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The Roses Trilogy 2 - My Angels

Chapter One – Eve

I look around the dorm at the stack of boxes and the piles of things we had yet to pack.
"It won't all fit, how have we managed to get so much stuff and how are we going to get it all home" I cry in frustration, ignoring the laughter coming from my best friends who are sprawled across the sofa.
Jo laughs at me "chill out Eve, my brothers are going to help us"
"Ahh, come on guys you can't do this to me" I groan throwing myself into the armchair and glaring at them.
The Rose triplets had been my best friends since nursery school and we had done everything together growing up, including all going to university together, they were like sisters to me, including me within their family at every possible opportunity, their parents were wonderful and had welcomed me with warmth and care, so different from my own parents who loved me but were distant loving their jobs more, meaning my early years until the triplets got hold of me were lonely at times.
Entering the warmth of the Rose family was incredible and I had been in awe, especially of the three older triplets Michael, Angelo and Gabriel, five years older than us, they were beautiful to me.
I had been amazed at the size of the family at that time and had accepted that my friends had three dads and one mum without conscious thought, it was all so natural and comfortable and then even more so when Mama Rose was pregnant again and three more baby boys joined the family, I had gone home and asked my parents if I could have a brother or sister or three like the Rose's and they had not been happy with me, I had learnt very quickly they were too busy to have any more children and their words still cut a little when i remembered them "one child was enough work!".
"Hey!" Charlie prompted bring my attention back to them.
"Eve, relax, it will all be okay, Gabe said they didn't mind helping us, and we don't really need to sort the stuff, it's all going to the same place, let's just pack it up and sort it all out when we get there" Emme added.
"Eve, they won't hurt you, you don't need to be scared of them, they won't bite, you're family" Jo pushed.
Jo laughed "unless you want them to" she teased making me blush.
"Ohh, feeling a bit hot over there are you" Emme taunted me and I threw a cushion at her
"Shut up, it's not... like that" I muttered.
"Hah, you're lying to yourself babe, you've been interested for years"
I groaned and hid my face "please drop it"
"Uni's done now, you're free to go get them, we all want you to" Jo told me.
I froze "you do" looking at them.
They all giggled "of course we do, you're our sister, we love you and just want to make it official"
"I love you guys too, but your brothers won't be interested in me, so let's please leave it" I begged.
They exchanged glances but nodded "okay, come on let's get this all finished" Charlie jumped up and pulled Emme up "sort and bag or bag and sort later?" she grinned.
"Bag and sort" we all chorused together.

We had just finished packing the last boxes when my phone rang. I grimaced looking at my father's name flashing across the screen.
"Hello Father" I answered moving away from the others into my now empty bedroom, I grimaced hitting speakerphone by mistake, his voice filled the room.
"Eve, congratulations on your graduation, sorry we couldn't make it"
I rested my forehead against the cool window pane, it had hurt they didn't attend but I hadn't been really surprised.
"It's fine father, how are you and mother?" I asked.
I heard his hesitation "we are well and have had some excellent news, well a job offer..."
"That's wonderful" I replied dutifully waiting for the rest of the news.
"It's a permanent offer of a governorship position..."
"Congratulations father, when do you leave?" I felt my muscles tensing already forseeing his response.
"Well, Eve...we are already here, this is our second month"
"Oh...." I trailed of not knowing what to say.
"Eve?"
I close my eyes "father, you must send me some pictures, I'm sure you and mother will do a wonderful job"
"Yes, I will and maybe you could come and visit in the future" he responded.
I could hear my mother in the background calling for him "Eve, I need to go but we will talk again soon"
"Yes Father" I replied to the dial tone.

"You okay" Jo wrapped her arm around my shoulders in a hug.
"Yeah, my father, they have a new job, he was just letting me know"
I felt her tense "I heard" she muttered, and turned to see the scowl on her face, she didn't understand my family's relationships having been part of a huge loud boisterous, loving family who openly showed their feelings.
"It's okay" I told her softly hugging her back.
"Tell you what, we don't all need to be here for my brothers, let's you and me leave now and we can stop and pick up what we might need for the house" she offered.
"Please" I followed her to the bedroom door where the other were waiting.
"Go, we'll take care of everything here, see you at home later" Emme tells me.
"I love you guys" I tell them emotionally pulling them into a group hug.
"Go" Emme repeats as Charlie hands me my bag and Jo grabs the car keys, linking her arm with mine as we giggle our way outside, the others waving us off.
"ready?" Jo giggles turning the radio on and changing the station to an upbeat one, singing along loudly.
"Let's go home" I tell her happily and start singing along with her.
I allow my body to relax into the seat as we turn out of the road we have lived in for the last three years and start to look forward to our next steps.