Angels in Waiting of the Afterlife

“Mommy, come find us!” the child’s voice said. “You found us!” she yelled again when her mother found her and her brothers, under the makeshift tent in their living room.

“I found you,” she said, sitting next to the kids.

“Mom watch this!” one of the boys said, running out of the tent. He ran to the wall and stood on hi head, the wall keeping him elevated.

“Very impressive Justin.” their mother said, laughing. He started to go down, but was held up by his brother.

“Go me, go me.” Kristin said, running up to her older brothers. She put her head down as James grabbed her legs, holding them up so she was upside down.

“Careful with her Jimmy.” Mrs. Sullivan said.

“I will.” Jimmy said, looking toward her smiling at her. Jimmy slowly let her feet down, so she could sit right side up. “See?” Jimmy said, helping his little sister up. Justin stood right side up as well, but stumbled from a sudden head rush.

“Okay kids, bed time.” Barbara said, standing up.

“Can we sleep down here?” Jimmy asked his mother.

“Yeah mom please?” Justin chimed in.

“Pwease mommy?” Krissy asked, looking at her with big brown eyes.

“Oh, I guess. But don’t stay up to late. We have grandma and grandpa coming tomorrow.” Barbara said, turning off lights. She bent and gave the three kids kisses and walked upstairs, leaving the hallway light on.

“Krissy,” Jimmy said. “I have a secret.”

“What?” Krissy asked, leaning toward her brother.

“You need to go places, you need to be somebody.” Justin said.

“Why?” Krissy asked, confused.

“We’re not going to be here.” Jimmy said, starting to whisper now.

“Where are you going?” Kristin asked, whispering like her brother.

“In heaven.” Justin said, looking up.

“Heaven? You mean with Gramma Stevens?” Krissy asked. Both boys nodded. “You can’t go to heaven, I’ll never see you again!” Kristin said, her eyes going wide.

“It’ll happen Kris,” Jimmy said. “That’s why you need to be the best you can be.”

“You can’t leave.” Kristin said, tears filling her eyes.

“I doubt I’ll live up to 30.” Jimmy said. “If I do, it’ll be a shock to me.”

“You will live,” Krissy said, wiping her eyes. “You’ll be with me forever!”

“Calm down Kris.” Justin said, rubbing her shoulders. “We’ll be around as long as we need to be.” He smiled at her and Kristin felt herself calming down.

“We love you Kris, you know that right?” Jimmy said, wrapping his arms around her. She nodded. The rest of the night they talked about their grandparents coming over. They couldn’t wait, they always got presents.

“What do you think they’ll bring us this time?” Jimmy asked, sitting with his legs crossed like pretzels.

“I don’t know. I hope it’s something good.” Kristin said. Jimmy and Justin agreed. Kristin yawned, but she tried to hide it.

“Time for bed.” Jimmy said, seeing his sister yawn. They covered up in their sleeping bags, eyes heavy with tiredness.

“Night.” They all said to each other. Kristin was the first to fall asleep.

“Make us proud sissy.” Jimmy whispered, watching his sister sleep. Justin looked toward them.

“Make us proud.” he repeated, laying his head down.

~5 years later~

“I’m sorry ma’am, we did everything we could.” the man in white said. Kristin listened, but didn’t understand.

“What’s going on Jimmy?” she asked her brother, who was sitting beside her.

“Justin went to heaven.” he said, his voice thick with tears. “He’s with Gramma Stevens now.”

“No,” Barbara muttered, putting her face in her husband’s shoulder. Kristin looked at her father’s face and saw the tears. Her father never cried, so it had to of been true.

“He can’t be.” she said to Jimmy, turning to him. He wrapped his arms around her as his tears started falling. Kristin felt her own cheeks grow wet from tears. She was finally starting to realize she would no longer see her brother.

“Kids, I’m sorry.” Mrs. Sullivan said, looking to the two huddled together. She reached and they walked into her arms. Their father wrapped his arms around the three of them.

“It’ll be alright.” he said. “We’ll get through this, as a family.”

~Justin’s funeral~

“Taken so young, only 13 years old.” the preacher said. Kristin couldn’t look away from the box in the middle of the room, containing what used to be her brother. She sobbed harder thinking back to all the good times they had together. When the funeral ended, Kristin sat outside, waiting for her family.

“Hey munchkin.” Jimmy said, walking out and sitting next to her. “You doing okay?”

“I guess.” Kristin said, staring at the ground.

“Hey, think of it like this,” Jimmy said, grabbing his sister’s hand. “He’s always been a free spirit, you know he has. He always went with the flow of things and never cared what anyone thought. Right?” When Krissy nodded, he continued. “Now he can be free without worry, or pain. He can do what he wants, when he wants to, and not have to worry about hurting anyone, including himself.”

“But he’s in there,” Kristin said, pointing to the funeral home behind them.

“That’s just his shell Kris.” Jimmy said. “You know how when you eat a peanut at the circus or carnival, you crack the shell to get to the actual nut? Same thing with Justin. His shell had to be broken for the nut to come out of him.” Kristin smiled a little at the joke, but couldn’t bring herself to laugh. “He’s in a better place now Kris.” Jimmy said, standing up and offering her his hand. She grabbed it and he helped her up. “Now it’s you and me left, so we need to give ‘em hell kid.”

“Jimmy!” Kristin gasped. “That’s a bad word.” Jimmy laughed and hugged her, walking her toward the car where Kristin finally realized her parents were waiting.

“Mommy,” Kristin said when she walked up to her mother. Mrs. Sullivan smiled at her daughter and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

“I love you honey,” she said, sniffling. Mother and daughter sat crying for a long moment, while father and son waited patiently, tears forming in their own eyes.

“We’ll make it.” Mrs. Sullivan said after a minute. “We’ll make it baby.” Kristin nodded and pulled away from her mother, sliding into the backseat with her brother. She fell asleep on the way back home, dreaming of her brother, in bright clothing with wings. She knew her brother was now an angel.