My Little Stargazer(Adopted by Remington Leith)

(4)-Home

I stepped inside and breathed in deeply.
"Home sweet home." I said softly. I stood my suitcase by the stairs and sat Cherry's box on top of it. The box didn't hold much. A few little toys and stuffed animals, a pair of dirty pink sneakers, three shirts, a pair of leggings with a hole in one knee and a few pair of underwear that were obviously old and full of holes. Emerson walked down the hall, dragging his suitcase behind him. Sebastian had gone straight to Larisa's. I stood Cherry beside me on the floor and grabbed the handle of my suitcase and picked up her box again. I started the slow ascent up the stairs with Cherry trailing behind, eyes wide and curious as she took in her surroundings. Once in my room I kicked off my shoes and flopped onto my bed. Cherry crawled up beside me and sat there staring at me for a few minutes before climbing onto my chest and laying down on top of me. I smiled and kissed the top of her head, then I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

———

"Aw." I heard and opened one eye to stare at my little brother.
"The fuck do you want?" I mumbled as I threw my arm over my face.
"Monica's here." I groaned. "I'll tell her you'll be down in a few." I gave him the finger. He laughed and then left. I groaned again and stretched my arms. Cherry was still asleep. I slid her off my chest and onto the bed. I threw a blanket over her and slipped out of the room. I closed the door and then yawned, stretched and ran my fingers through my hair. Then walked downstairs. Monica was sitting on the couch using her phone.
"Hey." I said. She looked up and smiled.
"Hey, baby. I missed you." She stood when I reached the couch and wrapped her arms around me.
"Missed you too." I kissed her to prove my statement.
"Ugh." I glanced to the kitchen doorway and saw Emerson.
"Shut up. You and Shy are just as bad." I informed him. He stuck his tongue out at me and then walked back into the kitchen. Monica and I sat down on the couch and talked about all the stuff we'd missed in our time apart.
"I'm gonna get something to eat. You hungry?" I asked her.
"No thanks." I nodded and walked into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and discovered we were pretty much out of food. Emerson was sitting on the floor behind the dining table drawing in a sketch pad. He picked the weirdest places to sit and draw.
"Ugh." I made a noise of disgust as I examined the contents of the fridge. "We need food." I said to no one in particular as I knew Emerson wouldn't answer. I closed the fridge door and opened one of the cupboards. I found an unopened box of cheez-its. "Hey, Em?" No response. "Emerson." When I didn't get a response I threw a cheez-it at him. He looked up and glared at me. "Go check on Cherry for me?"
"Have you told Monica?"
"I'm going to." He raised an eyebrow. "Right now." I shoved a handful of crackers in my mouth. "Check on her? Pleathe?" I asked with my mouth full of crackers.
"Yeah."
"Thanks." I grinned and went back to Monica with my box of crackers.
"I was just beginning to wonder if you were gonna come back." She said as I sat down beside her. "Wanna get dinner later? Or are you too tired?"
"Maybe we could go tomorrow?"
"Mmhm." She nodded. "I gotta go soon." She pouted.
"Why?"
"Gotta get my cousin from the airport." I could see Emerson going up the stairs out of the corner of my eye. I swallowed.
"So. . . I have something important to tell you." She gave me a look of curiosity.
"Ok. I'm all ears." Just as I opened my mouth there was a shriek upstairs.
"Remington!" Emerson yelled.
"Fuck. I gotta go take care of that."
"Wha-Remington-" Monica started but was cut off as Emerson yelled my name again.
"Coming!" I yelled back and sprinted up the stairs.

———

In my room Cherry was in the corner holding a stuffed lion, that had seen much better days, and had her hands over ears as she cried. Her breathing was ragged. She was having a panic attack. Emerson was standing in the middle of the room unsure what to do. I knelt in front of Cherry.
"Hey, hey. Deep breaths. In and out." I cupped her face in my hands. She took a shaky breath in and then out. I kept coaching her until her breathing had returned to normal. I sighed and pulled her to my chest.
"I'm sorry." Emerson said.
"It's not your fault. I should've come up here myself." I stayed there hugging Cherry for a few seconds. She squirmed a bit and I realized I was pressing on some of her bruises.
"Remington, what the fuck is going on?" Monica asked as she walked into my room. Emerson took that as his cue to leave.
"What's with the kid?"
"This is Cherry. She's my . . . foster daughter." Monica stared at me in disbelief.
"Foster daughter? Since when are you a foster parent?"
"Two days ago. I found her outside a venue and I took her to the police station and they told her dad had recently been arrested again and that none of the usual foster parents would take her in so I decided to foster her." Monica sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You are so fucking stupid. Do you realize that? You travel all the fucking time. What are you gonna do with her? Because I sure as hell am not going to look after her for you."
"Mon, you don't understand. She literally doesn't have anyone else." I stood and tightened my grip on Cherry. She wiggled again and I moved my arms so I wouldn't hurt her.
"I don't understand? You're putting your career on the line for some random kid off the street. And for what?" I was getting upset. I tried not to yell, but . . .
"So what? I should've just left her there?! Alone?!"
"I'm just saying you didn't think about the repercussions."  
"It's my life!"
"Th-thop it. Pease." Cherry mumbled. I could hardly understand her between the lisp and the crying.
"And I'm trying to stop you from ruining it!" And then I snapped.
"GET OUT!" She looked shocked that I had yelled at her. Cherry started struggling and trying to get down. I held her tighter.
"Wha-Rem-" Monica started.
"No! Get out! Now!" Cherry was shaking in my arms.
"Th-thop it!" She mumbled again. Monica shot me a look of disgust before stalking out of my room and down the stairs. I heard the front door slam and then sat down heavily on my bed. Cherry pulled away from my chest a little and looked at me with teary eyes.
"Sorry." I whispered to her and closed my eyes.
"Ion." She mumbled and slid off my lap. She ran to the corner she'd been sitting in and picked up her lion then came and climbed up into my lap again. She held the lion up to me.
"Ion." She said again. I took it from her and then wrapped her in a hug.
"Thank you." I whispered. She wrapped her arms around my neck. I sighed. I needed to talk to my mom.

Do you guys like Monica? Do you like her relationship with Remington? Like I'm general, not in this book.

My take on it is that it's his life and his relationship and it's not any of my business. She doesn't seem that bad though.