“Alex, you’re allowed to be happy,” Brian urged, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and squeezing. She just shrugged. “If anything, I think you deserve it.”

“It just doesn’t seem right,” Alex said, softly, resting her head on my shoulder.

“It won’t, for awhile,” I said, kissing the top of her head, “but you have to try. It won’t make it go away, but it’ll help the pain. Trust me, I know.” Her eyes shifted to my face with a sympathetic look, then focused back on her hands. “When my father died, I was unconsolable. I cut myself off from the rest of the world. I didn’t come out of my room for weeks. Finally, one day, my brothers literally knocked down my door and took me out. They took me to the park, bowling, and to dinner. Though I was miserable throughout the entire time, by the end, I realized how much it helped just to be with the people I care about.”

“I know it’s not good for me to be miserable for the rest of my life, but I can’t help it,” Alex said, softly. Her voice was full of tears. “I lost my mother when I was young and now my father. It just doesn’t seem fair.”

“That’s because it’s not.” Brian and I turned to see JC coming out the backdoor of the house. It was obvious that Alex knew who is was because she lifted her head off my shoulder and waited for him to come around in front of her.

Sitting on the bench in front of her, JC took Alex’s hand in his and squeezed, his eyes piercing hers.

“Lexi, baby, listen to me for a moment,” he begged. “When I’m done, I’ll go back inside if you want me to.” Alex nodded and he began. “Angel, I know that what happened to you isn’t fair. I hate sitting here watching you day after day and knowing that there’s nothing I can do to help because nothing I do can do to help until you let me in. You’ve blocked me and the others out and we’re trying desperately to get it. We want you back and I know you want to be back, but you have to let yourself go. No one wants you to be upset like this and I know your father wouldn’t either. You know how he hated seeing his little girl upset.” Reaching up with his free hand, JC wiped a stray tear off of Alex’s cheek. “Baby, please. Let us in. We want to help.”

The four of us sat there in silence for a few moment, letting his words sink in. At last, it was Alex who spoke up.

“I’m scared.” Her words were barely audible above the dawn wind, JC heard them. “I’m so scared.” He stood up and scooped her up in his arms, holding her to him as she cried.

“I know, baby, I know,” he murmured as he gently rocked her back and forth. He closed his eyes and rested his head on hers as he continued to whisper comforting words in her ear. A few minutes later, when she had calmed down some, he opened his eyes and looked at Brian and me.

“Thank you,” he mouthed. I nodded while Brian just smiled softly, watching Alex’s back as her tears subsided. “The other’s are waiting for you inside.” This time, we both nodded and turned towards the door.

“Wait.” Alex’s words were muffled from her fiancés shirt, but we heard her. We turned to face them at the same time she turned towards us. Breaking out of JC’s embrace, she walked slowly over to us. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close. Closing my eyes, I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her tight until she let go. Then, she hugged Brian. Before she spoke, the two of them shared a fleeting moment, which seemed to mean the world to them both.

“Thank you,” Alex said to the two of us after she had detached from Brian’s embrace. “It means a lot to me for you to come down here in the middle of the night just to talk with me.”

“We’re here anytime you need us,” I said. Alex nodded and smiled meekly.

“Claire was the one who called us, though,” Brian said. “You should thank her.”

“My night in shining armor, yet, again,” Alex joked weakly. Brian and JC chuckled, but I didn’t quite understand it. I decided to ignore it.

“Baby, you ready to go inside?” JC asked, coming up behind Alex and wrapping his arms around her waist. She nodded slowly and placed her hands over his.

“Yeah,” she said. Her face was determined, but her knuckles were as white as a sheet.