Yours, Mine & Ours

3

Helen had us gather in the family room for some news. It was the day after her reunion cruise.

"Maybe my mom rekindled it with some old love" Phoebe said as we sat on the edge of the couch.

"I met someone last night" Helen started pausing to see the reactions of her children.

"He asked me to marry him and I said yes" Helen continued.

Everyone broke out into a choruses of "what's and hows ".

Phoebe and I gave each other a weird look.

"Oh it was spontaneous and so romantic" Helen sweetly explained. Everyone not having it continued to flood the air with questions, moans and complaints.

Helen raised the talking stick from behind her back. It was a device used to control her kids and allow an open space for discussion without being interrupted.

"Who wants the talking stick first" asked Helen still calm.

Jimi raised his hand asking "may I have it please?"

"Yes Jimi" Helen says as she passes the stick to Jimi. The room remains quiet as Jimi speaks.

"Are you crazy?" Jimi yells. Everyone speaks up again voicing their opinions. While I thought it was slightly out of character for Helen to marry someone randomly I had no room to judge being that she wasn't technically my mother and all.

Helen takes back the talking stick trying to gain control of the children. "Okay shhh, okay quiet I have the talking stick....He's a lovely lovely man and I'm sorry we didn't include you and, he has 8 kids"

They all looked at each other bewildered that they were becoming a family with 8 new brothers and sisters.

"Okay cmon guys c'mon group hug cmon it will be fun" Helen rambled as the kids gathered for one big group hug.

At the North household we did the talking stick and group hugs quite often.

"But where will we live?" Aldo the youngest spoke out in curiosity.

"We are moving this weekend into a lighthouse" Helen stated.
———
For the rest of the week I helped everyone pack their belongs and packed mine as well.

Helen suggested packing items from my house as well that I would need as I no longer "lived" down the road.

This was my mom's biggest and longest business trip yet and she just had to leave me at a time when the North's were moving. We all filed into the car getting one last glance at the pink house.

We drove about 15 minutes away to this old, rustic and beat up lighthouse. I grabbed my box labeled Laney making my way inside.

"Crew" yelled Helen's new husband Frank while blowing a whistle.

"Kids" yelled Helen. We all gathered around Frank with mixing amongst the other family on the stairs. I looked up to my right to say something to Phoebe when I saw William.

"Laney?"

"William?"

"Oh great are you my sister now?" William asked slightly grossed out.

"Time for billeting" Frank yelled out.

"For what?" Phoebe asked who was standing next to me confused on how I knew William and now the billeting.

"Room assignments" William said slightly snotty.

"Your rooms are numbered, your bathroom schedules are colored coded" Frank said displaying the chart to everyone.

The North's and I all laughed at the sound of this organization and schedule.

"That's a good thing. It's great because we all need a bit of organization. We do hunny. You did a great job" Helen said as she became serious motioning for the kids to stop laughing.

Everyone dissipated continuing their previous activities. William grabbed my arm dragging me outside.

"I'm not a North kid if that's what you were going to ask. My mom travels a lot and I stay with Helen and her family for long periods of time" I said. William let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god. I really liked you and if you turned out to be my new sister I don't know what I would have done" William said.

"Well I better go to my room and start unpacking" I said leaving William outside by himself. I unpacked my clothes into a dresser. I technically had the guest bedroom but Helen said it was unofficially mine.

I heard a noise and saw Frank standing in the doorway.

"It's nice to meet you Laney. I use to go to high school with your mother" Frank said.

"I hope it's okay that I'm staying here" I spoke out nervous he was going to blow a whistle or kick me out.

"Helen explained your situation to me it's more than okay. Hope you like your bedroom" Frank said before walking down the hall towards the other bedrooms.

"Ugh you are so lucky you have a bedroom to yourself" Phoebe said landing onto my bed.

"Is she really that bad?" I asked but Phoebe ignored my question.

"So you really have a track record Laney. First Dylan now William. What is it with you and my brothers?" Phoebe asked.

I had just realized that William was now technically Phoebe's brother.

"Hey he wasn't your brother when I gave him my number" I said in defense.

"Whatever" Phoebe said jokingly walking out of my room. I headed down the hall trying to find the bathroom when I stumbled upon Dylan's room.

"Hey Dylan I have your-?" I started til I saw William across the room.

"Hey Laney" William said

"Hey William" I said before walking over to Dylan's side to hand him some of his sweatshirts that were still in my drawers at home. Dylan and I had broken up about a couple months ago.

"I found some of your clothes too" Dylan said handing me a few of my tops I was missing.

"Don't tell me you dated him" William said looking disgusted.

"Are you dating this idiot? He has an illness" Dylan asked scoffing. He picked up a can of spray paint spraying an image on his wall. William looked pissed.

"Hey what are you doing?" William nervously asked jumping up from his desk chair.

"It's called decorating" Dylan replies continuing his art.

"No that's called vandalism" William said before walking out of the room grabbing my hand.

"Whatever" Dylan whispered under his breath.