Diane

I feel bad, I really do.
But sometimes when shitty things happen, you cant let others know just how bad you feel, you cant.
Cassie walks in to my office and stares at me. I wanted to tell her to leave, my kids werent allowed in the office, but the way her face looked made me keep my mouth shut.

"Mommy, can I have a hug?" She asks in a quiet voice.
I stare at her, did she just ask for a hug?
Wait, she also called me mommy.
Thats the first time one of my kids, besides Kimberly, called me mommy and asked for a hug.
Wow.
In any other case I would have told Cassie no and that she should toughen up a bit, but in this case... well, frankly I was in need of a hug, too.
I stand up and go over to her, then give my daughter what I think is the first hug i've ever given her.
I mean, i've hugged her before, but that was because I would look like a bad mother if I didnt, but this was the first real hug, one that wasnt for reputation or anything.
It was... nice.

Cecil

After talking with the policeman and eventually finding out that my brother was dead, I began to walk home, my brain not completely registering any sort of emotions.
The annoying sound my cell-phone did whenever someone texted me, and I grabbed the phone out of my pocket and checked my messages.
From: Cassie
Emergency. Get home now.
Briefly I wonder what she meant, and then I think, Oh yeah, David died. Right.

I hold onto mom for a minute then let go.
"Thank you." I say and wipe away my tears.
I glance out the window and see the stone wall with the Ivy, then walk out of the office.
"Marrick! Come down to the kitchen." I call up. Thank god my voice didn't crack.
I walk to the back of the house, to the kitchen. I flip on the TV in there and turn to Days Of Our Lives. It's like mom's favorite soap opera.
I grab an apple out of the fridge and bite into it. Sour, juicy granny smith.
I sit at the island. Brody's sitting in the little sink on the island.
I look out the window up at the barn. I can't help but notice a glimpse of a black Ferrari. Who's the man walking down the stone path?

{Time skip for my characters, by only a few minutes}

Vidia/i]

[i]It's my fault ... My fault ... I did it ... It's all ... My fault ...

Vidia sat in the van, unable to move. Blood trickled down the side of her face, and Janai was unconscious in the back of the vehicle. She had turned the car around to return home to grab her purse, and in the process, had gone too sharply around the corner leading to their house.

And had killed her brother in the process.

She slowly moved, almost unable to do so, and dimly heard approaching sirens. She managed to open the door, and fell through it and to the hot, tar road. She laid there for several moments, having a difficult time trying to find the strength to move. When she finally did, she pushed herself up and limped over to the crumpled car, her leg screaming in protest with each step. When she finally managed to reach it, she tore open the door, soft sobs already escaping her. David's limp body fell from it, and directly into her arms, causing her to topple backwards onto the pavement.

She cradled him to her chest, her sobs wracking her body. "David ... David ... David!"

Janai

Her head was pounding, and her entire body was on fire. She couldn't find the strength to move, and barely registered the sound of nearing police vehicles and ambulances. Everything was echoing, blurry, and doubled. She couldn't even find the strength to lift one hand, let alone leave the vehicle. Her music was still playing, but her headphones had fallen to the seat beside her.

Before she knew what had happened, she was being gently pulled from the vehicle and settled onto the gurney. She could hear her eldest sister screaming, but couldn't even turn her head to look in that direction. "Da ... vid ..."

Everything went black.

Diane

I literally run after Cassie, this was the first time... ever, actually, that I wanted to be around one of my kids.
This is the only time. The only time i'll ever allow myself to be so... kind...
Im distracted by the TV, though, which is now playing Days Of Our Lives, one of my favorite shows. I watch for a few minutes, then get bored once I realize i've already seen the episode, and I continue to follow Cassie into the kitchen.
There is where I see her looking out the window.

Curiosity gets the best of me and I walk over to see what she's looking at, my eyes widen when I see the black Ferrari and the man walking up to my house.
Its him, its really him!
Oh my god, how long has it been since i've seen him? Months? No... longer than that.
I've missed him, really, it was the one true thing in my life of lies that I seemed to live.

"Adam!" I shout, running to the front door and not slowing down once I get outside.
There is where I throw my arms around my husband, glad to finally have him back.
...In only a few minutes would he find out that our son was dead...

Adam
As I roll my suitcase down the stone path I hear a shout.
"Adam!"
"Diane!" I reply and leave my suitcase where it is. I run to my wife and kiss and hug her until I think I can't anymore.
"I've been so busy out in California. I'm so sorry I haven't been able to see you." I say. I pull out a box and open it. Inside are earrings I bought her, since I was gone for so long. Horsebit cocktail earrings with lilac quartz, Gucci earrings. 18k white gold, 2 lilac quartz, 16 diamonds, and they were made in Italy. But it's worth it if I can see her wonderful smile, and her breath be taken away.

"Do you like them? I felt bad about being gone so long. You mentioned a party and I thought these would be perfect. What time is it starting? Are the kids gonna be at this one? Cause if they are, they better dress up." I say.

I notice Cassie walking out the door, but continue to only look at my wife.

Cassie
I walk out the door. Dad's talking to mom and holding something dazzling. I pause and stay where I am. I should probably wait until I'm invited into the conversation.
Does dad know?

I look through the windo and nearly scream as i bolt out of the door pushing past Cassie "DDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYY" I say running full forse to my daddy. Being the youngest it takes me a little bit to get to him "daddy daddy daddyy" I smile jumping up and down it feels like forever since I've seen him I need a big bear hug from him more than anything.

When Adam showed me the earrings, I was absolutely breathless.
They were beautiful!
He asked me if I liked them, and all I could do was manage a nod, then, he mentioned my cancelled party.

I frowned slightly, "About that..." I mumbled, "I had to cancel, it seems there's been... a problem, Adam. Its about David-"
Before I could finish, Kimberly's voice cut me off,
"DDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYY!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
I flinched the sudden noise, and I narrowed my eyes when she ran right into Adam.

"Me and your father are talking, Kimberly, this is important!" I snap, my old self slowly returning.

I stop right in my tracks and squeak looking up at mommy tears coming to my eyes. I look at her then to daddy as the tears stream down my face. I crumble to the ground and cry I want daddy so much daddy is never mean to me like mommy is. I sob there at their feet sobbing it had been such a long day for me and all I want was just a big bear hug from my daddy.

I let out an irritated sigh and kneel down beside my youngest daughter.
Kids were such a pain.

"Im sorry," I apologize, quickly putting on my motherly smile, "Mommy didnt mean that, okay? I missed daddy and I guess I forgot that you missed him too... but can I talk to him for five minutes, sweetie? Its really important, and after you can say hello, alright?" I promised, not caring if it would be broken or not.

"Cassie!" I say, aware of my other daughter standing a few feet away, "Take Kimberly inside!"

"NOOOO I dont wanna go inside" I stomp my foot "People keep taking me inside I dont want to be inside I want to be outside wif daddy. Daddy always leaves me I want to see him before he leaves again" I say crying once again as I look up at them and to my father for help." I say angrily

I just finished up dance class when I felt my phone buzz. I open my phone to see a text from Cassie. "An emergency..now thata weird". My body was aching from dancing after the fall, my dance teacher didn't even let me dance most of the class.
I get into my jeep and send Cassie a text back "just got done dance. on my way home now".
As I drive I wonder what kind of emergency could be happening. As I take a right I noice an accident that must have happened and I slow down. My eyes went wide when I notice the vehicle and I quickly get out of my jeep and run towards the van.
A police officer stops me "you can't go in there". My eyes look wild and I look at the police officer "those are my siblings!"
I see Vidia and Janai and I cant wrap my mind around it. The police officer tells me they are going to be taken to the hospital.
I quickly get in my jeep and follow the ambulance. In the car I take out my phone and dial home hoping someone would answer the damn phone. I leave a message on the voicemail "Its alexis...im at the hospital...Vidia..Janai..David...please call me".
After I hang up I park the jeep and head into the hospital. I let the information desk know who I am there for. I go to the waiting room and start pacing, even though my foot is protesting against it, I ignore the pain and shut down all of my emotions.

Cassie
"Kimberly!" I snap, "Don't be rude. Dad hasn't been home in months. Let him talk to mom."
I pick her up and walk inside. I plop her down on the couch and kneel down so i'm eye level.
"You know not to cry in front of mom and dad like that. Some stuff is going on so mom's extra stressed." I sigh and stand up.
The phone is beeping, someone left a message. I press Play and listen.
"Its alexis...im at the hospital...Vidia..Janai..David...please call me"
I immediately pick it up and dial her phone.
"Alexis! The paramedics called us a little while ago. I know about David. Why the hell? oh my god...Vidia and Danai?! Alexis, please come and pick me. It's close, but i can't drive."

Adam
"So what were you going to tell me?" I ask my lovely wife.

I feel my phone going off and I take it out of my pocket and answer it "hello.." I hear Cassie on the other end of the phone. "Ill come get you, be outside the house". I let the information desk know that ill be gone for ten minutes then limp out to my jeep.
I drive quickly to the house, trying to ignore the pain in my fingers and foot.
Once I get to the front off the house I honk my horn twice and wait for Cassie to come out.

Diane

I smile weakly at my husband.
Why do kids have to go out an get themselves killed?? I think, then slightly regret the thought. It wasnt Davids fault... probably, and really no one should be blaming death on anybody...
"Well, Adam," I start, still managing the pathetic smile, "Its David ... he was involved in an accident today and im afraid he isnt coming back..."

Elodie

I went back to the rose garden, except this time I wasnt paying attention to how beautiful the flowers looked... right now they look just plain depressing.
How could such things be so beautiful when the moment isnt? It wasnt fair.
Life isnt fair... I think, letting out a quiet sigh, And neither is death, apparently.

I was supposed to be the Young familys nanny, the one who looked after the kids and made sure they were doing well.
I should be fired, because so far im not doing a very good job.

Kimmy looked at her sister pouting "I want daddy not you!" She said to cassie kicking and screaming, she was acting out mainly so daddy would give her attntion. She needed it she needed her daddys love she hasn't had if in what seemed like forever.

Cassie
After hanging up the phone I look over at Kimmy.
"Well tough luck kid. Cause dad's busy and you need to learn how to behave. Take it from me, I've been here 11 years longer than you and I learned early on that acting out only pushes them further away. Get that in your head now. I'm going out with Alexis. Marrick's upstairs, just do me a favor and don't bother mom and dad. Please."

I grab my phone and go to the front door. I shout up to Marrick that i'll be gone for a while, and walk out.
I jump in her jeep and I feel tears falling down my face again.
"Alexis I know this is a really bad time to tell you this," I blurt out as we pull out, "I'm pregnant. I told Vidia but I haven't talked to her since and I trust you."

Adam
I look at my wife in disbelief. She's lying. David isn't dead.
"You're lying, Diane. You're lying. My son is not dead." Why is my voice cracking? I shouldn't care. But I do and I can't cry, not in front of Diane.
I don't cry. Instead I ice over.
"I remember last summer I was home. It was just me and him. We were fishing and hunting. I saw teaching him how to shoot something as teaching him somewhat to be a man. If he was able to shoot something, he would be able to cover his feelings, to become a solid rock. To do anything he needed to so he wouldn't have any distractions." I say, not particularly looking at anything.

I honk the horn once more then see Cassie come out of the house and get into the jeep.
I wait for her to get settled and then I pull out. What I hear next that comes out of Cassie's mouth makes me gasp. I wasn't sure what to say really, today was just a day that started bad and seemed to just be getting worse.
I was quiet for a few minutes as I drove, I then put my bony, broken fingers on her thigh "Im here for you Cassie, just don't spring this on mom or anyone else yet. Too much is going on" she gave Cassie a sympathetic look then put my eyes back on the road.
Once I was parked at the hospital, i got out of the jeep and limped inside, not caring if Cassie saw that i was hurt.
I went to the information desk, having a feeling that Cassie was still behind me and asked if there was any news. The desk clerk told me no, so I headed to the waiting room with Cassie.

I'm surprised, and happy when she puts her hind on my thigh.
"I'm here for you Cassie, just don't spring this on mom or anyone else yet. Too much is going on"
"Thanks and ok. I wasn't really planning on telling mom and dad or anyone until I had to." I say.
The rest of the ride is quiet. Once we get there Alexis limps to the front of the hospital. I don't say anything, I just follow her inside and to the waiting room.
"Are they gonna die?" I ask quietly, afraid of the answer.

Hearing Cassie's question makes me look right at my younger sister.
I wasn't sure how to answer the question, it kinda took me back a bit. I don't think I could deal with Videa dying...she is my twin...and that would make me the eldest and I just can't deal with that.
"I really don't know Cass, they won't really tell me anything. Which is starting to upset me. This is why mom or dad should be around more, maybe this kind of stuff wouldn't happen. David might not me dead if Mom was the one running errands instead of Vidia". I felt like I was going to explode, I never have bursted out like that before. I put my face in my hands as I try to keep from crying.

"He'd still be dead. Except it would have been mom who killed him. Mom and dad running errands wouldn't have changed the fact that David was still going down that hill."
I look at her; I can't exactly read what emotion is on her face. Then it hits me. If Vidia dies, Alexis is gonna lose her twin. It's like losing half of yourself.
"Is it OK if I go to the psych ward? I need to visit someone."

"You don't know that Cassie" I say to her and keep my eyes to the ground.
When she asks if she can go to the psych ward I give her a questioning look but just shrugs "yeah go ahead, ill be waiting here".
If Vidia dies maybe they will have to send me there I think to myself, I already have issues that mum and dad know nothing about.
I bring one of my knees up my chest and rest my head against it, hoping there will be news soon.

Vidia

Not long after Vidia collapsed and held her brother against him, she went into, what she would later be told, was shock. David slid from her arms, yet she did not feel his already cooling body leave her grasp, but merely stared ahead of her, her expression blank. And with her history of medical problems, what occurred next was easily predictable.

She ended up having a seizure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was about an hour and a half later when Vidia awoke, to find herself in a sterilized hospital room, with several tubes hooked up to her body. The TV was gently playing in a corner of the room, and in the bed beside her, was Janai. The doctor entered and quietly spoke to her, informing her on what had happened, that David was dead, and that her sisters were in the waiting room. After asking if it was alright to let them in to see her, she nodded in response, and the doctor quickly left to fetch Cassie and Alexis.

She sat back to wait.

Janai

Janai was sitting up, staring at the TV, when Vidia awoke. The doctor entered and spoke briefly with her, and as soon as he left, Janai pushed her half-eaten chicken away and looked to her sister, ignoring the pains in her head.

"It's not your fault, Vidia," she said quietly.

There was no response. Vidia simply stared ahead of her, her eyes dead.

"Vidia, it isn't your fault," she insisted, slowly growing worried for her eldest sister.

Still, there was no answer.

Janai stared at her sister for a moment, before turning back to the TV. There was definitely something wrong with her sister, and she was determined to find out. Later, though; now was the time for resting.

A doctor calls for the Young family and I quickly stand up "Im Alexis Young".
The doctor tells me that I can go see my sisters now and tells me which room. I look to Cassie "Im going to see them".
I quickly walk down the hallway and to the room where my sisters are at. I open the door and I see that they are both alive and I cant help but run over to Vidia and hug her then I go over to Janai and hug her. Tears are running down my eyes.
I go back over to Vidia and hold her hand while I sit down on the side of the bed "so what did the doctor say, are you two okay?" I look between the two and wait for an answer.

A doctor comes out, telling us we can go see them.
Camille can wait...
I follow Alexis into their room. They're really banged up, it's scary at first.
Alexis asks if they're gonna be ok.

"David died." I say. What's the point, though, they probably know. "It wasn't anyone's fault. It wasn't yours, it wasn't David's."

There's a long silence. "Vidia?"

Cecil Young

When I came home, I was surprised to see that my sisters were already heading down to the hospital without being told to... I dont know where Marrick is, but he's probably still talking to that dumbass bird of his.
I admit, though... it was even more surprising to see that my mom actually cared that David was dead, it was out of character for her to actually have feelings, she wasnt suppose to act like a mother or even human.

I had seen dad come home but I wasnt too interested in talking to him, he'd just tell me to go away. So, I walked out to the backyard instead to play with Kaare or Matthias.
Neither of them fully understood the concept of dog tricks, the game fetch, or any simple command, so 'play' wasnt the right word to use, more like chase them around for a few minutes before one of them ran off somewhere.

As soon as I stepped outside I was greeted by Kaare, she barked a few times before Matthias ran up to join her.
In a way, the dogs were almost as annoying as Marricks bird Phil, but atleast they understood emotions, like mine right now.
I was... I feel angry, kind of. My brother is dead, I had a million chances to get to know him, but I never did.
I mean, I knew him, but he was like a stranger in a way, and now he's gone. Dead. As Kim would probably say it, 'poof'

Diane

"Marrick, Cecil!" I called, wondering where the hell the two boys were. Minutes before, I had told Adam that I was going to the hospital and I wanted everyone there, also minutes before, I had found out my daughters were already there... wait, was Kimberly with them, or was she still home?
I shook my head, trying to remember.
Elodie would know, if I saw her, i'd ask her.

"Marrick!" I shout, "We're going on a car ride!"
Kids liked car rides, didnt they? Maybe if I said we were going for icecream too... normally I had to bribe my kids in order for them to go anywhere willingly with me, it was a shame, but what does it matter?