Soul not Included

Final Chapter

It was only the third day before someone was allowed to check the house for us. Grace had gone to eat but Theo stayed with us while she did. He hadn't allowed anyone to come in yesterday. Or the day before. Not the Cullens, not our children, not our friends and not Bella.

But today was different. He knocked on the door to let us know someone was here for us and we reluctantly sat up from bed. Already feeling her emotions come up to meet us. We couldn't very well say no.

Sue entered. Her eyes puffy from crying the night before and possibly from every night since it happened. Her hair was brushed but not perfectly set as she usually liked it. She had just tossed on a top and bottom without caring how it looked. She wore her indoors sandals out, now she dirtied them and was tracking outside dirt everywhere.

"... Mari, sweetheart," she cried and ran to the bed. Her arms wrapped around us and held us close to her. The tears she probably never allowed others to see flowed easily in front of us. She pushed us back to get a better look at our face. We were still tired from the battle. The blood we sometimes threw up in sporadic intervals stained our lips. We were pale, dark purple bags under our sleep deprived eyes. We were bruised, still healing from all the injuries inflicted on our bodies by the barrier. It had taken physical form so our body wouldn't be so overwhelmed by loss of blood. We don't choose which repercussions get inflicted upon us but through this experience we have come to realize the way we suffer is closely equivalent to the saying 'God gives only what you can handle.' Which feels oddly reassuring and definitely infuriating. Centuries of our insides churning up blood until we felt one spit up away from death was not an experience we were ever grateful to feel.

The creator had a penchant for blood.

It beats burning from the inside out.

Or drowning.

Last time we had the pleasure of flesh decaying. The blood is a good thing.

Body aching at every gentle brush is even better, be grateful.

We are grateful.

...

Not.

Sue's face crumpled as she took us all in. Jacob must have told her we were there. We were expecting him to say eventually and if he didn't Seth would. There was no way in hell Seth would have continued to allow his mother to worry ceaselessly.

"I was so worried. No one knew where you went after or how you were doing."

We were beyond tired. So we didn't respond but we nodded and leaned onto her shoulder. She held us again. Her voice trembling as she said, "I'm so sorry."

As if anything was her fault. It wasn't.

She was sorry anyways. She was always sorry about something or another when something was too big for us to work through. Which is unfair for her. There was no need to be sorry. We did not want her to be sorry.

Charlie and Sue live happily ever after in the books. That was a sudden guilt driven thought that plagued us last night and refound us at this moment. But we didn't want to think of that right now or ever. It would be too much to bare. We just allowed Sue to comfort us and take her own comfort in that action before she, being the stronger one between us, got up and patted our leg, a signal that it was time for us to get up also.

The world doesn't stop just because our father died.

But it should.

"Take a shower. We'll go eat."

"..."

"Even if you're not hungry. The others are worried." Sue led us out of the room and we entered the bathroom to shower just like she wanted us to. From behind the door we heard her tell Theo that he could come too and his sister as well wherever she was.