Rebuilding Reality

Chapter Nine

Max's POV

Never in a billion years did I think my baby siblings would show up at my workplace. But here they are, together, right in front of my eyes. The three of us haven't been this physically close in almost ten years. That day when we were all forced into solitary confinement still haunts me.

I've been lied to most of my life. I was under the impression I was taking beatings to keep them safe from the same pain I went through. I also was under the impression they got to see each other like I got to see them. Was that a lie?

Mason and Maya, they looked so frail. Even worse than the last time I saw them before I was kicked out. Before I was kicked out, I thought how we lived was normal. Now, the lack of life in their eyes is very concerning. Working at a diner, I see many types of people. Almost everyone is cheerful and full of life, except for the occasional gloomy customer. The twins should be young and full of energy, not like empty shells.

How are they here? Did our guardians kick them out too? There is no way they would have let the twins leave the house so casually. I can't shake off the guilt that's clawing at me. All these years, I thought I was the shield, the one who took it all so they wouldn't have to. And yet, they suffered just the same. What did they go through after I left? The thought alone is suffocating.

I thought I would forever be haunted by not saying goodbye to my siblings. I wanted to tell them everything would be okay, that I would come back for them, but I couldn't. There were no goodbyes, no promises, just a silent vow to myself that I'd make it right one day. And now, unexpectedly, they're here. I need to make things right.

When the guardians used to punish me, they painfully reminded me I was taking these beatings for Mason and Maya's safety. The lies I was fed about their well-being – was it all just to keep me in line, to break my spirit? The thought sickens me. I thought I was protecting them by enduring the beatings, but maybe that was just another form of control, a way to keep us all in check through fear and pain.

I can't help but wonder about their lives after I left. Did they stick together? Were they cared for? The questions pile up, each one heavier than the last. It's almost time for my shift to end, and I know we have a lot to talk about. They deserve the truth, and so do I. We've been living in the dark for too long.

I also worry about the future. What now? Maya and Mason are my responsibility, my family. I can't turn my back on them, not after everything we've been through. We need to figure out a plan, a way to move forward together. I wonder how long they've been away from the house we were raised in. Are they staying anywhere? I want to bring them to my place, have them stay with me.

I need to check on them soon. They better still be here. I hope they stayed like I asked. What if the guardians came and took them home? What if those hugs I gave them were the last time I ever hugged them?

Snap out of it Max, you have 90 minutes left of your shift. Go take your next table's order and then go check on your siblings.

I shuffle over to table 7, where two new customers are waiting to be serviced. "Hello! What can I start you both off with?"

Table 7 each wanted water with a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. Our diner sells just plain roast coffee and decaf. Both options are too bitter for me. I wish it had some other flavor, flavored coffee might actually taste good.

I bring the table their cups of water, then return with their coffee cups, with cream and sugar on the side. People apparently like to cream and sugar their coffee themselves.

"Do you need a moment to decide or are you both ready to order?" I ask the couple at table 7.

"Please come back in a few minutes." The gentleman responds.