Emmett watched Fiat Lux with a blank expression, his young siblings running off in front of him to partake in the children's activities; they seemed safe enough with neighbours he had known for years, so he walked around by himself to breathe and take in the sights.
It all felt...dull, colourless, without the context of his family with him. Without vegetables from the farm to sell, his mother to push him onto girls to ask for a dance, his brothers trying to sneak food from the tables...ghosts of past festivals danced before his eyes and Emmett had never felt so lost as he did stood there in the midst of the celebration, one hand holding his arm as he looked about and tried to summon some kind of seasonally appropriate joy inside himself.
It didn't work.
He couldn't leave when Chris and Milly were having such a good time, so he sat down on the grass and tried to look like he was having even the vaguest sliver of a good time. It was when he was looking around to see if anyone was going to come and call him out for his clear lack of happiness when he saw Phoebe.
She looked...good. Emmett let his eyes linger for just a moment, wondering if he'd caused a scar between them that would last; he knew he wasn't the only one who was hurt. Then he caught her eye, for just a second. Emmett froze then lifted his fingers in a shy wave.
Emmett
It burns too bright
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
