Nick looked around his sister's room. Their mother had once said that Jade's room didn't have a single restful spot to put your eyes, it had too many things, too much stimuli. That was still true.

When most teenagers had ten CD's, Jade had a hundred. Books packed her shelves and videos were piled on top of her small television set. Poster still were scattered all over her walls, although almost every Hanson poster had disappeared when Taylor died, just a few months before. A week later he had noticed that every Hanson picture that Taylor was in had vanished from her walls. He never knew what she did with them, he just knew that they were gone.

Part of her was gone, too. Nick had watched a piece of her die along with their father, and then their mother. If anyone else in her life died, he was scared that there would be nothing left of her.

As it was she looked so pale and weak, lying fast asleep on her bed in the middle of the day. She had started sleeping a lot more since Taylor passed away and Nick was worried about her. He remembered what the signs were and he was seeing a lot of them. He was afraid to leave her alone, terrified that she would retreat so far into depression that she wouldn't be able to see the point of living.

Taylor had begged him to keep an eye on her. Of course, he had said so much in their last conversation...

****

"She's so delicate, Nick,"Taylor told him."Not just physically, but emotionally. I don't think she'll handle my death well."

Nick sighed."I don't understand how she can be taking everything this hard when your whole family seems to have excepted it. Even Zoe, and she's only five."

"They've been watching me slowly die for a long time,"Taylor explained."They've had the time to accept it. Jade hasn't. I guess I never even wanted her to know if I died. I just wanted her to remain in the dark, to be able to be happy."

"Do you think that she was able to be happy when you dumped her out of the blue for no reason?"Nick asked."Did you really think that she was okay? My little sister has been pretty miserable missing you, buddy. You have no idea how many times I heard her cry herself to sleep."

Taylor knew. He knew that he'd hurt her, but he'd refused to think about her crying. He had never been able to take it, seeing her unhappy had just eaten at him. Especially when he couldn't do anything about it. Yet, no matter what he did, he still made her cry.

"You have to take care of her, Nick,"he said softly.

"Of course."

"She doesn't believe that you love her,"Taylor said simply.

"What?!?"Nick exclaimed."I give her everything. I work my butt off all the time so that she and I can eat three meals a day. How can she not know I love her?"

"Do you tell her?"Taylor asked.

Nick had known that he was right. Sure, he loved Jade with all of his heart, but he never told her. He'd never been the kind of guy who was always telling people that he loved them. They really needed each other, with both their parents gone.

****

And now they needed each other because Taylor was gone.

Nick still didn't know how to say how he felt, but he tried extra hard to make her see how much he loved her. Still, he could see her slipping deeper and deeper into depression. And so far, he was the only one that seemed to see it.