Epiphany

chapter 15

Truly Andrew had gone to the park the night before but he didn't find Luke.

He had searched everywhere but he didn't find him.

He was scared as he went home that night hoping deep down that Luke had gone back home and they had just missed each other on the way.

But it hadn't been so.

Lucy and Andrew walk into the sitting room to see their mum just finishing a call, she looks at them and shake her head.

"nothing"

Her eyes looked so red from crying all night and constantly worrying about her son. The other two children go to sit with her on the couch, they had decided not to go to school today.

"where could he be?" she looks at her oldest child with tears in her eyes, he holds her by her shoulders and pats her.

"I'm sure he is fine mum, he's probably at a friend's place to clear his mind or something. I'm sure he's okay mum" Lucy says from the other side of the couch to try and make their mum feel better and also trying to convince herself of a positive outcome.

"but he isn't taking his calls, it keeps saying out of reach and sometimes it rings and he doesn't pick it up." Their mother's cries out.

Andrew looks up as Paige walks into the sitting room and deep down he isn't too happy knowing this is most of her fault. Paige and Andrew make eye contact and Paige looks away.

Little did he know that guilt was eating away at her heart.

A few minutes later, Andrew stands up to leave the sitting room as their mum goes to make another call, Paige follows him right after.

As they reach up the stairs, she calls out to him but he doesn't answer her and she grabs his wrist as he is about to enter his room,

"I'm sorry"

"sorry? Yh you're really sorry, just stay away from me for now Paige and pray really well that Luke comes back home before tomorrow" he says before slamming his door shut.

It's already evening and Luke hasn't shown up at home, his mom and siblings had all gone around the neighborhood asking if anyone saw him, all to no avail.

To be honest, they were all getting scared.

"what has been going on with Luke" their mum ask when they are all seated.

"he is depressed mom"

"what, what do you mean?"

Lucy scoffs from where she is sitting and looks up to where their mum is seated,

"what do you expect mum, more than any of us, this past years have been hard on him and well you didn't really do much to make the situation better you know. And he's is tired, that's why he ran away mum, don't you get it. Wherever he is right now, he's alone and scared and doesn't even know what he's doing. And it's all because you never notice anything, it's because you think it's okay that Paige treats  him like he's less of a human being and all you ever care about is your job or punishing when something wrong happens without even understanding the situation so he is not here anymore and it's you all's fault" she says before running up the stairs in tears.

Without saying a word, their mother also goes up stairs to her room and once again cries the night away.

Maybe she had known but caring for them had been her priority, she had wanted to make sure they were comfortable but maybe she had been too caught up in it, blaming her ex-husband for everything that ever happened to her and her children.

Andrew and Paige are still seated in the sitting room when andrew speaks up quietly from the corner he is seated,

"you know, I never truly figured out why you were so jealous of Luke. Well at least this is what you wanted right? sure you're happy"

"what, no of course not. Why would you think that"

"who was the one who made him hate himself and who hurt him all the time, who was supposed to be his older sister?"
"oh, really? Who was the one who left him and the rest of us when we needed him?"
"shut up Paige, will you ever admit you made a mistake for once, well I'm not so surprised, am i? after all you wouldn't care whatever happens to us because we aren't even your sibling right? because i'm sure that this isn't how a family is supposed to be. You disgust me, you are such a liar and deceiver and maybe Luke was right, maybe mum should have never really accepted you"

Tears run down Paige's face as she watch Andrew go up to his room like everyone else.

Not a single trace of guilt on his face as he said those words, why would he feel guilty anyway, she deserved it after all.

she had hurt her family because she didn't to be alone, she didn't want them to leave.

Even if none of them said it, the biggest fault was hers, she really did eventually loose the only family she had, after all her dad and mum hadn't even wanted her to begin with.

What has she done?

this is getting really sad, where could Luke be, could he have...?

what do you guys think?