Sister of Yesterday

The snow fell silently as the sunset danced across each snowflake. The snow covered landscape held a sheer, pure beauty that nothing else could compare to. As they walked toward the bench near the frozen pond's edge, his heart swelled with pride because he realized this was the perfect spot to propose. Things had finally started slowing down, and he knew with the Holidays right around the corner, her mood would be on the up. Finally.

He breathed a sigh of relief and happiness, the first in a long while, and reached down for her hand as they approached the bench.

"Cole.. this is beautiful." She closed her eyes and tilted her head up towards the falling snow, a small smile playing at her lips.

"I know things have been hard lately, what with the move and your sister... I just figured we could come out here and be with each other for a bit." He brought her hand to his lips as he let himself smile as well. It had been awhile since they got time alone together. When her sister went missing at the beginning of the year, he had to postpone all plans of a proposal until some answers were found. As it turns out, the local law enforcement weren't able to provide any relief after all, so the year had passed by very frustratingly slow.

He reached down into the bag and looked at her sheepishly, "I hope it isn't too presumptuous of me to bring along our skates. The pond should be solid enough by now to skate it a bit. What do you say?"

She looked back at him then, the smile more evident now. "I would love that Cole! You better be ready to eat my ice chips though." She winked after that one, and quickly laced up her skates.

As they got their bearings on the pond, he watched as the light slowly came back into her eyes. They had been dull and lifeless for so long. Her eyes used to shine with such an intensity, he would often joke that it was most definitely naivety and empty optimism. It never bothered her in the slightest though. Her outlook on life used to be bright.

He had never understood what it was like to have siblings, let alone one he could be so close with. Sarah had been such a sweet girl. Always looking out for her older sister, even though Margaret would never admit she was able to be there for her in that way. Too proud a big sister to acknowledge how much she actually needed her...

He watched her now, slowly skating around the pond while he did so, and felt a huge weight come off his shoulders for her. She was actually enjoying herself. Before he could think about it, tears swelled up in his eyes. He knew she would never be the same. Not even if they found her, she would always have this burden with her. Her heart would always know what this year was and could have been. Sarah would have turned 21 in March.

But right here, right now? She was smiling. She was enjoying the way the sunset played across the frozen pond. She was almost back to who she used to be. "And was it so wrong for him to enjoy this? Was it so wrong for her to have a break?" He thought to himself.

He picked up the pace and skated up to her, joining her stride for stride and when he took her hand and kissed his lips to it again, he knew this was what she needed.

As they stopped, the last little bit of light almost gone from the setting sky, they balanced in the middle of the lake enjoying it together.

"Thank you Cole," Margaret started, "I can't tell you how much this means to me.." She trailed off there as she glanced down at her feet, seemingly embarrassed.

"Margaret, I know you've had the world of a weight on your shoulders this year. Please know you will always be my priority, even if you're not one to yourself." He said as he watched her. "There's no need to be embarrassed sweetheart, please look at me." He put his finger under her chin then and felt a wetness he wasn't expecting.

"Sweetheart, what is it? Is it... is it Sarah again?" He asked concerned, struggling to lift her chin to him. "You know they'll find her. The police are doing everything they can."

Her eyes shot up and the look of pure terror stricken across her face made him take a full step back, forgetting he had skates on, and falling to his rump on the cold ice. The ice cracked under the impact and he noticed for the first time that the ice was thin where they were standing. "Margaret, we need to get off this patch, it seems too thin. Is that what you're scared of?"

He glanced over to the ice under her feet then and what he saw made his blood go ice cold. He distantly heard Margaret scream, but couldn't focus enough to react.

There under the ice, grey and lifeless, were the eyes of her sister. Sarah.