No Shame (Book 2 - No Regrets)

Chapter Eight - Uncomfortable Dining

TYDE'S POV

Incredible how, despite spending the entire twenty-eight minutes on the way over mentally preparing, I found myself unprepared when my mother open the front door. She threw open the door and pulled me into a tight hug that lasted a second too long for my comfort. "You have to come see the house." She said as she pulled me inside by the hand. Dominick followed behind with a bottle of sparkling red grape juice.

The first room my mother showed us was the sitting-room, which is right down the front entry way. The walls are a pastel-blue and there are two fabric love-seats sitting across from each other with a small glass coffee table in the middle. The next room she showed us was the kitchen, in there she took the bottle of sparkling grape juice from Dominick. "Thank you, Nicholas." She said with a smile setting the bottle on the counter. I go to correct her, but Dominick stops me with a subtle shake of his head. My mother has been corrected several times on Dominick's name; but still without fail she calls him Nick or Nicholas.

The aroma floating around the kitchen is mouth-watering, I was partially distracted by the aroma as my mother discussed the features in the kitchen. She gave us a tour of the dinning room the living room, the fairly large backyard, two of the bathrooms, and the master bedroom. During the entire tour, I do not run into any of my younger brothers.

"Where are the boys?" I ask my mother as we walk into the kitchen.

"Oh, Pat is in his bedroom studying," Dominick and I both exchange knowing looks. Unlike my mother, we both know my step-brother, Patrick, is more interesting in exercising than academics. "... and the other boys are up in the game room watching a movie." She finishes.

"I'll go see them." I say excusing myself. My mother says something but I don't catch it. It doesn't take me long to find the staircase. "Wow, you're too busy with your movie to say hello to your favorite sister?" I say when I get upstairs.

My younger brother whips his head to face in my direction when he hears my voice. "Tyde!" Quinn exclaims getting up from the couch. His six year old arms wrap around me. I return his greeting-hug. I look back to find the oldest of my younger brothers, Joel., pausing the movie. He gets up from the couch, "Always great to see you." He says giving me a one armed hug.

"Is that the best you can do for your favorite sister?" I tease, giving his shoulder a loving squeeze. "Always great seeing you too." I add.

Joel laughs a bit, "You're my only sister." Impressive how in the mix of step-siblings, younger siblings, and Linkon, a total of six siblings, I don't have even one sister.

Joel was born right after I'd turned ten years old, a couple months after my mother returned. The first year after she returned was filled with a lot of adjusting. New rules, new house, new school, a new step-father, three step-brothers, a new baby, and, in a way, a whole new mother.

"What movie are you watching?" I ask sitting down on the couch.

"The Protectors." Joel answers. "Quinn picked out the movie." He adds.

"Cool." I say nodding my head. "I think I've seen that once or twice with Dominick's sister."

"Is he here?" Quinn asks excitedly. I look over at him and nod my head. "I'll show him my dinosaur collection, I have a new one!" Quinn leaps off the couch and runs down the stairs.

"Poor Dominick." Joel mumbles. Quinn could spend years talking about dinosaurs, and be perfectly content. Once on a road trip, he spent two hours talking all about dinosaurs.