Fighting For Life (published)

Weirdo -Aiden's POV

Aiden's POV-

I was proud. So proud. My little sister was beginning to see what we all saw in her. I was happy for her. I knew that I just had to love and support her though her journey of self-discovery. I honestly couldn't thank Aubry enough for pushing me to reconnect with her... everything was so much better.

Except... I glanced at the empty chair that my dad would have sat at if he was there. Except that he was still gone.

After dinner, I found myself outside with Brandon and Tommy. We had started a new tradition the year before, the year that none of us celebrated due to the grief of too many tragedies. That year, we started a new club. The sad and pathetic 'no dad's club.'

We all had no dads... What a freaking bonding point, yeah? Mine died, Tom's died, and B's left a long long time ago... We all had no dads in our lives to teach us and grow us. It was a bit sad, really. So, the year before, we had decided that on every Christmas we'd all get together and share a drink in honor of our tragic fathers. We'd all dedicate a drink to our absent dads...

"Hey, um... Don't you think that maybe we should include Briana in this? I mean... she doesn't have a dad either." Brandon said as we stood together on the back porch with a bottle in his hands.

"I mean... maybe we should ask Aubry to join us too then?" I commented with a shrug.

"She has a dad though."

"You're right..." I agreed. I just felt bad for leaving Aubry without us in there... "Okay, well... go get Briana then."

A few moments later, Bri and Brandon emerged from the house.

"What's up?" She asked curiously.

"This is the no dads club, wanna join?" I asked holding a plastic cup out to her filled with a shot of whiskey that we had swiped.

She shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed the cup from my hand. "Sure, finally a club that I can be a part of..." She grimaced at her statement.

I poured the rest of the us cups and shrugged while holding mine up. "Well... Cheers. To no fathers to guide us."

"To no fathers!" Tommy echoed.

We all downed our shots quickly.

I refilled all the cups and we stood out in the cold telling stories of our absent fathers. There were some tears, there we some laughs, but most of all... we bonded. No dads, but great friends.

I knew it had been a while before I finally decided to go back inside. I felt like a dick for leaving Aubry by herself in there. I just hoped that my family wasn't eating her alive... I even knew she had already been uncomfortable. I was a dick for leaving her in there. Why was I like that?

"I'll catch you guys later, I'm going to go inside..." I said nonchalantly and filled a cup with at least a couple of shots full of whiskey. I hoped that it was enough of an apology to her for leaving her in there.

I had to have take at least a few shots, so I was feeling a little bit more relaxed as I wondered around my people-filled house. I wasn't drunk or even tipsy really... but I did feel a bit better. I wasn't so overwhelmed.

I searched for Aubry for a while... Though, she was seemingly nowhere to be found. She wasn't in the kitchen or the dining room. She wasn't with the rest of the family in the living room either. Surely, she wouldn't have gone home without saying goodbye... Although, I wouldn't have blamed her. I left her in there without an explanation. I probably would have left if the roles would have been reversed.