The Minutes We Have

chapter seven

We must learn to fly. 

There is no bird in the universe who was born in flight. They are grounded by the crushing weight of gravity until they can learn how to stretch their wings. They learn to control their feathers, tilting and gliding through air currents that could catapult them to the ground. Sometimes, they do fall. Then, they spread their wings and try again.  

I witnessed my family learning how to fly. It was odd. I had grown so used to all five of us being grounded in that city, with a chain around our ankles, and broken wings. Now, each in our own ways, we were free of our cages. 

The twins had gotten up early this morning and informed me that they were going to their friend's place. I had almost forgotten they had a group project they needed to work on for this week, but it felt different watching them go on their own. I wasn't questioning where they were going, I wasn't worried about them coming home with bruises. 

My little brothers were growing up. 

Only recently had I realized that. 

I hadn't bothered Ezra this morning to go ice skating, I knew he loved to sleep, and today was the last day home before he went back to college. I had seen Mikeal briefly while he made his coffee but he had informed me that he needed to get some work done this morning, and he retreated to his office. 

That left me on my own in the living room, which was nice because, from the windows, I could see that it was still gently snowing. I felt like it snowed all the time here. I had a cup of coffee in my right hand and the television remote in my left hand. 

A book rested across my lap. It was my last resort if I couldn't find anything good on Netflix. Although I knew I would end up reading more than watching, I just liked the background noise. Finley was snuggled up against the blanket that I had draped over my feet. 

Life wasn't half bad. 

Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. 

I glanced in the direction of the front door, although I couldn't see it around the living room wall, and then there was a second knock. I reluctantly moved my book, set my coffee down, and moved towards the door. For some reason, I felt anxious. 

Maybe it was because I remembered that time the bad cop had shown up at my doorstep, and I still wasn't sure about the sheriff in town, but I stood on my tiptoes and peeked out the peephole. My hand rested on the doorknob and I decided to open it.

I stood with my hand on the door, not allowing it to open the whole way. I stared at the two people on my front step. A dark-haired boy stood closest, having been the one who knocked, and his hazel eyes widened slightly. A sandy blonde boy stood further away, hands tucked in his jean pockets, and his green eyes flashed to mine. 

"Can I help you?" I asked them. 

"Oh," The dark-haired one spoke, eyebrows raising slightly as if he hadn't expected that I would be the one to answer the door, "You must be his sister." He glanced over his shoulder at his friend, "Julie? Jo?" 

"Jordyn," His friend offered my name, and their gazes switched back to me, "Is Ezra here?" 

"He should be!" The dark-haired boy scoffed before I could answer, and crossed his arms, "He told us to be here by eleven, and here we are." 

I glanced between the two of them, and I slowly answered, "Yes, he's probably sleeping." 

Both of them groaned. I even caught the dramatic eye roll from the sandy blonde.