May 24th

"Why did you die? You weren't supposed to die."

The words rode the wind to meet my ears where I stood in the graveyard. I moved toward the voice silently. I stood behind a tree and quietly watched the figure kneeling by a grave. She was a pretty girl, no, not pretty, beautiful. She had long strawberry waves that fell gracefully down her back. Her skin was the palest cream. She was slender, but not skinny, and delicate.
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"You promised me you'd always be there, that you'd never leave me alone. They were the ones who left me, but you didn't. You stayed, you said you'd always stay. I don't know how to be alone, I don't know how to be without you."

The girl collapsed into sobs that shook her entire slender form. I inched closer, hoping to read the name on the gravestone, curious about who she was yelling at and crying to. Yet before I could see anything clearly, and despite my silent careful movement, she somehow sensed my presence. I watched her shoulders stiffen and briefly considered ducking behind one of the larger gravestones, hoping she would brush the feeling off, but she robbed him of that decision with a few soft spoken words.

"I'm sorry, I know I was being loud." She said, without turning or even straightening from where she'd collapsed in tears. All thoughts of running away fled from my mind and I instead found my feet carrying me closer. Without communicating with my brain my legs folded and I found myself kneeling next to the girl in front of the grave. She still hadn't turned to look at me, but now I could see the gravestone clearly. There were no dates on the stone, but the name and inscription we clearly visible.

Kasey Branson
Loving Brother
Taken After Only 25 Short Years

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I said quietly, but she jumped at the sound of my voice. She truly hadn't noticed that I'd knelt down next to her. For the first time she turned to face me and I was immediately struck by how beautiful she was. Despite the puffiness in her cheeks and the redness in her eyes, she was stunning. Her eyes were a pale amethyst that despite logic, seemed to be natural. If she wore any makeup I couldn't tell, but her skin was smooth and her lips were a pale pink. There was a spatter of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and I found myself lost in the patterns I found in them, until she spoke again.

"It's nice of you to say that..." I continued to stare until I realized she was waiting for something, it took me a moment more to realize that thing was my name.

"Cameron, and it's not nice of me, it's the truth. You should never apologize for being sad..." Now it was my turn to wait for a name.

"Cassie."

"Cassie." I savored the sound of her name, lengthening the syllables. Then I nodded my head at the gravestone. She turned back to face it and I saw tears once again shining in her eyes.

"My brother, Cassie and Kasey, my parents thought it was funny. They died when I was eight, Kasey was twelve. He raised me, kept me safe through all the foster homes and orphanages, until he turned 18 and could care for me on his own. He was my everything for so long, and I thought he'd always be there." I found myself reaching out to her, but I stopped short, we'd only just met.

"When did he die?"

"Three years ago, he was killed by a drunk driver while coming to get me from college for the start of summer break. I hadn't seen him in almost three months, I'd been to busy with my college friends and classes. When we talked on the phone that day we argued about what I was going to do that summer, I wanted a job out of town and Kasey wanted me to stay at home and work there. We hung up angry...and I never saw him again." This time I did place a gentle hand on her leg and to my surprise she turned and clutched my arm, resting her head on my shoulder. I sat still, shocked, and let her speak and cry.

"I managed to finish school, it was hard, but I knew he'd want me to. But school ended months ago, and I just don't know what to do with myself. I can't go back to the home we shared, I can't face the idea of cleaning up his things, I have no plans, no future without him."

She began sobbing in earnest and I turned so that I was cradling her to my chest, her tears soaking my t-shirt. It occurred to me that from the outside we would look strange, two twenty something strangers locked in an embrace in a deserted cemetery, but in that moment it felt right. When Cassie had finally cried herself out she turned her face up to look at me.

"Cameron, I'm so"

"No," I interrupted her immediately, "you need to stop being sorry." I stared into her eyes for a moment, choosing my next words carefully. "Do you need a ride somewhere? It doesn't have to be home, I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

She stared at me for a long time, trying to read something in my face, and then she nodded. Without asking permission my hand reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Fast as lightening a thought flickered through my head, and without taking time to analyze I acted. I leaned down and kissed Cassie.

And she kissed me back.