Snow fell on the festive streets of New York City, letting off a magical sparkle on the white ground. Houses with bright lights lined the streets, encouraging people to smile and making the cold air feel cozy. The whole city was cheery that winter night but if you were to walk down one particular street, where snow fell just the same and friendly folks smiled as if nothing was the matter;

one house was dark.

“I can’t believe it actually happened,” a young woman the age of 23 sat forlornly on a small wooden chair, her hair falling over her face due to her arched and exhausted back. “I always heard terrible stories about this, but I never thought it would happen to us.” A tear escaped her wild and beautiful eyes, green as the small buds from a tree in spring.

A handsome man, 21 years old, with silky black hair, caramel skin and mysterious grey eyes put a long arm around her shoulder; letting her head rest on him as her emotions let go.

“I just—I just-,“ her voice cracked. Fat tears rolled down her soft cheeks and she shook her head angrily against the man’s shoulder. “Its all my fault… Its all my fault…,” she whispered, frustrated at herself.

“No it’s not,” the man answered, his voice soft, knowing he must hide his own emotions in order to comfort his troubled sister. “It’s no one’s fault. Life is harsh. It can never be controlled. No matter how hard we try.” He is knowledgeable because their own childhood was filled with hardships much like the pain they were again facing.

The woman looked up at him; her face red and splotchy like a rash of sadness, but her eyes shone onto her brother like bright sapphires, even in the dim light, “how are you so strong?”

Their eyes met but the man quickly looked away. “I’m not. I never have been.”

The two of them sat in silence, tears running down each of their faces. They were so close in love, yet so distant in thought.

After an uncountable amount of sadness, the woman's eyes closed. But the young man kept awake for the whole night, waiting for his sadness to sink deep within his heart like so many times before.