Back Then

Prologue

Hi. My name is Raelynn Anderson. I am eighteen years old and I live right outside Rayston, Tennessee, with my nine siblings, my two best friends, and our two baby cousins. My three older brothers and their wives and children live in their houses across the field from ours. My parents were killed in a boating accident four years ago. So, at the age of 14, me, my twin brother Rory and my best friends Felicity and Jay have been taking care of our younger siblings. To better give you an idea of my family and my life, I will describe my family as best I can. Well, here goes nothing.

Blake: My eldest brother. 29 years old. He married my sister in law Anna 5 years ago, and they have my 4 year old nephew Aidan, and my 3 year old niece Oceana. He has brown hair and green eyes, like my mother. He doesn't get along with many people, because he is a rough businessman. He runs our family’s business, Anderson Enterprises. He leads the board and makes most of the decisions, although he cannot make big decisions without the other four of the oldest five Anderson siblings, because we hold equal stock. 

Chris: My 27 year old brother. He married my sister in law Ally 3 years ago. Together, they have my 3 year old nephew Jesse, and my 1 year old nephew Marius. He is much kinder than Blake, but doesn’t like conflict. He heads the accounting of Anderson Enterprises. Very respectable, and well liked.  Blonde hair and green eyes, a mix between my father and mother.

Oliver: My 25 year old brother. He is definitely my favorite brother. He is a playboy. Unmarried, and very popular with the ladies. Just like our father. They share the same blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. He has never been the responsible type, much to Blake’s chagrin. He was never around, but always there for me when I needed him. We are very close, even as adults.

Me: Raelynn. I have the same ocean blue eyes and blonde hair as my father and Oliver. I have been the caretaker of our family for years, therefore not getting much time to date or do anything else normal girls my age do. I am the oldest daughter of our family, and thus the mother since my parents died. 

Rory: My twin brother, also 18. Same blonde hair and blue eyes as me. We truly look like twins. He is much kinder than our other brothers. He takes after Chris. He is dating Lindsey, who I hate. He mostly works in the field at Anderson, while I’m at home with the kids. 

Felicity: Felicity Ridley. My best friend. Her parents died when we were 7, and my parents took her in. She has reddish brown hair and blue eyes. She is so kind. So unbelievably kind. She has helped me care for my siblings over the years like they were her own.

Jay: Jay Henway. My other best friend. We met when we were ten, and he was a runaway. My parents, having the big hearts they had, took him in as well. He has brown hair and blue eyes, and a heart of gold. He’s a gentleman through and through, and has been with me through everything. 

Hunter: the first of the triplets. He is a lot like Blake. He is a fighter and does what needs to be done, even if he gets in trouble for it. He is brown haired and green eyed. Hard worker, if not too big for his britches. We constantly have trouble with him getting into fights. He is 16.

Granger: much like Hunter. Their personalities are exactly the same, and they look exactly the same, with their brown hair and green eyes.

Luke: Very different from his triplet brothers. He is kind and sweet, not to mention blonde haired and blue eyed. He is a lot like Rory and Chris, and has been an immense help to me over the years. 

Victoria: My 15 year old sister. She is a gem in our family. All our brothers are so protective of her. She is sweet and innocent, and brings out all the best parts in me. She is a lot like I was, except there’s a kindness in her blue eyes that I never had in mine.

Becca: Our 9 year old sister. She has brown hair and green eyes, and the heart of a warrior. Even from birth, she was always so strong. She takes care of her little sisters and brother, even when I am busy with other things. 

Izzy: My 6 year old little twin sister. She is an odd mix between me and Rory. She is a lot like Rory was when we were that age. But every day, she is a little more like me. And that terrifies me. She and her twin have the light blonde hair of my father and green eyes of my mother. 

Elizabeth: Izzy’s twin. Where Izzy is like Rory and becoming like me, Eliza is the opposite. She is a lot like I was with her careful eyes and tense demeanor. She is becoming more like Rory every day, though. Every day I see her tension relax and her smile come out a little more, just like her big brother, who she idolizes.

Justin: the youngest Anderson sibling. He’s four. He was a week old when my parents died. He grew up never knowing his father and mother, with Rory and I the closest thing to parents he had. He has been acting out lately, but is a good kid. Blonde hair and green eyes.

Sage: My three year old baby cousin. When she was not quite two, my aunt left her and her brother on the doorstep and never came back. She can’t talk very well yet, but is incredibly happy with our family. She and Justin get along incredibly well. Red hair and green eyes. 

Phillip: Sage’s little brother. He was only a couple days old when his mother left them on our doorstep. He treats me like his mother, and I don’t mind that. 

So there you have it. My background. Time to share my story. Enjoy.