Saving Alexandria [Book 3 of the Stavros Series] ✔️

12//Importance of Family

"I can't leave him here Alex, no matter how much I want to go with you." He looks up to me, his eyes wider and sadder than I've ever seen them before. "I'm all he has."

I lay my hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently since I can't think of any words that could make this situation better. Michael turns his head so his face is pressed up against my stomach, away from the outside world.

I notice that he holds his brother's hand tighter.

"How did this happen," I question softly. Staring at his figure in the bed makes me feel nauseous; he looks too familiar to Michael for my own comfort.

"A premature blast while he was out mining gold. I want to be able to blame somebody but I can't, it was just a faulty fuse. The explosion happened before they were ready, Martin wasn't in the safety area." He sighs and wraps his free arm around my waist. "Rocks went flying all around him, a good sized one hit him in the head. He never woke up."

I run my fingers through his short hair, staring down at his older brother, his only family left while tears prick my eyes. "I'm so sorry Michael."

He lifts his head up to look at me. "You know, I think you're the first person to ever mean that."

I look at him sadly before I move to sit on his lap. "Tell me about him," I mumble into the crook of his neck.

Michael chuckles softly before saying, "Well if he saw us now he would probably say some perverted comment."

I giggle. "Sounds like my cousins."

"He's a great man," he says, growing serious. "He's taught me everything I know."

I lift my head from his shoulder to kiss his cheek. "Well than I have to thank him for that."

He smiles softly, his eyes getting wetter as he stares at his role model. "Before the accident we were planning on moving out to that island. We bought the land and everything and he was so excited to leave Walker even though it was our home. He was preparing everything, ended the lease with the house we were renting, sold our single car that took us forever to save up for, and gave away most of our money that we had. We didn't need it anyways. All we had was a dream shared between the both of us.

"But then I get a call on one of my last days of work while I was mining myself a couple miles away. They told me that my brother was injured in an explosion and he was being shipped off to hospital in the city by helicopter." Michael laughs dryly before wiping his eyes furiously with the back of his hand. "I didn't have a car, or a boat, or anyway to get to this damn place when he needed me. It took me two days to get here and by that time he already sank into his coma," Michael says, his voice breaking on each word. "I haven't heard his voice in five years."

I pull Michaels head to my chest, letting him mourn for the brother who is so close but so far away. I don't say anything to Michael, mainly because I don't think any words can help this situation. He just needs to cry and put some of the weight on his shoulders on my own. I'll gladly take it.

As he cries I take a survey of the room, analyzing Martin for as long as I need to before I spot something that catches my eye.

There are a row of wooden sculptures like the ones from Michael's cabin lined up on the furnace below the window. There must be twenty, possibly more, in all different shapes and sizes and different designs. But there are no other angels like the one that is in my own pocket.

Once again I'm shocked by Michael's gift.

Is there anything he can't do?

I didn't notice Michael had stopped crying until he speaks up, startling me. "My brother has always been artistic. He has a true gift."