A House is Not a Home

Promises

Annie pulled the little girl's hair back, using the small brush that had come in the package and secured it with a clear elastic.

"There, all better." she smiled down at the doll, smoothing the stray hairs back. The doll was beautiful, she had dark hair and big brown doll eyes, her skin was a smooth, chocolaty brown, the most beautiful doll Annie had ever laid her eyes on. Elliott had given it to her for her birthday after she'd begged him for it in the store one day.

As Annie continued playing in her bedroom, Jonas poked his head in, "Annie, dinner's ready."

"Just five more minutes, pplllleeeaaasssseeee Jonas?" She begged, pouting her lower lip.

"No, Annie that's not going to work this time. Mom made dinner and dad's gonna be home any minute." Jonas said, quickly losing his patience for his younger sister. 

"But Jonas, Sarah is about to go to prom! I have to get her ready before it's too late!" She insisted, scrambling to find the sparkly blue dress her mother had made for Annie to dress her new doll in. She wanted to prove to Jonas that it shouldn't be much longer.

"If you don't put that doll down right now and come down for dinner, I'm going to-" Jonas raised his voice, stepping deeper into the room when Annie's oldest brother followed him, hearing how loud he was becoming.

"What's going on?" Elliott asked Jonas, his eyes bouncing between his little brother and little sister, trying to decipher what all the commotion was about.

"She won't come downstairs for dinner," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Elliott," Annie said, getting her brother's attention. She held her doll up to him, her voice becoming distressed. "Sarah has to go to the prom or else Lucy won't want to be her girlfriend anymore!"

Elliott ran a hand over his face and ushered his brother out of the room, leaving the door slightly cracked but not enough that Annie could hear them. "Would you calm down? She's just a kid, Jonas."