later,” Mom says patting her flushed cheeks. She runs her hands down the knee-length dark purple dress hugging every curve she possesses in her petite body.
“Or tomorrow,” Dad adds, with a chuckle, appraising Mom with an adoringly gag-worthy look in his eyes. He looks casual in his sky-blue, button down shirt, beige pants, and boyish goofy grin on his face. He murmurs something about car keys and dashes upstairs.
Mom lifts Lucy from her cushion on the floor, hugs her tightly, and kisses her forehead. She whispers, “I love you.” After placing her down, she leans forwards and kisses Anton who looks torn between melting into her touch and dashing off. She hugs him before turning and wrapping her arms around me. As she pulls away, she holds me at arms length and says in a low voice, “You seem different. More… grounded.” Was I flying before? “Everything okay?”
I nod. “Never better. Why?”
“Oh, you just seem to have grown up in the last week. You hardly argue back. So compliant…” Her eyebrows dip. “I can’t really describe it. I almost miss my rebellious baby.”
Death has a way of shaking someone to their senses. “I’m fine, Mom. Don’t worry about me. Have fun tonight.”
After Dad kisses us goodnight, our parents scamper out the front door. Watching them, my lips tug into a smile. As soon as the door closes and the last whiff of their tangled perfume and cologne fades, my heart squeezes. Will it ever be like that for me?
I shake my head to disperse the thoughts and turn to my siblings. “Let’s play. Anton, get ready. Today, I win!”
“As if you could,” Anton says, a sly smile on his face.
I deal five cards to each of us and place the starter card in the centre. Then I roll onto my stomach to get comfortable.
The cards pile up, but still none of us has come up with the right card. Lucy shifts on her pillow and says, “I know what I want for my birthday.”
Anton scoffs. “Another Barbie doll?”
Lucy crosses her arms in front of her chest and pouts. “He hates me. He’s so mean to me. Why, Ana?”
I send Anton a pleading look. Tonight, I just want everything to be… normal. I’ve had enough of weird lately. He rolls his eyes.
“What would you like?” I ask Lucy. Her pout eases as her eyes light up and her lips stretch into a wide, gap-tooth smile. “A Monster High doll. Mom has a lot of money. She can afford it.” She nods sagely as if she knows the exact amount Mom has in her account.
“Why do you think she has a lot of money?” I ask, spreading the cards in my fingers.
“She’s always taking out money from the bank using that card.” Her smile widens. “Money, money, money.”
I press my lips together to smother a smile. Anton doesn’t. He guffaws and smacks his knee. Sometimes I think Anton’s envy after Lucy’s unexpected arrival never faded. I don’t blame him. I was the same the first time Mom brought Anton home. Took me a while to change from envy to doting.
“See, Lucy, I don’t think Mom has so much money. She needs to work to get that money in the bank, then use the card to remove money whenever she needs it.”
She seems to run the words in her head. “Why does she need to put money in then take it out again?”
“So she doesn’t lose it,” I say. Anton snorts. Lucy nods.
One hour later, I rise to my feet to lift a snoring Lucy in my arms.
“I’ll take her.” Anton drops his cards and hurriedly shoots to his feet. I look at him. “I swear I won’t drop her. I love her, even though you all think I dislike my own sister.” He adds the last sentence in a disgruntled voice, eyes on Lucy’s sleeping form.
“I know you do.”
His shoulders relax. He leans down and scoops Lucy into his arms. I follow as he negotiates his way upstairs. When did he become this strong?
In Lucy’s room, he lays her on the bed as if he’s afraid to jostle her body and shatter it into pieces. This is a side of Anton I’ve never seen. Once he
“Or tomorrow,” Dad adds, with a chuckle, appraising Mom with an adoringly gag-worthy look in his eyes. He looks casual in his sky-blue, button down shirt, beige pants, and boyish goofy grin on his face. He murmurs something about car keys and dashes upstairs.
Mom lifts Lucy from her cushion on the floor, hugs her tightly, and kisses her forehead. She whispers, “I love you.” After placing her down, she leans forwards and kisses Anton who looks torn between melting into her touch and dashing off. She hugs him before turning and wrapping her arms around me. As she pulls away, she holds me at arms length and says in a low voice, “You seem different. More… grounded.” Was I flying before? “Everything okay?”
I nod. “Never better. Why?”
“Oh, you just seem to have grown up in the last week. You hardly argue back. So compliant…” Her eyebrows dip. “I can’t really describe it. I almost miss my rebellious baby.”
Death has a way of shaking someone to their senses. “I’m fine, Mom. Don’t worry about me. Have fun tonight.”
After Dad kisses us goodnight, our parents scamper out the front door. Watching them, my lips tug into a smile. As soon as the door closes and the last whiff of their tangled perfume and cologne fades, my heart squeezes. Will it ever be like that for me?
I shake my head to disperse the thoughts and turn to my siblings. “Let’s play. Anton, get ready. Today, I win!”
“As if you could,” Anton says, a sly smile on his face.
I deal five cards to each of us and place the starter card in the centre. Then I roll onto my stomach to get comfortable.
The cards pile up, but still none of us has come up with the right card. Lucy shifts on her pillow and says, “I know what I want for my birthday.”
Anton scoffs. “Another Barbie doll?”
Lucy crosses her arms in front of her chest and pouts. “He hates me. He’s so mean to me. Why, Ana?”
I send Anton a pleading look. Tonight, I just want everything to be… normal. I’ve had enough of weird lately. He rolls his eyes.
“What would you like?” I ask Lucy. Her pout eases as her eyes light up and her lips stretch into a wide, gap-tooth smile. “A Monster High doll. Mom has a lot of money. She can afford it.” She nods sagely as if she knows the exact amount Mom has in her account.
“Why do you think she has a lot of money?” I ask, spreading the cards in my fingers.
“She’s always taking out money from the bank using that card.” Her smile widens. “Money, money, money.”
I press my lips together to smother a smile. Anton doesn’t. He guffaws and smacks his knee. Sometimes I think Anton’s envy after Lucy’s unexpected arrival never faded. I don’t blame him. I was the same the first time Mom brought Anton home. Took me a while to change from envy to doting.
“See, Lucy, I don’t think Mom has so much money. She needs to work to get that money in the bank, then use the card to remove money whenever she needs it.”
She seems to run the words in her head. “Why does she need to put money in then take it out again?”
“So she doesn’t lose it,” I say. Anton snorts. Lucy nods.
One hour later, I rise to my feet to lift a snoring Lucy in my arms.
“I’ll take her.” Anton drops his cards and hurriedly shoots to his feet. I look at him. “I swear I won’t drop her. I love her, even though you all think I dislike my own sister.” He adds the last sentence in a disgruntled voice, eyes on Lucy’s sleeping form.
“I know you do.”
His shoulders relax. He leans down and scoops Lucy into his arms. I follow as he negotiates his way upstairs. When did he become this strong?
In Lucy’s room, he lays her on the bed as if he’s afraid to jostle her body and shatter it into pieces. This is a side of Anton I’ve never seen. Once he
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