Family Means Everything (Book 3)

Chapter 4

Dani's POV

I wake up and see Amy hugging me while asleep. Then I remember.

Mom and Dad are dead. I don't know how we're gonna survive without them. How am I supposed to live without them?!

I don't know how Bella managed to go by herself to the crash site. I couldn't have done it. I don't think I can even do this.

Tears start falling again and I must've started to shake because Amy wakes up and looks at me with wide eyes. I see the look in her eyes suddenly change as she remembers too.

She starts to cry a little too as she hugs me tight.

"How are we supposed to live without them Ames?" I ask her.

"I don't know but we'll make it. We're gonna get through this together," she says trying to reassure me. It kinda helps. What I really need though, is to hear Christina say that. She's the leader, the strong one. If she says something, I know she means it.

I hear stirring from the other side of the room and I turn over to see Lisa and Lauren looking back at Amy and I. Lauren starts to cry and I run over to her and hug her. Amy and Lisa join in.

After a while my stomach starts to growl.

"Oops," I whisper.

Amy lets out a small giggle. "Let's go get breakfast," she says.

We walk downstairs and see that all the boys are quietly making breakfast too.

"Where's Christina, Kath, and Bella?" Lisa asks.

"Kath and Bella are outside talking, Christina's still in her room," Alex tells us. I look at Lauren and we exchange a glance. I'm worried about Christina.

Lauren's POV

Dani and I exchange a glance when Alex tells us Christina is still in her room. That's not like her.

Even in the worst of times, she stays strong and is a leader. What if she isn't going to this time...

I'm scared. Without Mom and Dad, I don't know what this family is going to do.

I think about all this as I eat a yogurt parfait. Dani and I finish ours at the same time. We look at each other and get up. We walk upstairs synchronized, knowing what we need.

I knock on Christina's door. Dani and I wait a little while but nothing happens. I knock again.

"Christina please open up," I say to the door.

"Crises, we need you. I need you," Dani pleads and then starts to cry. I hug her and pray that Christina opens the door.

"Go away!" is what we hear. Dani completely breaks down and I start to cry too.

I see Katherine and Bella walking upstairs and I get up and run to Kath. She holds me tight. Bella walks over to Dani and pulls her up to a standing position. We go to Lisa, me and Dani's room.

I can't stop crying now. Neither can Dani, her wails are so loud.

"What happened?" Kath whispers.

"We went to Christina's door and asked her to open it. She told us to go away," I tell and then my voice drops to a barely audible whisper, "We need her! I need her!!"

I bury my head in Kath's shoulder and stay like that for long after I've stopped crying. I hear silence from where Bella and Dani are too.

Then I hear footsteps and Bella sits next to us.

"Dani's asleep," she whispers to Katherine.

"I think Laur is too," Kath says. I close my eyes and pretend like I am. Neither of them say anything for a while and I wonder if they know I'm awake.

"What do we tell everyone about Christina?" Kath asks Bella. I think about how Bella is just a few months older than me but she does seem a lot older, she always has.

"I'm not sure. This really broke her down and I'm really worried about her. Meanwhile, I'll fill in her spot, I can be strong. I promised Mom," Bella says.

"I know Belle but don't take on too much. Mike and I will help you." I realize my older siblings are hurting just as much as I am, they just aren't showing it.

They're taking on comforting all of us and taking care of all of us while they silently suffer. I'm quite glad I'm not expected to step up like that. I don't think I could do it. I have no idea how Bella's gonna do it.

I do wish Christina could be next to me though. Kath is nice and so is Bella but Christina is my birthday twin, her and I are so close.

I guess that isn't going to happen.