The Sisters’ Rescue

Chapter 20

Laylie’s POV

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We arrived home two days later. Our parents swam out to greet us, pulling us into bone crushing hugs, tears running down my mother’s face, my father clapping Kyle on the back and smiling at us. We went into our palace and they listened as we told what happened. We left some things out, Oki and I, but we told them most of it. Then Kyle told his part. After our parents knew everything, we told them we were exhausted and headed to our rooms.

I stopped Kyle before he went through his door and hugged him hard, so glad he was safe. He whispered those same words to me, as if he’d read them from my mind. Then we smiled at each other and went to our own rooms.

That night, Oki quietly came to my room, sitting on the edge of my bed. “Laylie,” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Do—do you miss them?”

I gave a sad smile and said, “Yes. So much…I almost want to be back there, just for a moment, a second, to see him one more time.” I took a deep breath. “But then I know that as soon as I have that, I’ll want more: one more last look, one last kiss, one more day…and soon, I’ll want to be with him all the time. And that’s when I remember what it was like: missing Kyle, missing my family. I couldn’t do that, Oki, I couldn’t.”

“I know, Lee.” She had tears slipping down her cheeks now. “I know.” I reached up and hugged her close; she was crying into my shoulder, now, then sobbing, then taking deep breaths and sitting up, trying to calm herself. “I just…I wish it wasn’t like this. That we hadn’t been human, so we wouldn’t miss them.”

I shook my head forcefully. “No! I wouldn’t wish that! I couldn’t. I wouldn’t give up the days I had with Jake for anything. I wish I could be with him, yes, but I don’t wish I’d never been with him. Never known him. Because he changed me, for the better, and I wouldn’t trade that.”

Oki nodded, mumbling, “I know, but it’s hard.”

I didn’t respond but hugged her again until she’d calmed down. Then she lay down next to me and went to sleep. I couldn’t, though. Flashes of Jake—his smile, his laugh, his voice, his hair, him—kept coming to mind, and I felt my love for him stronger than ever. I did still love him; I wouldn’t ever stop. I would never see him again, no. Eventually I would even fall in love with someone else and probably marry them. But I wouldn’t stop loving him or forget him. Ever.

As I turned over, I knew I’d be able to go to sleep now. I’d accepted everything and felt, finally, a peace within me. Smiling, I close my eyes and drifted off, joining my sister in dreamland.

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A/N: Ok, that’s the end! I hope I didn’t disappoint anyone; I’d had it planned from the beginning for them to never see Jake and Charlie again. Hope it was a good ending; I have a hard time wrapping stories up. Please Review. And thanks to Dragonstaker21 and KayWeasley and Desiree32 and everyone else for reviewing this story! Especially RoxyFairy who reviewed every chapter! Ya’ll are all awesome!