"YOU SURE YOU'RE OKAY?"

Lottie pressed the phone closer, closing her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. I really can't come into work today."

"I don't know, girl." The voice wavered. "I really don't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lottie bowed her head, looking at the bracelet. "It's nothing bad. Just personal."

There was a long exhale, then a pause. "The last time you skipped work, your brother was stalking you." 

"I know, Hazel, I do."

"So I'm going to ask you one more time: Are you sure everything's good?"

"Yes." Lottie nodded, keeping her tone down. "I've just got some things to attend to. I'll show up for work tomorrow, though, you'll see."

"Well," she said with a huff, "I guess I need to get back to work. See you on Wednesday."

"See you then."

After hanging up, she tossed it aside and slipped off the bracelet. For a moment, she just held it close, studying its every detail. 

It was time. So, with a nod, she stood and grabbed her jacket. 

The colored leaves blew in a breeze. Tall and thin, the grass tickled her ankles as she made way for her vehicle. Before ducking inside, however, she nudged it shut and went stiff. 

It was time, indeed. Just not for that matter. 

She rounded the tall-standing bushes. Up ahead, eerily silent, sat her neighbor's home. 

She gave a soft knock, then backed away. 

The house remained silent. 

Then she gave a firm one. "Penny!" And another. "I need to speak with you!"

Nothing. 

Lottie hugged herself, then leaned into the front window, hands to glass. Everything was in order, from her shoes, neatly placed beside the entryway, to the shined-over table in the kitchen. Each room was ill-lit; each one without life. 

She backed away. After knocking further, she peered over her shoulder. Her car was stationed in the driveway, parked and unassuming. 

For a moment, she just listened to the fall leaves. They tossed around the yard, muffled. 

In the next, though, there was something else. Something distant and hurried...

Footste-

"Charlotte, is that you?"

Lottie jumped, then stilled, hands to mouth. 

"You alright there?" The voice had lowered. "Twitchy today, are we?"

Moments passed.

Lottie faced her neighbor with a slow nod. 

Hallway out of view, Penny fully rounded her house. "You look like you just saw a ghost." She chuckled. "Well, you've always been a bit jumpy."

Lottie lowered her hands, forcing deep breaths. "Yeah, I-I guess you could say that." That was when she looked her over, noting her dirt-stained jeans and green gardening gloves. "What's that for?"

Her neighbor looked down, then back at her. "Well, Charlotte..." - she dusted off her pants, barely holding in a smile - "I may have some news."

"You do?"

Penny nodded when her gaze dropped. "And I see you've got some news, too."

"I-I do?" After following her eyes, she straightened and smiled. "I guess I do, don't I?"

Her neighbor smiled. "I see it now, Charlotte. You're ready."

Lottie returned the look. Then, with a small laugh, she slipped off the bracelet. 

In response, Penny extended a hand, palm-up. 

Lottie closed her own and then her eyes. After opening them, she placed it into her palm. "Thanks for this, Penny, but I don't need it anymore. I'm better."

Her neighbor tossed it between her hands. Then, holding it up close, she released a breath. "This was my daughter's. Remember Silvia?"

"I remember."

Penny peered up. "So you must know, don't you?"

"I do."

Her smile widened. "Good," she said. "You could never replace my daughter, but you've got a special place in my heart. I'll remember you... even after I'm gone."

Lottie frowned and shifted. "You're not that old, Penny. You're... what, sixty-something?"

"Sixty-two."

"See, you're-"

"Charlotte, that's not what I mean."

Lottie went quiet. "I might need that bracelet back, Penny. This is pretty intense." A pause. "What do you mean?"

"Wanna know why I'm gardening?" her neighbor asked, looking over her shoulder. "It's because I want my place to look more presentable. Do you know why that is?"

"Not a clue."

"I'm moving, Lottie, and it's happening soon."

Lottie paled, searching for a smirk - anything. "You're... serious?"

Penny nodded. "Yes."

"But why? I-I don't understand."

"All this time, I thought I didn't have any living relatives. I was wrong, Charlotte." Her eyes sparkled. Her lips twitched. "I'm... I'm about to hook up with my cousin a few towns over. Ever heard of Nesseau?"

"I did." She smiled, blinking past tears. "I did."

"I see those tears, Charlotte. You're not fooling anyone."

Suddenly, Lottie bowed her head, pressing her eyes shut. As she heaved, her shoulders rose and fell with each breath. 

"Should I give you this bracelet back? I-"

Her sobs drowned her out. 

"Charlotte?"

Then she pinched her nose, forcing in deep breaths. 

"You don't look so good, Charlotte."

Moments passed. 

Lottie peered up and dropped her arms. For a moment, she just stared, a smile growing. "I'm happy for you, Penny. I want you to finally be happy. I... want to you have someone that I can't be."

Her neighbor smiled back. Then, after closing in, she wrapped her into a hug. "I'll miss you, but I won't forget you."

"Goodbye, Penny."

-

After setting it to 'park', Lottie gripped the wheel, steadying her breath. 

Her vehicle was alone in the driveway. His must be in the garage. 

A minute later, she pushed her side open and stepped outside. 

The rain drizzled. The leaves tossed. And, lining the front door's path, were yellow and white daisies. They were high, blowing in the gentle breeze. 

Hand over car, she stared at the flowers, her other over the door. They weren't there all those years before. Either they were planted for her, or they've been here a while...

On any note, she shook off the thought, walking down the path in a firm stride. 

Her hand hovered over the door. After dropping it, then squaring her shoulders, she knocked, soft but persistent. "Eliott, are you in there?" 

Silence. 

"Brother?" 

From the opposite end, a pair of footsteps shuffled. When they stopped at the door, there was a pause, before the door crept open. "Lottie?" 

"That would be me. Now, will you let me in?"

Eliott smiled and stepped aside. "Come on in, big sister."

Lottie chuckled as she passed him. After looking away, then around, her mouth dropped. 

"Lottie?"

Her mouth snapped shut. "I-Uh-"

"Yes?"

Lottie looked back at him. Her eyes flickered. Her face paled. "This place - it looks so different."

Eliott nodded, dropping his head. "Yes, I know, but it looks nice, huh?"

She began to shift. 

"It was Rena's idea."

Lottie stepped into the living room. "It looks... amazing."

The wooden floor, high-glossed and pristine, had a circular light blue carpet in the center. A glassed coffee table was stationed on top, rounded by a couch on either side. Each was shined over, a soft green. 

"Is the rest of the house like this?"

He remained silent. 

Lottie turned, leaning her face in. "Eliott, why does this place look brand-new? I recall trash being everywhere. I-I don't understand."

He met her gaze and shrugged. "I guess..."

"Yeah?"

"When Rena was first diagnosed with cancer, she started to spiff the place up. She wanted you to come home." Eliott's eyes drifted away. "This was her idea."

Lottie held her breath. When it registered, she mumbled and stumbled back. "I really should have come home, shouldn't I?"

He said nothing. 

With a huff, she trudged past the living room, then the kitchen, and into the bathroom. For a moment, she just stared in the mirror. "I know she gave me this scar. You know as well as I do." Then she turned, facing him. "But I forgive her."

Eliott lingered in the doorway. "You no longer think she's a monster?"

Lottie looked down at the last word. 

"Well?"

Then she met his face. "Eliott, this scar..." - she pointed just under her eye - "means nothing anymore."

His eyes sparkled as he smiled. "I've been waiting for you to come home, big sister. You have no idea."

"Oh, you..." Lottie tilted her head. "Come here." After smiling back, she gave him a hug, leaning her face into his shoulder. 

"You'll come back again, won't you? Just to visit?"

She pulled away, then looked past him. "This house holds many memories, little brother. I can't promise you."

Eliott bowed his head. "Then we ought to make this count."

-

"The funeral's in four days."

Lottie lifted her head and set her coffee down. From across the kitchen table, leaned in, sat her brother. "It's this Saturday, right?"

"Yes." He nodded, dropping his gaze. "And today's Tuesday."

She began to mix her cup with a spoon. In a gentle swirl, the black coffee went in circles, hypnotizingly...

"Lottie?"

"Yes?" She looked up, pausing the motion. "Did you say something?"

"No, not at all." Eliott gave a small smile, looking down. In the center of the table, with a white fabric underneath, was a banquet of flowers. He reached over and felt a pedal. "Did you see it, El?"

Lottie tilted her head. "Do I see what?"

Eliott glanced up. "The flowers."

"Yes, they are in front of me."

He pulled back and looked her over. "Outside. Did you see them leading to the doorway?"

"Ah, yes." She matched him, pulling back. "I thought it was a lovely touch, too."

"Rena's idea." He nodded as he sighed. "She loved roses but knew you liked daisies."

"How?" Lottie stiffened, crossing her arms. "Forgive me, but I'm a little confused..."

"Well," he said, then paused, "she saw you in those woods."

She remained silent. 

"Ever so often, you'd bend down to smell the daisies. Never the roses."

Lottie bit her lip, drifting her gaze. "Maybe I didn't give her enough credit."

"El, have you really looked around?"

Her mouth twitched. "What do you mean?"

"You may have left all those years ago, but you're still here." Then he leaned in, keeping steady eye contact. "You never left, El. Not really."

"What?" A chill ran down her spine. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're all over this house. Bit and pieces. If you look, El, if you really look, you'll see yourself in every room. What does this tell you?"

For a moment, she bowed her head, hands to face. In the next, she stood and muttered. 

"What's that, Lottie?"

She began to stumble in circles. 

"El?"

Lottie paused, back to him, when she turned. "Is that why?"

"Is that why what?" 

"Is that why this place is so clean? Is it in remembrance of me?"

"Well," he said, staring off, "you always were obsessed with cleaning."

A pause. 

"Everything that wasn't yours, we changed."

Her breath hitched. Her frame shook. 

"Lottie?"

Slowly, she turned away, facing the staircase. In, out. In, out. Then she trambled down, three at a time. At the bottom, she halted when it came into her peripheral vision. 

Eliott stopped behind her. "Why does that tell you?"

Lottie subdued a shiver, then looked to her left. 

It was just as she remembered. 

Her bed was in the corner of the room, perpendicular to the stairs. At its head, her pillow sat fluffed, while her pink sheets covered the rest. They were tuck in, cared for. 

It was as though she never left. 

Meanwhile, adjacent to the bed, was a three-shelved bookcase. Her pink chair was positioned beside it. 

Lottie looked down, closing her eyes. "My side's the same. Why's it the same?"

"Aunt Rena couldn't forgive herself. Not after you left."

She nodded, stiff, as she turned. "I guess that makes sense."

"Yeah."

"It feels like I just walked into the past." 

Eliott nodded, lowering his gaze. "Maybe we should get back. You abandoned your coffee."

"Yeah, my signature beverage..."

He paused, resting an arm over the railing. "You coming?"

She looked at him, then at his end. "You still have it, don't you?" 

His bed was just like hers, perpendicular to the stairs. His pillow, propped up and fluffed, was positioned at its head. The dark blue sheets covered the rest. On the opposite end, there was a desk, papers arranged into a pile, a jar of pencils nearby...

"You don't have a television anymore, or your spiderman sheets."

Eliott went down the last step. "I guess I outgrew them."

Lottie crossed her arms and shifted. "You still have it, though, right?"

"Do I still have what?"

"My note." She stilled. "The one I gave you before I ran away."

Eliott stared back, unreadable. Then, in a slow stride, he stepped over to his desk. 

Lottie watched from a distance. 

He picked up his stack of papers, reached for the bottom, then-

"Eliott?"

"Yes?" He turned her way. "What is it?"

"Thank you." Then she came forward, extending a hand. "This... This means a lot to me."

"And to me." He handed it over and stepped aside. 

'I may be gone, but I never left. I know Auntie will be mad, but she won't take it out on you. I promise.'

"Look familiar?"

She glanced up, then smiled, offering it back. "Yes, this is the same one."

"Keep it."

"What?" Lottie stiffened, looking him over. "But this is yours."

He went quiet as he stepped past. Then, at the bookshelf, he paused and smiled. "You'll remember this, I'm sure."

"Remember what?"

Slowly, he pulled a book from the top shelf. For a moment, he just nodded, examining it. 

"What is it?"

He peered at her, then held it up. 

"It's... It's our album!" She slipped the paper into her pocket. "I-"

"Here."

If only he knew what happened to hers. 

She paused, closing her eyes, before reaching over. After staring down, then smiling, she began to stroke its cover. It felt clean; brand-new. "You must look at this often."

He didn't say anything. 

Lottie forced a few breaths, then started flipping through the pages. 

Last time, she had looked through with hatred. 

Not this time. Now, the smiles felt genuine. 

And, just maybe, they were. 

A few pages in, she stopped and stared. 

"El?" Silence. "What's wrong?"

With a shaky hand, she held it up, pointing. "See this photo?"

"What about it?"

Lottie went quiet as she peered down. 

In the photo, both she and Eliott were on Aunt Rena's lap. Each had an ice cream cone, except for the aunt, as they smiled at the camera. 

"This isn't how I remembered it. Didn't she... only give you an ice cream?"

"No, Lottie. She wanted you to have one, too."

Lottie looked up, stiff. "What?"

"At that football game, remember? You had said you were fine, but she insisted."

"Hmm." She looked back down, continuing to flip the pages. "I guess I didn't remember that..."

Moments passed. 

"And... and this?" She held it up again, pointing. "What's going on here?"

"You don't remember?"

She shook her head, then re-examined it. In this one, Aunt Rena was hiding behind the couch, finger to lips. Her aunt was smiling, a sparkle in her eyes...

"She was waiting for you to come home," Eliott said. "She had set up a surprise birthday party for you, with presents and cake-"

"Really?" Lottie cried. 

"Yes..." 

Then she continued flipping through, blinking past tears. At the last page, she stilled and bowed her head. "It's true..."

"What's true?"

Lottie cleared her face and met his. "All these good memories, Eliott..." A pause. After holding it up, for the last time, she sniffled. 

"Rena had always been great at drawing." He sighed, hands in pockets. "She could have been good one day."

"These are our parents, brother! Our original parents!" Her words caught in her throat. "Aunt Rena - she drew them for us..."

"You were sad, Lottie, and she couldn't bear it."

"So she drew them for me..."

"Yes."

Lottie stepped over to the bookshelf and slipped it back. Then, after facing him, she hurried forward, wrapping him into another hug. 

He returned the gesture. 

"I shouldn't have run away, brother. I'm so sorry for leaving."

-

"I re-wrote my childhood after that scar."

As they made their way round the house, side-by-side, the sun muffled down through the grey clouds. 

For a moment, neither said a word. 

Lottie cleared her throat. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see." 

She nodded, staring down at her feet. "You've certainly grown mysterious, brother."

"Which is a compliment, I hope." He gave a half-hearted wink.

Lottie smiled. 

When they reached the backyard, Eliott came to a stop and turned. "We're here, El."

She halted, a little abruptly, then met his face. "Okay, what is it? I'm... intrigued, to say the least."

"You also look uneasy, but there's no need." Then he nodded at the house, hands in pockets. "See for yourself."

She stared at him a moment longer, trying to believe his words. There's no need. 

"Well?"

Then she peered over and paled. 

On the living room window, side-by-side, were two brown handprints. Each was small; delicate. 

Lottie snapped him a look. "Is someone" - she swallowed hard - "stalking you?"

"Look closer, El."

And so she did. 

Below each, in a faint print, were initials. E. J. W. and L. J. W. 

It was theirs, which could only mean-

"We each dipped a hand into brown paint," Eliott said, beginning to shift. "It was the day we moved here."

"Then we wrote our initials..."

"Yes."

"Is that-" Lottie forced several breaths, looking away. "Is that why you gave me that muddy handprint? When you were stalking me? Were you... Were you giving me a hint?"

"I was." He nodded, kicking a stray pebble. "Looking back, though, it was rather... much."

"And that hammock," she said, stumbling around, "was always here, wasn't it?"

"Ah, you noticed."

A dozen feet away, tied up to a pair of trees, was a hammock. In the gentle breeze, it blew... unassuming. 

"I noticed you have one, too." Then he faced her and nodded, stiff. "You set it up in memory of your childhood without even knowing. Pretty interesting, if you think about it."

"This visit, brother - it has given me a lot to think about."

"The human mind is a strange thing, El. It can be a unique coping mechanism, giving off false perceptions."

"Yes." She hugged herself, staring off. "I'm just glad I now know the truth. That album helped, too."

"Yeah," he murmured. "Yours, uh, yours has missing photos, by the way. That might be why some were unfamiliar."

"Brother?"

"Yes?"

"Could I get a copy of the whole album?"

-

After coming inside, and then dismissing herself, she began down the basement. 

Lottie had another matter to attend to. 

One she had been avoiding too long. 

So, as she stood there, below the staircase, she pulled out her phone. 

A minute more and she dialed the number. 

It was time to make a call. 

This was easily my longest chapter at 3,174. Normally, they're 2,000. I don't plan on making them this long often; just on occasion. With that said, this chapter was tedious to write but rewarding! If truth be told, it's only this long because I'm determined to end this story with 21 parts. That way, it will end with 'His Last Smile'. lol

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. If you've got questions or criticism, I'm open to anything!

Hope you're well and God bless.

Ashlynn x