THREE BROTHERS ONE MATE

The evening sky was painted with hues of orange and purple as the sun slowly dipped beyond the horizon. The air was thick with the scent of the first rain of the season, and the city buzzed with the usual rush of people trying to get home before nightfall. Mabel, Cecilia, and Phebe had just finished their evening meal, laughing over trivial things as their mother and father prepared to leave for a wedding ceremony in another town.

Their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, were the kind of couple who turned heads whenever they walked into a room-not just because of their elegance but because of the love they exuded. Their marriage was the kind of love story the girls had grown up admiring. A bond so strong, it seemed unbreakable.

"Take care of yourselves," their mother had said, her eyes filled with warmth as she placed a gentle kiss on Phebe's forehead.

"We won't be gone long," their father added with a reassuring smile, ruffling Cecilia's hair playfully. "Be good, girls."

Mabel, the eldest, had been scrolling through her phone, barely looking up. "You both should have fun," she had said casually. "Drive safe."

Their father chuckled. "Always."

None of them knew that it would be the last time they would see their parents alive.

A Call That Changed Everything

Hours passed, and the house grew quiet. Phebe, the youngest, had dozed off on the couch while Cecilia was lost in a book. Mabel sat by the window, checking her phone, waiting for a message from their parents. It was unlike them to stay out this late without at least checking in.

Then, the phone rang.

Mabel picked it up, expecting to hear her father's voice. Instead, an unfamiliar, serious tone greeted her.

"Is this Mabel Johnson?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "Yes, speaking."

"This is Officer Daniel from the state highway patrol. We regret to inform you that your parents were involved in a fatal car accident on the expressway."

Mabel felt as if the world had stopped. "What?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. The accident was severe. The paramedics did everything they could, but..." The officer's voice trailed off, heavy with sorrow.

The phone slipped from Mabel's grasp, clattering onto the floor.

Cecilia looked up from her book, her brow furrowed. "Mabel, what's wrong?"

Mabel couldn't speak. Her hands trembled as she tried to find the words.

Cecilia stood, concern deepening in her eyes. "Mabel?"

It was Phebe's sleepy voice that finally shattered the silence. "Why do you look like that?"

Mabel turned to her sisters, her throat dry, her breath shaky. "Mom and Dad... they're gone."

The words felt foreign in her mouth, like they didn't belong in this reality. But they did.

The Weight of Grief

Phebe let out a small, disbelieving laugh. "That's not funny, Mabel."

But Mabel's eyes held no humor. Cecilia's book slipped from her hands as her body went numb. "No," she whispered. "No, that's not possible."

The room felt too small, the walls closing in on them. Phebe shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake away the nightmare. "You're lying."

Mabel's face was pale, her lips trembling. "I wish I was."

Phebe ran past her, grabbing the phone from the floor. "I'll call them," she muttered, dialing their mother's number with shaky fingers.

Ring.