Entwined

Rings

After the last box of our things are all packed and in the back of my grandpa's maroon and tan Ford super duty King Ranch pickup truck. It's the nicest vehicle within this part of Seattle, so grandpa has the two police men that patrols this area guard the truck as I pack the few things we have into the back.

The only left is to get Ellie into the truck, which will be hard since she doesn't want to leave. She screamed and cried as I placed our things in boxes.

That was the first reaction I got out of her in two weeks. After we cried at the hospital for I don't know how long, I carried her home as the sun came up. Usually I wouldn't be caught out with Ellie, but I had to get her home.

Luckily we made it home in one piece, but that hurt worse than the doctor telling us our parents didn't make it, reality hit me that mom and dad will never step foot in our home. That mom will never dance or that dad's breathe will never be taken from him as he watch his wife dance her heart out. No more of mom's cooking, or dad's laughter and singing.

No more mom and dad....

Ellie was uncontrollable, she ran to their room and cried on their bed for two days straight. I had to force her to eat, but she only ate very little.

After Ellie cried herself dry, she became doll like. I had to feed, bathe, clothe, do everything for her.

Even when we had to go to the funeral home to decide rather we were going to have a funeral or cremation, I had to carry her.

Mom and dad once told me that they didn't want to be buried in the cold ground, that they wanted to be cremated, so that's what I did for them.

I knew Ellie would want something pretty for them. After seeing a glass keepsake with designs of ashes. I ordered one with our parents' ashes being a man and woman dancing in a sphere, the leftover ashes will be music notes.

Then I had to meet with people to get Ellie under my guardianship, and the life insurance that my grandparents had on them which paid for the hospital bills and cremation, but I have to pay for the keepsake.

After that, mom's parents' called and told me that Ellie and I are going to go live with them in their property, but different houses. I tried to give the life insurance money to them, but they told me to use it to take care of Ellie and myself.

I didn't have the fight in me to ague, so I agreed. So now our life is packed in boxes in the back of grandpa's truck.

Stepping into the apartment, I follow Ellie's sobs to our parents' empty room.

All the furniture is already on the moving truck on the way to my grandparents' storage unit.

My heartbroken sister is curled up on the floor where the bed was. Sitting down beside her, I stroke her blonde curls.

"You know what will make you feel better? I was going to give it to you when we got their ashes..." Reaching for the chain around my neck, I grasp the two rings, as I take the chain off. "But maybe it will make you feel better knowing that their rings are close to your heart."

Mom's engagement and wedding rings are simple but elegant. Silver swirls with tiny diamonds following. Dad's band is in the same silver with the same engraving on both rings.

'My heart. My love. My life'

Ellie needs them more than I do. Placing the chain around her neck, she glance up at me with big crystal blue eyes as her hand encase the rings.

"For me?" She barely whispers.

"Yes, you will never be alone now. Mom and dad will always be with you." Tears swell in her eyes as she throws her small arms around my neck.

"You the best big bubba!" Ellie whispers as she stands then offers me her hand.

Engulfing her tiny hand with my much bigger one, I pretend she helps me stand.

Hand in hand, we tread down to the street where our grandparents are waiting. After climbing in the back of the truck, grandpa drives to our new home where our new lives will start.