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On the day that Day closed his eyes the last time, Ozone felt completely numb. He cried, and cried, and cried, until no more tears would come out.
True to their word, night and dream immediately took him in. Despite dealing with their own emotions, and heartbreak, and loss, they never let it show and simply stood with or sat with ozone, supporting him in his grief.
It was a week later when Ozone officially joined their family. Surprising to them but also not really surprising at all, Day had prepared for the eventuality that he was gone and Ozone remained. Forms had been filled in bequeathing all of his possessions to Ozone, and they filled in permission form for Night to adopt Ozone as his brother.
Night did this with no hesitation, for what else could he do for the man he had thought of as his brother who had given him a future. And for the older brother who he had also come to love as his own.
The three lived their lives moving forward, not in the shadow of the night, but in the light of the day.
Dream moved forward with her dream to be a doctor, becoming a paediatrician, and also specialising further into child psychology and helping children with mental health conditions as well.
Night decided to leave medicine behind. For what he had considered and what he had lost, he no longer had the confidence to enter the hospital and practise. Instead, he changed his field of study to social services and moved into helping children who had lost their families, helping them find a new one. One that wouldn't replace what was lost but would augment what was still there.
Ozone tried everything and anything. Not wasting a single second of his life. He learnt to cook, so that Dream and Night would have warm meals when they came home, drew lots and filled their house with light, and also joined an online course for astronomy. He could no longer hear the stars, but whenever he closed his eyes, he heard a familiar voice recounting the planet from the system.
Every week they would visit Day. Ozone would recount all of the adventures of his week, changing the pictures he had drawn in Day's hospital room. He held his little brother's hand and talked with him for hours, with occasional input from Night and Dream.
Almost too quickly, 4 years went by. Night and Dream were just beginning their careers, and were now engaged. They had considered getting married on Night's birthday. But that wasn't their day, that was the day for Day.
They visited him, brought him cake, sang happy birthday to him, and sat with him so he wouldn't be alone.
A month later, Night and Dream were wed. There had been serious arguments about whose side Ozone was going to stand on, and in the end they decided that Ozone would be in the middle, he was the one that had saved their relationship, his presence represented the reason why Dream was alive. People clapped and cheered, and the three looked softly at the empty chair at the front, where a photo of Day sat waiting, as if he was only running late and would come and join soon.
Their marriage was a happy affair, with the mediation of Ozone, they never had serious fights or arguments, and Night’s possessive streak had mellowed with age.
It was no surprise that it was only a couple of months later when Dream became pregnant. Ozone became the perfect caretaker. He made sure she had everything she could need, made her food, gave her foot and back rubs, and made sure she was happy and healthy at all times. Dream joked that sometimes Ozone felt more like the father than Night. Night was not amused by this comment, but was proud of his brother for being such a wonderful uncle.
Their twins Issara and Jittinat, could have been named after no other person than their uncle who gave them life. Their little Moon and Star, completing their family.
Ozone, who surrounded them all, keeping them together.
Dream, who inspired them for all they could attain in the future.
Night, who gave a place of rest to all who would need it.
Moon and Star, who gave light to even the darkest night.
And Day, the reason the world would keep turning.
Moon and Star were delights, and for the first time in 6 years, Night and Dream saw true, unadulterated happiness in Ozone’s eyes as he lifted his niece and nephew to play with them.
However, this wasn't the only miracle they performed.
On their weekly visits to Day, they brought Moon and Star. Telling them stories about the light of the uncle, the reason they were there.
On one visit, Star, out of pure love for her uncle she had heard nothing but the best about, leant over and kissed Day on the cheek.
And he opened his eyes.
The three adults in the room screamed, startling the children who started crying. And it was this cacophony of noise that Day woke up to hear.
Day’s head was groggy, he could hear but it was as if his ears were stuffed with cotton wool.
He sat up and looked around. He saw many figures but the only one he had eyes for was Ozone.
Day held his hands out for his big brother and leant into his embrace as Ozone pulled him tight to his chest.
“Day is safe now. Ozone will take care of him.”
And he did, for the rest of their lives in that big house.
Day could no longer walk but with the help of a wheelchair, he could go so many places he never thought he would see again. But the biggest joy was seeing them with his family around him.
They sat together in front of a lake, Moon, Star, Wiwat, Kit, Dream, Night, Ozone, and Day. They stared out into the water, enjoying each other’s company, and, just as they were packing up to leave a handsome man with an easel, canvas depicting the beautiful body of water, caught Day’s eye and winked.
And with that, the story of Leap Day ended. But the story of Day had only just begun.