tam song was sitting alone, back pressed against the cold surface of a rock. he did that sometimes, now.

inside of the house, linh song was sitting, trying to read. she couldn't focus, her eyes wandering outside to where she knew her brother was. it hurt like hell that she couldn't help.

tam closed his eyes. outside of his head it was serene, peaceful, but inside it was turmoil. icy memories gripped his mind, flickers of a past that even shadows couldn't banish.

a part of linh had thought that everything would go back to normal once tam was back. but the time that he was gone...it had changed him. if linh could have taken his pain for him, she would have, but it was something he would have to burden alone. all linh could do was tell him she loved him, so he would know she was there to lean on. there were a thousand unspoken promises between the twins, promises that would never go away.

the more tam focused on keeping them out, the more the cracks in the back of his mind widened, more memories seeping in. tam had found that it was better just to focus on the pictures his mind was shoving at him. avoidance only made it worse.

mai song stepped outdoors & saw her son. in that moment, she wanted to run to him & make a thousand promises she knew she couldn't keep. she wanted to hold him & let him know she saw how he hurt, deep inside. but there were a thousand barriers between them, barriers mai knew in her heart she could never truly surpass. she had made her choice, long ago. so she didn't walk over to him. she couldn't. but she saw. & that would have to be enough.

tam's hands curled into fists, & his breathing became shallow. he opened his eyes, but he didn't see what was there. he didn't see mai standing in the doorway, watching him. he didn't see linh, peering through the window, infinite emotions in her gaze. so his sister looked away. & his mother walked inside.

the memories lived on. they were not echoes, but they stayed nonetheless. soon tam might be able to get up again, to paste a smile on his face & live. but the memories would stay. & although most people wouldn't let themselves see past his disguise, linh would. & mai would, too.

tam couldn't see that, though. not now. not yet.