Ashley drove home, smiling despite herself at the image of Adam failing to get on the horse. She was impressed he had kept trying until he managed to do it. He was very gentle with the animals, something they didn’t see very often. Not that most of the guests meant to be cruel but if you didn’t handle horses regularly, you could hurt them without meaning to. Or you could be like Tyler and just treat every living thing with an iron fist.

She drove into her parent’s ranch and slowed on seeing the truck outside her home. The priest was here. Again. She wished she had stayed and had dinner with Mack and Charity. Not that she had anything against Father Michael. Ashley enjoyed going to church and considered herself a Christian but her mom’s new devotion to lighting candles and having masses said was bordering on obsession.

Kayleigh was dead. No amount of praying was going to bring her back. Her mom had started putting small candles in front of every picture in the house. Ashley shuddered. She couldn’t help it. Her mom was turning their home into some sort of shrine.

Parking, she walked around the back of the house and down toward the river. Kayleigh had loved the water, they’d gone swimming whenever possible. She pulled off her shoes and sat on the ground with her feet paddling in the shallow part. The tears dripped down her face.

Oh Kayleigh, why did you have to die? I need you here. Mom is so sad and I can’t help her. Tell me what to do?

Ashley sobbed in her hands. She was going nuts talking to her sister. Closing her eyes, she could see Kayleigh standing beside her laughing. Teasing her over needing the men in the white coats to come and cart her off to some institution.

She thought about the grief counselor she had spoken to briefly after Kayleigh had died. She’d said when a parent dies, you lose the past, when a child dies, you lose the future but when a sibling dies you lose a combination of the past and the future. She hadn’t understood it at the time but it was true.

Her memories of Kayleigh didn’t resemble her mom’s. Her mom had put Kayleigh on such a pedestal she was almost a saint.

Ashley loved her with all her heart but her sister had been no saint. Kayleigh had been a real daredevil. She wasn’t scared of trying anything and never listened to those who told her she couldn’t. But the girl in the shrine in the house wasn’t at all like her sister. She was perfect. The perfect child.

“Ashley, your mom was worried about you. Are you not coming inside?”

Ashley jumped up guiltily at the sound of her dad’s voice. She turned to find him looking at her with concern.

“Sorry, Dad, bad day at work.” She hated lying but she couldn’t tell her dad her mom was driving her nuts.

“Ashley, you don’t need to apologize. Everyone deals with grief differently. Can I sit with you?”

“Sure.” Ashley didn’t want him to sit but she could hardly refuse. She sat back down with him close beside her. She thought he would ask her to have more patience with her mother. Instead he surprised her.

“I think your mom needs to get out of the house a bit more. It is not healthy setting up shrines to anyone. If Kayleigh were here, she would throw a fit.”

“She didn’t like the smell of candles. She would have thrown a tantrum at the amount of them Mom has now.” Ashley tried to smile but the tears kept falling.

Her dad reached over and brushed the tears away. He hugged her close.

“Do you remember that time she threw the cake on the floor because your mom insisted on putting pink candles on the top. She had a fiery temper for sure.”

Ashley covered her mouth but the laughter still escaped. She could still see her mom’s face, mouth open with shock and all the birthday guests staring in silence at the pink mess on the floor. Her dad laughed too.

“She was full of life, dad. It’s so unfair she is gone.”

“I know darling but it’s not just her that is losing out. You need to start living your life, Ashley. Chase your dreams.”

Easier said than done. Her parents needed her here.

“I know you feel obliged to be with us and believe me, I don’t think I could have got through the past four years without you. But enough is enough. It’s time for you to be happy. To live the life you were meant to have.”

She sat closer to him as he hugged her to his chest. “I love you Ashley. Your mom does too.”

“I think we both know that’s not true dad. Kayleigh was always her favorite.”

“Kayleigh was your mom’s girl and you were always mine. But I loved your sister deeply. It’s the same for your mom and you. The next month will be difficult but after the anniversary I am going to speak to her. I want those shrines out of the house and I want your mom to start living her life again. We will never forget Kayleigh but she would be the first to kick our butts for letting life pass us by.”

Ashley couldn’t believe it was her dad talking. Just last weekend, he hadn’t said a word. Simply sat in his chair looking depressed.

“I know I haven’t been easy to live with lately darling. But that is going to change. I am going to try harder. I need to be your dad again and not someone you have to look after.” Her dad hugged her close. “Just be patient with me darling. It will not happen overnight.”

“Thanks dad. I love you.”

“I love you back. Now come on inside.”

Ashley stood up, gathering her shoes in one hand and holding her dad’s hand they walked back to the house.