Chapter 1.3

It had happened all so fast. Molly went into labor a month early. She was fine, as was the baby boy. Alex had rushed out to meet her at the end of the ranch. Everyone made a big fuss over it. Alice was at wits end, Alex was a worry wart. No one would have thought twice about what was going on. No one had seen the latch fail to catch on the gate, nor the snake that had crept along the ground.

No one could predict the series of events that could have lead up to what had happened. The morning was normal. Alex closed up Thunder's stall and had just turned to latch it. Alice was screaming for help, saying Molly was leaking water all over. Alex turned and rushed over, the latch not fully falling into place on the corral, a rookie mistake, and one that would be their last.

Thunder was a docile horse. No one would fault him for any of the incident. No one. Unfortunately, not even he made it away from the event unscathed. A rattlesnake was bathing in the sun when Thunder happened upon it, and it reared its ugly head, biting the poor old horse. Now, Thunder was docile, but he was also, very skiddish. When the snake bit down, the horse reared and took off.

He busted through the gate, and straight through the ranch. The chaos that ensued made heads spin. Molly was just down the stairs when she saw the large beast come barreling towards her, and she screamed in panic. Alex, being the only one who could calm him, jumped in the way and wrestled onto the beast's back, managing to pull the horse away from its path towards the already distressed mother.

However, the horse, so panic stricken and filled with snake venom, fell a bit away from the horror stricken on lookers. Yumi was the first at their side. She had been visiting, and she grabbed Alex's phone, demanding Alice take Molly to the hospital. She called 911, then called the only other person that mattered to the family.

"Hey Ale-"

"Don't hang up."

"Yumi? Why do-"

"Don't hang up. Al-Alex...Alex's been hurt."

Yumi could hear Angel's breath quickening on the phone.

"I already got a ticket in your name. Get home. Now."

"Yumi."

"I can't tell you over the phone. They need you. Just...Alex...Just get here."

She hung up, made four more calls before waiting for the authorities to arrive. She stared at the blank eyes of her Alex, he was already gone.

I was numb as the taxi drove away. No one heard from Yumi since the funeral. Aparently she set everything up. The flights, the funeral, the time off, everything. She had everything taken care of. But no one had seen her. The police told me that she stayed with Alex until the coroner left with his body, and they escorted her inside the house. When a wellness check was made, power was shut off, and she was gone.

She had disappeared. Masato was sent a check for the triplets, and Alice given a nice check for her family to start with. She sold the ranch and moved into a small cottage with Molly, burying Alex's ashes on their property. I could feel the pain deepen as I made my way to their front door. I went to the funeral, but this felt much more solemn. Much more personal.

I took a deep breath and knocked. I could hear movement inside even as her cat meowed at me, scolding me for breaking the meloncholy. Alex was gone, and we could feel it permiating through the air. Molly and Alice were home with Beau. Aparently Alex chose the name. Go figure. I sighed softled as I saw the handle slowly turn, the door creaked slightly.

A ragged Alice opened the front door. "Yes?" Her eyes were sunken in, her thin frame, hidden barely by the warm wool sweater. She looked so tired, so worn. She had lost her other half. Alex was someone she was born with, and they had always be inseperable. 

"Oh Alice...."

"They....Alex...Alex is...."

"I know....I know Alice..."

"They're gone..."

She wept into my arms and I could say nothing more as I squeezed her tigher to my body. I felt my own tears filling my eyes. For her, I would hold them in. I would mourn in private. But for now, I was her rock. I held her as she wailed in my arms.

"I am so sorry!" she wailed. "I...I panicked. Alex...Alex wouldn't have....If..."

"Shhh.....It wasn't your fault....shhh..."

After several moments of her sobs, I felt her relax. I ushered her into her bed and waited for her to close her eyes. Waving a small greeting to Molly who was breastfeeding Beau, I slipped outside to visit Alex.

Alex. Oh my sweet baby sibling. You had to go and be the stupid hero didn't you? The grave was quaint and it was easy to see that Alex was loved by Molly and Alice. Beau will never get to know Alex for the beautiful person they were, and that was more painful than I thought it would be-

I couldn't hold it in any more. I felt grief well up in me and I buckled. I collapsed into the ground and wailed. I spent too much time hating my family and blaming them, and less time loving them. I know Alex didn't blame me, but I did. I screamed and cursed the grim reaper as I wailed for the loss of someone so beautiful.

My cold hands shook as I sat on the ground, curled into a ball, weeping over Alex's small grave. We lost Alex, we lost Thunder. Yumi had gone MIA. Alice was in a spiral depression. Poor Molly was nearly a single mother. And I was just off in my own world living my life? I was a horrible sister.

"Go see your nephew."

I looked up and saw Molly standing next to me. She smiled wryly.

"He'll cheer you up. Promise."

Well, he definately did. I went inside and picked up the four week old babe and held him close to my heart. He looked, smelled, and felt like Alex. Alice was watching him, with a small smile, even though she looked sad. She seemed to be in love with the child, even if her heart was breaking. "He is Alex reincarnated." she whispered.

I could not help but chuckled slightly. Alice was right though. He was so much like Alex it both hurt and made me happy. I walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "You beter start smiling sis. For your little man, and your sexy wife." She smiled and nodded, before retrieving her son from me.

The flight back was exhausting. With winter break nearly over and my next year about to start, I was exhausted. So much happened, and I was not sure I was ready to see what was coming up. I wanted to be a botanist, but now, I wasn't so sure. My family lost a special person. My sister has a family. Maybe I should start looking to have one of my own.

No. Last time I spoke to Alex, they told me they believed I could become a great botanist, and that is what I will do! I love you Alex. Please know your sister is going to do her best and make you proud. I will watch over your family too. I promise.