"Braxton!" Brady's hands reached out for me when I entered her room.
"Good morning, sunshine." I picked up my baby sister and changed her pullup . "What do you want to wear today? The purple shirt, or the pink one?" I held two t-shirts out in front of her.
"I want the blue one." Brady pulled a blue shirt with orange flowers on it out of her drawer.
"Great choice, my dear." Once she was dressed I began brushing her curly blonde hair into pigtails. "Turn around, let me see." She turned around and showed me her outfit. I gasped, "You look so beautiful!"
Her tiny little cheeks turned a shade of pink. "Nooo you're so beautiful. I love you, sissy." My three year old little sister wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed as tight as she could.
"Come on, princess. We gotta get your stuff together for daycare. Where's your backpack?"
Brady fished a small green Ninja Turtles backpack out of her toy box; she didn't like any of the other ones, they were too girly.
I put pullups and an extra set of clothes in her bag, in case she needed them. She looked around her room and found her Sheriff Woody doll and asked, "Can he come too?"
"Of course he can." I lifted her up and made my way down the stairs where our dad was waiting for her. "Just be sure not to lose him. "
"I won't." She smiled and admired her doll.
"C'mon, take care of that toy." Our father looked up at me when I didn't move. "Put the toy back so we can go."
"But she wanted to take it with her." I put Brady down and she ran into the living room to put her shoes on.
"I said she ain't taking that goddamn doll. Now take care of it before I get really mad." He came towards me and pinned me against the wall. "You better listen to me, girl. You wouldn't want anything to happen to little Brady, would you?"
"You're fucking disgusting. You're threatening me with my baby sister? Your own daughter!" I shouted. He laughed in my face and I smelled booze on his breath.
"I don't give a shit about what you think. It's your and Morgan's fault things ended up this way. "
I heard footsteps and saw Morgan come into the kitchen.
"Hey Brax - what the fuck are you doing?" He pushed our father away from me and stood in front of me.
"Morgan, he's wasted. Don't let him take Brady," I whispered into his back.
"Morty!" Morgan yelled.
"What are you gonna do? You stupid little fucks think I care about you? What's Mordecai gonna do, huh?" he chuckled and stumbled over his own two feet and fell.
"What's up?" Morty came into the kitchen with Brady on his hip.
"Could you take Brady to daycare? This piece of shit isn't touching these girls." Morgan clenched his fists. Him and our father never did get along. My whole life Dad favorited Mordecai and when Brady was born, he still liked her more. No matter what Morgan and I did, we could never win our father's affection.
Mordecai grabbed my hand and dragged me into his car.
"What the hell happened back there?" He maneuvered his way around toys that Brady and I left in the driveway and headed towards her daycare.
"He got mad because she wanted to bring her Woody doll with her." I looked back at Brady in the backseat, gently cradling her favorite toy.
"Was he really that drunk? it's 7:30 in the fucking morning."
"Which means I'm officially late for school." I looked at my older brother hopefully.
"Well, if you don't tell, I won't tell." He smirked.
When we arrived at daycare Morty and I took our baby sister inside and signed her in.
"Be a good little girl for Miss Stacy, alright?" Mordecai kissed her little cheeks and I smiled when she said: "Yes, ma'am."
"I'm no lady!" Morty gasped. Brady only giggled and reached for me.
"Bye, Brady. I'll see you when the day is over, okay? I love you." I hugged my baby sister and handed her bag to Miss Stacy.
"Will you be here to pick her up or will your dad come to get her?" Stacy asked us.
"Um actually, I think it'll be Morgan or I who picks her up and drops her off from now on."
"Alright, I'll see you later." She gave us a smile and walked back to check on Brady.
"So, you hungry?" Mordecai asked once we got back to the car.
"Kind of, but I don't have any money."
"Don't worry about it. Taco Bell or McDonald's?"
"McDonald's." I smiled.
When we returned home Dad was gone and Morgan was upstairs showering. The entire house smelled like cinnamon and grease.
"Go get that dumbass before I eat his food." Mordecai and I laughed and I ran up the stairs.
"Morgan! Get out of the shower!" I knocked on the bathroom door. When he didn't answer I tried opening the door. I got the door halfway open before it slammed shut in my face.
"S-sorry, I'm getting dressed." Morgan mumbled.
"Alright, we got McDonald's so come down before Morty eats it all."
"I'll be right down." His voice sounded strained, like he had been crying.
I walked down the stairs and joined my brother for breakfast. We talked about what we could do until it was time to pick up Brady. When Morgan didn't come down for breakfast I put his food in the fridge.
With Dad gone and the boys upstairs I laid down on the couch and fell asleep watching tv.
