THE JOURNEY HE LEFT US

Chapter 1: Funeral Flowers and Broken Promises The scent of lilies filled the room, thick and suffocating. Sienna Carter hated lilies. They were supposed to smell like peace and purity, but today they smelled like loss. Like endings. Like her twin brother was really gone. She stood still at the back of the chapel, her fingers clutching the cold edge of the pew in front of her. People moved around her in slow motion—hugging, crying, whispering memories. But it all felt like background noise. Her world had paused the moment she got the call. Caleb was gone. Just like that. One wrong turn, one rainy night, one instant—and her other half was gone forever. Sienna’s legs trembled as the pastor’s voice rang out. Words like celebration of life, God’s plan, forever in our hearts floated around the room, but none of them made sense to her. How could this be God’s plan? Caleb was only twenty-three. He had a whole life ahead of him. Plans. Dreams. A sister he promised to protect forever. She blinked hard, fighting back the tears that had threatened to fall for days. She hadn’t cried—not when they identified his body, not when they picked out the casket, not even when she saw his favorite guitar laid beside the photo display at the front. She couldn’t. Because if she did, it would mean it was all real. And she wasn’t ready for that. A gentle touch on her shoulder made her flinch. It was her aunt Marie, eyes red and watery, offering a small smile. “You should go up, sweetie. Say something. Caleb would’ve wanted that.” Sienna swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can’t.” “Just a few words,” Marie urged. “From your heart.” But her heart was shattered. Still, somehow, her feet moved. One step, then another, until she stood in front of everyone. A sea of faces blurred together. Friends. Family. Strangers. And then—him. Landon Reyes. He was sitting in the third row, dark hair slightly tousled, face unreadable. Sienna’s chest tightened. The last person she expected to see here was him. The guy who had once meant everything to her, and then nothing at all. Caleb’s best friend. Her former almost-something. And now… just a painful reminder. She forced her eyes away. Gripping the edge of the podium, Sienna cleared her throat. “Caleb… he wasn’t just my brother. He was my twin. My first friend. My biggest headache. My strongest supporter.” Her voice cracked slightly, but she pushed through. “He had this annoying way of always knowing when something was wrong. Even when I didn’t say a word, he’d just look at me and know. And then he’d do something ridiculous to make me laugh. Like sing off-key in public. Or text me the worst dad jokes.” Soft laughter rippled through the room. “He was sunshine in human form,” she whispered. “Even on his worst days. And now, I don’t know how to live without him. I don’t even know who I am without him.” Her hands shook as she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope. “Before he… left, Caleb gave me this. He told me not to open it until today.” Eyes turned toward her as she unfolded the letter slowly. Her fingers trembled as she read the familiar handwriting. > “Hey, Sunshine. If you’re reading this, it means I’m not there to tell you this in person. Which sucks. I hate goodbyes. But I know you. You’re going to try to bottle everything up. Pretend you’re fine. You’re not. And that’s okay. I need you to do something for me. I’ve written letters. A bunch of them. They’re for you… and for Landon. Yeah, I know. Don’t roll your eyes. I want you two to read them. Together. Please. You both meant the world to me. And I need to know you’ll take care of each other. Even if you don’t want to. Even if it hurts. Trust me, Sienna. There are things you both need to know. Things I couldn’t say out loud. Start with the first letter. It’s in the red envelope. The rest... you’ll find them as you go. I love you, always,Your other half, Caleb.” Sienna stared at the page, her heart thundering. Letters? For her and Landon? Her grip tightened. This wasn’t just about grief. Caleb had planned something. And worst of all, it involved him. She looked up, and her eyes locked with Landon’s. His expression was unreadable, but she saw the same confusion mirrored in his gaze. The same pain. The same questions. The funeral ended in a blur of embraces, murmured condolences, and more flowers. Too many flowers. Outside, the sky was painted gray, the air heavy with the promise of rain. Sienna stood by the graveside as they lowered the casket. It felt like a movie scene she couldn’t escape from. She didn’t cry. Not yet. “Hey.”That voice. She turned slowly, meeting the one person she wasn’t ready to face,Landon. “I didn’t know he wrote letters,” he said quietly. “Neither did I,” she replied, her voice cold. “But apparently, he wants us to read them. Together.” Landon shoved his hands into his pockets. “Sienna…” “Don’t,” she snapped. “Don’t act like we’re suddenly friends again. You made your choice a long time ago.” “I didn’t come here to fight,” he said. “I came because I lost him too.” That shut her up. She looked away, blinking fast. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just… I don’t know how to do this.” “Me neither,” Landon admitted. “But maybe… we start with the letter?” She looked at him again. For a moment, he wasn’t the guy who had broken her heart. He was just a boy grieving the same person she was. And in that shared silence, something shifted. She reached into her purse and pulled out the red envelope. “Let’s see what Caleb wants,” she said softly. And just like that, the journey began. Not just through the letters, but through grief, old wounds, and maybe just maybe a second chance neither of them saw come