Ethan’s face went white. He brought his hands down, and sat up. The way she spoke about him, she spoke like he was living, breathing, traveling the big world. She spoke like he was another face in a crowd, the one who had her face, and he was moving in and out, having the time of his life. But, instead he was dead, six feet underground. Aspen couldn’t have been more than 24 years old. So that meant, her twin brother was young when he died.
He seemed lost for what words to say. He wasn’t good at this type of stuff. “Oh, I am . . . I . . . didn’t know.”
Aspen shrugged. “Yeah.” She was looking away, away from him. “I didn’t tell you so how could you?”
“How old was he?” Ethan asked.
Her voice was a near whisper. “22. . . It was two years ago.”
“May I ask how he died?” Ethan asked.
Aspen shook her head. She looked at him, and the look she had in her eyes was haunting. “I rather not explain.”
Ethan nodded his head. A few seconds went by. Stinky put his head under Ethan’s hand. He started to pet his fur, waiting for the answer to pop up into his head, the right answer to say to her. But, she beat him. “Thank you.”
He looked confused. “For what?”
She finally looked up at him and smiled a light gently smile. “Thank you, for not saying sorry and acting like it was your fault when it wasn’t. It’s probably the most annoying thing anyone can do.”
Ethan just nodded his head. She got out of her swinging chair. She looked out the back porch door, watching the river that had ran by so swiftly. She put her hands on her hips, making her look like Wonder Woman. She turned around with a happy smile, the one he first saw this morning.
“You want to get pizza?”
ns 15.158.61.48da2
