Thank you, Jill.

Claire’s blue eyes scanned over the tombstone once more. She could recall the news reports, the stories from her brother, all coming back to her as she looked upon the stone sadly. She sighed, lifting one hand to swipe a loose strand of auburn hair away, the other brushing lightly against the engraved letters. A tear rolled lazily down her cheek, falling unto the ground.

She was slowly starting to accept what had happened. Even in death, Jill was selfless, dying to save someone else. That’s the way Claire always wanted to go. Claire always looked up to Jill, much like a younger sibling looked up to their older sister. Jill was her idol, her role model, and most importantly, her friend. One of the few people she could confide in. That meant everything to her, and now it was gone.

Softly, she whispered, “Thank you, Jill. For protecting him.”