Crystal Visions.

Been down one time...

Aaron:  

I'm not being dependent on my parents, I am a Journalist for National Geographic for Pete's SAKE! But renovating my home has basically broken my bank. I'm grateful that Mom and Dad are letting me stay at their house with them, but I just feel like I'm seventeen years old again. I love my mom, but I'm twenty eight! she doesn't need to make sure that my bed is always made, she doesn't need to read over my articles or look at the photographs that I am editing for the next issue, she doesn't need to check in on me all the time, she certainly doesn't have to remind me all the time that I'm her ''Little boy''. Bless her, I mean she's gorgeous she's my mom I love her, but I'm almost thirty, she doesn't need to baby me. I'm staying here for a couple of months, Lena and I broke up because she's moving back to Lebanon and she can't do long-distance. Neither can I, but I wish her all the best.     

I hear all the commotion downstairs, mom is with Dave, Karen, Aunty Lori and the rest of the crew working on some recordings. I'm very happy for my mom, it's about time she's released some new material to the public. For years us kids have all been listening to her howling, humming haunting melodies, playing her piano and writing like there's no tomorrow. It makes me proud to see her doing what she does best (besides being a mom), she did tell me she feels that despite being in the home that she's in a way neglecting Ella. She's got nothing to worry about, Ella has a private teacher Persi, she's pretty awesome. Although Troy's got his eye on her, she just got hired a couple of months ago because Ella's old teacher was moving back to New York for personal reasons. Besides Ella's too busy being a teenager, studying, hiding her fake ID from mom and dad that we gave to her so she could come to music gigs with us, playing COD, always in a mood for a puppy play date...Yeah she's not really an ordinary teenager, which is kind of why she gets home schooled. 

She was in school but...she's always been somewhat shy. A couple of years ago, at junior high, we noticed that she only ever wanted to come out with us older kids (hence why we got her the fake ID) we found out that she had no friends, aside from DOM across the road but she gets home schooled too because her parents travel a lot for business. It was to our understanding, kids found out about mom and dad and they would make fun of Ella, by saying how could she come from rock royalty and she's completely useless to the human race. So I begged mom and dad to put her in home study, I could see that she doesn't do well in those environments. After a lot of thinking Mom and Dad made the right choice, and Ella's even stronger than she was a couple of years ago. I love that Kid so much, I hate seeing her hurt. 

I check my watch, the time is now one in the afternoon, Ella's home study would be finished by now. I'm gonna take her out to the mall, she's like, me and her we're like 'Besties' I love my younger sisters but Ella's like the one who just 'gets' me. We act like hooligans, and we always joke that either of us changed moms life, seeing as Mom got knocked up with me and if it weren't for dad slapping a threat on her if she chose to abort I wouldn't be here. And Ella's reason is, well I remember my mother reaching middle age and just she kind of deflated, she didn't feel like she was writing or singing as much. She got depressed was put on anti-depressants which made her even more deflated, got off them, made another album and got pregnant! She wasn't too happy about getting pregnant at her age, but she was grateful that someone in a more authorative position saw her fit to be a mother again. But she mellowed, and months later Ella popped out, despite the tour and how insecure she felt during her pregnancy. All of those insecurities disappeared the moment Ella was born, it was as if she was reborn again through giving birth again. Funny expression to use, but it's true Ella changed her life...And so did I! 

I come down the stairs to see Ella reading a book at the bottom of the staircase, '' what ya reading bub'' I ask her, she smiles at me '' The great works of Alexander Pushkin''. I grab my keys out of my pocket and jingle them in my hand '' ready?'' before she answers. Troy and Seth come through the front door, '' What are they doing here?'' I ask her, Ella rolls her eyes '' Troy's probably come to see Persi, she hasn't left yet she's in the bathroom.'' Troy and Seth make their way over to us. Troy looks a lot like dad, same curly dark hair, same blue eyes, same stature and structure, but he's quite fair like mom. Seth has shoulder length wavy blonde hair, he looks a bit like our later grandfather Jesse, he's got a bit of a tan, dad's eyes, all of us boys took after dad's frame...actually all of us kids did. Except the girls got their femininities.