Rosalind

One

Knocking off any papers sat upon the Hemlock's coffee table, the wind caused bumps to raise on Rosalind's arms and legs. Only slightly bothered by this, she left the mess alone below her, deciding to rewrite those words and just try to remember the photos. Most of them, drawings of houses, ones she'd seen in her dreams. Ideas she'd come up with as a child, ones that wouldn't fit into her current neighbourhood, the gated community with old English brick houses.

It wasn't here she wanted to begin her new world, maybe somewhere warmer and brighter. She spent most of her time in the sunroom her mother renovated before her death. It was white, green plants all around. Yellow and oranges and reds, all scattered among clutter and pillows, furniture and paintings.

"Rose?" Her brother called out. He opened the door and eyed the mess below her, walking to close the windows. "I take it you're too busy to take the twins to practise?"

"You have your license now, don't you, Archer?" She pointed out.

"Yes." He sighed quietly, making a mental note that she'd been in the same clothes for the past three days. "I'll be back in ten, but I have an appointment, so you'll have to pick them up around five." She nodded and waved him off.

Lightly drawing on her blank paper, she used a picture on the floor for guidance. Distractedly, biting the wrong end of her pencil until it had broken, and she had wood and led in her mouth.

"Fuck." She exclaimed, spitting out the wood and led into her mouth, she rushed to the closest bathroom.

Washing her mouth out, she brushed her teeth and decided that now was the time to sleep. She was sure one of the twins would call her to pick them up.

Rosalind's phone buzzed furiously; she woke up to see it was fifteen minutes before five. She grabbed a water bottle and her keys and rushed to the car, deciding that it would be a nice change to be on time for her siblings.

She was grateful for the scenery, the greens and blues, the seasonal reds and yellows. It was all a blur until she got to the oval where her siblings played lacrosse. She sat out on the benches where the other parents did. A little out of place, a little lonely too, she swiped around on her phone.

"Rosalind!" She heard a cheery voice call out. Looking up, she saw an old friend, Drew. Putting a smile on her face, she stood up and lightly hugged him.

"How've you been?" She motioned for him to sit next to her, hoping that her siblings may finish early.

"I've been well, thank you! I'm so sorry to hear about your mother, she was a lovely woman." He held her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you." She knew that was all it was going to be for a while. Most social interactions involving speeches about her mother. Some people she knew very well, some she had only seen once or twice before.

"Who're you here for?" She changed the subject.

"I'm actually waiting to talk to the coach, I want to do what he does. I just don't know what I need to get there."

"Oh right!" She nodded her head. "You were always so atheletic, that makes sense. So, lacrosse?" She lost interest in what he replied with, she let him ramble on.

Out on the field she saw her two younger siblings, black haired and very energetic. They were climbing on the goal post, something their coach didn't see while he was reprimanding a young boy. Eventually the whistle blew, and all the kids made their way to their sport bags and parents.

"I'll see you around, good luck with umpiring." Rosalind smiled and waved away Drew.

"I bet Esther you'd be late," Sirius passed her a sweet from his bag. "Thanks for coming Rosie." He smiled toothily, two of his teeth missing, one growing back halfway and another freshly gone from a few days ago. Esther recognised Rosalind's car and brought her bag towards it.