text: It was a warm and breezy summer day. I just stood there and soaked in the sun for a minute. The nursing home I was at had a beautiful outside garden. My sister seemed to really like it out here. I made sure to find one of the best places when it became apparent she couldn’t take care of herself alone anymore. She still insisted she could even at 90, but I was the type of big brother who was always a little overprotective even though she may not have needed me to be. I started pushing her wheelchair again when she asked “What are you staring at?” “Oh sorry” I said with a smile. “Just lost my train of thought.” Which was mostly true. Over the years I’ve learned that the older you get, the quicker time passes. So I’ve been making it a point to sit and take in moments I wanted to remember. And I wanted to remember this beautiful day that I got to spend with my sister. It could be one of our last and I didnt want to forget her. You see when I was about 23 I found immortality. I’m not entirely sure of the limits of my immorality but in appearance I haven’t aged a day since then. I’ve watched both of my parents succumb to the old man with the hourglass, and almost every one of my friends too. My sister was just about all I had left. So I made sure to spend a lot of my free time with her. Its always hilarious when people see us interact. I watch them go by thinking I was her son, or grandson now I suppose. Their faces are always surprised when she hits me or we start bickering like siblings. I’m glad some things never change. We arrived at her favorite spot. A place where we could see most of the garden and specifically not the road. For some reason she hated watching the cars pass by. Honestly I didn’t like watching the road either. Too much has changed since we were kids. And the vehicles that passed by were living evidence of that. So we preferred to focus on the greenery and the flowers. Nature seemed to be ageless. I parked my sister next to the bench we always sit at and sat down. The moment I did she immediately tried to stand up from her wheelchair. Normally I’d protest but I’ve learned over the many years no matter how much I may object, she will always do what she wants. I watched her quietly concerned as she made her way from the wheelchair over to the spot next to me on the bench. I held out a hand to help her sit down. She accepted it though it seemed reluctant. “Beautiful day” I said looking around. The sky was littered with enough clouds to give you occasional shade with no hint of rain. “Brother?” I heard my sister ask “Yeah what's up?” I responded still looking at the sky “What are you gonna do when I’m gone.” She asked gravely. Which was not usually like her. Despite her age, she's always been a bright person. The question caught me off guard. We usually kept conversation light and just enjoyed moments like these together or rewatching our old favorite shows, or new episodes of new shows we picked up. Once in a while I dragged in an ancient analog TV and I would watch her play skyrim on a game system I had miraculously found about 10 years ago in almost perfect condition. But she just caught me off guard. She had a knack for doing that. Stupid siblings. “Raid your room for valuables and sell them for drugs.” I said with a straight face. She looked at me unamused. I met her eyes and smiled. I know she wanted a real answer but I didn't want to think about it. Mainly because I hadn't thought about it yet. I was afraid to. I broke eye contact first and looked down at my feet. “Honestly I don’t know.” I told her in a quieter voice. “Can’t we just enjoy the day?” I asked in a brighter tone. She didn’t seem satisfied but she didn't pursue the issue. “You should make some new friends. How long has it been since you’ve had a regular friend?” She asked after a while “Hah!” I responded. The surprise at the question was real. “I hadn’t thought about making friends for a while.” “Theres a lot of cute girls that come visit their grandparents. You should talk to them. I could ask around for when they’re coming to visit.” She was teasing me but I know she be excited if I took up her offer. “Its not like I’m not here most days already.” I shot back. She chuckled. It was good to hear. After a moment she turned her head to me. I met her gaze again. “Please... make new friends.” she asked. It almost sounded like she was begging. I felt dread settle over me in a cold wave. It was clear she was concerned for me after she was gone. I held her gaze. “I will. I promise. But for now, let just enjoy the rest of the day.” I asked her, hoping to placate her. She nodded. Seemingly reluctant but the conversation was over. And we went back to enjoying the weather and the view.