Kit didn't make it through half the movie before the comfort of the couch pulled her into sleep. When she woke, the room was dim. The television was off, and soft, gray light filtered in through the window.

She yawned and looked around, finding Edison asleep on the other end of the couch. His head was resting on the armrest, and his deep breathing filled the quiet room.

She gently sat up and reached for her phone. It was almost four-thirty in the morning. She looked back at Edison for a moment. Sleeping, he looked younger. His lips weren't turned up in his sardonic smile and his cocky attitude was nowhere to be found.

She smiled to herself and quietly got up. She was extra cautious leaving the room, and Edison was still sleeping when she reached the front door. She paused for a moment, to look around the neat, homey rooms and make sure the house was still deep in sleep, before she cracked the door open and slipped out.

A mist had settled in the night, leaving water drops on everything. The sun was beginning to break through, turning the mist yellow. Kit crept to her car and climbed in. The drive back to her house didn't take long and sleep still lingered in her eyes as she unlocked her front door. As she shut the door behind her, it created noise for a moment, but then the usual deep, haunting silence fell again. The silence that always greeted her in the morning. Hollow and suffocating.

She walked into her family room and looked around at the empty space. The stark white walls and wooden floors. She moved to the next empty room, and then the next, the white walls feeling lonely compared to the warmth Edison's home had held. A familiar overwhelming weight began to creep into her chest.

Suddenly, she felt as if she hadn't slept in days, and she slowly trudged up the stairs. She pulled the curtains shut in her room and fell into her bed. She threw her keys onto her night table, pulled the blankets up to her chin, and slipped back into sleep.

She didn't stir until the early afternoon, when a loud pounding sounded from downstairs. Sleep was reluctant to let her go, and her brain was slow in waking. By the time she had fully comprehended that the pounding was coming from her front door, it stopped. She didn't move as she waited to see if the pounding would start again.

But it didn't. Instead, it was replaced by a heavy tread on the stairs as someone climbed them in a hurry. A moment later, Jaxon burst into her room.

"Kit!" he shouted, rushing to her side and shaking her.

"Go away," she groaned, her voice muffled by her pillow.

He let out an audible sigh of relief and she felt her bed sink under his weight as he sat. His breathing was heavy. She pulled her blankets closer, her eyes still shut.

"Why are you still in bed?" he asked after a minute. He tried to pull her blankets back. She didn't answer. "Kit-Kat, is something wrong?" he asked, concern in his voice. "What happened?"

She reluctantly rolled over, pushing her hair out of her face.

"What's wrong, is that you woke me up by pounding on my door," she grumbled. "Don't you have any decency?"

"It's almost two in the afternoon. How was I supposed to know you were still sleeping?"

"I don't know? Maybe by the fact that I didn't come to the door."

"I was worried something had happened," he argued.

She let out a loud sigh, but didn't continue the argument.

"Well, now that you have seen that everything is fine, you can leave."

"We're playing golf, remember? I'm already dressed so get up."

He was indeed dressed. He wore bright orange pants and a matching white and orange checked sweater vest. But no shirt, because he liked to add his own take on the classic golf uniform.

"I even wore my lucky socks."

He lifted his leg so she could see the rainbow striped socks peeking out from beneath his cuffed pants.

"Lucky?" she scoffed. "Those socks wouldn't help you. I would still win."

"Prove it," he taunted.

She yawned and turned away from him.

"Another time. I don't feel like playing today," she said.

"What?!" Jaxon's voice was loud with surprise. She cringed at the sound. "Kit Kat St James, there has never been a time in our lives when you don't want to try and beat me at something. Let's not start today. It's Sunday and you know how I feel about Sundays." She didn't respond. He nudged her back, but still nothing. He nudged again. "Sundays!" he repeated.

She let out a sigh. "You need to move past your issues with Sundays. Today, is as good as any other to start."

"Not today! Today is the worst day to start. Since it is Sunday, my issues are at their worst," he explained. "It would be best to start on a Monday. It's decided, I will start tomorrow, and you will get up and play golf with me today."

She could feel his weight leave the bed as he stood, clapping his hands in a demanding way.

"I'll choose your outfit."

She could hear muffed noises as he dug through her closet, but she didn't move. Even though she had slept the whole morning, her body still felt heavy with exhaustion. The most appealing plan consisted of her staying in bed until the next morning. She let out a long, tired yawn and snuggled deeper into her pillow. A moment later, a pile of clothes landed on top of her.

"I gave you several choices. I know you can be particular about your golfing attire," he said. He rounded the bed to the side she was facing and poked her cheek. She opened her eyes and glared at him. "I'll prep the golf cart and meet you downstairs in five."

He walked to the door but stopped when she made no move to get out of bed.

"Kit!"

He sounded annoyed as he yanked her blankets off. She had been expecting it and had tightened her grip on them, but she wasn't strong enough. Her blankets were on the floor in one swift move.

"Jaxon, I already told you, not today," she said firmly. She pulled her knees to her chest, trying to find some amount of comfort without her blankets.

"I'm being serious." He kept his tone low and strong. "I came ready to play golf and we are going to play golf. Now get up!"

He appeared at her side and waited. When she didn't respond, he pulled her off the bed and put her on her feet.

"Hey!" she cried out.

She tried to get back on her bed, but he blocked her path and she was quickly out of energy to fight him.

"I told you I was serious," he said. "Now get dressed!"

"Fine," she growled.

She grabbed the pile of clothes from the bed and slammed her bathroom door behind her. A minute later, she appeared in a neon yellow polo and white shorts. Jaxon smiled smugly as he held out her golf shoes for her. She grabbed them roughly and pushed past him towards the door.

"This is more like it," he said, following as she quickly jogged down the stairs.

When they reached the bottom, they split off into different directions. Jaxon headed for the back door while Kit headed towards the front. He called after her but she didn't stop when she reached the door. She yanked it open, grabbing her keys at the same time.

"Kit!" he called again, chasing after her.

She was already at the car by the time he reached the front door. He quickly slammed it shut behind him and ran for the car as she started the engine. He was barely in his seat before she was pulling out of the driveway.

"Where are we going? What's the hurry?" he asked. She made no response as she sped along the residential roads. "Kit?"

"Oh, is this not fun?" she asked. "It's probably as annoying as someone pulling you out of bed against your will."

He sat back in his seat and accepted the silence, turning on some upbeat music. They remained silent for a while, not even exchanging looks, until a dark tunnel appeared on the horizon. Jaxon rolled down his window and nudged her in the arm as the tunnel grew closer. But she didn't follow suit.

"That's a tunnel," he said.

"I know that," she said.

"And,"

"And what?"

"Roll down your window so we can scream."

"I don't want to," she said, holding back a yawn.

"What is with you today?" he huffed.

"Nothing."

"Liar," he taunted.

Before they reached the tunnel, he leaned over and rolled down her window. She gave a lame, short shout when Jaxon leaned out the window and yelled. Their voices filled the tunnel but were lacking their usual volume and enthusiasm without her putting in any effort.

Kit took an exit a few miles past the tunnel, and Jaxon couldn't take the silence any longer.

"Where are we going?" he asked. "Come on, just tell me!"

But she didn't have to answer as they turned in to a drive. A tall, black iron gate was open and beyond it, fields of green grass stretched out in every direction.

"Oh," he exhaled.

She followed markers along the road until she reached the number she was looking for. She parked the car and got out.

"What are we doing here?" Jaxon asked, following her out of the car.

"What do you think?" she asked.

She found the path in the grass and began to walk among the headstones, reading the names as she passed them. Jaxon followed after her, their footsteps muted in the grass. Halfway along the path she turned up an aisle and began to count headstones until she found a set of familiar names, Henry and Violet St James. They came to a stop in front of the headstones, standing side by side.

They stared in silence.

"Why are we at grandma and grandpa's grave?" he asked after a minute.

Kit shrugged and sat down in front of the headstones.

"I miss them," she said.

Jaxon took a seat next to her. The air was thick with a somber silence. She sat with her legs crossed, feeling young and small among the history of the cemetery. She felt even more so thinking about the two people the headstones in front of her represented.

In all her travels, she had never met anyone like her grandparents. Her grandfather had had a quick smile, her grandmother the cheeriest of laughs and they were never without them. They were warm and welcoming and never took impossible for an answer.

Kit could remember a time when she had tried to fly a kite without any wind. When she had told her grandfather it hadn't work, he had insisted there was always a way. Then he had found an extension cord, dragged their big fan outside and made her kite fly.

They had led the family capture the flag games until they slowed down. Even then, they were still barking out commands as they manned the jail. Some of Kit's favorite times traveling with her parents were when her grandparents had joined them.

They had had a way of turning everything into an adventure and that was how they had lived until they had passed away, two months apart. They had refused to let old age take away their ability to have a full life.

Kit looked over at Jaxon, imagining similar memories going through his mind.

"They lived until they died, didn't they?" she said. She kept her voice soft and low, as if not to disturb the dead.

He gave a her a melancholy smile. "No one can say Henry and Violet St James didn't live."

She nodded and looked back at the stones. It wasn't only their happy outlook that she thought about but the fullness of the life they had built for themselves. They had been surrounded by their kids and grandkids. They had built a community in their town. Their home had been full of souvenirs, collected throughout their life time. And, it had been filled with decades of family reunions and holidays. First days and birthdays.

All the memories weren't happy. There are always tragedies and tears mixed in with the good. But, at the end of their lives, they had lived long enough to experience it all, and that was what had made their lives full.

Like it usually went when Kit thought about her grandparents, the happy memories turned her melancholy. And the longer she thought about them, her melancholy turned to sadness and her chest began to constrict. She tried to suck in air, but it never seemed to reach far enough into her lungs. A weight had landed on her chest and wouldn't allow it.

Her shoulders tensed and a deep sickening panic began to rise in her stomach. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the feeling, but it felt too strong. She didn't know how to fight it, until Jaxon touched her arm. She looked over, and the reminder that she wasn't alone began to ease the tension in her chest. Although the melancholy feeling still hovered. She took in another breath and could feel her lungs fill more than they had the moment before.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded her head slowly.

"I just miss them," she said again.

She was the first one to eventually move. She stood and gave the area a long look, the two headstones and glanced the empty plots surrounding them, before she turned and walked away without looking back.

When they reached the car, she gave Jaxon the keys.

"You drive," she said.

He didn't argue. She selected the music and chose a loud song with heavy bass and the lead singer screaming lyrics over a melodious piano. She turned it up loud, trying to combat the sad silence that had followed her out of the cemetery. She rode in a daze until the approaching tunnel snapped her awake. She looked at Jaxon. He smiled and rolled his window down. She did the same.

She pulled herself up, out of the window as the darkness of the tunnel enveloped them. Her hair violently whipped around her, and her shirt billowed out behind her. She took in a breath, pulling what little oxygen she could feel in her lungs, preparing to scream.

When she released it, her voice came out louder than she thought possible. It bounced off the walls back to her, carrying hints of the panic she had felt at her grandparent's grave site. So, she pushed her voice to be louder, and as it left her, it took with it all her panic.

Her chest began to constrict, but this time she felt empowered. She was in control of where her air was going, and she pushed her voice further, holding on until the car burst back into the sunlight. She gulped for air and she could feel her lungs fill completely.

She remained hanging out the window, taking deep breaths of the rushing air, each one a reminder that she was alive. When Jaxon tapped her leg, she took in one last breath and slipped back into her seat.

"Now, that's more like the Kit I know," he cheered. She gave him a soft smile. "Are you up for that round of golf?"

He looked hopefully, which made her feel guilty, but she shook her head no.

"No," she said apologetically. She felt emotionally and physical spent after visiting her grandparent's.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded her head. "Really sure?"

She gave a small smile. "Sorry Jax, but I'm sure."

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," she reassured him. "My late nights were bound to catch up with me sooner or later. I guess they finally figured out how to run faster. Rain check on the game of golf?"

He gave her a bright smile. "Only if that rain check means playing in the rain."

"Is there any other type of rain check?" she asked.

The drive back to her house didn't take long with Jaxon behind the wheel. He asked her about the golf game one more time when they arrived, seemingly unsure how to handle a tired Kit. But she just shook her head and pushed him towards his car. She stood at her front door and watched until his car disappeared down the road.

She slipped inside and shut the door, breaking the silence of the house for a moment. But it quickly returned. She paused, wondering if sending Jaxon away had been a mistake. But exhaustion from the morning crashed over her like a big wave and she could only think of sleep.

She kicked her shoes off at the bottom of the stairs and slowly climbed. Her room was dark and welcoming. She dropped into her warm bed and buried herself in the blankets, trying to forget the last twenty-four hours. 

**********************************************************************

My puffin muffin!

Who knew Kit could be sad?! I feel like the world in coming to an end because Kittery Maine should never be sad!

Did it surprise you?

Theories?

What do you do when you're sad?

I usually go hang out with one of my sisters, because they never fail to cheer me up or make me laugh. I don't like being sad, I know it's a natural part of life to be sad but it's not my favorite. I would rather avoid it for a while with always finding something to make me laugh.

Not sure that's the best way to live but gosh I've been sad enough about things in my life that I don't want to waste any more time on it. Life is too short to wallow. But that's just my opinion.

Also there was a little shout out to Twenty-One Pilots in there. I always figured the song would be something like Car Radio or Holding On To You.

Ειρηνη (irène),  Αγαπη (agàpi), παγωτό (pagotò) (Greek)

This is the best video in the history of the world! 🙈☺️❤️

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