Then, She Falls

LILIANNA

It was currently 10:30pm. One and a half hours until Phoenix's 18th birthday.

Lilianna was grateful for her supportive brother. When she told him he just needed to be in the passenger seat and that she would drive, he looked at her like she had grown another head.

I’m already going with you. I might as well drive.”

And so they set off to Phoenix’s place. Lilianna played songs from her playlist dedicated to long hour drives with her brother. An upbeatsong soon filled the hush of the night.

Nostalgia swept through Lilianna as she moved her hands gracefully in the air to the music, as if playing the piano.

Their parents were a lovey-dovey couple that thrived on traveling together and every season was honeymoon season for them. Four times in a year, Lilianna and Isaac would have the mansion for themselves.

When Lilianna and Isaac got bored around the house, they would set off on their own trip. However, her brother got busier after graduating from college, he even got himself a girlfriend, and so their trip had been forgotten since.

Lilianna’s phone lit up in the dark.

Phoenix had sent a picture of a sunflower sitting against a windowsill, creating a splash of color in an otherwise monotonous room. Under the picture, she said:

[This is also your responsibility. Help me take care of this flower.]

She had probably bought that flower because Lilianna mentioned how Phoenix’s room looked like a hotel room. Nice and neat, but bland.

[Of course 💕]

Warmth flowed throughout Lilianna’s body, melting the chill of the AC. A part of her felt reassured from Phoenix’s words. She said she needed to take responsibility, which meant she wasn’t planning on throwing her away anytime soon~. Lilianna smiled like a dumb idiot for a length of time.

Once they were near the mansion, Lilianna asked Phoenix about the password for the gate. Her family liked to change it once every month, so Lilianna almost always had to ask her about it.

From what she gathered, Phoenix’s father was an incredibly distrustful man. The first and only time she met him was when she visited Phoenix about a year ago.

When their eyes met, his glare pierced through Lilianna like a dozen frozen icicles. Her throat and chest froze over as if someone deliberately wanted to stop her from breathing.

He had a quiet intensity about him that reminded her of Phoenix. Her heart ached for Phoenix who only had that kind of person as a family.

Isaac pressed the password in the key pad, a beeping sound resounded with every key. Once the gate opened, they went in, drove for a minute and finally found the Phoenix’s enormous house.

“We’re here!”

Lilianna placed her hand on her brother’s shoulder and exclaimed, “I owe you one, Isaac!”

He parked in front of the mansion and Lilianna clasped the tiny box in her hand as she walked out of the car. While waiting, Lilianna’s eyes examined her friend’s house.

It looked like multiple geometric shapes mended together to form one whole. The walls were pale white as if freshly painted, and around the house was a vibrant color of fake grass.

As Lilianna walked up the stairs to the mansion, she noticed a red stain at the corner of a step. A shudder ran down her spine, but she pretended she didn’t see anything.

She always wondered how Phoenix felt living in this house, with this kind of life.

Lilianna fidgeted with the box on her hand as she waited for Phoenix to come out. She wanted to confirm that she picked the right shade that matched with Phoenix’s eyes.

Then, Lilianna spotted a silhouette of a woman emerging from the front door. Twilight gleamed on her face as if igniting the fiery hue of her amber eyes, although it didn’t have its usual vigor.

As she strode closer to Lilianna, the shadows under her eyes became more prominent. Her short black hair dangled on her stiff shoulders, slightly stooping forward.

Lilianna smiled lightly. She had never seen Phoenix in this state before. Her throat swelled up and she quietly placed the box in her hand into her purse. Any prior anxiety that lingered in her dissipated with Phoenix’s presence, but it had been replaced by stinging in her throat. Maybe this wasn’t the time to share her gift yet.

She was the one who insisted on seeing Phoenix. No matter what she was going through, Lilianna needed to make sure Phoenix would feel better after today, so she forced a wider smile.

Lilianna spread her arms open and wrapped herself around Phoenix.

“Happy birthday Phoenix!” A subtle scent of cedar tickled Lilianna’s nose, with warm breath brushing against her ears. Her cheeks flushed as Phoenix hugged her back tightly.

“Thank you.” Phoenix said in a low voice, exhaustion evident in her speech.

Lilianna held Phoenix’s hand as she guided her into her brother’s car. “Have you eaten yet?”

“I haven’t. I didn’t really have an appetite.”

“That’s alright. Isaac and I were planning on eating first anyway.”

Lilianna climbed into the back seat along with Phoenix. She noticed her brother looking at them from the rear view mirror. Her eyes darted to Phoenix before giving her brother a specific expression. Isaac playfully rolled his eyes, which seemed to signal that he wouldn’t fuss about them sitting in the back.

Isaac cleared his throat, “Do you have any recommendations, Phoenix? I’m craving sushi.”

“Me too,” said Lilianna.

“For breakfast?” Phoenix was more hesitant.

“Haha, who cares! Food is food.” Isaac responded almost immediately.

Lilianna turned to Phoenix and held her hand. “You haven’t eaten dinner yet, right? Technically, this would be your dinner.”

“Besides, how many other restaurants are open around here at this time?” Isaac added.

When Phoenix sighed and glanced at her phone, the siblings looked at each other and quickly touched their fists together.

“There’s a sushi restaurant nearby. It’s open 24/7 and has good specialty rolls.” Phoenix sent the location of the restaurant to Lilianna. She then typed the information to Isaac’s GPS.

The rest of the car ride went by with silence except for the sound of upbeat music playing in the background.

After eating, they decided to go for a hike. Lilianna noticed Phoenix seemed apprehensive when she’s around someone she didn’t fully know, so she wasn’t talking as much around her brother.

Isaac noticed this, so when they went to hike to their next destination, the siblings had a little conference and came to an agreement that Isaac would keep a look at them, but he would stay far enough for them to have a proper conversation. She appreciated that her brother understood how to read the room.

And so their hike began.

The soft light of the sun illuminated their path, covering them in a warm cocoon amidst the cold chills of the morning wind. Their feet pressed against the rugged road, sometimes stepping on big stones in their path.

“You were right about the sushi restaurant. Their specialty rolls were amazing! The toro roll’s my favorite.” A good meal energized Lilianna’s spirit.

“I think the King Crab roll’s really good.”

“I’ll try that one next time,” Lilianna sang out, her gaze shifting over to a group of friends in front of them. They were laughing and yelling at each other to let go as they climbed up the stairs.

Silence ensued.

Maybe she didn’t have an apprehension towards strangers. Maybe she just didn’t feel like speaking today. They spent the next minutes in silence. Lilianna peeked at Phoenix’s expression from time to time and noticed her clenched jaw.

Lilianna’s hand trembled as she moved to clasp Phoenix’s hand. Her hand was icy cold to the touch, but the longer and tighter Lilianna held on to it, the warmer it became. She didn’t know what Phoenix was feeling, but she hoped she would be fine.

The higher up they go, the more tiring the hike was. They took a break at the middle point and refreshed themselves. The trees cast orange and yellow around them, enveloping them in the rare beauty of nature.

Lilianna glanced at Phoenix, who looked serene under the nature’s backdrop. Her eyes blended with the environment, as if she had been made for this season. She had no visible sweat or any sense of tiredness.

“You’re probably bored from how easy this trail is huh?” Lilianna started another conversation. Phoenix mentioned she liked going to hiking trails, so Lilianna proposed to go to this place. She wasn’t as much of a hiking junkie, so she picked a trail that wasn’t too difficult for beginners.

“No, this is a great place to hike.” Phoenix shook her head. “If we get to the top fast enough, we’ll even be able to see the sunrise.”

That was the only motivation they needed to continue walking again. Once they got to the steeper areas, Lilianna started feeling a little nervous. Thankfully, Phoenix seemed to be having fun whenever she asked her for help.

After finally trudging up to the top, Lilianna yelled, “wait!”

Phoenix stopped walking and turned towards her. Lilianna took out a towel from her purse and lightly wiped Phoenix’s face.

“You’re sweating.” Lilianna smiled.

“That’s strange, I don’t feel any sweat at all,” Phoenix pinched her cheek. Everyone seemed to love pinching her cheeks today.

“No, there’s one right here.” Lilianna moved close to pretend like she was inspecting Phoenix’s face and took little dabs on her cheeks.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow and grabbed the towel from Lilianna. Her hand pressed against Lilianna’s back as she patted her face with the towel.

“I don’t need to wipe any sweat, but you do.”

“You two! I found a great spot! Come over.” Isaac called for their attention above. Somehow he had already caught up to them and even found an area for picture taking and relaxing.

Phoenix and Lilianna climbed up to the highest point of the mountain. The gust of wind rushed past their faces, sending chills down their spines. Lilianna subconsciously snuggled closer to Phoenix for body warmth.

They observed the world below them, the trees, the mansions, everything that towered over them from below now looked so minuscule. The two found a place to sit and huddle together as they waited for the sun to completely rise back up into the horizon. Isaac tinkered with one of the binoculars and took pictures of a certain area. It seemed he was trying to show his fiancée something.

Lilianna’s breathing returned to its usual rhythm, taking in the fresh cool air around her. She appreciated the merging colors of the puffy clouds in the sky, the subtle movements of the forest down below, and the blended colors of the houses to paint a breathtaking view at the top of the mountain. Phoenix’s cold hand slipped into Lilianna’s hand, and her attention shifted back towards her.

Lilianna’s pulse quickened. This seemed like the right time.

“I still haven’t given you my gift, have I?” her hand squeezed Phoenix’s. She then broke contact to reach into her purse and grabbed the box.

Phoenix stared at the tiny box on her palms, her expressions unreadable. Slowly, her hand moved to remove the wrapping. Lilianna held out her hand and folded the wrapping paper back into her purse.

Phoenix lifted the lid off the box and in it was a silver necklace with an orange sapphire pendant. Its shade reminded Lilianna of the color of Phoenix’s irises. It shimmered under the sun, looking fierce and captivating.

Phoenix stared silently at it for a few minutes. Chatter around them quieted as people began to leave the mountain top.

Lilianna shifted. “Do you like it?”

Phoenix’s eyebrow twitched. Her cold fingers intertwined between Lilianna’s fingers. Lilianna’s brain tingled, and her breath caught in her throat. Every fiber of her being waited for what Phoenix wanted to do next.

Phoenix breathed deeply before mouthing her first word. “I…”

As if someone had finally removed the cork from the stubborn bottle, all of Phoenix’s emotions spilled out. Her shoulders shook and her free hand covered her eyes brimming with tears. Lilianna stared dumbfounded.

“Thank you for everything…” Phoenix’s sentence was cut off with a trail of sobs. She turned her body away from the world around her and faced Lilianna, as if saying she would only let Lilianna see this side of her.

Phoenix’s shoulders crouched and her damp eyes looked straight at her.

“I’m glad I met you.”

Lilianna remembered her head almost bursting at that moment.

Phoenix’s image embedded inside her mind.

This person who always seemed to have everything together, disheveled, her eyes misted with tears, thanked her with such sincerity. The dawn broke, the sun emerged and casted a halo around Phoenix’s fragile body. Lilianna thought it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

A torrent of emotions surged over Lilianna as she looked at Phoenix– her heart bursting with elation while tears welled up in her eyes. Yet she found herself mesmerized, unable to look away.

Her heart began to race so fast that she could hear it knocking against her eardrums.