Shadows Among Us

Chapter42

Chapter 42: growing pains

*time skip has happened*

Thirteen-year-old Aurora sat at the kitchen table, her face contorted in frustration. Her cousin, 6-year-old Sienna, sat across from her, clutching her favorite stuffed animal—a well-worn fox named Mr. Fuzz. Aurora's two younger brothers, Rowan and Elias, were sitting on the floor nearby, playing with blocks. Rowan, the 3-year-old, was giggling loudly as he knocked down the tower Elias, 2 years old, was carefully building.

"Stop it, Rowan!" Elias whined, his little fists balling up as he glared at his older brother. "I'm trying to make it tall!"

Aurora sighed, rolling her eyes. "Rowan, can you please just leave Elias alone? He's still a baby."

"I'm not a baby!" Elias protested, puffing out his chest with all the defiance a two-year-old could muster.

"You are, though," Aurora teased with a smirk, though her tone was light. She adored her little brothers, even if they drove her crazy sometimes.

Rowan stuck his tongue out at Elias and started to build his own tower beside him. Meanwhile, Sienna looked up from her stuffed animal and pouted, her blue eyes wide as she gazed at Aurora. "Why can't we play a real game, Rory?" she asked, her voice pleading.

Aurora winced at the nickname, one she was sure she would never get used to. "Because, Sienna, you just want to play tea party again, and I'm too old for that."

"No, you're not!" Sienna protested, her lower lip trembling. "You promised we'd play today!"

Before Aurora could respond, Rowan decided to chime in, sensing the tension. "Aurora said no, Sienna!" he declared, earning a triumphant look from his big sister.

Sienna glared at him. "You're too little to play with us anyway!"

"I am not!" Rowan shot back, standing up in indignation.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

As the bickering escalated between the two, Elias—who had been quietly stacking his blocks—gave up on his tower-building and threw a block at Rowan's head. It didn't hit hard, but it was enough to spark a full-on squabble between the boys.

"Mom! Help!" Aurora shouted in exasperation, standing up as she tried to separate Rowan and Elias before they could do any real damage.

Just then, Eliana and Luna walked into the room, hearing the commotion from down the hall. Eliana immediately moved to break up the scuffle, while Luna crouched beside Sienna, who had burst into tears.

"What's going on in here?" Eliana asked, her tone firm but not unkind as she placed her hands on her hips. She gently pulled Elias away from Rowan, who was rubbing his head where the block had landed.

"They won't stop fighting!" Aurora exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "I tried to tell them to stop, but no one listens to me!"

"Rowan started it!" Elias added, sticking his tongue out at his older brother, who promptly did the same.

Luna, who had successfully calmed Sienna down, gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "There, there, sweetie. Why don't we all take a deep breath and try to calm down, hmm?"

Sienna sniffled, still clutching Mr. Fuzz. "But Aurora said she doesn't want to play with me..."

Eliana, after separating the boys and ensuring neither was seriously upset, turned to her daughter. "Aurora, honey, I know you're growing up, but Sienna really looks up to you. Can't you try to find a way to play something everyone can enjoy?"

Aurora sighed, crossing her arms. "But Mom, I'm not a little kid anymore. I can't keep playing tea party forever."

Eliana gave her a soft smile. "I know. But remember, being the older sibling and cousin means being patient and sometimes making compromises."

Aurora groaned. "Fine. We can play something. But not tea party."

Sienna's face lit up at the prospect of spending time with her older cousin, and she quickly wiped away her remaining tears. "What about hide-and-seek? We can all play that!"

Rowan perked up at the suggestion. "I wanna hide! I'm really good at hiding!"

Eliana chuckled, ruffling Rowan's hair. "That sounds like a great idea. Why don't you all go outside and play? But make sure to stay close to the house."

As the kids began to file out, eagerly talking about who would hide first, Aurora lingered behind for a moment. "Thanks, Mom," she mumbled, still clearly annoyed but a bit more relaxed now that the chaos had settled.

Eliana smiled warmly and pulled her into a quick hug. "You're doing great, sweetheart. Being the big sister isn't easy, but you've got a good heart."

Aurora rolled her eyes playfully but returned the hug. "Yeah, yeah. I guess they're not too bad."

Eliana watched her daughter join the others outside, a soft smile on her face. Luna, having soothed Sienna, stood beside her with an amused expression.

"They'll figure it out," Luna said, glancing over at the kids running toward the backyard. "It's part of growing up, isn't it?"

Eliana nodded, though there was a flicker of nostalgia in her eyes. "Yeah. But it's happening so fast. One minute they're babies, and the next... they're practically teenagers."

"Tell me about it," Luna replied with a laugh, resting her hand on her growing belly. "Finn keeps joking that we're going to have our hands full with this one, and he's probably right."

Eliana grinned. "You'll manage. You've already got the mom instincts down."

"Maybe," Luna said, her tone softening as she watched Rowan try to hide behind a tree, barely managing to stay out of sight. "But every kid's different, you know?"

Eliana nodded in agreement. "That they are."

As they stood there together, the sound of laughter and playful shouts filled the air. Aurora, Sienna, Rowan, and Elias were deep into their game of hide-and-seek, their earlier squabbles forgotten in the excitement of the moment.

For now, everything was peaceful, and despite the occasional dramas and challenges that came with parenting, Eliana and Luna knew they would always have each other's backs. And as the kids continued to grow, they'd be there to guide them through every bump and milestone along the way.