THAT WEEKEND, Aunt Cynthia and I drove to the Mensas' place.

Jade had still been ignoring me since that day at his house and Grace had been trying to be nice to me but I could feel like it was straining her relationship with Jade. The last thing I wanted right now was to ruin their friendship.
As if Jade didn't enough reasons to hate me. Hopefully, Aunt Cynthia could help out a little.

We got down from the car and walked to the balcony. I knocked and cast a glance at her.
She raised her eyebrows in a reassuring manner.
After a few minutes, I thought perhaps they hadn't heard and was about to knock gain when Mr. Mensa opened the door,

"Oh hey David! Sorry, I was doing some laundry," he explained and turned to look at my aunt.
The instant he saw her, he became very stiff.

"Hello Thomas," Aunt Cynthia said also standing very stiffly

"Hello Cynthia. Please come inside," he gestured to us and led us into the living room.

Wanting to leave them alone to talk, I asked, "Where's Jade?"

"He said he was going out for some alone time. I don't even know what that means," Mr. Mensa replied.

To anyone else too that would have sounded cryptic but I knew exactly where he was. He might be angrier at me but there was no way I was leaving him alone.

"I'm going to find him then," I said and got up.

On my way out, I turned back and looked at Aunt Cynthia. She nodded her head as confirmation that she would talk to Mr. Mensa and I smiled at her.

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After walking for about 15 minutes, I was getting exhausted. However, I was almost near to where Jade was. I walked for 3 more minutes and saw him. He was sitting in front of two tombstones, one large and one small; his mom and brother.

Jade didn't want anyone to know this but he often came to the town cemetery to sit in front of his mom and brother's tombstones and just talk.
He'd said that it was calming for him and he felt like they could hear him when he talked. Even his dad didn't know that but he had told me and I had broken his trust.

I got to him and was standing directly behind him when he said, "I miss them. Too much and I just wish they were here."

"They are here, bro. They are in your heart and your head. They will never leave you." I told him and I sat beside him.

"That's different. I don't even have any memory of them!"

I nodded my head and looked at him. His eyes were bloodshot, an indication that he had been crying.

"Your dad is here and I am too. We love you."

He continued staring at the tombstones. They had been freshly repainted white and his mom's details were on one and his brother's details on another one.

"I felt like you were my brother and had come back to life," he said quietly.

"I broke your trust and I don't know how I can ever tell you how sorry I am," I said

"I forgave you a long time ago Dave. I mean I understand what you did. I just needed some time to process how I felt. And I'm okay now."

"You sure?" my face must have lightened up as I was very happy to hear that.

"Yeah. Brothers for life Dave," he said and put his head on my shoulder.

I wrapped my arm around him and replied,
"Brothers for life."

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