Stirrings

Chapter 1

I walked along the pavement, watching the cracks fall under foot as I made my way home, the heavy backpack falling against my hips with each step. Jazz Band practise had finished 5 minutes later than usual today and the small time difference was visibly noticeable in the late winter sky, dimming the light enough for the automatic street lights to have already come on. Seattle was beyond cold in winter time and at 4.35pm it was already darkening, filling me with gratitude that our family terrace house was only a short walk from the premier private school Emmett and I attended. As I rounded the corner I stumbled slightly on the unevenness beneath my feet and I quickly put my hand out against the nearby old timber fence to stop my fall.

"Shit," I exclaimed looking down at my now splinter filled hand. I Sighed. Guess it was lucky Mum was good with the tweezers.

She had certainly had some practice over the years with two boys in the house. I had a habit of injuring myself. Being tall and slim I had not quite grown into my body yet and tended to stick to my musical pastimes over athletic pursuits. Sports I left for Emmett. He had a naturally sporting physique and confident manner which made him ever popular at school while I tended to keep to myself, immersing myself in music and nerdier interests, like chess club and comic books.

I wonder if I could get my Lego mug clean now that Emmett has pissed in it? Nah, I'd better buy a new one. Might get the red one this time. Oo, maybe I'll buy a new Star Wars t-shirt too while I'm at it. The Princess Leia one maybe?

Embarrassingly, stirrings began in my pants.

No, maybe not that one. I can't walk around with an erection every time I put that shirt on. That would be too embarrassing and Emmett would be sure to notice. Perv. I'll get the Death Star one instead. I love .

Starting off again I looked up as I approached the house, surprised to see that Dad's car was parked out the front when I expected him to still be at the hospital. It wasn't often that he made it home before dinner.

Oh, I wonder what Mum's made tonight? I thought as I walked through the large stained glass front door that came off the tiled front porch. I dumped my bag in the mudroom and threw off my coat before walking down the lit hallway towards the kitchen. The bright light above the cooker was on, casting its orangey glow over the slate tiles that covered the kitchen floor and the soft murmurings of my parents talking was just audible over the music of the radio. The smells of dinner wafted enticingly on the warmed air from the stove.

Garlic. And was that rosemary? Oh my God she's made lasagne. I wonder if she's hidden those little bocconcinis in the meat sauce. Do you think there is garlic bread too?

Tearing myself away from my gastronomic wonderings I glanced towards my parents who were sitting at our large wooden table and stopped short. Mum had tears running silently down her face, her eyes bloodshot and puffy from extended crying while seated on Dad's lap. Confused I looked to Dad only to find tears stains on his cheeks also while he held Mum's slight body, rocking it gently all the while cradling her with a gentleness and caring that endeared him to his patients and befitted a world class surgeon.

"Dad?" I squeaked. I cleared my throat. "What's wrong?"

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Emmett and I sat in the kitchen as Mum and Dad finished off a phone call that had interrupted the end of dinner.

"I can't believe they're dead?" I said holding my head in my hands. "What will happen to Bella?"

"She'll go live with her Grandma, idiot," Emmett answered, looking at me like I was mentally deficient.

"And how's she meant to do that, breakfast brains? She died two years ago."

"Boys, language!" Mum said as she and Dad re-entered the room. "As Bella's Godparents and guardians, your father and I believe it would be best for Bella to come and live with us. She'll need a loving family and lots of support and we can offer that to her. I know it has been a few years since we have seen her, but I'm sure we will be able to welcome Bella into our family."

Silence fell in the kitchen as Emmett and my eyes simultaneously shot up.

"I'm not sharing my room with a little girl," came Emmett's reply. "Edward can have her."

I groaned.

"She the same age as me Emmett, don't you remember?"

"That's perfect then" he responded with his larger than life grin plastered all over his face, "She's all yours."

"The two of you can share and Bella can have Edward's old room," Dad piped in. "She'll need some space and Emmett's is the larger of the bedrooms. It'll be no problem to place an extra bed in there."

"We can't share!" we both cried out. "Emmett smells," I added, "really bad."

Mum smiled at us. "It'll be fine. I'm going to look into an extension and it'll be lovely for the two of you to spend some time together before Emmett goes to college next year. It'll be just like when you were kids."

I looked down despondently, studying the table as Emmett raged on our behalf about how inappropriate it was for two bothers of 16 and 18 to be sharing a bedroom. God, it wasn't going to be that bad I thought. He should save his breath. Then Mum played her trump card.

"She has no one Emmett and look at how lovely she is," Mum said as she handed him a photo. "Someone needs to love this poor girl and it's going to be us."

I glanced at Emmett and saw the defeat in his eyes. Placing the photo down on the table he rose and acquiescent. "Fine," he said and left the room, stomping his way up the staircase before we heard the bang of his bedroom door behind him.

Mum smiled at me. "Thank you for this Edward."

"What for?" I questioned as I looked back at her.

"For just being you," she replied as she and Dad left the room.

Surprised I reached out and picked up the photograph Emmett had put down and stared.

I was screwed.