After I Blew Out My Sister’s Candle, My Parents Stopped Loving Me Chapter 09

After I Blew Out My Sister’s Candle, My Parents Stopped Loving Me Chapter 09

In my mother’s dream, I stood in a field of white light, wearing the little daisy-print dress that had always.

been her favorite.

She froze the moment she saw me. Then she burst into tears and ran to me.

This time, she was able to hold me.

“Ellie, Ellie, I miss you so much!”

I gently patted her back the way she used to pat mine. “I miss you too, Mom.”

“But Mom, can you stop being sad now?”

“You have to be okay. Only then will I be able to stop worrying.”

“Chloe’s not doing well right now…”

My mother went still.

“Grandma blames her. Grandpa keeps sighing. Dad doesn’t dare say much, and you don’t say anything

either…”

“Every night, Chloe hides under her blanket and cries without making a sound…”

“She’s hurting too. I’ve seen it. At night she keeps calling my name, and she keeps telling me she’s sorry…”

“You’ve already lost me. You can’t lose Chloe too…”

“She’s your daughter too. She needs your love just like I did…”

“Mom, can you please stop blaming Chloe?”

“I know you all loved me…”

“But Chloe doesn’t know if you still love her…”

My mother clung to me in the dream, crying so hard her whole body shook. “I know… I know…

“I don’t blame Chloe. I never blamed Chloe…”

“I only blame myself. I was careless. I didn’t protect you…”

“Ellie, I’m so sorry…”

I shook my head and smiled wiping the salt from her cheeks. “Mom, I don’t blame you. I love you, and I always will.”

“But you have to promise me you’ll love Chloe well too.”

My mother nodded with a frantic intensity. “I promise. I promise you. I promise you everything.”

Smiling, I stepped backward into the white light.

“Goodbye, Mom.”

mother jolted awake from the dream. It was already morning.

lowered her head, looked at my stuffed bunny in her arms, and whispered, “Ellie…”

Then she walked out of the room and called Chloe to breakfast, her voice rough and hoarse.

Chloe sat there with her head down, while Grandma Eleanor sat nearby with an apology trembling on her

lips.

My mother walked over, sat beside Chloe, and gently pulled her into an embrace.

“Chloe, I love you.”

Chloe froze. The fork slipped from her hand and clattered onto the table.

After a long moment, she said through sobs, “Mom, I was so scared you were all going to stop wanting me…”

“I’m the one who let Ellie down. These past few days, I kept missing how noisy she always was when she

followed me around…”

“I really know I was wrong, Mom…”

My mother stroked her hair. “Oh, Chloe. You silly girl.”

Grandma Eleanor let out a heavy sigh and said quietly, “Chloe, we loved you and Ellie the same. We really

did.”

“I was wrong before. I shouldn’t have blamed everything on you.”

Grandpa Charles looked out the window and said, “Ellie was a good child. She came to me last night, just to

say goodbye.”

My father looked up in surprise. “I fell asleep last night and dreamed about Ellie too.”

“Chloe, Ellie wanted us to love you well.”

At last, Chloe lost control and broke into loud, shaking sobs.

This time, my grandparents didn’t scold her.

Instead, they anchored her with their touch, offering the comfort they had once reserved only for me.

I watched the scene from above as my body slowly began to fade.

The one thing keeping me here was finally gone.

It was time for me to leave.

Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I was going back to heaven now.

But I was still going to miss you.

hoped that from now on, all of you would be okay.

ed you would look more closely at the people beside you.

I hoped you would cherish them while you still could.

Outside the window, the fine rain that had fallen for days finally stopped.

The sun broke through the clouds.

A rainbow stretched across the morning, bright and full of color.

My mother lifted her head, looked at it, and whispered, “Ellie… is that you?”

I nodded, though none of them could see me.

Yes, Mom. It was me.

I was here.

I had always been here.

Watching over you. Loving you.

Always. Forever.

Goodbye, to the world I loved.