Atticus and Indi.

Smiles and Petals.

they emerged from the living room exactly an hour and fifty – two minutes later. Two young boys smiled at Atticus, they had his eyes. They tugged on his jeans.

“Atti, can the pretty girl come say goodnight?”

He looked at her and she nodded.

“Come on boys, let’s show the pretty girl your room” He ran down the hall, the young boys at his heels.

A small spurt of giggles came from inside the cupboard to the left of her. It was at the end of the long line of benches, which the kitchen was adorned with.

“Hello?”

A head stuck out from behind the cupboard, a young girl who would have been six at the oldest. She wore overalls which dragged on the ground and a red shirt that was loose for her.

“I can’t believe my brother as a girlfriend!” The auburn haired girl exclaimed, hugging Indi's waist.

I couldn’t tell her I wasn’t so I just smiled.

“What’s your name?” She asked kneeling on the floor so her eyes were level with the large blue ones of the young girl.

“Mayella”

She nodded.

“I’m Indi”

“I want to look like you Indi” May said wistfully picking up a strand of the older women's umber hair and comparing it to her own hair which was only slightly lighter.

Indi tickled her lightly until she laughed.

“I want to look like you, like a little petal” Indi touched little May's nose with my index finger and the young six year old smiled wide.

I noticed a older women smiling at me, as she picked up the little girl twirling her around.

“Off to bed Missy Moo” She said giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek before placing her down.

Indi smiled and the women smiled back.

“I’m Jill" Her curls of oak bouncing at her shoulders.

“I’m Indi”

She bought me into a hug, it was something I’d always done when greeting others and the likeness of the gesture was comforting.