by J. L. Sutton
“Kay.” She sniffed, her eyes tracing the edges of the wall behind me. “They took José away. Gone, poof. His room is empty now. I miss him. Can you make them bring him back?”
“I’m sorry lil’ sis, that’s one of the many things I can’t do. Maybe he got better. Don’t you think he would like to be with his family?”
Lisa pondered that for a moment, squinting as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Do you think they will ever take me away?”
“The only one who is ever going to take you away is me.”
“When?”
“One day.” I hugged Lisa again, stroking her hair so she couldn’t see my face.
I hated having to keep telling her something I wasn’t sure would ever come to pass. When she first developed symptoms the odds were bleak, and five years later little had changed. It was a necessary lie, one she needed to believe. That didn’t make it any less painful to tell.
“Kay,” she said softly, always so trusting.
“I do have some good news though. I have to go away for a little while. Just a few days, but—” Lisa’s eyes widened as I spoke, fear marring her pretty face as she started to hyperventilate. Too late I realized it was exactly what my father said before he left. He didn’t have the heart to tell her the trip would be permanent. “It’s okay Lisa. I’ll be back before you realize I’m gone.”
Taking me by the hand Lisa led me to her favorite chair, and once she was seated she crossed her arms and pouted. “That’s not a good thing. It’s a very, very bad thing. I know the difference. Splooshes—good, you leaving—bad.”
“The good part comes after.” I smiled, kneeling to her height. Reaching into my pocket I brought out three squares of bubble wrap. Lisa took them from me and rolled them up, waiting expectantly for me to finish. It wasn’t like her to be this focused. “When I come back I’m going to take you out for the day. Anywhere you want to go.”
She looked up, her hands still tightly gripping her splooshes. “Can we see the planes?”
I nodded solemnly. “We can see the planes.”
Lisa began clapping excitedly, her bubble wrap momentarily forgotten. It was too long since I took her on a field trip. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have told my Lisa I was going away. The last thing she needed was to worry about me. I just hated keeping secrets from her. I had to lie to my sister enough as it is.
This trip was necessary though. Something I had to do. Dawn thought that revealing the world of the seraphim to me only brought me trouble. I couldn’t disagree more. Her influence in my life was something I wouldn’t trade for the world—theirs or mine. It was so strange to have Death as the voice of reason in my life, though she fit the part perfectly. But no matter what Dawn believed I still blamed myself for her situation, and I was going to do everything I could to make sure she didn’t get punished for my actions. I also knew she wouldn’t approve of the plan I came up with, but Sebastian had my back and I was hoping it was enough.
The rest of the hour with my sister flew, not that we talked much between her popping her bubble wrap. I didn’t mind. I was too wrapped up in what could happen when we broke the news to Ivy that I was going to Dawn’s trial.
“I need to go now, lil’ sis,” I said when our time was up.
“Kay.” She sighed, afraid to look up at me. “Promise you’ll come back?
“Of course. Nothing in this world will ever keep me from looking after you.”
Lisa put down her bubble wrap and hugged me tightly, her voice barely a murmur into my shoulder. “Rabbit always keeps his promises.”