ROGERS TWINS • b. barnes

II

Sarah Rogers had passed away on a rainy October day and Stella was getting ready for her funeral two weeks later. Both of the twins were sad that Sarah was gone, but Stella... Stella was devastated.

Sarah was her mother, but also her best friend. Sarah knew everything about Stella. Who her friends were, who she had a crush on, even her nervous habit. To Sarah, Stella was an open book she didn't even need to read. Sarah was the person who understood Stella the most, and now she's gone.

A soft knock on Stella's door frame, her twin brother Steve appearing in her mirror, "hey, how you holding up?" Steve asked his twin.

Stella made eye contact with her brother and immediately broke into tears. Steve rushed to his sisters side and engulfed her into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around her brothers arm still sobbing.

Soft foot steps could be heard out side of Stella's door. The tiny girl lifted her head up and was met with Bucky Barnes, Stella and Steve's best friend for as long as they could remember. He came rushing over to her side just as Steve let go. Bucky picked her up, hugging her small frame to his chest, her legs wrapped around his torso, one of his arms under her thigh supporting her body while the other went in her hair trying to soften her sobs, burying his face in her hair while her head is nuzzled into his neck.

For some reason, Bucky was the only one that could calm Stella down. They figured that out when the twins' father passed.

A few minutes passed, the three going to the cemetery to Sarah's grave which was placed next to the twins' father's. Bucky was on one side of Stella with his hand tracing circles on her back for comfort, while Steve was on the other, arms wrapped around the each others and holding hands. She was softly crying the whole time.

Stella had already made her speech, with the help of Steve, and the funeral was almost over, all that was left was to place the flowers on the casket and the lowering. Stella placed her flower, a white rose, first and as soon as she did she fell to her knees sobbing. Bucky rushed over and picked her up so everyone else could finish. Her face buried in his chest, gripping onto the back of his jacket to help her stay standing, while he had a protective arm around her waist, the other holding an umbrella.

Once everyone had placed their rose, Stella turned in Bucky's grip, his right arm around her waist, her arm on his holding his forearm, the other wrapped around Steve's arm holding hands again, with her head leaning on Steve's shoulder silently crying.

Ever so slowly Sarah's body was lowered into the ground. Stella broke down for the 3rd time that day, once her mother was fully lowered. She told the boys to go to the car, that she was just going to be a minute.

One minute turned into ten minutes of just leaning on her fathers headstone, sobbing, thinking about how she had last both of her parents by the age of eighteen. She wouldn't have her father to give her away at her wedding, she wouldn't have anymore days out with her mom, there would be no more family dinners because all the family she had left was Steve.

A strong arm was lightly placed around Stella's waist, while a significantly smaller one wrapped around her shoulders. Stella leaned her head on Steve's shoulder as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. The two boys starred at the small girl, as she kept her focus on breathing, trying to calm down. Stella eventually calmed down and nearly fell asleep on Steve's shoulder.

"Hey Stells, hop on my back." Bucky told the young girl. She slightly nodded, as Bucky bent down. Stella jumped onto his back as he started walking them home. His hands under her thighs, her arms dangling from his neck and her head nuzzled into the crook of his neck, her eyes slowly closed as sleep took over her body.