Serena

8-This can't be happening

I woke up smelling something delicious in the air. I quickly got up and ran to the kitchen. As expected, a woman wearing an apron and holding a ladle in her hand, stood there.

I immediately ran and engulfed her in a hug. "Easy there miss or I'm going to fall down." Martha said in a warm motherly tone.

"I'm sorry." I said still hugging her. "I'm just so glad you're finally here."

Martha is our housekeeper. She cooks and cleans in the house. Her sister wasn't feeling well so she had to look after her considering Martha was the only one she had left. That's why Martha was gone for nearly a month.

"How's your sister?" I asked her genuinely concerned. Her eyes saddened and her smile dropped. "She died a week ago." Her voice broke and I hugged her one more time.

"I'm sorry for your loss." I said. It's hard losing a sibling. I would know even if they are still alive and well.

She gave me appreciated nod before going back to cooking breakfast. Now that she is here Eli won't have to cook anymore. He must be thrilled.

"I should have known by the smell that Martha was finally here." Chase said with a mischievous smile. Martha turned around and smiled widely at him.

Martha was practically our second mother. She definitely showed more affection than our real one.

"Welcome home." Chase hugged her. He put an arm around her shoulder and shouted, "The best cook in the world has finally come back." She slapped her hand in his chest jokingly and they started laughing together.

Then footsteps were heard coming towards us. Soon all our brothers had come and started hugging her.

"Finally, I thought I would die of food poisoning if you didn't come." Dean said. That earned a smack from the back by Eli. "Ouch, that hurt you idiot." He complained.

"Then you shouldn't disrespect my cooking." Eli shrugged. Dean glared at him but didn't say anything.

"We missed you Martha." Nate spoke and all of us nodded in agreement. "I missed you too." She said as wrinkles formed in her eyes from smiling.

In that moment Jason came in. His eyes widened but he quickly grinned when he saw Martha. "Finally, we're going to eat real food." He enthusiastically said.

"Hey, what's wrong with my cooking." Eli looked offended. We all gave him an are-you-serious look. "No offence man but your food tastes like shit." Jason said. "But we appreciate the effort though."

"Morons." Eli mumbled. "I'm sure he did his best." Martha said trying to ease the tension.

"You tell them Martha. They are ungrateful brats." Eli said. "Don't curse at your siblings." Martha scolded him. My brothers smirked when she wasn't looking and he glared at them in return.

These are the times when I yearned that things could go to how they used to be. I wanted to be part of these moments. But now it's too late. We can't change the past.

These last few weeks have been messing with my head. There were times when I felt closer to them. But I shouldn't. Not after what happened.

"Hey, you okay?" A heard a voice that I recognised as Nate's ask. I averted my eyes to him. He was looking at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said as I made my way out of the room. I needed to get out because I just know that if I stay here for even a minute more I'll suffocate in delusional thoughts.

                                              ***

I have been walking for nearly an hour now. I don't know where I'm headed, I just know that I need to be as far away from home.