Here it is: I tried to keep it short.
Alex stood by her sister's hospital bedside, guilt so thick within her that she could not even bear to move; memories of all of the times she told her sister that she was paranoid for worrying about intruders each night; all of the times she switched the channel when a story came on the news of a violent robbery tortured her as she watched Tess lay there dying. She drew closer to her sister and gave her a gentle hug, the only noise the various monitors keeping the once exuberant, girly, bubbly eight-year old alive. Tess seemed to lean in toward Alex, and Alex smiled a smile that was as faint as the sound of Tess's laboring heart as she remembered how loving Tess had always been-she pictured Tess wearing her favorite fairy costume, singing in her sweet voice...or her laughing with her friends as they picked flowers...her dancing ballet at home after dance classes every week... and, even though Alex tried to resist, once again, the memory of the day of the robbery lurked forth from the shadows to haunt her:
She had opened the window in the room that she and Tess shared (even though their house had plenty of bedrooms, her parents wanted 14 year old Alex, who had been acting distant, spoiled, and bratty recently to be closer to Tess), but it had been so hot that she moved to a guestroom, leaving Tess. She was rattled awake, hours later, to Tess's screams as an intruder who had attempted to rob the house beat her in order to keep her quiet. The police had rushed in and caught the man, but they couldn't fix Tess...
Tears stung in the rims of Alex's eyes as she considered how close Tess was to death...how, even if she lived, she may never walk again...
"I'm sorry, Tess," Alex whispered through tears-and she stood there a moment, silently, motionlessly.
Suddenly, the child opened her large, bloodshot amber eyes, and smiled her angelic smile at Alex. And, just for a moment, a precious moment, something told Alex everything would be all right-Her family would be fine. And that was all that mattered now.
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