"Life told in as many layers as the human mind can comprehend."
My name is Y/N. For New Year's a while back, my mom decided to take my brother and I to Virginia to visit my aunt. The drive was long from our place in Georgia, but it was bearable. My brother sat in the front seat as usual, but he was tall enough for me to see a little ruffle of his dark hair over the seat from my place in the back. It was comforting in a sense because I'd been looking up to him since I was three. I always wanted to be brave and fearless like my big brother.
When we were almost to my aunt's house, it started to snow, and I pressed my nose against the window to get a better look at the flurry outside. We almost never got snow at home, so it was a special moment for everyone in the car.
The last time it snowed was the week before my dad left. No one knows where he went, he just drove off and never came back. I still miss him sometimes, but my childhood memories are too foggy to remember him as well as I'd like to. I like to imagine the sweet moments we might've had, like him holding my hand as I took my first steps, or carrying me to bed after I fell asleep on the couch. Mom tells us he was a pretty cool guy.
Every now and then my brother would glance back to make sure I was alright, and give me a sweet little smile. I love my brother's smile because it's been the same ever since I was a little kid, or at least I remember it being the same: a doe-eyed, sincere smile that could make you feel safe no matter what. He always made me feel safe, even when the car began to swerve on the highway. Even when my mom lost control of the steering wheel, he told me that he loved me. He told me he was sorry for everything. My mom screamed. I just wish I had the courage to move my arms from in front of my eyes and tell him that I loved him too.
