𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐄 | Jeremiah Fisher

seven.

      EVA WAS COOKING PANCAKES WHILE LISTENING ONE OF HER FAVORITE SONG. She sang softly as she was cooking and Jeremiah's hand on her shoulders made her jump.

"God, you scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry." he laughed and looked at her outfit. "Isn't that my hoodie?" he asked.

"Uh... yeah. Sorry. I forgot to give it back so I kept it. I can give it back to you if you-"

"No, no, it's okay." Jeremiah smiled. "It looks good on you. You can keep it."

     He then noticed the song which was playing and he laughed.

"Still listening to Bon Jovi?"

"Always listening to Bon Jovi." she corrected him. "Everyone should appreciate Bon Jovi and their art."

      The chorus started and he grabbed her hand to spin her.

"Ooh, ooh, I was dancing with the Queen of New Orleans." he started to sing and she laughed.

      He placed his hands on her hips and she giggled as she let him guide her.

"Ooh, ooh, I was dancing in the streets of New Orleans!" they sang together. "Ooh, ooh, dancing cheek to cheek in New Orleans!"

      She put her arms around his neck and they turned together, still laughing.

"Ooh, ooh, it was almost like a dream!"

"What are you doing?"

      They jumped and pulled away when they saw Conrad at the entrance to the kitchen who was staring at them with a frown.

"We were just dancing." replied his brother.

"Okay." the boy said suspiciously as he sat down.

"Um, do you want pancakes?" Eva asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Sure."

"Here." she said, slipping him a plate before starting to cook again.

"Thanks, Ev."

      The mothers soon arrived, along with Steven and Louis.

"It smells good!" Louis exclaimed.

"Not like you." replied his sister, wrinkling her nose. "Jeez, when was your last shower?"

"I went to the pool yesterday, it's the same." said the boy.

"You are disgusting." Eva said.

"Go take your shower, Lou." Caroline told him, rolling her eyes.

"Morning, everyone!" suddenly exclaimed Belly, entering the kitchen.

"Happy birthday!" everyone yelled, and Eva noticed that Conrad was the only one to stay quiet.

      Everyone came to hug Belly and she smiled. Since they were babies, they celebrated Belly's birthday at Cousins, like the twins' birthday which took place a few weeks later, on the Fourth of July. It was always a special day and when they were little, their older brother Jimmy used to tell them that the fireworks were in their honor.

     They quickly decided to open the presents because Belly wasn't hungry. They all sat down in the living room and Belly took a seat on the sofa to open her mother's present.

"It's a first edition." Laurel said when Belly saw the book. "I got it from a rare book dealer."

"Thanks, mom."

"Turn to the bookmarked page. It's your favorite poem." the Concklin told Susannah.

"Oh yeah!" Belly exclaimed, reading the page. "I remember Susannah teaching us to recite this. 'For whatever we lose...'"