On Leave

Four

Four

Raelynn sat quietly in the back seat looking out the window as Ashley talked animatedly with her big brother.

"And so I was struggling really hard with the problems and all of sudden a girl plops in front of me with a pretty smile and helps me and bam!" she clapped her hands together. "Besties ever since." Ashley's antics made Raelynn smile gently as she stared out the window. She felt a paw gently tap her leg and Raelynn looked over at Chip she smiled and petted him between the ears giving him kisses on the head.

"My good boy." Raelynn muttered as she laid herself down in the back seats of the lifted black Silverado and wrapped her arms around Chip's body. It was Saturday, her first day off all week and she was so tired from working doubles that before she knew it she was falling back to sleep.

..........

Sebastian listened intently to every little thing his baby sister talked about but he couldn't help his eyes from wandering to the back seat every now and then. She had been looking out the window for the first part of the thirty minute drive but now she lay down cuddled up to the dog Ashley had called Chip sleeping. Ashley turned around to say something to Raelynn but noticed the girl sleeping again. She seems so lazy and carefree. Sebastian thought.

"Poor girl, she's so stressed and tired." Ashley sighed reaching out to move hair out of Raelynn's face and Chip licked her hand as she pulled away. Sebastian you are so judgmental. Sebastian scolded himself.

"Why is she so tired?" Sebastian asked curiously.

"A full time online student with two jobs. No vehicle, so she has to live close to school and work which is too expensive for minimum wage. Sleep is a luxury she rarely gets." Ashley said quietly. Sebastian you are an assuming asshole.

"You don't help her like you've helped everyone else?" He asked knowing that previously Ashley would give out money like it was tissue paper to help any and all of her friends. Now Ashley shook her head adamantly.

"No, no. I mean I tried to help when money was tight for her but all she did was hug me and tell me no. Took more hours at her second job and struggled through it. Keeps straight A's. Works with the city's police as a records keeper until next year when she can become an officer and graduates with a Master's in criminal justice since she's so smart and finished so many classes so quickly." Ashley looked at her admiringly.

"She's got fire in her, that's for sure." She muttered and quickly sobered up looking at Sebastian with a smile.

"How was your tour?" she asked and images of the things he'd been doing this past year and felt his mood quickly drowning in things he wished he could forget.

"It was more than what I expected it to be but that's what you get when you're only the grunt."

"What happened to that promotion you were talking about?" she asked. Sebastian smiled, Ashley always asked about him and how he was doing and listened to everything responding and conversing back with everything. But as of this moment, he didn't want to talk about anything from his life other than right now.

"It's still in the works, I'll have an answer soon." She nodded, hearing the change in his voice and looking out the window.

"How have you been?" he asked trying to change the topic to a lighter mood.

"It's honestly been great since meeting Raelynn, she spends as much time with me as she can and we're always hanging out and having sleepovers. It's much less lonely now, even if she's tired she listens when I keep talking about my day, or about clothes and shoes even if she isn't into that stuff."