Voicemail

"June, please," Eden says, and he hates how pleading his voice sounds. "Please. Daniel needs you. He misses you - didn't you like each other? You were friends, right? I always thought-"

"We were friends," June says, and Eden hates how her voice comes out - wavering and guilty and so, so sad. He can't even bring himself to be angry at her. "But Eden, I can't."

"Please," Eden says, desperate. "He almost remembers you! If he could just see you again, I'm sure- I'm sure he'll remember."

"Eden, I'm sorry."

"No!" Eden cries, desperate. "Daniel's been remembering, alright? And he's been having nightmares, every single night even when he pretends he doesn't. June, he keeps dreaming about-" He gulps, and it's almost a sob. "About mom, and- and John. And he won't talk to me, but he needs to talk to someone, so please, please June, just come, once. Or talk to him, just on the phone, or something-"

"Eden, I'm sorry. I can't." And Eden wants to be angry at June. He really does. But her voice is desperate and raw and aching, and it is so terribly sad.

Before Eden can say anything, before he can tell her that Daniel misses her, June hangs up with a click.

Eden stands in the living room, the phone gone silent in his hand, shaking as tears pour down his face. Daniel walks in and cries out, rushing over and holding him close, rocking Eden's body in panicked but gentle motions.

"Eden," Daniel says, and his voice borders on terror. "Eden, what's wrong?"

Everything, Eden wants to say, but he just shakes his head and cries harder, digging his fingers into Daniel's back and sobbing in heaving gasps. He pushes his face into Daniel's chest, tears soaking his big brother's shirt as he cries for Daniel, for June, and for everything that he himself could not save.