Close Your Eyes

After Eve’s first meeting with my family, Devon always asked about her and how she was doing. Every time he went to the doctor’s, he’d ask if Eve would mind coming to and every time, she would say yes. There was no doubt that Eve was the glue holding Devon closer to me than he ever was. On the contrary, Mom began to distance herself from anything involving Eve; whenever Devon questioned her she would put on a friendly face and say nothing was wrong. This was an obvious lie, and even Devon could tell that she’d built a wall around herself so Eve wouldn’t get to her. Dad, whenever he was with Mom, appeared to agree mostly with her about Eve being an odd girl and not wanting her near the family. However, when he wasn’t accompanying her, Eve and he would talk together like they were good friends. And whether I liked it or not, I was becoming attached to her.

“Blake! Blake! Blake!” My eyes peered down at my crippled brother, who was grinning like a fool. He was no longer in any casts, for enough time had passed to heal the bone to a reasonable amount. “Blake, is Eve coming over today? I wanted to give her this.” He holds out a silver chain with a charm that looked like a flower at the end of it. For awhile, I couldn’t think of why it appeared so familiar but then it hit me.

“That’s Mom’s.” I wouldn’t have cared so much if Mom actually liked Eve, but the last thing we needed was her freaking out at Eve when it was Devon’s fault. The little guy stuck his tongue out at me and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’re just jealous that you don’t have a present for her!” No, I just don’t want her to get eaten by Mom… I thought with a groan as the doorbell rang throughout the house. If Devon wasn’t crippled, I was sure he would be running to the door faster than lightning strikes. As I headed to the door with Devon close behind me, I could clearly see Eve surrounded by the first snowfall of the year. Atop her head was a bright blue hat and she wore a windbreaker jacket and gloves.

She grinned as I opened the door and her eyes sparkled with Devon and my reflection in them. Even after having seen them many times, my brother still squirmed a bit every time he saw her bloody eyes. Though, I suppose that would be the normal response to seeing something like that; I’d grown so used to them that it was almost comforting to see her eyes. Eve leapt out and embraced me in the tightest hug she could manage before stepping back a bit and looking down at a smiling Devon. “Hi Blake! Hey Dev!”

Devon was about to hand her the necklace, but I nudged him a bit and sent him a look that shouted ‘don’t you dare’. Again, he stuck out his tongue at me but at least he decided to give up, having realized the truth in my words. Or, at least I hope so. Instead, Devon shouted back, “Hi Eve! It’s so pretty outside huh?” She blinked and peered outside as if she hadn’t noticed and shuttered.

“I suppose so,” she mumbled. “I find it cold and wet; summer needs to come quicker! I want to see all the pretty flowers and swim and go to the beach! You know, fun summer-y stuff!” We all nodded in agreement and chuckled as we left the house.

But she would never get to see the summer that she loved.

Devon and Eve walked ahead of me, skipping and frolicking like nothing was wrong in the world. I studied her laughing countenance with a small smile of my own and I knew she’d change me and that thought made my heart flutter. Not only I, but she’d changed my family, even if it was slight. Mom left me alone, Dad did more things for himself and not for Mom, and Devon didn’t hate me. It was as if things were going back to the way they were long ago.

She would never see the flowers bloom, or swim in the ocean.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Devon slip on a patch of black ice as the two of them were crossing the street. He had stumbled but just as he was falling, Eve broke his fall and he landed on her. My body lurched forward but it was like I was frozen as I watched them flail a bit before Devon finally was able to sit up. Taking in a breath, I watched as he sent an apologetic smile toward the blonde.

But she wasn’t listening, her eyes glued to something neither Devon nor I could see. Something those two eyes that at first were hidden to the world could see in the distance, and that prompted her to push Devon out of the road and toppling onto the grass in slight pain.

But not as much pain as I felt as she sent me an apologetic, sad smile and mouthed, “Thank you” just as a dark vehicle smashed right into her.

And she’d never know how I felt about her.