In the Valley of the Shadow of Death
Chapter Two: Regrettable Laughs
Mary had been away for so long that she felt disconnected, left out of the family somehow. Oh, she knew that it was all for the best and that she needed to have a life separate from them, but that didn't make coming home any easier. And this thing with Simon. She didn't know how to feel about that. Mary regretted the fact that she had been away all this time and that, out of all her brothers and sisters, she had never really gotten to be as close to Simon as she should have been.

Simon and Matt had the whole big brother- little brother bonding thing, Lucy and Simon had always seemed to understand one another, Ruthie and Simon had been inseparable- at least when they were younger, and Simon had prayed for Sam and David. Where did that leave her in the mix?

Matt stumbled into the kitchen pondering on what it had taken to get him to return home. "Hey," he looked up surprised to see Simon alone at the table. "Do you want to go see a movie with me? You know like old times?"

Simon looked up and replied, "I'd like to, but I'm kinda tired. May be tomorrow?"
"Yea sure." Matt uttered as he started to turn away, but stopped. "You know, you can't just ignore us for the rest of you life."

"That's not to long, now is it?" Simon spat back.

Matt felt like he could stick his food in his mouth. " I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"Don't tell me you're sorry. That's all everyone keeps telling me. That's why I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want to hear your goodbyes, I don't want your pity. Do you know I've had people who I haven't talked to in years, call me up just to tell me how sorry they feel? I know I'm dying. But that doesn't mean everyone has to treat me like I'm some freak. If you want to go to the movies to go see a movie then fine, but if you just want me to go so you can say how much I mean to you, then no."

He didn't mean to have an outburst like that, but as time progressed he had grown bitter. All he wanted was to be normal again. To not have to think about what was going to happen to him. Of course it didn't help that everyone kept reminding him. Pulling him aside to have little chats about life and death and how they felt about having their 16 year old brother die of heart failure. Like Mary, Matt and Sarah coming to see him. He knew they meant well and he was glad to see them, but he knew that if the circumstances were different they wouldn't of even though about coming back. Hell, when their father had had life threatening surgery it was only Sarah, who wasn't technically family, who had bothered to come home. Besides he was alone in this. Completely and utterly alone.

"Fine, do you want to go, just to see a movie then?" Matt asked, slightly taken back.
"Sure." Simon smiled and pointed to the tank. "If only my friend here can come along.