Sleepwalker Wolf

Brothers

Valery

Trav spent the rest of his hospital stay and the day at home before we left, grumpy and grumbly about me going to Libby without him, but this was something I needed to see through to the end before I could let go of my past and really start thinking about the future. He understood that, but hated the idea of me being so far away from him. Knowing Trevor was going with me helped a little, but what helped the most was when Eli offered to take a week off school and tag along as well.

            Which is how I ended up riding in the passenger seat of my own car, Trev driving and Eli laying across the backseats. Trev had connected his own phone to the Bluetooth for the first fifteen minutes until the 90's hip-hop started to drive me a little crazy. Seeing as this was my car and I was the only girl in the car, I vetoed his music and connected my own phone. My music consisted mostly of Luke Dick and Kenny Rogers, which Eli praised while Trev whined about it.

            "I'm only saying just because we might be rednecks to everyone else, doesn't mean we have to give in to the stereotype," Trev says, gesturing wildly with one hand while the other, thankfully, remains on the steering wheel.

            "Who says I'm giving into a stereotype? I just like this music. Simple as that. Why is having the taste in music everyone assumes we do anyway such a bad thing?"

            Eli snickers softly from behind me. "Don't worry Val, Trev just tries too hard to be different."

            Trev scoffs and reaches a hand between the front seats to swing at Eli, grumbling about how easier his life would be if he were an only child. Eli smacks his hand away, still snickering. It goes on for a minute as the car keeps drifting and Trev keeps having to drag us back onto the road. I smack Trev's arm and drag it back to the wheel before turning slightly and smacking Eli on the back of the hand.

            "I swear to God if we end up in an accident because of you two, I will personally make your lives a living Hell," I growl, facing forward again. "Immature little boys."

            "Aw, Eli. It's like having the older sister we never had," Trev coos, reaching a hand over to ruffle my hair.

            I smack it away but have to fight the little smile threatening to break through. "And you two are like the baby brothers I never had. Baby being the operative term there."

            Trev scowls while Eli just resumes laying across the back seats. "Is it terrible I'm glad you chose Travis over me because I don't think I could deal with your annoying ass every day."

            "Fuck you, Trevor. I'm a delight," I say. "Saying that though, maybe you'll find someone in Libby since nobody seems like you in Coeur d'Alene."

            "Well, fuck you too, respectfully."

            This strange warm ball heats up in my chest. It's a completely surreal experience to banter with someone like siblings. In all my group and foster homes, I felt like an outsider. Like I was watching them through a pane of glass, there with everyone, but separate. We never seemed to understand each other or be able to make any sort of connection.

            But in the matter of a few weeks, the Scott family had burrowed their ways into the deepest recesses of me. I was in love with Travis, Sandy and Walter became the parents I never had, and all the siblings were now mine. Eve and I could talk for hours, and the boys and I teased each other like it was second nature.

            If I found my birth parents would all that go away? Or would I be disappointed because they didn't measure up to the family I had found?