orders. I promised myself when Tag checked in, I was cornering his ass for worrying me, then I’d pry out every detail of what had gone down.
Kayden and I fell quiet, basking in the peace surrounding us.
It was strange to think that in a couple of days my life would once again change. This time, hopefully, for the better. The heavy chains of resentment and
guilt had slowly unraveled as I picked up the pieces of my life without Kelsey.
Her absence helped me put things in perspective.
Life was too short to waste worrying about what had been, or what could be.
Kayden helped me box up her personal things from her condo and break the
news of her death to her friends and Terrance. Jinx and Rabbit stepped in to help
me arrange her memorial.
It was difficult packing her things up at the condo. Memories snuck in
without warning. Thankfully, Ellery’s presence remained submerged under the
happier, more vibrant ones peppered with Kelsey’s laughter and joy. It gave me
something to hold close when the fear-drenched moments in my cabin’s kitchen
haunted my dreams.
And that was another thing.
Ellery had left too many marks on my past, including my home. While it had
been my family’s center, the last horrible week had stained my cabin. Taking it
back would take time, but I was determined to stick it out. Years of love and laughter, shared joys and tears, created a deeper impression than Ellery’s depravity. So, although I might not be spending much time in Sedona, the cabin
would stay mine.
The sun slowly slid behind the red rock walls. Next to me, Kayden shifted.
“You ready?”
“Yeah,” my answer came out soft, and a little melancholy.
He offered me a hand and helped me to the edge of the rock before returning
for the backpack.
I stood there, gazing down at the bubbling creek, flowing fast and furious below me. Kelsey had always loved this spot. When the Ardens took us in, they
gave us free rein to explore the area around the cabin. It didn’t take us long to
find it, considering we spent every free minute climbing up, down, and around every nook and cranny. The desert’s wildness had been so different from the urban sprawl both she and I were used to.
Out here, under the wide-open sky, we could be free.
As we got older, this spot became our escape hatch from everyday crap. We
took advantage of the summer sun. She’d tan, I’d burn, but we’d be together and
that’s what counted most, especially as our lives took different paths.
Kayden came up beside me, a silver urn in his big, capable hands.
Reverently, he handed it to me. I clutched it to my chest, holding her close to my
heart one last time. Tears pressed as echoes of her laughter and teasing mixed with the soft breeze and hushed babble of water. “I love you, Kelsey. Be happy.”
I opened the urn and carefully tilted it over the creek at my feet, letting the
tumbling breeze take my sister away. Her ashes danced along the water, and then
disappeared.
After I replaced the urn’s cap, Kayden’s arm came around my waist and
tucked me into his side. He held me, strong and steady, as quiet tears made their
way down my face. It would be a while before her memories would no longer hurt, but there was more to my sister than her death, and that was what I held onto now.
