The house hasn’t been the same without his smartass remarks, his rebellion … his general zest for life. For the first time since this whole ordeal, my chest doesn’t ache and my breathing is steady. He’s coming home. Mom went to pick him up, while Delilah, Jason, Cara and I stayed behind to prepare a welcome home celebration. Cara and Delilah are hanging colorful balloons everywhere and I finished baking his favorite chocolate cake while Jason ordered the pizzas. Now, all we need is my kickass brother. Cara ties the last of the balloons to a curtain hook and comes over to stand beside me. “I’d say we have a lot of life in here. What do you think?” She glances around the room with a happy smile, bunches of balloons in all colors of the rainbow hanging on the railing to the stairs, on both sides of the curtains, and in the archway to the kitchen. There are ten balloons tied together and weighted down on the dining room table by a glass jar filled with Bazooka gum. Cara and Delilah made handwritten “Welcome Home”
