My Everlasting Home.

Willow looked at the paper, shaking in her hands. She dropped to her knees; her dad couldn’t catch her this time. She screamed out in agony having read what was on that dreaded letter.

’Death Certificate of Penelope Briary. Date: 17th August 2017. Cause of Death: Car Accident.’

Willow couldn’t read the rest, once she saw the words ‘Death Certificate’ she crumbled, crumbled down to the cold hardwood floor of her dad’s kitchen. She cried even louder, heartbroken that her mum was gone for good. Willow mourned her mum that day as did her family and even the whole pumpkin lake community.

Willow stood, looking distant as her sister brushed through her now lifeless dark brown hair. “Hey, dad said that he would take us to Joe’s after the funeral” Willow’s sister, Blair tried to communicate with her, but Willow never answered. She just continued to stare of into the abyss. Blair tried so hard to communicate, she thought that if her and her dad brought her to Joe’s then… Then maybe Willow would smile again. But it was no use, Willow was a shell of what she used to be, she was swallowed by grief sinking further and further. Until she was stuck, not able to break free from the restraints of the grief which was holding her back.

Blair sighed deeply, plaiting Willow’s once vibrant brown hair tying it at the end. She turned to face Willow observing her face looking for any sign of life. But with much despair, she couldn’t her Willow was gone as was her mum. She looked over her sister, seeing how pale and weak she had gotten since the passing of their mother.

Blair was distraught, seeing Willow’s once vibrant smile being replaced with a solemn expression instead. Willow’s eyes were now replaced with a less vibrant version of her once memorizing blue eyes. The purple bags underneath her eyes spoke volumes, Willow had nightmares night after night after receiving that dreaded death certificate. Oh, how Blair prayed that she could have her darling little sister back, but she thought it was too late.

“Oh Willow, my poor little Willow,” Blair whimpered, tears falling from her sad blue eyes travelling down her face and onto her black dress. She quickly wiped her eyes with a clean tissue, sniffling softly. Blair clutched the tissue deep inside her hand as she moved slowly away from willow to white painted door.

“Hey Willow, I think they’re ready now. Let’s go yeah?” Blair softly spoke to Willow, rubbing her hand on Willow’s cold, pale face. Willow’s response was quick, a slight nod of the head as she tried standing up with the help of Blair at her side. Blair clutched Willow closer to her form, as they walked out of the opened white door, walking toward the spiral staircase.

They both descended, taking each step at a time hearing the start of the funeral take place. Blair breathed deeply after reaching the lowest step of the staircase. They both felt sick to their stomach.

“I – I – I don’t want to do this Blair Blair,” Willow spoke quietly, gripping her Blair’s slender arm in her hand tightly.

Blair smiled sadly at her scared little sister, “I know you don’t want to do it, little Willow. But sometimes we must do things that we do not want to do.”

Blair touched Willow’s cheek with her cold, slender hand looking into her sister’s eyes. Blair almost cried seeing the sadness in her sister’s eyes.

“ I – I just can’t – do – this Blair,” Willow spoke quietly, the tears flowed freely down her face and onto her black dress which was hanging of her slender body.

“Oh, come here, little Willow,” Blair spoke sadly, grabbing Willow tightly into her hold as she began to cry on her shoulder soaking it. Blair couldn’t hold it in any longer, tears began flowing freely from her eyes down her cheeks and onto her black dress.

“I – I- don’t want to remember – her like – like th-this Blair,” Willow cried out desperately trying to dislodge from her sister and run back up the stairs to the comfort of her bedroom. But Blair stopped Willow, by grabbing her hands and linking them with her own hands.

“Little Willow, I know how you feel my love. I know, it’s dreadful and it’s sad. But we must go, mum would’ve wanted this, Willow. You know this my love,” Blair tried to reason, as she shushed her, gently rocking her from side to side.

“- I – I can’t read what I w-wrote, Blair. I just can’t,” Willow cried helplessly, her hands shook as she gripped her sister’s arm for dear life.

“My love, you will be fine. Mum would have wanted you to speak at her funeral. Don’t worry you can look at my face the entire time while you read your eulogy. How does that sound?” Blair sympathized, as she gently smoothed the stary hairs around her face. Blair cupped her little sister’s face in her hands seeing her slightly red eyes and cheeks.

She gently kissed her forehead, staying there a little longer than usual, pouring all her love inside of that one forehead kiss. Willow needed every bit of love in that kiss, Blair just knew it. “Come on my love, let’s get going. Dad’s waiting for us, and then after we’ll all go to Joe’s. Yeah?” Blair spoke quietly to her little sister Willow, who was clutching at her hand tightly, scared that Blair might let her hand go.

Blair smiled encouraging Willow to answer, “I’d like that Blair B-Blair,” Willow stuttered out going back to clutch her tightly in her frail hand. Blair patted Willow’s hand with her hand as they walked out of the front door, seeing their dad wait patiently next to the car.

“Hi dad,” Blair spoke to her dad, seeing his red eyes and cheeks. “Blair,” her dad spoke quietly, cupping her face as he bent down to kiss her cheek with affection. “Willow,” her dad spoke quietly, cupping Willow’s face, as he kissed her cheek with affection as well.

“Daddy,” Willow spoke quietly, tearing up again as she crushed into his frame, tightly as she wrapped her frail, boney arms around his waist. Blair gasped, her mouth finding its way to her opened mouth as tears fell down her face watching the sight of her heartbroken sister and her distraught dad crying with grief.

“Come on, come on,” Their dad said through his tears, kissing both their heads as he turned away to walk back to the car. He got in, hands on the steering wheel. Blair took her crying sister softly in the arms as she guided her and herself into the car.

“We’re ready,” Blair replied to her father, looking at him from the mirror. He nodded quietly, as he turned the car on and silently drove out of their home and onto the road.

Blair sighed, laying her head on top of Willow’s head as she silently listened to her soft snores. Blair patted their still intertwined fingers and looked out of Willow’s window.