The Lost Boys

"Wes?"

"What is it now Danny?" Wes mumbled.

Danny was the younger brother of the two, Wes took him out camping even though the kid was extra annoying when he could have invited his two best friends instead. "Spend more time with your younger Brother" his Dad advised him one morning when they went out fishing. Wes really respected his Dad so he took the words to heart. "Fine, I'll take him camping" he grudged.

"I don't wanna go to bed"

Wes groaned, "You're always doing this... shut up already!"

"Remember the lost boys Wes?"

"What?" Wes opened his eyes.

"The lost boys, the lost boys in Peter Pan"

Wes turned over to face the kid and grabbed his flashlight in his sleeping bag and shined it directly into Danny's eyes. Danny winced and covered his face with his dirty hands.

"You're seriously talking to me about the lost boys right now...seriously?" Wes was extra annoyed with his brother at this point and decided it was useless to even try and get any sleep.

"The lost boys didn't want to go to bed"

"Uh, no - actually the lost boys didn't want to grow up"

"Oh."

"Yeah, so are you going to let me sleep now?"

For some reason Wes remembered that night even as an adult. When Danny passed away in the accident after he relocated to Florida for a new executive role this was the memory that stayed with him almost every night after going to bed. He started reading Peter Pan to the kids for their bedtime story. "Are you sure this is healthy for you?" his wife was concerned and suggested maybe he get some therapy. Wes Simmons was no longer sleeping regularly at night, it haunted him that he was always so mean to his only brother growing up, he chided the guy even as they got older. He didn't even go to Danny's graduation from Stanford.

"Hon maybe you should get some rest now okay? You've got to drive the kids to school in the morning..."

Wes stopped typing on the keyboard and turned to face his wife, "Remember the lost boys Suze? The lost boys, you know, in Peter Pan?"

"Are you seriously talking about Peter Pan right now?! I'm calling Dr. Evans first thing tomorrow you need some support in -" Wes interrupted her before she could finish, "Danny was right all along. Danny was right" he turned to face the monitor again, "the lost boys didn't want to go to bed."

“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan