He had the biggest grin on his face as he ushered them all outside to look at his new ‘toy’ as he called it.

“N’est-elle pas une beauté?”Luc asked as he open his arms wide and motioned to the brand new motorcycle that was sitting in the middle of the Bourdon’s driveway. (Isn’t she a beauty?)

“Luc, qu’as-tu pensé d’acheter un de ces pièges mortels?” Their mother shrieked as Bridgette simultaneously asked excitedly, “Puis-je le monter?” (Luc, what were you thinking buying one of these death traps?/Can I ride it?)

“Maman, détends-toi. J’ai suivi tous les cours de sécurité et je sais ce que je fais. Je serai totalement en sécurité,” Luc reassured his mother (Mom, relax. I took all of the safety classes and I know what I am doing. I will be totally safe). Then, turning to address his little sister, he promised, “Bien sûr chérie! Je vais vous emmener pour un tour grand je reviens.” (Of course darling! I will take you for a spin when I get back.)

“Où allez-vous?” Mrs. Bourdon barked, still not entirely sold on her son’s latest purchase.

“Je vais aller voir Charlene et lui montrer mon nouveau bébé,” Luc informed in an affectionate tone, causing Mrs. Bourdon to roll her eyes as she realized it was directed at the bike and not his girlfriend of the past four years. (I am going to go and see Charlene and show her my new baby.)

“Elle va a penser que tu es stupide de l’acheter,” she warned her oldest child. (She is going to think that you are stupid for buying it.)

“Eh,” Luc said carelessly. “Elle pense déjà que je suis stupide.” Bridgette laughed at her brother’s words as her mother reprimanded him.

“Eh bien, vous ne faites rien pour la persuader contre cette idée. Un jour, elle va se render compte de quell idiot elle est avec et vous quitter.” (Well, you are doing nothing to persuade her against that notion. One day she is going to realize what a moron she is with and leave you.)

Luc started laughing at her words as he pulled on what both Bridgette and Mrs. Bourdon perceived to be a brand new leather jacket and biker’s helmet.

“Maman, c’est juste une moto. Tout le monde en monte un. Même Kris va en avoir un! J’irai bien!” Luc reassured his mother one last time as he swung his legs over the seat of the bike and kicked it into gear. (Mom, it’s just a motorcycle. Everyone rides one. Even Kris is going to get one! I will be fine!)

Shaking her head, but remaining silent, Mrs. Bourdon just gave her son a slight wave before heading back into the house, leaving her two children alone in the driveway as the bike purred softly in her driveway.

“A bientôt Honey Bee! Je vous promets que vous pourrez le piloter avec moi à mon retour!” Bridgette let out a laugh at the silly nickname her brother and Kris had come up for her when she was younger. (See you soon Honey Bee! I promise you can ride it with me when I get back!)

And with that, Luc sped out of the driveway and took off, his little sister calling after him as she tried to keep up with the bike’s speed by running.

“Au revoir Luc! Au revoir!”

“Luc!” Bridgette woke up yelling. Panting slightly, she pawed at the tears that were coming out of her eyes before fumbling around in the dark to turn on the lamp beside her bed. Once she found it she gave a shaky sigh of relief when she noticed that Ally was still not back, realizing that, given the time, she must have spent the night with her boyfriend, and then broke down in tears.

Sob after sob wrenched through her body as she continued to replay the last time she ever saw her brother in her head. Her whole life had changed that day but over the years, she had come to accept that nothing she could have done would have changed the horrible outcome. However, she would never accept that she could not even have just two more minutes more with Luc.

Bridgette’s breathing was increasing and very soon, it became very hard for her to breathe. Beginning to dry heave as she attempted to gasp for breath, Bridgette desperately reached for her phone and punched in a number she knew by heart—the number of the only person alive that she knew would calm her down.

Using the rings of the phone to attempt to even out her breathing and calm her body down proved to be a fruitless act and by the time a rough sounding “Bonjour” answered on the other line, all Bridgette could do in response was let out a high-pitched wheezing sound.

“Bridgette, qu’est-ce qui ne va pas?” Kris asked hurriedly, his voice sounding much more alert than it had when he answered the phone when he heard nothing but sounds of wheezing and gasping of breath on the other line. Bridgette, what is wrong?

Bridgette tried to say something, but all that came out was another wheezing sound before her body convulsed forward as she began dry-heaving again.

“Bridgette! Bridge,” Kris called out worridley into his phone, not even concerned that his wife began stirring next to him, waking up at his shouts. “Kris, qu’est-ce que tu fais?” Catherine sleepily asked her husband as she rubbed her eyes and sat up, leaning against her husband’s body as she did so. Kris, what are you doing up?

“Bridgette m’a appelé. Je pense qu’elle a une crise de panique,” Kris whispered to his wife before turning his attention back to the sobbing girl all the way back in Boston. “Vous allez être bien chérie. Respirez avec mes comptes. Un, deux, trois…” Bridgette called me. I think she is having a panic attack. You are going to be alright sweetheart. Breathe with my counts. One, two, three. He put the phone on speaker phone so Catherine could hear Bridgette as well and continued counting and by the time he reached the number nineteen he could detect an improvement in her breathing.

“Bien, bien. Maintenant respire avec moi Bee. Dedans et dehors. Dedans et dehors,” Catherine jumped in, taking over for her husband.Good, good. Now breathe with me Bee. In and out. In and out.Her soft voice was soothing to Bridgette and after a couple tries of Catherine’s instructions, Bridgette felt herself completely calm down.

“Je suis vraiment désolé,” she whimpered, bringing the phone up to her ear and wiping away the tears that were still falling from her eyes. “Je ne voulais pas te réveiller. Je ne pouvais pas m’arrêter.” I am so sorry. I did not mean to wake you. I just could not stop.

“C’est d’accord,” both Kris and Catherine answered truthfully. “Je suis content que vous ayez appelé,” Kris added. It’s okay. I am glad you called.

“Qu’est-il arrive Bridge?” Catherine asked softly as she allowed herself to fall back down against her pillow.

“J’ai rêve de Luc,” Kris’s own breath hitched at his deceased friend’s name. “À propos du jour où il est mort. La dernière fois que l’ai vu.” I had a dream about Luc. About the day he died. The last time that I saw him.

“Oh Bridge,” Catherine muttered softly as she sat up once again and wrapped her arms around her husband’s now stiff body.

“Je déteste ça!” Bridgette exclaimed in a sudden fit of anger. “I hate that I get like this every time,” she trailed off in English, the anger gone as quickly as it came. She has been having this battle almost eleven years with herself and she was completely defeated.

“Tu l’as aimé. C’était ton frère,” Kris whispered the only explanation he had as to why his self-proclaimed sister suffered as much as she did with her grief. You loved him. He was your brother.

“He was your brother too,” Bridgette continued in English. “And you don’t wake up in the middle of the night having panic attacks because you had a dream about him.” Kris’s breath hitched again and his shoulders began slightly shaking as he fought back against the pain and tears that were now threatening to take over him.

“We all grieve in our own ways,” Catherine interjected softly, knowing that her husband needed a moment to regain control over his emotions.

“It’s just not fair,” Bridgette muttered into the phone bitterly.

“I know sweetie, I know. Life sucks and losing Luc that young was hard. But you got through it and you will continue to get through it because you are so, so strong.” Bridgette shook her head at Catherine’s kind, yet firm words.
“But I haven’t yet. I can’t even talk about him to my friends. Je suis la pire soeur,” Bridgette exclaimed bitterly. I am the worst sister.

“Non,” Kris stated loudly, appalled at what he was hearing. “Tu es la meilleure soeur que Luc et moi puissions avoir. Et tu parleras de Luc à tes amis quand tu seras prêt, ça ne te rend pas mauvais. Cela vous rend juste pas prêt.” You are the best sister Luc and I could ever have. And you will tell your friends about Luc when you are ready, that does not make you bad. That just makes you not ready.

“Je suis contet que tu sois mon frère Kris,” Bridgette muttered after a moment’s silence as she took in Kris’s words. “Je t'aime. Et je t'aime aussi Cath.” I’m glad you are my brother Kris. I love you. And I love you too Cath.

“Nous t'aimons aussi ma chérie. Maintenant, pourquoi ne retournez-vous pas au lit et essayez de dormir un peu,” Kris answered with a soft smile. We love you too darling. Now, why don’t you go back to bed and try to get some sleep?

Chucking softly, Bridgette agreed and said her goodbyes to the couple.

With her body completely tired out from the attack that it had to endure, Bridgette fell back to sleep almost instantly. Back in Pittsburgh however, Kris and Catherine were not as lucky.

“Kris, are you okay?” Catherine asked her husband after he hung up with Bridgette and began blankly staring at the wall in front of their bed.

“Elle ne devrait pas avoir à continuer à vivre cela,” he muttered as he rubbed his hand over his face in frustration. She should not have to keep going through this.

“Je sais mon amour. Mais nous ne pouvons rien faire si ce n’est être là pour elle et l’aider à surmonter cette épreuve,” Catherine softly stated as she slowly coached Kris into a lying down position. I know my love. But there is nothing we can do except be there for her and help her get through this.

“Tu as raison,” Kris admitted as he turned over onto his side and pulled his wife’s body close to his own. Catherine allowed herself to melt against her husband as she switched to English and muttered, “When will you learn that I am always right?” Kris nuzzled his head against her neck as he let out a slight chuckle in response.

“Je sais mon amour. Mais nous ne pouvons rien faire si ce n’est être là pour elle et l’aider à surmonter cette épreuve.” Get some sleep love, you are going to need it tomorrow when you travel.Kris nodded against Catherine as he internally groaned, wishing that he did not have to get up in just a few short hours to travel to Washington D.C. for a single game road trip.

“Bonne nuit mon amour,” he muttered as he closed his eyes and willed sleep to find him again.

“Bonne nuit,” he faintly heard his wife reply before sleep, thankfully, found him quickly.

Notes

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