The Missing Gem

02 | Closed

Lucas

I hear the sound of what seemed like a tornado had just happened, enough to wake me up and I sigh before pushing the covers off of me and gathering as much energy as I can to get out of bed and take a look at what it was that caused such a loud sound at such an early hour of the morning.

I grabbed my phone on the way downstairs and clicked on the central button to check the time - 7:26 AM. I groaned as I quickly put my foot after the other and rushed to the ground floor.

Oh God. Not again.

"What are you doing?" I asked while I made my way to the kitchen counter and really take a look at the mess that was waiting for me.

"Oopsie..." The adorable sound of the little girl's voice was enough to make me less mad. Only a teeny tiny less mad. "I was trying to help. I wanted to make you pancakes."

"I know you wanted to help, Lexie." I said with the most compassion for the girl's intentions. I turned around to see her covered in flour and picked her up, not giving a crap about her turning my navy blue pajamas totally white as she leaned into me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "But cooking is for grown ups. And what have I told you about the kitchen? You gotta be careful so you don't get burnt, so you won't get a boo-boo." I kissed her forehead and she nodded. Her messy, blonde hair was covering her blue eyes and most of her face, but I could tell she wasn't that happy with my pep talk. 

But than again, at seven thirty in the morning, who is?

"Okay, what do you say we get cleaned up and dressed, maybe even get some more sleep before all of that, and then we'll come back downstairs and I'll let you help me with breakfast." She didn't look that amused with my suggestion and deep down, I hoped that had 90% to do with her lack of sleep (and mine for that matter) and 10% with her desire to help. "Come on, I'll even make you Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes!"

That did the trick and five minutes later, my niece was already laying on my bed, already fast asleep, her back turned to me while she held her stuffed monkey tightly against her chest. I closed my eyes and drifted off to the so needed sleep on this Sunday morning.

My younger sister - Melanie - had a date last night and asked me to take care of five year old Lexi, which started to become a habit these days. 

I didn't mind though, I loved my niece and I loved taking care of her, she was a pretty easy kid, at least compared to what your older friends tell you about their own little devils and compared to what people said on TV and movies. But on Sunday mornings, I liked to sleep in. No, liked is an understatement, I loved to sleep in. It was the only day of the week that I had to just be lazy and not get up and leave the house in a rush like I do in the other six days.

Mel was only a couple of years younger than me but she's had a pretty rough five years, and, as her older brother and best friend, I was always there to pick up the pieces and hold her when she needed to, give her a place to stay when she had nothing, and now be on babysitting duty whenever she couldn't have Lexi around.

"Uncle Luc?" I heard the innocent voice of Lexi as she cupped my face in her tiny hands, waking me up from my early morning slumber. 

That had to be a record, she lasted at least thirty whole minutes sleeping. 

I groaned and got up, knowing that I couldn't postpone our breakfast any longer and had to start our SundayFunday.