When the Memory Fades

Once Nelson and Jasper finished yelling, they quickly hurried back to Yvonne.

I grabbed the medical report, my hands shaking as I read it.

It said Yvonne had been abused for a long time and was malnourished, depressed, and had delusions that people were out to get her.

I read it and ran out the door, desperate to clear my name.

The doctors had just left the house when I saw the three brothers huddled around Yvonne in the living room.

Ethan was carefully peeling an apple for her while Nelson gently held her shoulders, whispering kind words to soothe her.

Jasper caught sight of me. His voice was hateful. "Why are you here? Are you checking if we're gone so you can pick on Yvonne again?"

Tears welled up in Yvonne's eyes as she looked at me. "Summer, I'm really sorry."

The brothers were quick to comfort her, dabbing at her tears with tissues.

Seeing how much they cared for her, I did not feel like arguing anymore.

I went back to my room in silence, took down the drawing of the four of us that the brothers had made, and cut it up. Then, I found a lighter and watched as the picture turned to ash.

Years of feelings disappeared with the flames.

…

I lay in bed, put in my earplugs, and blocked out the happy noise from outside. I soon drifted off into a deep sleep. It was the first time in a long while that I did not dream about the brothers.

When morning came, I got up early and began to pack. My closet was full of dresses Ethan had made just for me. He always said I was the princess of the family and should wear something pretty every day.

Nelson had given me tickets to concerts and flights all around the world. He always joked that I could not forget about him and others while I was away.

Jasper had taken care of everything for me. He wanted me to depend on them forever.

However, they had left me no choice now. I had to cram all those things into the trash can downstairs, throwing away all the memories—both the good and the bad.

As I shoved the last dress into the bin, Ethan's voice shook the air. "Summer, why are you tossing out the clothes I made for you?"

I spun around to see the three brothers lined up behind me, their eyes wide and worried.

Nelson dashed to the trash, not caring about the mess, and started digging. He found the gifts from him and Jasper that I had thrown out.

Their eyes were red as they asked, "Summer, you loved those things, didn't you? Why are you getting rid of them?"

I did not know what to say. My eyes darted around until they landed on the shirt Ethan was holding. I whispered, "I thought it was time for you to give me some new clothes and gifts. The old things were just taking up space, so I tossed some."

I walked over to Nelson and pointed at the blouse he was holding. "Is that a new blouse for me?" I asked quietly.

Nelson got all flustered and hid the blouse behind his back.

I let my eyes drop, pretending to be let down. "Oh, so it's not for me."

The brothers looked at me, their faces revealing a flicker of pain. They did not ask any more about why I was throwing things away.

Nelson let out a sigh. "Summer, Yvonne didn't have any clothes to wear at our place, so Ethan made some for her. Don't be jealous again."