Going Through the Unimaginable

[Ryuki]

Melinda was looking through pictures on her phone with a forlorn expression. In contrast, the pictures she was looking through featured her smiling alongside her family. These included her mother, father, and her two younger sisters.

One picture was when they went to New York and their father took a picture of Melinda and her sisters in Time Square. Her sisters, Cassidy, the youngest with short hair, and Wendy, the middle child with glasses, were to her left and right, respectively. They were all smiling. Melinda’s focus was on Wendy. She sniffled.

The picture after that was a low angle selfie with the sisters looking down at the camera, with the Statue of Liberty towering over the family. The family were making silly faces, sticking out their tongues and crossing their eyes. Melinda took notice of Wendy winking and pursing her lips, as if she was going to kiss someone. Melinda grew more misty eyed.

Another picture she looked at was one with her and Wendy wearing makeup. They had dark mascara, red lipstick, and pink blush. Melinda couldn’t remember clearly, but she thought they were prettied up for a party. Maybe a birthday, or a wedding? Melinda was too sad to remember.

All Melinda could think about was how she would never see Wendy again. Wendy wanted to go to college and major in art. She wanted to come out to her parents after graduating high school, and Melinda was going to support her. However, none of that came to pass. Wendy went on a school trip with her classmates, but she never came back. Ever since then, the Kennedy household had an air of melancholy hanging over it. Wendy had left a hole in their family they could never fill.

There was a knock. Melinda came out of her daze and looked towards the door to her room. She put her phone aside on her bed.

“Come in!,” Melinda called out.

Cassidy entered. She stood at the doorway, peeking behind the partially opened door.

“Hey Mel,” said Cassidy, “Just came to check on you.”

Cassidy noticed the picture on Melinda’s phone.

“Didn’t mom take that during cousin Sara’s wedding?,” Cassidy asked.

“Uh… oh yeah,” Melinda said with clarity, “Sara’s wedding. We had filet mignon.”

“Heh, yeah,” Cassidy chuckled, “They had a cookie bar too, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Melinda said.

The room then went quiet. Cassidy just stood at the doorway looking down at her feet, while Melinda stared off out her room window. Then Cassidy approached the bed and sat next to Melinda.

“I miss her too, Mel,” said Cassidy.

Tears streamed down Melinda’s face. Cassidy hugged Melinda.