The Bonds We Keep

Between Pillows and Pain

A Week Later

Estella's Pov

It's been a week since our birthday celebration, and honestly, it was one of the best days I've had in a while. Our grandparents came over to celebrate with us, which was really nice. They brought presents—mostly books for me, which, of course, made my day. It's like they know exactly what I love. After the party, I spent a lot of time just flipping through the pages of all my new reads. Right now, though, I'm curled up on the couch with Beckett while Jasper is in the kitchen whipping up something for me to eat. He's always looking for new gluten-free recipes that won't upset my stomach. "You deserve food that actually tastes good, not like cardboard," he always tells me. I swear, I argue with him all the time that Fruity Pebbles taste just fine, but he never lets it go.

Everyone else is at school or work, so it's just me, Beckett, and Jasper. I don't go to school like the others because of my health—getting tired easily and all that makes it kind of impossible. I'm homeschooled, which isn't too bad, though. I actually like that I can go at my own pace and get ahead when I'm feeling up to it. Plus, the flexibility lets me hang out with Beckett and Jasper on days like this when they're home.

"You even paying attention?" Beckett's voice pulls me out of my thoughts as he nudges me with his elbow. His arm is wrapped around me, keeping me warm while we're snuggled up watching a movie.

I blink up at him, trying to look convincing, but I've completely zoned out. "Uh, yeah," I lie, hoping he won't call me out.

"Okay, then what just happened?" he asks, smirking at me like he knows exactly what's up.

"Uhhh..." I mumble, feeling totally busted.

He laughs, shaking his head. "Exactly. Hiccup just pulled out this badass sword that's basically a lightsaber. Like, how cool is that?"

I giggle, partly because of how excited he sounds, and partly because it's hilarious how much he geeks out over these kinds of movies. Honestly, you'd never guess Beckett who's a 6'5 dude covered in tattoos and is 24 years old that he loves animated stuff like How to Train Your Dragon.

Right on cue, Jasper walks in from the kitchen carrying a tray. He places a bowl in front of me and then rushes back to grab a glass of water and my meds. "Here you go," he says with a smile, waiting for me to try it.

I glance down at the dish. "What is this?" I ask, eyeing what looks like broccoli and chicken.

"You'll like it," Jasper grins, totally confident.

I'm skeptical at first, but I take a bite anyway, and to my surprise, it's actually good. "Wait, this is... nice?" I say, a bit shocked, because I don't usually like broccoli much.

Jasper's face lights up. "It's lemony chicken lentils," he explains, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'm glad you like it." Then, just as quickly as he came in, he's off to clean up the kitchen, reminding me to take my meds when I'm done eating.

A couple of hours later, around 3 PM, the house starts to fill up. Ethan and Milo are the first ones back. Milo picks Ethan up after work since Ethan's school is on the way home from the tattoo shop. By now, I'm sitting at the dining table playing a board game with Jasper and Beckett. Ethan drops his backpack on the kitchen island and rushes over to me with a huge grin on his face. "Who's winning?" he asks, leaning over to check out the game.

"Me, obviously," Jasper says with a smug grin. Beckett rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he grumbles, but you can tell he's just being playful about it. He's kind of a sore loser sometimes, but we all make sure to cheer him up after.

Milo heads upstairs to shower while Ethan grabs a chair to join us. A little while later, Mom comes home from work. She walks over and hugs me from behind, planting a kiss on the top of my head. "Hey, baby. How was your day?" she asks, her voice soft and comforting.

"It was good! I watched a movie with Jas and Beck, and Jasper made this really good dish. We've been playing board games ever since," I tell her.

She smiles and looks over at Beckett. "She took all her meds today, right?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Mom," Beckett laughs as I groan.

"It was one time!" I defend myself, thinking back to that one day when I accidentally skipped a dose because I was in the middle of the best nap ever. In my defense, I haven't missed a dose since, I think.

Not too long after, Luca comes by. Even though he moved out a few years ago, he still spends a lot of his time here, which I love. The house just feels fuller when he's around. Achilles (we call him Ace) comes in not long after, laughing as he gently places his camera bag on the table that's in the entry way.

"What happened?" Milo asks, coming downstairs, towel-drying his hair.

Ace points behind him as Atlas walks in, completely covered in paint. He looks like a walking rainbow—literally. It's all over him, head to toe. We all burst out laughing.

"I may have dropped a few cans," Atlas mumbles, looking down at his colorful clothes.

"You look like a rainbow threw up on you," I say, cracking up. Jasper glances over at me with a grin. "I was literally just thinking that," he says, laughing along.

The night's going great, and everyone's in such a good mood. But out of nowhere, my stomach starts hurting. At first, I try to ignore it. I hate being the reason the fun stops, and I feel like everyone worries about me enough as it is. I don't want to ruin the moment, so I keep quiet and try to focus on the conversation about what everyone did today. But the pain gets worse, and before I know it, I've completely zoned out.

"Els, are you okay? We've been trying to get your attention," Ethan says, waving his hand in front of my face.

I snap back to reality and nod quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine," I say, but my voice doesn't sound convincing, even to me.

Luca glances down at my hands, which are clutching my stomach. "Do you want a heating pad?" he asks gently, already knowing what's going on.

I nod slowly, feeling the nausea creeping in. Without another word, everyone jumps into action. Beckett goes to grab some meds for me, my parents rush to get me comfy clothes and my favorite blanket, and Jasper is already making peppermint tea in the kitchen.

Before I know it, someone's helping me to the bathroom, and I'm throwing up. Achilles holds my hair and rubs my back, whispering, "You're okay, just let it out." I hate throwing up, especially when it interrupts moments like this. I start crying, feeling gross and frustrated with myself.

Once I'm done, Mom helps me clean up and change into the fresh clothes she brought. Dad picks me up and carries me back to the couch. I feel so exhausted, both from the nausea and from how overwhelming the love from my family is. Seeing all my brothers with things to comfort me—meds, tea, my stuffed animal—makes me feel so grateful, even though part of me feels like I don't deserve all this attention.

"Thank you, guys," I whisper, my voice weak but full of appreciation.

They tuck me into my favorite spot on the sectional, where I can lay out comfortably. Luca pulls the blanket over me, and Mom gently ties my hair into a loose bun. Beckett hands me the heating pad, Jasper brings me my tea, and Ace sits by my side, keeping me company.

Even though I'm too tired to eat, I watch them enjoy the dinner Jasper made while I sip on my tea. Dad declares that we should have a movie night, so we all settle in. The lights are dim, and everyone gathers around me. I'm snuggled up between Ace and Milo, with Ethan sprawled out on the floor in a makeshift bed of pillows and blankets.

As the movie plays, I start to drift off, surrounded by the warmth and comfort of my family. Even though the day didn't end the way I wanted it to, I feel so lucky to have them.

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A/N

Word count: 1,411

I hope you all are loving this book so far, Who's your favorite brother so far?

Lova ya, XOXO