Forked Roads Back

78 - TESSA

I WAKE UP TO the smell of cooking bacon and the sound of two tiny feet coming towards me, before I feel a tiny body jump on top of me.

"Wake up big sis!" Ellie squeals, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck.

"Hey little sis," I squeal, my voice muffled by the duvet. "Gosh, you're full of beans this morning. Is Mark cooking breakfast?"

She nods. "Yup! Come on Tessie!" She shouts in my ear before pulling at my arm as she jumps down off the bed. I really do envy the amount of energy two-to-three year olds have.

"Okay I'm coming, I'm coming," I laugh as I trip over my own feet going out the door.

I scoop Ellie up before she pulls me headlong down the stairs and I'm met with an excited bark from Bruce as well as the sight of a Full English breakfast on my place at the table.

"Oh my gosh, you should have woken me up to help."

"We tried!" Mark says, laughing. "We managed to wake Bruce but you were dead to the world asleep."

"Mouth open, snoring and everything..." Mum adds and I laugh, knowing it wasn't true. I was lucky I didn't take after her snore, snoring like a freight train. "Very attractive."

Ellie slides her plate over to me and climbs onto my lap. I hold her carefully with one arm whilst tucking into my own plate, and help her with her tiny version of my own. She picks at the bacon but devours her sausages, allowing me to take the bits she didn't want.

"So what we thinking for today?" Mum asks.

"Well, I was thinking of going to the zoo?" I say, leaning my head around Ellie's shoulder to capture her gleeful expression.

She bounces up and down on my lap so I know she's fully on board with the idea.

"Can we see the penguins?" She asks.

"We sure can! What about Rhinos?" She nods. "Lions?" She nods even more, her tiny little head nodding in a blur. "What other animals do you know?"

She starts listing animals, including ones I expect she's made up herself, but I love that she's excited. A little kid's excitement is always at a high level, and I don't think I can ever remember being this excited for a day trip. Then again, I always followed whatever Archie and Matt were doing, so I suppose Ellie has to make her own fun at home.

My little sister is a little socialite at school though. On the few occasions I've been able to surprise her by picking her up, she's always surrounded by other children, all hanging off her every word. She will be a ball buster when she's older. I pity all the boys that try to vie for her affections, because she knows exactly what she wants. Anyone who isn't what she wants is just left wondering what just happened.

"Ellie can you go up and get dressed, please? Pick an outfit?"

She nods and taps my knee, getting me to spin so I could let her down. I do so and she giggles as she heads up the stairs to her room.

"She is so cute you guys." I squeal internally as I hear Ellie mumbling about outfits on the landing, wondering if pink would go with meerkats.

Mark smiles and Mum caresses her belly.

"I hope her sister is just like her."

I smile back. "She will be. Especially if Ellie has anything to say about it. Carbon copies."

Mum laughs at that. "Ha! She definitely will!"

I hear Ellie call something from upstairs, telling me to hurry up.

"I suppose that's my cue. What are you guys up to today?"

"I am just going to sleep," Mum laughs. "I don't know about you, honey, but sleep is all I need." She pats Mark's stomach as he puts an arm around her.