Two of hearts

Chapter 1- The beginning

   The air was dancing on my skin. It was the 16th of May on a slow Monday. My mom was still at work, and my stepdad was on the porch watching the sunset. I was inside, in my room, doing dumb math homework my math teacher gave us in the last 10 minutes of class. My window was open, letting the breeze in, in hopes I wouldn't feel so dead inside while figuring out what 3(276×865-56) is.

My mom should be home from her art studio soon. She is a ceramicist and an amazing one at that. She makes these beautiful clay vases, cups, bowls, and so much more. She's very skilled. I wish I had picked up her art skills, I've tried a couple of times, but I wasn't any good at it. Instead, I picked up my dad's writing and poetry skills, but ever since he disappeared, I've stopped writing completely. Nobody really knows where he is or if he's even still....I bet he's fine.

I hope.

My step-dad came into my room just as soon as I finished my math homework. "I'm about to make dinner, ya wanna help?" He said while putting his tiny glasses over his brown eyes. "Sure. I'll be right down!" I replied. Cooking together is my favorite thing to do with him. Cooking is how he shows his love for us. He really loves cooking for my mom after she gets home from working and being on her feet all day.
"Okie dokie kiddo!" he said while walking back downstairs, humming to a classical song playing downstairs. I quickly put up my school things and headed downstairs, trying not to fall down the steep steps. I looked to my right to see my step-dad in the kitchen, turning up his classical music. We are making my moms favorite, Moussaka. "Remember to wash your hands, Kai!" he said. "I know, I know." I said giggling. After I did that, he handed me a potato without saying anything. We make it so often that I could make it with my eyes closed if I wanted.

It was 20 minutes until 5 p.m., which is when my mom usually gets home from work. My step-dad asked me to set the table and go wash up before mom gets home.
I was drying my hands when I heard Pip, my pomeranian, barking downstairs. I walked out of the bathroom and walked to the top of the stairs to see my mom walking in the door. When my step-dad walked out of the kitchen and saw her, his eyes lit up like stars. She had clay all over her work clothes, her blonde hair was messy and was barely still in a bun, but even so, he looked at her like she was art. I've always envied them, wishing I had someone who would look at me like I was their entire world. He waddled over to her, gave her a big hug, took her bag, and sat it on the table next to the door. "Hi honey! How was your day?" He asked all excitedly. "It was super! There were a lot more orders than usual," she cupped his cheeks, then kissed him. He blushed and said "Thats amazing, honey," he said softly, smiling with hearts in his eyes. He looked like he was melting in her hands.
Even though my step-dad has a full beard with a hint of white in it, he still acts like a kid every time he's around my mom.
My mom met me in the middle of the stairs, gave me a hug, then went to change out of her work clothes and wash the day off of her.

I fed Pip, then sat down at the table as my mom came downstairs. We all sat down at the table. "How was your day, Kai?" my mom asked. "It was okay, I guess. My math teacher gave us homework in the last 10 minutes of class, though," I let out a sigh. "Aw, do you need any help with it? I know math is not in either of our skill sets, but if we put our one brain cell together, we can get it done," she exclaimed. We all chuckled. "Nope, I already finished it!" I bragged proudly. I finished early just so she wouldn't have to help me with it. She always offers to help with my homework, especially math, even though she's exhausted from being in the studio all day. My step-dad chimed in "Good job kiddo!" "Yes, what he said," my mom added, nodding her head. I wasn't sure how to respond, I'm not very good with praise, so I just smiled.

We finished dinner and talked for another 20 minutes, and then my mom went to go shower. I went outside for a while to read and listen to the waves before bed, while my step-dad cleaned the kitchen.
I went back inside after the sun went down and went upstairs to see my mom passed out on the bed like a squished mosquito. I chuckled quietly to myself. Beside her was my step-dad with his small galsses, probably reading about mythology or something. "Goodnight, kiddo." he whispered. "Goodnight, old man," I walked into my room and plopped on my bed with Pip following close behind me. He curled up on his bed and went to sleep. I closed my eyes, listening to the ocean waves. That was more than enough to get me to sleep.

In my dream, I was sitting on warm sand. In front of me was a beautiful ocean view. The sky was the perfect shade of blue, and the clouds almost looked cartoon like. I looked to my right to see a blurry figure of what looked to be a boy my age. I could only make out his blonde curly hair, though i could tell it was dyed because his black roots were coming in . He was wearing a white t-shirt with a black leather jacket and a belt with a knife sheath. I reached out my hand to try and touch him, but as soon as I got close enough, he started to fade away. Just then, the wind gusted, and I woke up.
It felt so vivid. How strange.