Loving Ashlynn (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 23 - Rock and a Hard Place (Brennan POV) Pt.3

Chapter 23 – Rock and a Hard Place (Brennan POV) Pt.3

Looking at our family from the outside, I've heard some pretty interesting comments, some pleasant and others not so much. We all loved one another, and that's what some people saw. While others, like the time we went to a Waterpark for Samantha's birthday and another family there had their snide comments. As though there was anything else besides love when it came to where Samantha belonged.

The world was changing and the ones that wanted things to remain the same, unprogressive I've realized that they had the most negative things to say. But regarding my family, we were a unique bunch.

When Talia and I were younger, I cannot remember a time when it was just the two of us. Mom had us, and then soon after had Thaddeus, and he was just there, always tagging along behind us, crawling when Talia and I had already started walking. Mom had videos of everything.

Then Thaddeus started walking himself, and it was Thaddeus, Talia and me.

I think right around then; two more little people were brought home. Silas and Samson. Silly and Sam.

It's strange to think back that far but as young as I was, only a year and couple months older than my brothers, even then I had a favorite when they came on the scene, and it was no other reason that Samson was the quieter baby. I'm sure he cried too, but Silas seemed to cry nonstop, all the time, for everything and if he wasn't crying he was giggling in his sleep. It was the strangest thing, but again, we teased him endlessly as we grew older because if you walked past Silas' room at night, there was a good eighty percent chance that you'd catch him giggling deep in his sleep.

The next morning, though, he'd have no idea what he had even dreamt that had him in titters.

Although once he grew out of that crying phase around age four, Silas was snickering in the day ten times more than he was asleep. He was the happiest of all of us. Mom would joke and say that he cried so much as a baby that he got it all out of his system.

Samson though, he was the happy baby that turned into the thoughtful toddler that only played with Silas, but much rather play by himself. Then the Rosario's moved and Javier, Devin, and Taylor became friends with our ever-growing brood.

Latching onto Silas and Samson, Taylor was where they were.

Thinking now, it was idyllic in a sense. Even though mom would say that we all just caused problem after problem. Sure there were stupid fights, skinned knees, and broken limbs, but life was good back then. It was good now, but there would always be that one person missing that we'd think about at different times.

.

.

.

Then. I closed my eyes, tilted my head back against the wall as the knot in my throat grew after leaving Samson's bedroom. I didn't need to understand fully what Samson meant when he explained his relationship with Faith, not when he mentioned Silas.

Samson doesn't mention Silas, a small voice whispered to me.

It was just some silent understanding that no one had spoken of, and we all knew about it. Heck, I think to protect Samson, mom and dad had removed many pictures where Silas was in them for fear of upsetting Samson. A few kept but most moved to an album.

Going right down to my room, I grab my phone, looking at it in my hands for a while before finally calling Devin. I just needed to hear her voice. The cell is sent, and I place it up against my ear, knowing that if she wasn't busy, after the second or third ring that she'd pick up and thankfully she does.