Peace and Quiet

[SOLAS RONAN STIRLING]

Peace and quiet. Two of the most luring words in the dictionary, or seductive. Whichever you prefer. They're exactly what I get when I walk into my House. What used to be mine and Devyn's. I miss her, you know. I miss the girl I felt I raised. The girl I willingly gave away on her wedding day. 

I've taken care of Dev from the day she was born. Or so I felt like it. No really, it was like an eye opener for me. Joe was going at it again, beating me, knocking me on the floor and kicking my ribs and back. So many days I woul pray that he just break one rib, break one rib an have it puncture my lung and end my misery. I would sit beside mom, angry and bitter at her for the things she refused to stand up for. Like me. One day, when Devyn was older, my father, Joe, started going after her. That's the day I woke up and realized that I wasn't the only one going through this. I jumped in front of him and received every single hit that was meant for her. And I don't regret a moment of it. 

We found out Dev had Leukemia. They had done treatments and she responded well, it went into remission. But now it's back. And I'm supposed to take care of her. But some asshole has taken that from me by marrying her and now... I don't know what to do with myself. So here I am, standing in the middle of the house, hands shoved in my pockets as I looked around. It was too empty. Too hollow. The echos of my depression tainted these walls. The scars of my pain lay in the cracks of the Sheetrock. And yet.... No one is here to cover them up. 

So I welcome peace and quiet, the seductive bitches, and reach for another beer off the coffee table. I popped the top and thought about what I was going to do with myself. How I was going to find things to do in my spare time. But nothing came to mind except, my time on earth was expiring just as Dev's was. When she left, I'd leave.

[/justfy]