George and Nicole Harper had never had an easy life. From one set of divorced parents to another, these half siblings have had it tough.
Ever since their mother, Naomi, split from George's father and forced them to move from England back to her hom...
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Nick drove straight into town after school. She'd told George that morning that he'd have to walk home as she was going job hunting. She'd taken some time to settle in but now, seeing as she had barely seen her mum since they'd moved, it was time to start earning a living. Or have a living. Most of the businesses she'd already tried since they'd moved had only been willing to pay her half a decent wage.
She wandered down the street, clutching a clipping from the local paper that she'd torn out. It was the job sections and she'd already circled a few options in a red felt tip she had found when clearing out her old room. She'd hung onto a few things from her childhood, most of which ended up being packs of colouring pencils she'd been given as presents. You never know when you'd need a coloured pen.
Nick stopped outside a quaint looking flower shop. The sign above the door looked like it had seen better days. The paint was peeling and the name of the shop was barely visible anymore. Nick held up the newspaper clipping to compare the names, making sure she was in the right place. Sure enough it read "Edith's Flowers". Although the sign looked more like "Eit's Fler".
A bell chimed above her as she opened the door to the shop. It was gloomy inside. There weren't any lights on and a shop window of leafy plants obstructed most of the natural light. The plants cast a long shadow on the dusty floor boards that creaked under each of Nick's hesitant steps. There was no one in sight.
"Hello?" She called out, peering into the gloom trying to see the length of the shop, to catch a sight of a customer or an owner. Anyone really as the silence was starting to get spooky.
Nick took another few hesitant steps forward before calling out again. Her voice echoed slightly down the rows of plants. She could hear the faint sound of shuffling footsteps on the floor a row over from her's by the looks of things. Nick shuffled around and came face to face with a small, elderly woman. Edith.
Nick smiled widely but the old woman made no movement.
"Hi, I'm enquiring about the ad in the paper?"
"Come again dear?" The old woman instructed although her frail voice sounded more like a question. That or she was too old to have heard what even she was saying.
"I'm here about the add."
"What did you say, dear?"
"Are you hiring?" Nick said, raising her voice to the cusp of shouting.
"Come again?" The old woman asked again, placing a hand to her ear and leaning close to Nick.
"Are you hiring? I- I'd like to get a job here!" Nick shouted now, fully shouting. It had come to this- she was shouting at an old woman.
"Speak up love, I think my hearing's going." The old woman explained. Nick sighed.
"You don't say..." She mumbled. The old woman shot upright as quick as a bullet firing from a gun.
"Hey! Watch your tongue!" The old woman shouted, pointing a finger at Nick's chest which just so happened to be at her head level.
"Of course you heard that..." Nick grumbled, "Can I work here?" she asked, although she was sure she knew what the answer would be.
"I don't think that'll be a good idea." The old woman spat venomously.
"Of course not..."
*
By the time Nick got back home, it was completely dark outside. She heard George's footsteps in the hall as she turned her key in the lock.
"Any luck?" He asked as soon as Nick had opened the door. She sighed and shuffled inside. She closed the door and walked into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. George followed behind her expectantly and stood behind her patiently and obediently while she reheated a dinner she'd made the previous night.
Nick brought two plates over to the table and they both took a seat. Nick didn't touch her dinner and neither did George. She smiled at him cheerfully while shaking her head. George's face fell.
"Is mum home?" Nick asked. George shook his head. She sighed and picked up her cutlery. There's no changing some people. It was pointless to hope. "How was school?" Nick asked trying to change the subject and lighten the mood. George's face lit up.
"I made some new friends!" He beamed as he speared a potato with his fork. "They asked me about our arcade high score and we got talking. They like D&D too!"
Nick beamed and teasingly tapped him with her foot under the table.
"What did I say?" Nick asked teasingly, George rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. Even though they had different dad's, the bond between George and Nick was as strong as proper siblings. Stronger, even as they couldn't depend on their mum, only each other.
"I sat with them in lessons and they're really cool!" He continued, ignoring his sister's smirks, "They're in a party for D&D and Mike says I can come and play with them some time and the other's agreed too and we're going-"
"Sounds like you had a good day then, huh?" Nick asked, interrupting her brother's elated rambling. George nodded enthusiastically in response and stuck out his tongue.
"How was your first day?" He asked. Nick sighed.
"Not as good as yours."
"And your job hunt was bad too?" George asked glumly. Nick nodded and pursed her lips together.
"Something'll come up." Nick assured and raised her fork with a potato stuck on the as if it were a glass of champagne. She'd always told George their luck would turn. She'd been saying that for over ten years now and both of them were beginning to lose faith.
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