It Comes Naturally

2.

Caribbean Dialect Included.

Elijah

"Ellie, what are you doing to the kid now?"

A laugh escaped me when I saw my older brother's look of exasperation on his face with our little sister by his side.

"Oh shush you. It's his senior year, he has to look hotter than last semester," Marielle huffed.
I didn't mind whatever she did to my hair because I trust her with everything in my life. She's my big sister and second mother after all.
The smell of the hair bleach product and the crinkling of foil punctuated her statement.
Jayden rolled his eyes while Shaye giggled behind her hand and left us to our own doings. The little brat is probably going to tell the others what's going on inside the house.

"You do know, you can say no, right," Jayden offered.

"But all my styles come from her," I argued. He reached up and touched his recent haircut, frowning at my declaration. He knew I was right. They always look to her for haircuts, what to wear for events, and even what to cook for dinner. I don't think the twins can survive without my sister. Mom said they need a woman like her to keep them grounded.

Jayden, now being a huge NFL Star needs the down-to-earth side of his wife.

Yes, I said, wife.

They didn't make it till the end of their freshman year of college when Jayden simply said he wanted to marry his woman in less than two weeks. Carson was simply waiting for his twin to break so he won't look that impatient. Jayden and Mari were married by law but through a hand-fasting ceremony, all three were bonded for life.
Home for them is in Texas where Jayden plays quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. It has always been his dream to play for them. Carson still works at his dream architectural firm and has just been promoted to a junior-level position in the Texas office. The owner of the company gave him the green light to simply work at the firm if he has to move in the future.

Mari personally took me to the two buildings he designed while under his internship and which got the approval of the CEOs.

That day I saw what true love really was. My sister was so proud of Carson, she took millions of pictures with tears in her eyes, murmuring over and over how proud she was, how happy she was to see his childhood dream come through. Jayden sat out a game to come with us to see what his twin achieved.
I stood aside and watched all three as they got lost in their own world of love, at that moment I longed for what they had.
Our parents had that type of love since they met in high school. I thought I was about to experience the same love my family was blessed with but it never happened. 

Just thinking about that day brought on bitter memories of what happened a few months ago. My happy bubble with my family popped just thinking about the lies and hurt I went through.

Why......

"Hey. Where did you go, bug?"

The voice of my sister brought me back into the light bickering my brothers and sisters were having all around us. I've only noticed everyone came in from the pool and was lounging around us on the back porch. She didn't say it aloud to attract attention to me for which I was grateful.
Looking over my shoulder at her, I knew she saw what she needed to.

"You can finish your senior year here," she offered.

"It won't be fair to Mischa and Harem to let them move again nor will I give her and her friends the satisfaction," I replied with a shake of my head.

"I wish I can take it all away," she said softly. We both watched our makeshift family enjoy themselves together.

Luanne was animatedly telling a story to Charisse while sitting on the lap of a quiet and smiling Issac. Katie was showing Shaye a few dance steps from the Selena Gomez music video she just choreographed. Bryan, Kade, and Jerron along with the twins and Lane were peering over some plans Carson drew up for the two aspiring top-class mechanics in the group. Mischa was asleep on the hammock and Harem was tinkering with a laptop he was personalizing, hardware-wise. Michael was taking a nap in his room, sleeping off some medication for a current cold he had. Being the youngest of them all, everyone took to caring for the boy after the fire all those years ago.