57 Reunion 2

"You..are.." She muttered in a low voice only she could hear.

Perspiration beads traced down Bryan and Alfred's jawlines as they leaned against the pole; panting breathlessly. Their eyes followed the moving figure who was slowly approaching them at her own pace. An invisible force pulled her towards them, closer and closer until their faces were clear enough for her to see.

They stared deeply into her eyes, searching for the same lingering warmth she always carried with her. Flashbacks of her lifeless gaze appeared in Bryan's eyes as if it were just yesterday she had jumped down from the bridge. As if everything had been a nightmare and he was finally awake; tears filled his eyes.

Her heartbreaking voice repeatedly echoed in his thoughts. 'If there is a second time, I will still want to be your younger sister...'

Looking at the slim figure in front of him, the first drip of tears escaped the corner of his eye; leaving a trail of tear stain behind. This was the nth time he had cried for her, but this time, it wasn't filled with grief.

His chest tightened as he released a small sniffle. Every time he breathed; he could feel his airway narrowing while adding extra weight to the lump in his throat. His vision clouded as more tears rushed forward for a release. Every time an army of tears were blinked away, his vision would be a bit clearer.

From leaning against the pole, squatting down to sitting with his arms laid on his bent kneecaps. He gasped for air with slightly quivering lips as his reddened eyes continued gazing at her. He didn't dare blink nor rub his eyes; afraid he was dreaming again. Countless times, he met her in his dreams, saw her smiling happily and woke up to find out it was an illusion.

He tried forcing words out, but his rasped voice didn't allow words to escape. Looking at her, he wanted to tell her. 'You silly girl. This time, don't keep everything to yourself. Brother will always be there to listen to you..Protect you. I'll do a better job to keep you from toxic people. So, please don't ever hurt yourself again. I won't be able to stand losing you a second time.'

Alfred's jaw clenched and relaxed multiples times as he leaned his body against the pole. Everything about her felt the same, as if nothing had changed. Like the last time he had seen her before he left for his mission, she had a frown on her face. With simply a bottle of her favorite juice, he made her lips curve to a smile. That was how simple and innocent she was.

Wiping tears from his eyes, he took deep breaths to calm his emotions. Eventually, he also squatted down next to Bryan. His eyes swelled and blinked tears back; trying to keep them from flowing. Clenching his fist lightly, pain continuously crashed his insides like waves against rocks.

'Thank goodness...you're fine. This time, for sure. I will protect you.' He swore to himself.

Though it's only been minutes, it felt like hours had gone by since they've reunited. Before Bryan or Alfred could speak to her, she parted her lips. "You two are injured. Does it hurt a lot?" She asked, sounding like a stranger to them.

Tilting her head, she looked at them with a confused expression. Unlike last time, she felt calm as if a storm had just passed. Her heart beat rapidly at the sight of their wounds and heavy iron stench from their bodies. She wanted to see where they were hurt and how severe it was.

She caught the tears streaming down their faces, making her more tensed than before. Like the disastrous leftovers of a storm, she had to rebuild what she once had. Facing the two of them, an unexplainable stir mixed her insides, bringing her closer to them. Even though she didn't remember them, she couldn't bear seeing them like this. She wanted to cheer them up.

"Injury?" Bryan and Alfred questioned as their gaze lowered to their hands where scrapes and cuts were still bleeding.

"It must hurt for the two of you to cry like this. Don't worry, the convenience store is around the corner. I'll go to buy some sanitary products for you guys." As she spoke, her eyes hadn't left the small wounds on their hands.

"You..." They caught up with her words immediately and noticed something was off. Before they could ask further questions, she turned around and skipped over to Jason's side. With her palm spread out, she looked like she was asking him for something. A few seconds later, Jason placed his wallet in her hands.

The convenience store was at the end of the block, so it was considered safe for her to go alone. "Wait here for me. I'll be quick." She smiled and waved her hands at Bryan and Alfred before disappearing from their sight.

After watching her enter the convenience store, Jason approached them and explained the situation.

"She doesn't have recollection of the past, and I don't plan on forcing her to. The doctor suggests for her to remember things on her own because the trauma was too much for her to handle that she blocked it."

Their expressions darkened as they listened to Jason's explanation. Bryan nodded, "I won't say anything to her for her sake. One day, she will remember who we are. Thank you for saving and taking care of my sister."

Jason nodded and whispered, "She's back."

"I'm back! Here, juices for everyone." She smiled brightly as she passed bottles of her favorite juice around.

Taking the cold bottles into their hands, their eyes moistened once again. A sweet yet bitter feeling stirred on the tip of their chests as their noses turned sour. Looking up, they saw Jason twisting the cap open for her. The smile on her face, when she tasted the juice, was like she had never left. She was still the same old her.

Twisting the cap off their bottled juice, Bryan and Alfred gave each other a silent toast. Bending their heads backwards, they tasted the sweetened beverage with drips of tears sliding away from with eyes.

Selina bent down to meet them at eye level. Rummaging through the plastic bag, she took out the rubbing alcohol she bought and started pouring it on cotton swabs. Taking Bryan's hand gently in hers, she cleansed his wounds while blowing cold breezes on it.

"Does it hurt?" She looked up to meet his forced smile. His eyes were still pink from crying earlier. Though she didn't know what was wrong, she didn't like seeing the fake smile they were giving her.

"No, everything is fine." In reality, it was incredibly painful as he learned about how much she had suffered on her own.

"Sorry. It will sting because your wounds need to be disinfected." Her movements became much gentler after catching the painful expression on his face. After bandaging both their hands, she handed them the bag of sanitary products.

"Remember to disinfect your wounds as soon as you can. Don't wait for it to get infected and your arms to get amputated to regret it." With her hands on her hips, she turned to Jason and returned his wallet.

"Wait." Bryan and Alfred stood up. With a smile on their faces, they said, "Thank you."

She nodded and was about to walk away again. This time, it was her who turned around. Observing the familiar looking faces, her crescent moon eyes curved lovingly like her sweet smile.

Walking backwards, she asked. "What's your name?"

Forcing his best smile, he replied. "I'm Bryan."

She nodded and shifted her head towards Alfred. "My name is Alfred."

"Bryan and Alfred." She pointed to them as she repeated their names.

"I don't remember knowing these names...." She thought perhaps their names would ring the bell in her head and help her remember something.

"It's alright if you don't know our names. As long as we know yours." Bryan whispered to himself and smiled with deep sorrow.

Seeing his tears flowing out again, she extended her arms and lightly caressed a side of Bryan and Alfred's cheeks.

The warmth of her palms reminded them of their old times, intensifying the heat in their moistened eyes. She whispered, "I don't know what happened, but everything will pass. Everything will become better. So, don't look upset like this."

With her thumb, she wiped away the tears that started falling down their cheeks. Her heart was screaming in agony when she caught their tears raining heavily. It pains her to see them like this.

Feeling helpless, she turned around to Jason as if looking for advice. She saw his hand gesture and understood what to do. Like how Jason comforted her, she stretched her arms around their waist and gave them a hug. Hesitantly, they reciprocated and hugged her back tightly.

Just like how they interacted in the past, they were together again. Though she no longer remembered who they are, as long as she was safe; that is what mattered the most to them. Even if she doesn't recognize them, they will still be her brother forever.

This will never change.

'As long as you're happy, let us carry all the pain in your place. As long as you're alive, it is good enough. More than enough.' Bryan said inwardly as he sobbed uncontrollably with her in his arms.

'Keep smiling, princess. This time, we'll protect you. Even if you don't remember us, we will never forget about you. One day, you'll recover. When you do, I hope we can be your support.' Alfred tightened his arm around her back as he let his tears release.