“Oh hi sweetheart,” Mom blurted as she stirred the cup in front of her.

Dad smiled. “Hey, princess.”

“Would you like some coffee?” Mom asked.

“Always.”

“Maggie, dear, would you mind making me a refill?” Dad asked.

“I’ll get it, Mom, while I make my own.”

“Thanks, princess,” Dad said, handing me his cup.

I made our coffees and sat down at the table with them. Sitting in my old seat felt oddly comforting. I tried not to think of Emmett in his hotel room, alone with a bottle of whiskey. I wished his Aunt Robin would get back from Europe, but she and Kent had extended their trip again. I reminded myself that this was an Emmett Free Zone, and I needed to rein in my traitorous thoughts.

“We have a surprise for you, sweetheart,” Mom said, smiling.

I glanced toward Dad and saw his excited expression. That’s when I heard a car door shut outside. I didn’t know who else was coming, so I just sat there and waited.

“Who is it?”

Then the screen door opened, and I heard Tricia call from the front hall.

“Where’s my awesome sister?”

I jumped up and ran to her. Tricia wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight.

“Hey . . . hey, easy, Sam. I missed you, too, but you don’t have to cry over me coming down,” she teased.

She took the tenseness right out of the room, and I was able to compose myself again.

“So . . . what are we doing today?” Tricia asked.

“I don’t know. Anything. Everything!” I squealed.

“Good answer. I already called before I left my dorm, and made appointments for a full spa day,” she said.

“Do you have time for coffee before you go?” Dad asked.

Tricia laughed. “Of course, Dad. What kind of daughter do you think I am?”

We sat and laughed at the bantering that always ensued between our parents. When it was time to leave they walked us outside.

“So, what happened with Emmett?” she asked nervously, as she pulled onto the interstate.

“Not much to tell, really. He had that car accident and forgot me. Only me . . . he remembers everyone else. Just not me. Oh, and he forgot Alec died,” I whispered at the end.

“Oh my God,” she said. “I am so sorry, Sam.”

“Yeah, he came home from the hospital, back to normal, everyday life, but apparently, that didn’t help as the doctors expected. So now, he’s left me and is staying in a hotel near campus.”

“Wow. That’s a lot to deal with. I’m guessing he didn’t take Alec’s death well.”

“No, he threw up when the hospital’s grief counselor told him, so upset, the nurse had to sedate him.”

“Well, let’s put all that aside for now, spend today relaxing and not thinking about sad things. You need a day of happy, little sis, and I’m going to make sure you have one,” she said.

We got to the spa and signed in. They took us back to the massage room right away and started our hot stone massage, leaving us on the table for our facial massages. I could feel the stress and tension of the last month seeping from my body as the masseuse worked her magic.

The relaxing music and aromatherapy candles were so soothing, that I fell asleep. The next thing I knew, Tricia was gently waking me up for our time in the sauna. We sat on the benches, and I leaned my head back against the wall. Wrapped in towels, Tricia and I let the heat engulf us. We didn’t even talk, just sat back and closed our eyes.

We ended our day with manicures and pedicures. As we drove back to our parents’ house, Tricia shared some words of wisdom.

“Sam, don’t give up on Emmett. I think he’s just overwhelmed. Remember when you were dealing with the grief of Alec’s death? He’s going through that all over again, only this time, he feels alone, because the first time, he had you to share the grief with. This time, he doesn’t remember you, so he’s lost that added strength. You and I both know he loves you, and I think, with time, he’ll remember.”

“Okay.”

It was all I could say. I didn’t want to think too deeply about it. I knew she was right about what Emmett was going through. I just hoped she would be right about him remembering what we had.

Classes were starting again. I was in my sophomore year at Auburn. But what should have been the time of my life, was now marred by the grief of Emmett leaving me. Don’t get me wrong. I understood it. I just didn’t like it and worried he’d never remember me and that I’d lost him forever.

Like a banshee, I cursed fate daily for all that had happened to us. While I loved Alec, and Emmett, and cherished the time I had been lucky enough to share with them. I cursed fate yet again for making them brothers, and for taking Alec away from us. And I cursed fate for a third time, for Emmett’s car accident, for making him forget me, but mostly for making him forget Alec had died. It was cruel that he should go through that loss and grief all over again. That he was doing it alone tore at my heart every minute of the day.

My last class on Monday was English Lit. It saddened me to walk into the room, picturing Alec there waiting for me to arrive. He’d loved English Lit. That class was even more unbearable because I couldn’t talk to Emmett about it. If there was anyone else on the planet who would know how hard this was and understand it, it was Emmett. I felt empty without him.

I sat in the back of the class, not wanting to engage with anyone. There was only one other guy sitting back there with me. He was cute . . . I could appreciate that. But that was as far as it went.

Until he leaned over and cleared his throat. “Hi, my name is Aiden Thompson.”

“Hi. I’m, um, Sam Lang,” I murmured.

“Well it’s nice to meet you Um Sam Lang,” he teased.

I chuckled. “Sorry, I only had a half cup of coffee this morning, and I’m just not feeling class today.”

“It’s okay. I haven’t had my orange Tic Tacs yet either,” he said with a serious expression that made me break out into laughter. He looked affronted. “What? Don’t you eat Tic Tacs? Everyone loves Tic Tacs. It’s as American as apple pie.”

“Sorry, you just surprised me when you said it. Yes, I love orange Tic Tacs,” I said, shaking my head.

The professor walked in and class fell silent. In the middle of the lecture, Aiden passed me a note when the professor wasn’t looking. I opened it to see what he wrote.

Umm Sam Lang,

Would you like to get some coffee after class so you can be just Sam Lang again after your brain wakes up?

Mark an X for YES or an X for YES. Sorry NO isn’t an option.

:-) Aiden

I looked at him and his cute, expectant smile and nodded. What could a cup of coffee hurt? I didn’t feel like being alone, and he provided pretty damn good comic relief at a time when I desperately needed it.

When class was over and we had our syllabus, I shoved it and Aiden’s note into my bag. Following him out of the classroom, we headed to the parking lot for our cars. It turned out we were parked in the same lot. When we arrived at Starbucks, I was happy. I could practically taste the Salted Caramel Mocha Latte. I had so many favorites, sometimes it was hard to decide, but the end result was always the same—happy.

Aiden was parked and out of his car before me. He walked over to open my car door and waited for me. What a nice guy.

“Thanks, Aiden,” I said as I stepped out of my car.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

As we walked inside, I felt his hand at the small of my back. After I ordered my latte, I waited at the other end of the counter for the barista to make it. She shook the salted caramel on top of the whip cream and caramel syrup, making my mouth water.