P a r i s ~.•*•.~ALEX WALTER~.•*•.~

002•

As Jackie and Monique walked down the hallway, they could hear Katherine (who was still on the phone) talking in the kitchen, which is where they were headed. As they got closer, the younger Howard girl glanced behind her to see Alex come out of the living room. He looked at her from the other end of the hall and smiled. He looked amazing when he smiled, and it sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach. she smiled back quickly before disappearing, again, into the kitchen. Alex thought it a good thing she left when she did. She didn't get the opportunity to see the red forming on his cheeks.

"He's still vomiting?"

"I'm gonna take these up to your room." George said.

"Okay well it sounds like i'm gonna have to sedate her too." Katherine said as she walked towards Jackie and Monique. She had her phone pressed against her ear, held in place by her shoulder and she carried two glasses of a yellowish drink with straws sticking out above the rims. As she passed the two girls the beverages, she mouthed 'it's lemonade' to them before walking back to the counter, her phone now held in her hand. Feeling slightly more encouraged the girls stepped into the room.

Jackie looked around taking in her surroundings, Monique however seemed to have stepped on something. Moving her foot to the side she was met with a small yellow sports car that had two bright red stripes across the top. She had a feeling she knew who's it was, but she wasn't sure where to put it. She held it in her hand, turning it, admiring the amount of detail it had, for a toy car that is. Their father liked cars. He had quite a few himself, and seen as money was dependable and disposable he saw no reason not to. If he had been with them right now he probably would be telling her the type of car it was, which model, maybe even pointing out all the flaws and faults before someone would remind him that it was a toy and not really that serious. Sometimes it was things like this, little things that made her miss her family even more. She saw them everywhere. Her father in sports, and cars, and coffee. Her mother in coloured pencils, and fabrics, and movies. And Lucy. She saw Lucy in everything. Candles, sunsets, Jackie. Jackie reminded her so much of Lucy. As she held the object that somehow she found so much meaning in, she saw somewhere to put it. On the post, at the base of the banisters leading up the stairs, sat a larger, but equally as yellow, pickup truck. Monique walked over and neatly placed the toy beside it.

She looked over to the wall across from her, covered in nothing but well worn yellow paint and happy memories, forever frozen in time, proudly displayed. Among the many pictures hung upon it one caught her eye. It was a photo, granted an over saturated one, of a ginger haired woman in a blue gown and graduation hat. Stood next to her, holding each other tightly, cheeks touching, was another woman. She had beautiful dark hair, tanned skin, and she smiled with her whole face. It was their mother.

"She looks beautiful." Someone spoke from behind her. It was Jackie. She had watched Monique pick up the toy car, place it on the post, and saw her look up to the photo.

"No, no, no. It's just the worst possible timing. I told you that the girls were coming today." Katherine said as she approached them. she mouthed an apology and kept talking to the person on the phone, but Monique was still hazed by the the picture. she didn't know whether she wanted to smile or to cry.

"Jackie, Monique. I'm so sorry. I have to go...Oh thank god. Will's here. Come on." A tall man with brown hair, and a unbuttoned white striped shirt revealing a white t-shirt underneath, walked towards them, beckoned over by his mother.

"Girls this is Will. Will this is Monique and Jackie." Katherine said. "Will's our oldest and he's the best."

"Jackie, Monique. Welcome." He said putting his hand out for each of them to shake. They all seemed quite friendly here.