As soon as I hear a car door slam, I charge to the back door and fling it open. I must look mad... Grinning like a crazy lady, hair a mess from lying on the sofa and jumping up each time I heard a car; these are all things family do not notice, however. These three boys were going to be my brothers, and I'm ecstatic.
I wring my hands and watch Zoe open the car door, stretch her arms, close it, turn and open the back door. A tall, skinny boy steps out and I can only think of one word to describe how he looks. Cool. He is wearing grey ripped skinny jeans and a huge, way- too- big black hoodie with a skull. His black Converse are scuffed and smudged, one lace unravelling and dragging on the ground. His jet black hair is tousled and his mouth is unsmiling. This must be Aaron, then. I smile at him.
"Hi! I'm Tanya! Your adoptive sister. My twin, Zoe, is inside, and Zoe's blood daughters Amber and Taylor. And Alfie. He's really cool. I really hope you'll be-" I stop. He isn't listening. He's got one eyebrow raised, leaning against the car, inspecting his fingers. He looks up at Zoe as if asking for permission to go in. She nods at him cheerfully. This all happens without a sound. Is he rude or shy? I guess rude, and I'm hurt. He pushes past me. I blink, startled.
I'm a bit disappointed by Aaron, so Jay comes as a wonderful surprise. He's a cute little toddler with curly blonde hair and a chubby face. As he leaps out of the car with a laugh, he smiles at me. "Hi! I'm JJ. You're pretty. Let's play!" He grabs my hand and gives me a hug. I cuddle him back.
"Hi, JJ! Thanks! Okay, come and give me a proper huggy." I lift him up in my arms and wait for my third brother. Jay throws his arms round my neck and clamps onto me, like a clingy monkey. I squeeze him tight.
Zoe clips some buckles open on the car seat. She pulls out a gorgeous little baby, with chubby cheeks and beautiful brown eyes. I fall in love with this perfect little angel, Thomas. He's six months old, but extremely observant. I sneeze and he jumps, staring at me, startled. His expression is so cute! Jay has already taken up home in my heart. I squeeze him and put him down.
"Let's go and meet Zoe!" I cry. He looks at me puzzled.
"I know Zow, silly Tamya." He says, giving us both cute nicknames to match his own, JJ.
"I know, but there's another Zoe. In here!"
I bring him inside and then turn to Zoe.
"Wow! Thomas is just an angel, and Jay is gorgeous, little thing! But... Aaron."
"Aaron." Sighs Zoe. "Listen. Since Leah died, he's developed something called selective mutation. He won't speak. Not because he can't, but he won't. Selective. He will choose to talk again some day. When he's ready."
"That explains why he didn't reply, then."
And I thought he wasn't listening. Uuuuurgh. I've made such a dumb mistake. That's what happens when you ASSUME. You make an ASS out of U and ME.
I follow Jay. He's on Zoe's lap, crooning twinkle twinkle.
"Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, star in the sky, j don't know what you are, diamond diamond, star fall out of sky and crying star crying, boohoo, JJ and Tamya and Zooa find him, make it better, put on plaster on his knee. Where plasters, Zooa? Need for star. He's crying. Make better."
I can tell Zoe- Zooa- is charmed too. We find him plasters and he puts them everywhere. He puts one on my head. I just laugh. I pick him up and turn- and bump into Aaron.
"Hi," I say uncomfortably. It's weird speaking to him now, like talking to a doll or teddy. "Settling in? I'll show you your room, it's just upstai..." I trail off. He's yanked Jay out of my arms and is glaring at me. Zoe stands up behind me and looks at him.
"Hello, I'm Zoe. Um... Tanya was only holding Jay, she loves little ki-" he shoves her in the chest!
I gasp, Zoe groans in pain. Aaron, holding Jay, marches out of the room.
"He has selective mutation. That means he doesn't want to talk, but he will some day." I explain as briefly as I can. "That's Aaron, obviously."
Zoe nods. We walk out into the kitchen and see Alfie and Jay. Jay is singing him Humpty Dumpty.
"Honey Ducky sit down on chair. Chair just right. Uh- oh! Chair break! Crack! Honey Ducky broke too! King man put on crown and go on horsey and get Mummy's smelly- tape and stick him up and make him better and tell him 'no sit on chair now' and Honey Ducky say 'yes mister king man' and king man take off crown cos it hurting his head." Alfie grins, and laughs. "Great singing little dude!"
"Not liddle! But song lots of song." He says song rather than sing so it's confusingly cute. "Now Alfeet sing."
"Alfeet? Okay. Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Jay Jaaay, happy birthday said the man!"
"Nope," says Jay critically. "Not right. No happy day to me or no happy day said man!! Wrong!!!"
My new younger brothers are amazing. But Aaron is becoming curiouser and curiouser...
