Five Minutes Older

Chapter Nine: What Is A Family?

The TV battery was dead.

Sun chatted with Moon internally, elbows on his knees. Bonnie sat on the ground beside him.

So, I was thinking--

Footsteps pattered outside.

Sun forced himself to stop from hiding behind his knees again. It helped that he did not hear Briana's clacking shoes in the mix. In fact, he didn't recognize most of them.

The door opened.

John's partner walked in, along with three young children--twin boys and a younger girl. While the younger girl hid behind the boy with a NASA shirt, said boy kept his attention on Sun. The other boy tipped his head, his toothy grin sans one baby tooth in the front wide.

John's partner announced, "Sun, this is Sam--" he set his hand on the missing tooth kid, "--Felix--" he set his hand on the NASA shirt boy's head "--and Mary." He set his hand on the little girl's head. "Sam, Felix, and Mary, this is Sun."

"Hi, Sun!" Sam announced with an excited wave.

"Hello," said his much calmer brother.

Mary simply watched him with owlish eyes.

"Hello!" Sun trilled. He forced himself not to move. After all, he hadn't been told to get up. Mary looked a little frightened. What if he scared her further?

John's partner looked down at the kids. "Now, you three be careful. Sun's a little new."

Sam chirped, "Okay!"

Felix grabbed his brother's arm and looked up at John's partner. "Uncle Dennis, is he really safe?"

"Of course. John wouldn't let me bring you here otherwise."

"Okay." Barely satisfied, Felix let Sam go.

Sam immediately ran up to Sun and held out his hand. "Hi! I'm Sam! I mean, obviously. I'm Dad's--John's--oldest kid."

"Second oldest!" Felix called.

Sun gently took his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sam! John told us he had kids."

"Oh, cool! Dad told us he was working on a project and that we would get to see you. Felix thought we wouldn't."

Felix, who hadn't left Dennis's side nor let go of Mary who still hid behind him, said, "Dad told you we might not."

Sam scoffed with a grand roll of his eyes. "Whatever. I was still right. Sun, you have a brother, too?"

"Moon!" Sun answered cheerfully. "He comes out when it's dark. He's the best!"

Sam tugged at Sun's hand. "Come on, get up! Felix, come meet Sun!"

Sun clambered to his feet.

Sam stared up at him. "You're taller than I thought you'd be. Cool!" He laughed and let go. Immediately he threw his hands up. "Pick me up! I wanna touch the ceiling!"

"Okay!" Sun plucked Sam off the ground and held him up.

Felix grimaced and looked at Dennis. Dennis watched Sun and Sam, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. The camera watched Sam.

Sam touched the ceiling with his palm. He laughed and looked down at Felix. "Come on, Fe-Fe! He doesn't bite!"

Sun set Sam down on his shoulders. At this height, Sam could not touch the ceiling, but he definitely tried.

Felix rolled his eyes at the nickname. Still, he squared his shoulders and strode forward. Mary let go and ran to Dennis. In the second she went from Felix to Dennis, he spotted Freddy's logo on the girl's orange shirt and on her Freddy-themed socks.