Paige:
He's gone. The only man I've ever really loved is no longer here, no longer with me. He was the only man that accepted me for me; magic, quirks and all. He understood me…and now he's gone. But being the protective man that he was, he could never seem to let me go, even now, in the after life. His last few moments plague me to this day...His soft palm strokes the pain of loss into my cheek. Tears of building sadness fall as though they could wash away the anguish deepening with each passing second. My arms cling to whatever life remains in his fading soul. With every heaving breath he takes our connection is severed that much more…A rapid knock rips through my thoughts and ends the unwanted flow of memories. "Paige, sweetie, can I come in?" I hear my big sister's voice boom through my wooden door. I don't know when we got so close, when we could automatically sense each others pain. Maybe it was a gradual thing, maybe it just happened. I can't really remember. Either way I need that connection now. It pains me to admit it but I need Piper now more than ever. Yet hard as I try, my vocal cords won't listen to my pleas; neither a grunt, nor a whimper results from my efforts. I pray Piper understands my silence. I hope she can break down my façade because I don't know how much longer I can survive these endless lumps of pain. Without warning my door begins to creek open and I know my payers have been answered. If only Piper could save me from this hurt. If only big sis, if only.
Piper:
My heart wilts with concern as I see my baby sister lying curled up on her side. I walk slowly into her room, careful not to startle the already broken woman before me. The nearer I get, the more apparent her appearance becomes. Although her back is all my eyes can see, my ears detect all I need to know. Waves of soft sniffles cascade upon the shores of my ears. It's then that I realize how much she's actually hurting. Paige hates to cry, to show any emotion. 'God, she knows I'm in the room and she's still crying. Oh sweetie, I didn't think it was this bad.' My jeans slide across her silk sheets as I sit down beside her now shaking body. She makes no movement to acknowledge me; her body only continues to quiver with each shaking breath. Guided by hands of empathy, I find myself crawling up next to her disheveled form and engulfing her in a secure embrace. Her whimpers grow in numbers; she heaves with the fear only trauma could invoke. My original hold grows tighter and I offer the only things I can: love-filled words and an open ear. "Shh sweetheart, it's ok. It's gonna be ok. I'm right here. Just let it out, honey." Her response is so soft, almost as if it never existed at all: "hurts…scared…don't leave me." I will away the tears springing to my eyes and respond with a gentleness I didn't even know I possessed. "I know you're scared sweetie, but I right here. I will never leave you missy Paige. Its ok to let go; I've got you." I know it's only a matter of time now. A few moments of silence and her body starts to heave beside me. The tears begin to flow. The unbearable pain seeps out with no remorse. Broken in my arms she lays, my baby sister. I continue to rock her back and forth for what seems like hours before her sobs die down to sniffles. If only I could hold her like this forever, if only I could save her from this pain. If only, missy Paige, if only.