𝐷𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐸𝑦𝑒𝑠

2

"Everything went okay, no worries."
Is the first thing I say when I get to James's place and he starts questioning me.

Ollie just skips to his room with his bag of doughnut holes.

What a little brat.

I'm just kidding, I love the kid.

He could have at least stayed to get questioned with me though.

He reminds me so much of James when we were growing up.

God, I love younger siblings.

"I made you a plate of food, it's in the microwave."
Liv says kindly, fondly rubbing her stomach.

Apparently being 3 months pregnant can change your view on the world around you.

It's weird, she's always smiling. Shouldn't she be yelling at everyone and complaining about how in pain she is?

Maybe that's farther along, maybe at 6 or 7 months.

These things interest me.

I want to be a mother one day and I secretly take notes from her.

James would faint if I ever told him that though.

He's very overprotective of me, which I don't mind.

Hey, when you're as lonely and awkward as me, all you can do is suck it up and take all the love you can get.

"I'm sorry we couldn't be there, I know it must have confused you being at the biggest hospital in the state for the first time."
She continues, ignoring her dramatic husband who looks like he's about to explode.

"I wasn't done, get your ass back here and tell me what doctor Reece said."
He complains, following us.

"No medicine for the night."
I grumble, getting a little annoyed.

Geez.

I get that he's giving me a hard time because he's still upset that it took 3 years of his begging for me to finally move up here to Ohio so that we could be closer.

He's all that I have left, our parents died in a plane crash 6 years ago.

I'm still a little sad about it but just recently I've said goodbye to them.

Another reason I moved here is because I can now visit their graves whenever I'm feeling really sad and in the mood to bring them flowers.

James doesn't speak of them.

I know he's still really hurt and coping with their sudden deaths but I also understand that some people just don't like being comforted.

I know that I hated how people kept telling me that they were sorry for my loss.

It irritated me.

I can't even imagine what it did to him, he was always closer to them than me.

I've always had a weird relaxing with my parents.

"Tia, I'm so sorry you had to go though one of his attacks. They are still scary, even after all this time."
Suddenly James is not anxious.

He's just defeated.

It's a little upsetting but this is the James I'm used to.

For as long as I can remember, he's been this uptight and nervous guy.

He's 3 years younger than me but he acts like a middle aged dad.

Always has too, even when our dad was still alive.