Striptease

Grocery Store

[Everleigh]

"Sissy! Wake up!"

I was sleeping so peacefully, so invested in my dream-turned-nightmare once more, that I hadn't heard the usual morning alarm go off on my phone.

And normally that wouldn't be much of an issue.

But I also slept through the alarm set five minutes after the first one and I probably would've kept sleeping had I not been so rudely disturbed from my slumber by a tiny human that first climbed up my bed and then jumped down on me like a pile driver in the WWE.

Groaning tiredly under my breath as I kept my eyes closed, I threw one arm over my eyes dramatically as I sighed like the world was coming to an end.

"Dear Lord, please let there not be a tiny human jumping on my body right now. There is only so much I can handle in one morning."

The squeaky, light-hearted giggles from my younger sister made me crack a hint of a smile as I removed my arm and opened my eyes, the beaming face of my baby sister, Teresa, staring down at me as she reached out and playfully poked at my cheeks with her chubby fingers.

Her fingers felt around my cheeks, poking at the dimple imprints as if she had known they were there all alone.

"You smile, Sissy. Why you smile?"

Teresa asked and I could only grin further as I sat upright, taking her with me and squeezing her in my arms.

Teresa shrieked and giggled as she tried to wiggle out of my grip but I only squeezed her some more, peppering kisses around her face like any good parent would do to show affection towards their young child.

Teresa wasn't my daughter but I cared for her like she was my own.

We weren't biologically related in that sense but she was my sister, my lifeline to anything good and pure in the world.

She may not know that the rest of the world was evil and vicious, unforgiving and full of mal intent, but I didn't want her to ever feel that way towards me.

I was her big sister, her protecter, her shield and armor.

I would always be there for her and I wanted her to remember our good times together.

"Because the sweetest little girl on the planet just woke me up with her wonderful, magical powers so I think it's time we get some breakfast into this little princess, huh?"

I said as Teresa pulled back slightly while I smoothed my hands down her shoulders, the pink matching pajama set that she wore being decorated with Disney princesses.

Esa was currently in a princess phase, everything had to be princesses or else, she simply couldn't deal with it and she always loved it when she was referred to as a princess or a queen.

Which was perfectly fine with me, except when those themed pajamas had to be washed and she was forced to wear a blue dinosaur set.

That catastrophe happened almost six months ago, when her pajamas got ruined from an unlucky bowl of spaghetti that didn't quite make its way into her mouth and lucky me, I had bought an extra pair to keep around the house for these occasions but Teresa was just not having it that day.

Needless to say, it ended with her crying her eyes out in the bedroom while I wanted to slam my head into the wall since I felt like the worst parent in the entire world.

Since I didn't want a repeat of that disaster, I always made sure that Teresa wore a napkin tucked into her shirt to keep her clothes clean and that I had an extra off brand princess themed set lying around here somewhere.