The Lady in Black

12. Home

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Chloe reached her home. Her home. She has been wandering everywhere but the place she dare not return till now was the place she was born in and grew up with her brothers, the place where she laughed to the fullest and cried for silly things, with a father who favored her more than his sons. Her eyes welled up as she walked toward the entrance of the manor.

Everything was silent like a grave. Her home felt dead. She stopped in front of the steps mustering the courage to move forward. Thinking whether she really deserved to be home. The pair of strong arms wrapped around her looking up she saw her younger brother Fredrick with tearful eyes.

"Freddie!!" Chloe gasped.

"Flowey!! You are real," He said and hugged her tightly once more.

"Fred, I can't breath."

"I am never ever letting you go again," He said his tears falling on her shoulder breaking into sobs as she hugged her younger brother.

"Freddie let your sister come inside," Lady Underwood said.

Her youngest brother Fredrick was now a foot taller than her and his baby face has turned into a manly one and she had hard time grasping her baby brother has grown so much.

Chloe stopped mid-step when she noticed her elder brother Louis standing at the door. She smiled through her tears.

"Louis!"

He turned around and walked away without a word and a hard face which made her heart to crack. Her brother hated her.

"Do not worry Flowey! Between you and me Louis loves you very much, he will come around. He was never the one to express his emotions," Fred said urging her inside the manor. Even if he has grown into a man he still was a baby and his baby blue eyes shine with innocence.

Everything was still the same including her room. Not a thing was out of place. It was very well-kept feeling like she lived there every day for the past five years and yet it didn't feel lively. Nothing in the manor did. It was like everyone stopped living after she went away.

Fred toured Chloe all over the house, ignoring their mother to let Chloe rest, talking incessantly about what he did and what was going on in the manor. She listened to her younger brother with a keen interest hoping she will cross path with her elder brother as they wandered every corner of the manor but with no luck.

After two hours they were sitting around having dinner their mother was too tired to join them. She felt like nothing changed between her and Freddie, she knew no matter what happens her younger brother will always be the same toward her.

"Freddie, you told me about everyone but you never once mentioned Louis," She asked worriedly.

Fred put down his fork and looked at her which made her guilt increase tenfold. Does he know?

"Flowey, you are our only sister and we love you. When you left you broke all our heart but I understand you but Louis behaved liked he lost everything. Father and Mother were there for each other and I knew my sister is a brave woman and I don't have to worry about her but no one was there for Louis. He just closed off. But don't worry now that you are here he will be back to how he was," He said in a most loving tone.

Tears welled up in her eyes realizing he won't be back to how he was! She wasn't the one Louis mourned for but the other person that she snatched away from him.