Alyssa was thrilled. It was Sunday and she actually had the day off. The good night's sleep and waking up to the beautiful Hawaiian day went a long way to dispel the morose feelings she had suffered on her way home from Aunt Deb's. She had gotten up early, had a cup of coffee and headed out to the beach to meet Kono for some surfing while the sun rose.

As she was drying off, her phone rang. The screen said that the call was from Steve.

Thinking that she may be able to talk him into meeting for a late breakfast, Alyssa picked up the phone, and cheerily chirped, "Good morning."

"Aly?" There was something wrong with Steve's voice. He sounded lost, like he had trouble focusing.

"Steve, are you OK?" Alyssa called into the phone.

"Aly?" he asked again in that same tone. He sounded like he was in shock. Could he have somehow been hurt? "Oh God, no," Alyssa shut down that train of thought as soon as it had come to her.

"Steve, you are beginning to scare me. Are you OK?" By now Kono had come over and was looking at Alyssa with a worried expression that probably mirrored Alyssa's own.

"I don't know what to do, Aly," Steve now sounded like a lost little boy and that terrified her. In all the time she had known him, he had always been in full control of himself and the situation around him.

"Steve," Alyssa tried her Police voice in an effort to get his attention and jolt him out of whatever was going on. "Steve, listen to me. Where are you? I can come to you."

"She's gone Aly. Oh my God, she's gone."

"Oh no," Alyssa murmured to herself. "God, no." She had not realized it, but she had sat down on the sand and only realized when she saw Kono leaning over her in concern."

Kono touched her shoulder with an inquiring look. "Aunt Deb," Alyssa mouthed as understanding spread on Kono's face.

"Steve," Alyssa repeated. "Are you at home? Stay there. I am coming to you."

"Want me to come with you," Kono asked.

"No. I don't think so," Alyssa said. "I think the fewer people right now the better. I think we need to give him time to process this – right now he sounds like he is in shock. Thank you, though."

"OK," Kono nodded. "Call me later and let me know if you guys need anything."

Alyssa nodded her thanks even as she was gathering her gear and throwing it in her Jeep. She needed to get to Steve as quickly as she could. Her brother needed her."

Alyssa pulled up to Steve's house and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his car parked in the driveway. She quickly got out of her car and ran into the house.

"Steve," she called. "Its Aly. Where are you?" There was no answer and then she happened to glance outside through the kitchen window. Steve was sitting on the wall separating the lawn from the beach. He was looking out toward the ocean.

Alyssa took another deep breath and walked outside toward Steve. For some reason that she could not explain, she was afraid. As Aunt Deb had said, Steve was a strong man and in some ways a very hard man – emotions like grief would be difficult for him to process. How was she supposed to help? Alyssa took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Not only had she promised Aunt Deb to help Steve through this difficult time, she wanted to…no... she needed to help her brother. She looked at him sitting on the edge of the wall, right by the gate that had come off its hinges. Although she could not see Steve's face, his pain was palpable. The line of his back, usually so straight and strong looked like it had collapsed in on itself. His shoulders drooped. He was looking out toward the water, but Alyssa did not think that he actually saw anything.

She walked up behind him and gently put her hand on his shoulder. "Steve, its me. Its Aly. I'm here. Whatever you need." At first she felt his whole body tense up as if he was going to strike out at her and then, as he heard her voice, she felt the muscles start to relax. They remained in this position for a while – Aly did not know how long, but she was willing to stand there as long as she had to – as long as Steve needed her to.

After a while, Steve reached up and took the hand that was on his shoulder. Wordlessly, he pulled her around, through the gate, to face him. He looked into her eyes and Alyssa's heart broke for her brother as she saw the pain ravaging his face. His eyes were dry, but the lines of grief and exhaustion on his face made him look twenty years older. He was pale and drawn with a haunted look that brought tears to Alyssa's eyes. She desperately wanted to help him. To take some of the pain away, to protect him as he had protected her. He was still holding one of her hands, but with the other one, she reached out to brush Steve's face. "Steve, I am so sorry," she whispered.

It was as if that touch or the sound of her voice, or both, broke some spell that had held Steve immobile. A heartrending sob escaped his lips, as he pulled Alyssa in toward him, wrapped his arms around her, and began to cry.

Alyssa was stunned and a little frightened. The force of Steve's grief, as he sobbed those wrenching sobs, made her feel helpless. She held him in her arms and stroked his hair, his neck and back like she would a distraught child. Alyssa was desperately searching for something to say that would comfort Steve. Unfortunately, the only the usual banal things came to her mind - there was nothing she could say that would make it better. So she just held Steve as she felt his body shake and convulse with grief as one of the strongest, bravest men she had ever known clung to her as a drowning man to a lifeline – as she had clung to him not that long ago.

Eventually, the storm has passed and the most acute emotions had been relieved. Yet Steve did not let go of Alyssa immediately, he continued to hold her as if drawing strength from her proximity. However, after a while, he took a great, shuddering breath and lowered his arms. Alyssa stepped away, keeping her eyes neutral to permit Steve time to pull himself together. She pulled herself onto the wall next to Steve and sat next to him, not quite touching but close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his body. She focused her eyes on the ocean just as he did.

After a while, Steve spoke, his voice hoarse with sadness and fatigue. "Do you know that she actually took care of all the plans? Everything is set. The ceremony, the burial plot and the staff as the Hospice facility have already notified the family. Everything she did was to make it easier for us." They sat in companionable silence for a while longer. "When we thought that Mom had died," Steve had stopped saying "our mom" because it was a meaningless, but painful phrase for Alyssa, "my dad sent Mary and me to the mainland. I lived with Aunt Deb until I went to Annapolis. She was like another mother to me. Losing her," Steve stopped for a moment, while Alyssa continued to stare straight ahead, "losing Aunt Deb is every bit as bad as when I thought Mom was dead."

"Thank you for taking me to meet her," Alyssa said. "She was an amazing woman and I am lucky to have had the chance to spend time with her. I am so sorry that she is gone."

"What do we do now," Steve was sounding more like himself, but there was still a bit of the lost little boy, that just broke Alyssa's heart.

Alyssa risked a look at him. "Well, if I was making recommendations, the first thing is that you need a shower." She laughed at the shocked look that Steve gave her. "While you are doing that, I will raid your refrigerator, and make something to eat. I am willing to bet that you have not eaten today and I had a cup of coffee before sunrise so I am starved. Then we will open a couple of beers or a bottle of wine or…," she looked at Steve's face, still ravaged by grief, "…or both and we will celebrate the life of a remarkable woman."

Steve looked at her for a few seconds and nodded. He jumped off the wall and lifted Alyssa off. He did not let go immediately, but pulled her into another hug, "Ok. You win," he whispered into her hair. They stood like that for a few moments. "Thank you," Steve said. "I don't know what I would have done if you had not been here."

Alyssa looked up into his eyes. They were still filled with sadness, but the acute pain she initially saw there, had diminished. "Thank you for letting me be here. Thank you for letting me help you."

Shoulder to shoulder, they headed back to the house.

Aunt Deb was right. Steve did take it very hard. What do you al think of this chapter. Does is read true to the characters? appreciate your time in reading this and also taking the time to review.