"Why isn't she coming near me?" Zac asked softly, his voice a little choked because of the tears he was trying so hard not to shed.
    Tristan stared at his sister, who was keeping a safe distance between her and everyone else but him. He sighed softly; "she doesn't remember you."
    Zac's mouth dropped open. "What do you mean, she don't remember me?" The incredulous sound of his voice emphasized his confusion and disbelief.
    "She doesn't remember you, you've changed so much, and it's hard for her to see changes when she hasn't been witness to it every step of the way."
    Frowning at the explanation, Zac stormed off or to stalk back in and dump the contents of a plastic tub at Alys' feet.
    Green army men by the hundreds spilled and tangled over pink and white sneakers.
    Watching with held breaths; they waited to see her reaction and almost gave up when all she did was stare at them.
    It was when she slowly started to bend down to look more closely at the toys. Zac knelt in front of her and held out one soldier and only then did understanding lighten her expression, and she actually smiled.

    Closing his eyes against the stares, Zac tried hard to focus on his breathing. Working on evening the erratic choppy breaths he was pulling in.
    "Her name's Cassie, Zac." Brent, his friend, was explaining. "She's got this huge crush on you."
    Opening his eyes, Zac glared at him for a moment. "Last month she was telling Jenny Kratz how much she loved Kenneth Stevens."
    Turning, Zac moved his glare onto the object of their discussion. Who was busy touching all the photographs in his family's living room at the moment. "Take her and keep her away from here and from me."
    Scoffing belligerently, Zac pushed aside his friend and started towards his bedroom. "And don't think I don't know about how she already wrote 'I love Taylor Hanson' on her bedroom wall!"
    The slamming of his bedroom door signified the end of their conversation.
    Stalking to the other side of his room to look out the window, Zac hummed as he tapped his foot and tried to calm down again. When were they gong to be back?
    Sitting on Taylor's bed, he grabbed for his notebook and let his hand start sketching as fast as his pencil would allow him to draw the lines and curves.
    "Home!"
    Dropping his book immediately, Zac charged from the room. After rounding the corner, he nearly dropped himself.
    Tristan and Taylor were setting up to watch their movie, and Alys was standing off to the side watching on.
    Afraid that she might not remember him again, or worse yet, see him differently, Zac held his breath and let it out in a whoosh of air when she turned and smiled at him.
    Grinning, he held up his hand and was nearly floored when she took it without hesitation. Sitting down to watch, whatever movie Tristan and Taylor chose, Zac couldn't stop his heart from racing when Alys laid her head on his shoulder and settled in to watch it as well.
    Curious as to how things just came about, Zac gave up trying to figure it out and decided to let go and let God. He was better at explaining things anyway.