ALONE WITH YOU

C9

HILSA

PAST

My family was gathered in the dining room, they were waiting for me and we had a rule in our house, we didn't eat unless we were all there. It was a stupid rule but my mother brought it and dad agreed.

I was hiding on top of the stairs where I could see all of them, I wasn't ready to eat or face any of them but I felt guilty because they weren't eating because of me.

Elton's chin was resting on the table, his arm stretched out in front of him, he was scrolling through his phone, not really looking hungry. Elsa was biting her nails, she looked hungry. My dad was tapping his fingers on the table, checking the time on his wristwatch from time to time. Mom was, well,
she kept looking at the direction of the stairs to see if I was coming down.

I stayed there, not moving just watching them.

Dad clapped his hands, getting everyone attention. "Wake up, people!"

"Mom, are you sure she's my twin?" Elton asked. It wasn't the first time they would joke about that and think it was funny. I was different from everyone else and it was well known.

Elsa chirped in. "Yeah, are you sure they didn't switch her with someone else's baby?"

Dad chuckled and faced mom. "Didn't the doctor say we were having two baby boys?"

They all laughed like they were auditioning for the annoying background laughter on a sitcom.

"Oh stops that," she scolded them in a soft tone, only my mom would make an insult sound like a praise. "She's probably doing something."

"Like?" Dad asked.

"Eavesdropping on you lot." I came out of my hiding space and walked down stairs.

None of them flinched at the sound of my voice out of noway, it was as if they knew where I was listening in.

"Good morning," I greeted them with a smile. I didn't care about what they said but I felt like I shouldn't be cold to them, they were missing breakfast because of me.

None of them answered me, they all looked away as I entered the dining room. "This is the part where you say it back," I encouraged as I took my seat at the end of the table, directly opposite my dad.

"I guess hide and seek is over," Elton mumbled and turned to mom, "Okay, Mom start serving, please, I'm starving."

I tsked.

Mom stood up and walked from her sit to where I'm sitting, she bends to press a kiss on my head. "Morning darling, how did you sleep?" She asked and pushed my hair off my face.

I fake a yawn. "Bad. I had a nightmare about you lot spending Christmas in England."

After our last Christmas, I made a vow never to return there and everyone knew why. That time of year was coming, I guess that was why I had a dream about it. The nightmare didn't even live up the reality, that was how worse the situation was.