must stay for dinner."

"In a plate or a bowl?" Ethan asked innocently falling into roll too.

Matt and I snorted while our aunt turned red again.

"Plate... definitely a plate," she answered quickly.

Matt joined her to do his homework while she started dinner. It was kind of his 'big plan' to finish all his work so he'd have the weekend homework-free. I gave them a grateful look for lightening up the mood.

I scooted closer to Ethan. Just as we were alone he slipped back in his thoughts. If only he would talk to me instead of bottling everything up. I knew that we still haven't reached that part where he could open up and tell me anything. It seemed unfair to want him to open up while I wouldn't, but even though, I still hoped that he would.

"Ethan..." I called him softly.

His head tilted my direction a little and I reached out for his hand. He stiffened at the beginning, but then he took a deep breath letting it out slowly, more relaxed yet still not talking.

"Let me know every once and a while that you're fine," I used his words.

He slowly smiled a little while his fingers closed tighter over mine and finally talked, "I'm fine," he breathed out, "I just... I thought... I don't know..." he stopped and then started again, "Grandpa and I were friends, but after my accident I just... stopped... everything,"

I understood what he was talking about.

Ethan told me stories about his grandfather. The one where he took him fishing when he was ten and Ethan flipped their boat and they lost all the fish they caught. The one where he gave him his first driving lesson. When he took him trick or treat and allowed him to eat as much candy as Ethan wanted until he had stomach ache. Ethan had countless stories of him.

The way that Ethan spoke about his grandfather showed the special relationship the two had, and I could tell without doubt that Ethan loved his grandfather a lot.

Without thinking, I placed my head on his shoulder as I squeezed his hand, just letting him know I was there. Ethan pressed his cheek to my head.

I knew what he was going through. The helplessness, the inability to do anything, that numbness that engulfed the senses, when one's brain couldn't process or believe what was happening. I knew all of that.

Ethan sighed heatedly, his body restless next to mine, "I.. I didn't..." he breathed out heavily. He looked like there were many words forming in his mind but none were said, "I should have visited him more," his hand jerked in mine. "And now he might not be able to... and I didn't get the chance to..." his heavy words trailed off leaving the rest unspoken but well understood.

That made me ask the obvious question, "Why aren't you there?"

I leaned away to look at him. I might not be able to see his eyes, but I've learned to read the rest of his features. The line of his mouth, the set of his jaw, the expression of his eyebrows and every visible feature was in woe and on the brink of frustration and rage.

"And do what, Skye? I'll only be in the way. I can't help with anything. There is nothing I can do and I'll only be a burden to everyone. My family doesn't need the extra weight right now," his face turned away.

The firm set of his jaw and the tight furrowed brow exposed what he thought of himself when it came to others, especially his family. It broke me that he thought that way about himself.

Our fingers were still entwined when I lifted his back of his hand up to my cheek. His head turned back to me and only then I said, "You don't always have to do something, you know. Sometimes, just being there is enough."

Ethan's anger froze for a moment and then his feature softened as my words fell in a place he understood. The back of his thump brushed my cheek gently while still grasping my hand and he smiled a little, "I don't know what I did to deserve having you in my life?"

Despite the double back-flip my stomach did and off-beat heart rhythm, I grinned, "Well, you must have done something really horrible." I had to move our joined hands away from my face before the heat that invaded my cheeks burned him.

Ethan pulled his phone from his pocket, "I'll call Hank."

I was glad that he has decided to go, but I didn't want him to do this alone. Good or bad, no one should go through such situations alone.

"Give me a minute before you call him."

He paused, confused, but nodded anyway and I ran to the kitchen. I needed to ask permission.

Ethan

The heaviness in my chest lifted a bit. My fingers settled around the phone ready to speed-dial Hank. When he called me earlier to tell me about grandpa. He asked me if I wanted to come and I refused, I told him to go ahead. But after Skye's words- I came to regret my decision. I knew I was no good to my family, but being here with her somehow seemed all I needed and I plan to do the same towards my family.

I heard her walk in and to my surprise Skye said lightly, "Let's go!"

"Go where?"

"To the hospital."

I shook my head, "You don't have to drive me there. I can call Hank or my parents."

"I'm not driving, Aunt Sophie is, but I'm coming with you if that's okay?" She said in a matter-of-fact tone despite the question.

If it was okay? There was a weird turmoil in my heart.

"Of course," I'm not sure during which part of the conversation I stood up, but I was on my feet, "but why would you do that?"

Her tone softened with sympathy that tugged on my strings, "Cause no one should go through this alone," and she linked her arm to mine.

My body's instant reaction was to press her linked arm to my side. I took comfort from her closeness.

I had no words that could express the things that stirred inside me. She kept breaking me and then building me up in ways no one ever did. Adding to my internal-wars I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Was I mad? Did I seem vulnerable? Stronger? Broken? All of the above? The one thing I was sure about was that I'm grateful.

I opened my mouth but then closed it when I heard Sophie walk in saying, "I'm really sorry about your grandfather Ethan, I hope he'll be fine soon."

"Yeah, I hope he'll get well soon," A smaller voice said. Matt's.

I nodded my appreciation, "Thank you."