Gen Three- Chapter Twenty Seven

No matter how hard I tried, the unsettled feeling in my stomach wouldn't ease. It was if a giant wave rolled and bulged- threatening from the distance to flood and destroy everything, yet no matter how long I waited the wave didn't come. It stalked and loomed, but never delivered what it promised. I couldn't take my eyes away though. If I did, certainly that would be the moment it came crashing down on me. My breaths had to be forced to stay slow and sure, and then there would be moments where I realized I held my breath completely. That's why I hoped a great hope as I walked up the stairs to my brother's room. I knew the situation. I knew how he would be when I walked in there. If I simply confirmed it once more, then maybe the frightened ache in my body would finally leave.

     "Merl, are you awake?" I asked, knocking on the door.

     "Yeah, come in!"

His voice was bright and cheerful.

As was his expression when I stepped inside holding a plate of freshly baked cookies. He all but dropped the book he'd been reading on the floor and sat up straight and expectant. I laughed. See? He was fine. He'd been fine all morning. He'd even been fine after we brought him home from the hospital last night, even if he'd been sleepy from the long afternoon.

     "Mom and dad said they weren't going to spoil me." Merlot said when I placed the whole plate down easily within his arm's reach.

     "Well, they had to go out, and I never said anything about not spoiling you. Besides, I don't think it's pampering too much considering the day you had yesterday. Just think about it as my favor back for you cheering me up when I was down." I replied with a smile.

     "Works for me." Merlot grinned.

He took a cookie and shoved half of it in his mouth well before I could warn him how hot they remained. He fanned at his sweltering mouth full of cookie mush, yet he chuckled at himself after forcing it down.

I laughed once more as well while committing my brother's amusement to memory. What a difference it was from the practically comatose state he was in the previous afternoon. No matter what I'd done, I hadn't been able to get him to rise. The ambulance grandpa called came not longer after to whisk mom and Merlot away. Merlot remained unconscious for another two hours before waking. He explained the slowly building exhaustion that started in the morning and the intense dizziness that hit him before he passed out.  His words gave some weight to the theories the doctor had about the sudden fainting spell, but no conclusive answer had been made yet. There were no signs of heat exhaustion while all his vitals signified nothing was wrong there either. A great number of scans and tests had been done though when I reminded my parents when I arrived at the hospital of how I'd passed out too during that dismal day at the lake. There had been a probable cause for my incident, of course, but the symptoms I explained matched Merlot's enough for the hospital staff to want to check everything for underlying causes. I prayed that since I'd never experienced another sensation like it that Merlot wouldn't suffer anymore either.

     "I'm fine, Dia." my brother consoled me after a moment of silence.

I must have been standing there with a worried expression like I'd done earlier.

     "I know." I forced myself to cheer up.

     "If it'll help you feel better though, you can give me all the hugs and bring me all the cookies you want."

     "Hugs I can give freely. Those are the only cookies you're getting." I rolled my eyes in amusement as I gave my brother a giant bear hug.

Merlot, however, was not one to take the loving attack lying down. He pushed back with his own constricting embrace, and we were soon engaging in a ridiculous war to see who could attack the other with fondness.

     "I love you." he spoke after we reached a stalemate.
     "I love you too, kiddo." I patted his back and tried not to let my eyes mist up as I thought back to the days where he'd been that tiny baby Gilly and I fought over in order to hold.

Merlot allowed me to cuddle him until the cookies cooled enough for him to eat without burning his mouth. At that point I left with the intention to continue working on a project going on in my science class. However, as soon as I was situated alone in my room the wave returned. It was seriously so frustrating. My brother was fine. Why then did my head keep telling me that he was about to be lost? How come I kept seeing all the ways yesterday could have gone wrong? I had too much work to get done to be bothered by pointless worries. Unfortunately, the closest I got to completing any of the project was turning on my computer. I didn't even sit down. An intense rattle of quickly drawn air pinched my chest and an abrupt surge of damp wetness at the corners of my eyes signaled the problem, annoyingly, wasn't going to go away. In a rapid dive, I went for my phone sitting on my nightstand. My hesitation to dial the number last a fair moment. I could talk to someone else. Anyone else. However, for some reason, I only wanted to talk to him.

     "Hi, Dia. What's up?" Arbor questioned with tentative hope after I pressed his number in my contact list when I cast off the stiffness of nerves holding my finger stalling about the screen protector.
     "I..." my voice wouldn't work right, "I, um...was wondering if you wanted to meet up."
     "For the project?"
     "No, it's for...there's something I want to..."
     "Is there something wrong? Are you alright?"
     "I'm okay. It's just..." my words continued to fail me, "I'm sorry. Do you think you could meet me at the gazebo in the city?"
     "Yeah, sure. I've been doing nothing today."
     "Thanks." I mumbled quietly.
     "Of course."

I used my leaving as an excuse to stop inside Merlot's room once more. Gilly was with Mirage at Confetti's house so the cats could have a 'honeymoon', mom and dad were out, and Blaze was napping, so that left just grandpa to alert that I was taking off as well. He naturally questioned where I was heading. I only told him I was 'meeting a friend', but he guessed easily enough from that. I received a smile and knowing nod before he let me skitter away. Luckily catching the next bus that would take me where I needed to go, Arbor surprised me when he stood already there at the gazebo.

     "You got here fast." I noted, uncertain of how to handle this situation even though I initiated it.
     "So did you," Arbor joked ever so lightly, "I was actually close to here. I'd finished all my homework and didn't have anything else to do, so I was in the middle of a walk when you called."
     "I see." I spoke softly, taking slow steps to reach him.
     "So, um, how are you doing? How was the cat wedding yesterday?
     "It was fine for the most part, but..."
     "But?"

The catch in my throat returned. I felt stupid. I felt weak. Stupid because I hadn't wanted to forgive Arbor this fast, and weak because I was exhausted fighting the itch to just move on already. He'd been an asshole. He also stood there with the most comforting smile, the kind of smile he would only show to me, as I struggled to say what was causing me grief. Inevitably, I caved. My head found rest on his shoulder, and the wave lessened drastically as Arbor wasted no time in wrapping his arms around me.

     "Merlot suddenly collapsed yesterday during the party." I revealed, rubbing at my cheeks and desperately holding back tears.
     "Is he okay?" Arbor asked with heavy sympathy.
     "He is. It took him a while to wake up, but he's been fine ever since. The hospital can't find a single thing wrong with him."
     "That's good then. You're still worried about him though?"

My breathing hitched. Was it that obvious, or was it merely an excellent guess? Either way, the admittance caught me off guard. Several thick tears tickled my cheeks. Arbor held me tighter.

     "Mmhmm. I'd feel better if there was an explanation. If there's some wrong with him that even all the tests can't find, then who knows what could happen in the future? What if he collapses again when no one is around? What if someone is around but there's no way to help him even then?"
     "He has you. If you look out for him as you have been, Merlot will never be alone. You'll know what to do."
     "But that's the thing! I had no clue what I was doing!" I remarked in guilty agony, this feeling being the true driving force behind my stress, "When Merlot collapsed, everyone parted to make way for me as if they were splitting the ocean open. All those people watched with hope in their eyes. With expectation. You should have seen how much more panicked, how frightened mom and dad were when I couldn't do anything- when they realized I didn't know what the hell was going on either. After all the work I put in over the years, I disappointed them. How can I have taken so many classes and still be so useless? The little bruises and injuries I can handle, but when it comes to everything important I just..."

More tears pushed their way out. I buried myself deeper against Arbor, and he took me all in. He offered his support without protest, and his hold only grew more tender as he gently patted my back and placed the tiniest of kisses on the top of my head.

     "I know what disappointed parents look like. I understand I wasn't there, but I say with complete certainty that your mom and dad were not disappointed with you, Dia. No matter how hard-working, or intelligent, or determined you are, you're never going to have every answer. They know that. If all the doctors and nurses with their extra training and fancy equipment could hardly do anything for Merlot either, there's no reason for anyone to think you failed. Including yourself. There's just this thing with your line of work. You can never really can tell. There may be days where it feels as if you know nothing, can do nothing. However, you can't see everything you're doing right either. Even such a thing as a smile could give someone the hope to push on where they would have otherwise faltered. It could have very well been that you did something to help Merlot along, but you won't know what could have gone wrong because you were there to keep things right."
     "Well, that's frustrating." I whined.
     "I'm sure it is. We are a species of curiosity. To live with the constant questions is hard, but I believe that's why people like you excel so greatly. The lack of knowledge frustrates you. Instead of giving up, you work harder to challenge it head on. Dia, you are amazing. Think about how much you do know. Think about all the times with the 'little' bruises and injuries and how you were the one to step up when everyone else was left unable to act. You don't have a degree yet, but you are skilled. You are smart. Yesterday doesn't prove that you're useless. It wasn't even some sort of test sent to you by the universe. It was just a situation that happened, and you dealt with it the best you could. If it continues to bother you, don't let it be a discouragement. Once the doctors come to their conclusion, see if you can ask them about what they did or didn't find. Use this weekend as a learning experience. Turn the lack you claim you have into something that brings you closer towards your goal."

Arbor brushed my hair falling in front of my eyes away before chuckling.

     "Of course, it's healthy to cry when you need to cry and vent out what's bothering you. Cry all you want for right now. I don't mind." he encouraged.
     "I think I'm done with it," I laughed a little too, feeling all my aches ease as the sight of his smile, "I don't want to go home with a messed up face either. While I don't wear that much makeup, it's still a pain smudging it all over."
     "I wouldn't know." Arbor shrugged hopelessly in amusement.

He kept smiling at me, and I was lost. He wore that look so sweetly. I would have never been able to imagine it on him when we first met, and I was glad, despite everything, that I'd kept on trying. Arbor jolted in surprise when I snuck forward to trace my lips against his. However, he wasted no time returning the favor. My heart instantly increased its pace while I drunk in his presence. Some small part of me remained angry, but I couldn't deny his hold, his scent, his touch. There existed a connection unlike any I'd known. Arbor certainly wasn't perfect, and saying he would do stupid things in the future was a safe bet to take. Still, I thought of how much he'd changed in a short few months. He said himself he wanted to get better. I had the faith that he could get there.

We both worked at each other's lips until our breathing began to match our heartbeats. People on the sidewalks stared, but I didn't care. It'd been the first moment we could revel in our shared connection without someone interrupting. Breaking away did remind me though that I hadn't meant for such a chance to come so soon, if at all. I had to at least address that.

     "Sit with me." I beckoned to the nearby bench.
     "Why does it seem as if we're going from kissing to me getting lectured?"
     "Because you are going to get lectured. Just a little bit." I promised.
     "Okay..." Arbor pouted, slowly sitting.
     "I don't want to either, but we do have to talk about things. This time last week you were adamantly avoiding me. Now here we are. It's a lot, especially when we've both admitted we had no anticipation of any romantic something developing. You were right when you said how the situation is more difficult for you what with the assholes at school getting on your case and not mine. It's true that I have no idea what it's like to handle that stress. Still, again, it's no excuse for acting like you did. You said horrible stuff, and I won't put up with that if it happens over and over again."
     "I would never expect you to. I said it before after you saved my butt with the cigarette thing, but I truly am sorry. I've always wanted to be different than the way people see me, but I was exactly what everyone assumes in that moment. What I said though...about wanting to be better, I really meant it."
     "I know you did," I gently squeezed his hand for a second, "Make no mistake that I can see it. Besides, what you did is hardly unforgivable. I know of a whole crazier situation with my family, and they worked everything out."
     "Yeah? What situation is that?"
     "That one I mentioned last week that dad doesn't want me to talk about casually."
     "Then stop bringing it up," Arbor laughed, "You're making me too curious."
     "Sorry." I grinned.

Then I took a deep breath. Seriously, it'd been a strange week. When I'd been preparing for homecoming, me skipping the dance to lead Arbor and I to the moment we were in now would have been laughable. Here we were though, and there I was about to say what I said.

     "I forgive you, Arbor. I just have a question."
     "Go on."
     "Well...I mean, what are we now then? We've never even called each other friends, but are we going to try this whole thing out? Are we simply exploring the option? Are we going to date- call each other boyfriend and girlfriend? This is uncharted territory for me in every way, shape, and form."
     "Same. I have no clue what's the best route. I do know I'd like us to consider each other friends at the very least," he spoke softer with quiet embarrassment, "Suddenly going to boyfriend and girlfriend feels too intense though. I dunno. Maybe just saying we're exclusive is fine for now...or something..."

The color of his cheeks and the tips of his ears darkened. Knowing the nervousness was shared bolstered my confidence.

     "Exclusive. That's works for me too. I have to also wonder, what exactly is it that you like about me?"
     "I-I...it's mostly the fact that I, I just trust you. I have a hard time feeling comfortable around people, but with you that was pretty much there from the first time we met. Then, from what I know, you're pretty good at straddling the line between being sweet and nice but also being a badass. Like, I've seen how you interact with your your family, your friends, and your classmates, but then when you need to put your foot down you're pulling ears, letting the curses go, and not being afraid to take on teachers or policemen. I...I also...think your cheeks are really cute."
     "My cheeks?" I questioned back, the heat flooding to my face now as I placed my hands over the objects in question.
     "They're quite round, and they look squishy. And...and, I don't...t-they just look cute, alright?"
     "My dad said he had pudgy cheeks when he was my age. He got them from grandma." I explained, my face absolutely on fire.

We both squirmed, but we both couldn't help but to laugh more. It was all a bit humiliating, but for some reason we didn't mind.

     "Aren't you going to ask me what I like about you?" I wondered after a moment passed where we collected ourselves.
     "I can only take so much at once," Arbor admitted, "Why...Why don't you come join me at my house for lunch instead? My mom's making dim sum."
     "I'd love to." I agreed.

From there, the lighthearted awkwardness vanished. Admitting what we wanted cleared the air, and an immense pleasure of recognizing our freedom made the walk home, partly with our hands linked, unforgettable. It rarely dawned on me that I was nearly eighteen. Almost an adult. Arbor already was one. A whole life of choice and possibility awaited, and I'd be exploring it together with someone. It was something I hadn't thought would happen for years on end, if ever. Arbor and I made sure to detach our grip on the other long before his house came into view though. Not that we thought his parents would disapprove. There was simply too much to being a fledgling couple that we had to test out before we came out and announced it to the world.

     "Oh, hello, Dia. It's so good to see you." Mr. Thicket beamed like a ray of sun when he spotted me with his son.

Besides, Arbor's parents were too excited for the platonic relationship I'd built with Arbor to begin with. They were clearly happy he was reaching out and making a connection where he hadn't in a long time, so to reveal we were lightly dating would most likely have them shout out the happy news to the entire world.

     "I invited her over for lunch. I hope that's fine." Arbor said.
     "You're more than welcome to join us at any time. Jewel's making dim sum, in case Arbor hasn't told you." Mr. Thicket spoke to me.
     "He did. I love dim sum."

Movement to my left caught all our eye. Mrs. Thicket poked her head out, gladly accepted my presence, and then turned to her husband and son.

     "Yes, it's good to see you, Dia. Unfortunately, no one's going to be eating anything unless you two hurry to the store," she pointed to Mr. Thicket and Arbor, "I see you two bought lots of junk food yesterday. You forgot to get the one thing I asked for though- the dough wraps. Kinda important for what I'm making."
     "I guess we did forget, huh? Sorry. We'll head out and be back quick," Mr. Thicket promised, "Sorry to you to, Dia."
     "Don't worry. I had a late breakfast, so I'm fine." I comforted.

Arbor protested his having to go to the store. Mr. Thicket eventually dragged him into the car saying it was Arbor pointing out the new cookie flavors for a popular brand that got him distracted for getting the dough wraps in the first place. The two took off down the road, I waved them goodbye, and I soon found myself inside.

     "How are you today?" Mrs. Thicket, at the sink, greeted me warmly.
     "I'm doing fine. How about yourself?"
     "Just fine as well. How was that wedding you had for your cat? That was yesterday, correct?"
     "Yeah. It was strangely a fun time. Poor Merlot had a bit of an incident though."
     "He did?"
     "He...suddenly passed out. We had to take him to the hospital, but he's fine. Been complaining all morning because of how bored he is due to mom and dad making him stay in bed."
     "That's good that's he alright. Do you know he passed out?"
     "They've done some tests, but they can't find much. It's making the doctors think it wasn't something serious that will pop up again. Last I heard, they believed it was too much sunlight."
     "I'll make sure to cook a bit extra then. You can take some leftovers for him."
     "Thanks. I'm sure he'll enjoy that. Is there anything I can do to help prepare?"
     "No, thank you. Everything is good to go. All we need is the wrappers to put the filling in." Mrs. Thicket sighed with an amused roll of her eyes.
     "Boys, huh?" I giggled.
     "Boys indeed," Mrs. Thicket laughed along, "In any case, feel free to watch television or take a seat. If they don't get distracted again, Cliff and Arbor shouldn't take long."

Following her suggestion, I moseyed over to the couch. There was a bit of the most recent episode of one of my favorite current shows left for me to see. I'd hoped to find that on the Thicket's television, but something else was paused on the screen.

     "Mrs. Thicket, were you watching something?" I called over.
     "Hmm? Oh! I forgot. We were watching old family movies earlier. Then Arbor went out, Cliff was working in the garden, and I got to cooking. You can switch to something else."
     "Would it be alright if I watched this?" I asked curiously, "It seems like this was a fun day."
     "This was a birthday party for one of Arbor's friends, Arctic. Cliff has gotten a new camera, so he took a lot of footage. You're more than welcome to watch."
     "Thanks."

I searched out the remote to resume the video while Mrs. Thicket returned to the kitchen to continue cleaning up what she could. At first, I was going to as again if she was sure there was nothing I could do. Then the home video enthralled me. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Mr. Thicket took average shots and occasionally awkward commentary. The party proved to be a standard one held at a park with a traditional barbecue and children running all over. One of those children, of course, was Arbor. Looking to be about eight or nine, my eye drew to him every time he was on screen, which was naturally a lot due to Mr. Thicket being the one filming. Arbor, like the home video, was ordinary. Normal. A happy little boy running around playing, rough-housing with his friends, and thriving on life. It crashed something he'd said recently to me back to the forefront of my mind without mercy.

Arbor said that he didn't know how to be normal. That he'd forgotten.

Annoyingly, the desire to cry returned. I'd known, of course. One would have to be the biggest idiot on the planet to not realize something had gone wrong in Arbor's life. With him having loving parents and a good home life, him having the thick wall and abrasive exterior made no sense at all. What I realized in that moment that whatever had gone wrong had been major. Arbor had been so happy. He'd been surrounded by so many people who cared. I wondered if the death of his brother had been the terrible catalyst. Then I recalled Arbor mentioned that had happened when he was five. Far before the day of the birthday party.

     "Something wrong?"

Mrs. Thicket wandered over. She caught my unpleasant expression, followed my gaze to the screen, and judging by the way her expression stiffened she most likely guessed the general reason for the mood change.

     "Arbor was so happy," I offered as explanation, "What happened?"
     "That's..." she sighed heavily, her expression growing so serious so fast it confirmed she'd indeed known the question coming, "It's not something I can tell you. All I can say of what happened is...life. It can be beautiful. It can be cruel. We don't get to pick which, although I would have done anything to have changed what happened. After we lost Iberis, Cliff and I wanted to do all we could for Arbor. We failed pretty spectacularly."
     "Was what happened your fault in some way?" I asked extremely tentatively.
     "Not at all, but when your happy little boy goes from that," she pointed at the television before making a nondescript motion referring to Arbor now, "To, well, how he's been since, you feel guilt regardless of whether it was your fault or not. The days where Cliff and I felt so useless, so helpless to do anything to ease the suffering he faced creep up on us with their chill despite the fact that Arbor has gotten better."

I fiddled with them hem of my skirt. I felt better in a way. Believing yourself useless when you're not, clearly everyone had days like those. Mrs. Thicket shined a soft and hopeful smile down on me as the somber air lingered.

     "And he has been getting better. Especially since moving here. Especially since meeting you. I am truly grateful you're giving him a chance, Dia. Arbor's so good. He just needs a little more prodding to keep making the right choices. I mean, he's even trying to stop smoking now. I worried so much about that."
     "Is he? I'm glad to hear it. I will say that I don't know how much I can do, but I do believe Arbor's good too." I replied optimistically.

Mr. Thicket and Arbor were too punctual in returning from the store. Mrs. Thicket and I had cleared most of the seriously atmosphere, but too much remained for them to not be suspicious of something. Thankfully, we got out of giving any explanation as Arbor noticed we watched the old home videos. He grew embarrassed, which provided an opportunity for banter between us all. Mr. Thicket pulled up even earlier ones of him from when he was a baby and toddler, and the amount of childhood chaos he caused was ecstatically high. I laughed like I hadn't ever laughed before. To keep it even, I promised Arbor we'd watched some of mine the next time he came to my house. The atmosphere was then light and pleasant when the food was done. Conversation flowed easily, and I never realized the passing of time. It took mom sending a text for me to realize I'd been out way longer than I should have. Time spent with the Thickets was merely so enjoyable. It was if I was starting to become one of them.

Mom didn't care that I had been out. She'd simply wanted to know where I was. When I told her where I'd been, she asked questions of course. She wished to know of how Arbor was acting, what his apology was like, and my decision on the matter. While I tried to be honest, I dodged the matter of how exactly our relationship progressed. Being my mom, however, she definitely understood what was going on. Then I had to face dad.

     "Hey. What's up? You wanted to see me?" I greeted him as I met him in the downstairs home gym.
     "Yeah," he grunted as he gently let go of the bar with the weights and sat up, "Dad said you'd gone out to meet someone and wouldn't be overly long. Holly and I gave you a bit even after we got back as well, but you took a while. I wanted to hear what was up."
     "Sorry. I got invited over for lunch, so I lost track of time."
     "It happens," dad shrugged, "Just remember to try and at least send a text. I know you're normally good for it."
     "I will."
     "So, whose house were you at? Apple's?"
     "...Arbor's." I answered slowly after a moment of careful consideration, knowing how dad would get.

True to form, his eyes instantly narrowed and his expression tightened.

     "And his parents were there with you, right?" he questioned stiffly.
     "They were, but before that I met him in the city. Alone." I explained with light defiance.
     "Dianthus," he retorted in disapproval, "You know how I feel about that. I can't believe you'd want to meet up with him in the first place."
     "Don't say stuff like that. You have no idea what the situation is like."
     "I do. I know that he's a liar. He's terrible, and-"
     "No, you don't! You don't know anything at all!" I snapped, folding my arms and glaring, "You keep telling me I don't know him, but if I know little then you know jack shit! All you ever do is get angry and judge the second he so much as breathes! I will admit to the fact that he has very much been an ass, but he's also been incredibly kind and open and wonderful! It is the truth that I like him, so you're going to have to get used to that and give him a chance! Because, remember, you promised! You promised you would listen, you would try to understand! In any case, even if that didn't matter, how can you tell me who I can and can't forgive when you forgave Aunt Mimi after everything she did? How is that not doing anything other than turning you into a complete hypocrite?"

I stood over him fuming. Dad sat there and blinked. Silence passed. Then, dad laughed.

     "You look a lot like your mother right now, you know?" he chuckled before sighing, "I see your point. You're right, Dia. I don't know what you two talk about when I'm not around. I did promise to listen. I don't mean to be hypocritical. I just worried he would turn around and hurt you in some way like Mimosa did to me. If anything happened to you, I wouldn't be able to stand it."
     "I figured that worry was the main case here," I spoke more calmly, this day being a whirlwind of shared emotions as I thought back to Mrs. Thicket and her desire of doing what she could to make Arbor happy and safe, "But still..."
     "You are right," dad repeated before chuckling once more, "And I don't like being yelled at. I'll back off."

I opened my mouth to make some sort of witty comment. After the craziness of yesterday and the stress of today, I didn't desire to be mad at dad. I desired thing to be happy for everyone. However, Mrs. Thicket was right in one regard. Life could be beautiful. It could also be cruel. I never got to say that comment because footsteps hurriedly made their way over. Gilly appeared before us in a flash.

     "Have either of you seen Mirage or Tappy?" she questioned before we could ask why she was home early.
     "No," I answered, and dad shook his head, "Aren't they both supposed to be at Confetti's house with you two?"
     "They were, but...but now we can't find them," Gilly sniffled loudly, and the tears came, "I rushed back here hoping they'd wandered in this direction."
     "When cats go missing, they are generally found incredibly close to where they live. I'm sure they're just under Confetti's porch or in a bush or something like that." dad said.
     "We know that. We looked everywhere around her house. They're nowhere. Even if they are nearby, it's not good with that killer still out there. I have to find them now!"
     "How about you and I go take a walk up the street?" I suggested, taking her hand and tenderly brushing tears off her cheeks, "They like it when we take them out along that shaded path. Perhaps we can find them there."
     "I'll call around and make sure everyone keeps an eye out for them as well." dad promised.
     "Mmhmm." Gilly nodded miserably.

My sister could hardly stand to take the few seconds to blow her nose and wipe her face that I prompted her to do before we left the house. Gilly, much like me, could get incredibly determined when on a mission. The only reason she followed my words was because I told her it would be easier to see the cats with clear eyes and easier to hear them if she wasn't constantly sniffling. That banished any further tears, and we were off. I doubted we would find Mirage and Tappy. It was my firm belief that cats were safely resting somewhere by Confetti's house, and that Gilly was reacting so intensely because of her fear of the cat killer.  However, she needed the comfort of action.

     "Do you know at what point they went missing?" I asked as we walked along.
     "The longest they could have been missing was for an hour when Confetti and I went out for lunch. Her parents and siblings were gone, and we went down to that little cafe. Mirage and Tappy were there when we left, and they were gone when we returned."
     "Were there any doors or windows left open?"
     "Not that we could find, but cats will be cats. I'm sure it was possible for them to have found a way."
     "It would be weird for Mirage to be that adamant about getting outside though. She's so lazy. If she had to work to get around a closed door or window, well, honestly, I can't imagine her even trying."
     "Tappy likes to go outside, and he would know of a way to sneak out if there is one. Mirage surely would have followed."
     "Maybe they're just looking for a  private place to make those babies they can't have." I joked weakly.
     "It better be just that." Gilly frowned.

If only it had just been that. Despite hours of searching with quite the number of family and friends searching all around, the cats remained missing. Gilly was in an absolute state by the time we needed to go to bed. She stayed up all night crying, and I stayed up all night comforting her. School was miserable as we were both exhausted, and Monday afternoon was an excruciating mix of homework, more searching, no answers, and then another late night due to fretting. That evening was the point where the worry really started to eat at me too. A few hours of the unknown I could handle. Cats would do as cats would do. Mirage had occasionally wandered from time to time over the years. She always knew her way home though, and she was never gone for long. This was too different for us to simply write it off. By Wednesday with no news, Gilly, Confetti, and I were utter wrecks.

Thank goodness I had taken that one day off, because I certainly didn't get a ton of relief. What relief I did get came from Arbor. Gilly and Confetti searched as a pair. Arbor and I searched together. The worry of Mirage caused me to not even think about how Arbor and I presented ourselves in public. I held his hand, leaned on his shoulder, and otherwise was far too cuddly for us to pretend nothing was going on. People at school talked, but our families didn't. Either way, I didn't care. Arbor was my sense of hope when he got us taking breaks and making jokes to have me laugh when by the time Friday rolled around and my twin and I braced for the worst to come in time.

And...

The following Monday, it came. Another student council meeting kept me later after school. The house was quiet save for one frightening noise. Gilly desperately sobbing in a way I'd never heard. She cried, absolutely heartbroken, and I hated having the slowly open the door to grandpa and Blaze's room. Gilly stood there collapsing into Blaze's arms. Her shoulders shook intensely as her breathing ran all over the place. Blaze held her as tightly as he could while giving me a grimacing, weak smile full of pity and regret.

     "They found them?" I asked, my voice dry and rough.
     "Yeah," Blaze replied, his voice quieter than mine, "We just got a call from the police. Mirage and Tappy, they've been...gone for a while now. It seems like the whole week. They were hidden pretty well."

He blinked back tears of his own.

     "I'm sorry."