The Lost Get Found

Chapter 7

***THIS IS SOMETHING WHAT I IMAGINE THE COTTAGE TO LOOK LIKE***

Adina's POV

We make it out of the woods and head over to my little sister and that tall dude I don't know the name of, lazily sitting on the bench looking at birds.

"That's Max," Demi tells me as if she could read my mind.

I nod, signaling I heard her. Deciding I wanted to give them a little scare, I sneak up on Adelina and place my hands over her eyes. Before she can scream in terror I reply,

"Guess who?"

She's quick to remove my hands from her face and turn around to smile at me. Her little arms entangle around my waist as she shrieks.

"Dina! Ywou're herwe!" She lisps. I laugh as I wrap my own arms around her small frame, loving the sound of her young voice.

"Yep, in the flesh!" I sass to her. As expected, she pulls back and frowns in confusion, her blond eyebrows scrunched together.

"What?" She asks hesitantly. I let out another laugh at her little face trying to make out what I had just said to her.

"Nothing, just something older people say," I wave off. She nods like she understands, but I have a feeling she's just rolling with it.

"Okay, what do you say to walking over to my place and we get things settled as to why you two were out here in the first place, hmm?" Demi speaks for the first time since out sisterly reunion. I nod my head, picking up Adelina as we walk down the same path Demi had taken to get here before.

As we walk, my arms grow tired from holding my sister and my legs stagger to keep us up. Something tells me that lack of food is the trouble for this.

Noticing my struggle, Max decides to step in.

"Adelina, how about I give you a piggy back ride?" He asks kindly, his accent shining through. She nods her head excitedly making grabby hands toward him. Taking this cue, he launches her onto his back and rushes in front of us, galloping and making horse noises through his mouth. My sisters giggles ringing along with them.

I laugh at the two and soon feel eyes on me. I turn to look to my left and see Demi giving me a concern look.

"What?" I wonder.

"Nothing," she's quick to answer.

We soon make it to the cottage with Max and Adelina in the lead walking up the rocky walkway to the stairs. We enter the place and I can't help but admire the décor.

The gray walls and white crowning of the edges seem to tie in with the light blue foam couch that had assorted throw pillows with sea designs on them. A white lazyboy chair is in the corner of the room will a quilt draped over it and a book shelf along side it. Dark colored hard wood floors seem to finish the whole 'comfty' look of the room.

I take a breath in surprised to find that instead of the familiar scent of stale beer and dust mites, I smell the salty air of the lake.

"Is this..." I'm too engaged with the house to finish that sentence.

"Lakeside? You bet. Now can I please talk to you about the whole situation with you two?" She asks getting straight to the point. I shrug to respond and she just blows a frustrated breath towards me.

"Max, do you think you could take Adelina outside into the back yard?" She ask the buff guy.

"Sure thing, Demi!" He answers while giving my little sister a tickle under her chin.