"....they were the best parents anybody could have. May they rest in peace."
As Sean watched his parents get buried he looked over at his sister who was in tears. Their uncle was holding her while she cried on his shoulder. He knew its too late to change the past. He'll never forget that day five years ago when he left the house leaving Lana and his parents behind.
He remembered it like it was yesterday. It was finally summer and he was done with highschool. Sean knew he wanted to be in the Navy since his first toy boat. He hadn't told his parents but he had already applied for the Navy and got in. Sean remembered getting the letter in the mail. It was the best day of his life. He was so excited, he planned on telling his parents and sister during dinner.
That evening everyone was sitting around the table. Sean looked at his parents and told them he had very good news.
"Well what is it?" his father asked.
Sean explained to them what he wanted to do and how he recived a letter saying he had been accepted in the Navy. He thought his family would be happy for him, little did he know that none of them would support him on this decision.
"WHAT! You are NOT going to waste your life trying to play hero. I thought we agreed you were going to go into law like me." his father roared.
"Dad I dont want to be in law. I'm not going to do something I dont want to do. Its my life and I can choose to do whatever I damn well please!" Sean yelled back.
His mom and sister were quiet watching them argue. Sean finally looked at his mom and asked her what she had to say.
"Well sweety I think your father's right. I dont want to be crying my eyes out if you dont call one day or something happens to you. I think it will be better for all of us if you become a lawyer like your father."
Sean couldnt believe his ears! Everything from there was a blur. He ran to his room and started to pack his things. Sean's sister who was 15 at the time came into his room in tears. He looked at her and calmed down a little.
"Dont leave. I don't want to be alone. They dont understand me. Who am I going to talk to. " Lana cried.
Sean just stared at his little sister crying for a while. He finally sat her down on his bed.
"Sweetheart listen to me. Its going to be ok. Look I'll leave you my E-mail address so you can write to me anytime you want. I'll write to you and see how your doing ok. Don't worry we'll see eachother again someday." With that he kissed her forehead and finished packing.
Running down the stairs Sean headed for the door. His mom also in tears told him not to leave. He looked at her and kissed her on the cheek. Sean's father was sitting in the living room looking at his case files. Sean looked at his father for a second waiting to see if he would stop him but he didnt even blink.
With one last look at his mother and sister Sean went out the door and never looked back.
Sean and his sister kept in touch, during the years he was gone. She talked to him about all her teenage problems. The usual, gossip in school, parents, and senior prom.
One night checking his E-mail Sean saw his sister had written to him again. He opened it and read in shock as she wrote about their parents' death. Sean took a leave of absence and went back to the place he thought he would never see again.
They planned the funeral invited the family and now they were both watching their parents get buried. After the burial the family came to their house and they had fun thinking about the great times the family had together.
Later that evening Sean and his sister finally had time alone to figure out what they were going to do. Lana stared at Sean from across the dining room table. He looked back and noticed how much like his mother she looked. She had beautiful gray eyes that matched his own but somehow looked more sparkly on her. She had long black hair that was now hanging loose and the face of an angel.
As he watched her he got a pang in his stomach and he remembered how he hadn't listened to his mother when she tried to stop him from leaving. He quickly looked away from her and moved the food around on his plate.
"Sean?" He looked up and met his sister's gaze. She was in tears again.
"What am I going to do? Your probably going to have to leave soon and I don't know whats going to happen. I can't be by myself right now and I just dont know what I'm going to do."
Lana was crying while she said this and Sean didnt know what to say. He knew he was going to have to leave but he hadn't really thought about it till now. Sean got up and hugged his sister to him. She was trembling he picked her up and took her upstairs to her bed.
"Get some sleep sweetheart and we'll talk about this later." He turned off her light and let her sleep.
"Wait! Daddy! I'm coming too! Dont leave me here alone. Mom! Dont go...stop.." Lana woke up with a start. She looked around her dark room and saw 3:00 in neon color on her nightstand. What a horrible nightmare. She was running towards her parents but the faster she ran the farther they got. She was yelling at them to wait for her not to leave but they vanished and she was left in the dark all alone.
Lana brought her hands to her face and noticed they were wet from tears. She sat there crying for a while and heard her door open. Sean came in and without saying a word sat down on her bed and took her in his arms. She was crying still but felt much better. Her brother's arms were strong and he felt like an anchor in a storm that she seemed to be caught up in.
He changed alot over the years. He was taller about 6'2. He looked like a tower compared to her 5'5. His hair was ebony like hers. He had it short and spiked. He had a lean muscular body that covered hers perfectly. When she looked into his eyes they had more wisdom than before. They told you that he has been through things that you could never imagine.
He looked down at her and smiled. She noticed that he had two cute dimples on his cheeks. He had a nice smile. She had missed him alot, when she was young he was her hero. Her big brother that never let her get hurt, always defended her when their parents were going to punish her for doing something bad, the only person that listened to what she had to say.
When he left she cried and wanted him back. She wrote to him everyday. He always answered back and gave her advice. Even when she told him about stupid fights she had with their mom. He always listened and told her it was ok.
"Sweetheart are you ok? Don't worry I'm not going anywhere at least not now. And I promise that I will never leave you alone."
"Yeah, I'm ok dont worry. I just had a nightmare thats all."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sean said a look of concern in his eyes.
"Nah its ok." She looked into his eyes and quickly looked away from his penetrating gaze. She felt like he could see right through her.
"Are you sure?" Sean persisted.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Lana said quickly.
"Ok...um..I'll let you sleep. Goodnight sweet dreams." Sean kissed her on the forehead and laid her down on her bed.
Sean headed for the door "Wait, Sean dont go yet."
He turned and his sister had a frightened expression on her face. It reminded him of the night he left when she wanted to stop him. He sat down on her bed.
"Stay with me for a while. I dont want to be alone tonight." She looked scared.
"Sure sweetheart I'll stay as long as you want." Sean said smiling down at her.
She scooted over and gave him some space. He laid down next to her. She snuggled next to him draping an arm over his chest.
"Promise?" Lana whispered
"Yeah, I promise. Now go to sleep honey we have along day tomorrow." He rubbed her arm until he felt her relax and fall asleep.
Lana woke up to an empty bed. She was trembling from the nightmare she had and really needed someone to comfort her. She went across the hall and checked her brothers room. He wasn't there. She went downstairs and saw he wasn't there either. Lana searched the kitchen and still didnt find Sean. Still feeling scared from her dream and finding herself alone Lana crumbled to the floor and cried, her face in her hands.
She was crying for a while thinking she was left alone. When she felt someone sit down next to her and hug her. She looked up tears in her eyes and saw Sean's look of concern in his eyes. She hugged him tight.
"Sean I thought you left me. I couldn't find you and I was scared." she said in his shirt.
"Oh, sweetheart I would never leave you. Its ok I went outside to take out the garbage. Don't cry honey I'm here." He rocked her in his arms for a few minutes then picked her up and sat her on the kitchen table. Wiping her tears with a tissue he smiled at her and threw the tissue out.
"I'm going to cook you breakfast ok. How does pancakes, eggs, and bacon sound?"
Lana smiled. "Wow being a Navy SEAL really changed you. I remember you couldn't even turn on the stove and now you can cook, it better not taste bad."
"Yeah, you dont have a mom there to cook you things. They kinda make you learn that thing on your own, dont worry I promise it'll taste good." Sean smiled back.
Just as he promised he put a plate of pancakes, bacon, and eggs in front of his sister. He put syrup on her pancakes and sat down with his own plate. Lana who hadn't had any thing to eat for more than 12 hours ate happily.
"So did it taste good?" Sean asked looking over at his sister's empty plate.
"Well..." Lana said looking up pretending to think hard "I've had better."
With speed Lana didnt know Sean had he picked her up around the waste took her to the couch and started to tickle her.
"Ssstop Sean" Lana screamed between laughs. He continued to tickle her
"Say uncle" Sean said ignoring her yells for him to stop.
"Ok uncle, uncle" Lana said.
