She stared down at the latest text from her aunt.

How could you not know anything??? Youre LYING

Kailey laughed, her head tipping back till it hit the wall behind her bed. Not like the woman was wrong, either. She absolutely, one-hundred percent, was lying to each and every one of them about what happened to Brian.

And she couldn't tell any of them the truth.

How could she?

They wouldn't understand. None of them knew any of these aspects of her--of his--life. None of them paid much attention beyond how the news spoke of terrorists in the city and weird events that happened all the time due to what spread around social media. Or whatever version mainstream media put on about it all. Brian hadn't been a senshi long enough to really get a full grasp of it all before he was... gone.

And her?

Her head tipped to the side, staring out the window, past the heavy curtains and the glare from the TV reflected on the glass, to the city lights beyond.

Alethea's family had never really approved of her marrying Issac. The Grays had their own ideas of how old money should operate, and Alethea didn't stick to their rendition of the status quo. Having a child with him hadn't helped anything, but while she was alive, at least, they'd dealt with the issues as needed. Because they had to, if they wanted to keep a hold on Alethea.

Then she died.

Kailey frowned faintly. She couldn't remember it much. The fire that caused the burns along her forearms and also took her mother. An accident. Pain, so much pain. Her father grabbing her from the burning room, she must have tumbled from her bed at some point as the fire had already gotten up along the wall her bed was against by that point she'd been told. Him running out of the house with her choking on screams and smoke in his arms. Cold night air. The snow. She remembered the snow. Emergency lights fought with the Christmas lights and fire for what would illuminate the untouched white blanket that shimmered and sparkled around them. She hadn't understood, after being treated at the hospital for her injuries, why she couldn't see her mother. Why her mother wasn't there to visit her, to sit with her. She hadn't understood the full ramifications of the funeral. It'd been closed casket. It allowed her mind to not...

...not attach to the reality of it all.

It was just some big, shiny black box being lowered into the frozen ground. Not her mother.

The refusal to accept the reality of it had been the start of her outbursts and rage. Then Issac eventually met Caitlin Agread, roughly six years after Alethea passed. Kailey still hadn't been able to accept it all. She still rebelled against everything, still fought Issac on everything. His falling in love with another woman, marrying her, only acted as a further betrayal in her mind. She was twelve when Alex was born, and for the first few years, she'd admit it--

She hated her half-sister.

Kailey blinked her eyes once, watching as cars moved through the streets, peeking between buildings and signs. The city kept moving, even when she felt she couldn't.

Times changed, at least. She learned to love her sister. Issac had at least seen that before he passed. Kailey never really had been able to bring herself to fully apologize to him for all the years of... everything. All the fighting. All the refusals. All the denial. Then he was gone, too, and with it, her chance to make amends for it all.

The Grays refused contact with her and Issac for years. They never acknowledged Alex or Caitlin--why would they? They weren't even related by marriage. Kailey, at least, was blood. But even that was, in their eyes, tainted. Unworthy. She wasn't Alethea, she wasn't of value to them.

It'd been Brian who had first reached out to her via social media. He'd found her, prompted her for a meet up for coffee. Confirmed with photos and other proof he was who he claimed to be. Her cousin. The son of one of Alethea's sisters. A rich boy, sweet and gentle. Quiet. She'd been dismissive of him rather promptly once she was sure he was a Gray, even if his name didn't match. She wanted nothing to do with them.

He kept persisting. Sending messages on holidays, her birthday. Being kind, supportive. She relented, little by little, allowed him slowly into her life. Built up the only connection with her maternal family she'd ever really known. Meeting her aunt through him had been an awkward experience, but apparently went over well enough for the woman to give her her number, and invite Kailey over repeatedly for family dinners.

Even to meet other relatives.

Kailey drew in a deep breath, her chest rising before falling gradually, the air released through her nose. Now Brian was gone, too. Not dead, no. Just... taken. She wasn't sure how corruptions worked, just that apparently it screwed with memories. Was he even the same boy? She blinked. Man. He'd be a man now. Not a boy. Her chest tightened.

So many things she never said. Never made amends for.

Something flickered in a passing car's headlights on the sill of her window, and she frowned. Slowly, she stood from her bed, crossing the few paces needed to reach the far end of her apartment and push open the window. She'd taken the screen out ages ago to give herself an easier time getting in and out from patrols, with how wide the ledge of the sill was outside the window. Never mind let Hania in and out.

A pale, shimmering purple gemstone lay on the sill. She picked it up gently, turning it slowly in the light as she watched the different tints and hues of purple gleam through the star-like shape. Pretty. Useless, but... pretty.

She gave another sigh, and tipped her head back a little more again, staring up at the few stars visible through the light pollution of the city. The gemstone felt warm in her palm, and for a moment, she allowed herself the chance to find comfort in that little spark.



wc: 1,056 Star Fragment Prompt