It's strange really, how things turn out. No one ever expects what actually happens to happen, not really, yeah sometimes we suspect but we hope we're wrong, in the end that's what keeps us going, the hope that things will get better… but sometimes (most times, really) that's just not how it turns out.
The Button's were people who knew that far too well, from the day they were born it was kind of a sick joke, but that's a story for another time.
This story starts at 4:32pm on a Thursday, a woman looked at her two beautiful blonde doll eyed eight year old's with a tight lipped smile and quivering hands, her clothes looked to big on her neglected, slender frame and in no way matched her makeup that was messy and overdone for someone so naturally beautiful "now I'll be back Saturday, so I want you two to be angel's while I'm gone ok?"
They watched her with their blue specked minted orbs before clinging on to hug their mother tight, she smelled of cough syrup and sickly sweet perfume. Over their shoulder Nico smiles under the proud gaze of the brunette watching tearfully before reaching out to her with a scared tone "Elsie…"
Elsie moves from around the small boy and girl to take the too skinny frame of her best friend into her arms with a smile "you're doing the right thing Nico, just you wait; it's all going to be ok now."
Nico smiled weakly before getting into the waiting cab and leaving the three behind with barely a tentative look back.
When Saturday rolled around the twins waited up as long as they could, eventually passing out on a blanket by the front door, by Monday Elsie was permanently attached to the phone, leaving message after endless message…
After two weeks the small pair sat on top of the stairs watching Elsie cry angrily into the phone with a hushed tone "what are you talking about? That interview was set; everything was set and you… Nico you can't do this, think about Sam and Spencer for gods sake! your kids need you, they need their mother! ... Just, no, what? What about the money I gave you? …You what? Nico please just come back, we can figure it out…Nico? Nico?!"
As a tear rolled down her cheeks Elsie threw the phone into the couch in emotional torment before burying her worry heavy head in her hands as she sobs, that is until the sweetest voice asks the same question that had been repeated at least a hundred times that fortnight "Mimzy, when's mommy coming home?"
At the nickname that had been painstakingly bestowed on her when the two were too young to pronounce her name Elsie spins around faster than a heartbeat to find brother and sister hand in hand, it physically hurts as she tries to hide her tears while slapping on her brightest smile she could muster, unable to tell the poor innocent children the awful truth "I'm sorry Baby's, Mommy's trip is lasting longer than we thought, but she misses you and she'll try to be back soon."
Knelt before the pair she'd expected them to cry, maybe even storm off in a tantrum, what she hadn't expected was them to share a look, a sad stare that made her blink twice at the secret link known only to them before Spencer takes a deep breath and puffs out his tiny chest, the way a grown man would before doing something big and important. He gently places his small little hands on either side of Elsie's shoulders and look's her straight in the eye, a look far too old to ever grace a boy so young, and nods firmly "it'll be ok."
Casting a glance over to Sam, who wore a sad tragic little smile on her angelic, tearful face, Elsie gathered that wasn't the first time he's had to say those words and it broke her heart. When Nico had shown up on her door after so long, pale and sweating from withdrawal, begging for help with her two precious, hungry little mites in hand Elsie had thought that this was finally it, that Nico was finally getting back on track, was finally returning to the girl she remembered so fondly, but looking at the small creatures before her Elsie knew that it was all just about Nico, it's always been Nico. So with open arms and a kiss to their heads Elsie nuzzled them both closely with all she had to give, I mean for god's sake their just children "Yeah, it will… it'll be ok, I promise."
That was the last time they asked about their mother, they were eight, not stupid!
By the end of the month things where better, they were far from ok, Spencer still refused to leave Sam's side and Sam still liked to smash things but they were eating more than two forkfuls a day they we're probably used to, almost the whole plate now and they no longer locked themselves away for hours on end in whatever small space they could hide in , so yeah it's better. Elsie got the guest room's done up nice for the twins, there still decorating, Spencer keeps changing his mind and Sam just didn't know what color she wanted, still half convinced in her little head that Elsie was going to ship them off somewhere, but Elsie was patient with the pair, got them new toys and clothes that actually fit and aren't worn into practically dust. Surprisingly they didn't seem to phased about their mother's vanishing act and that worried Elsie more than she liked, she wondered if Nico had ever actually cared, weather she ever really took care of her children and judging by their underfed frames and lack of well, anything, she guessed not but she was going to take care of them, she'd almost sorted out the paper work and everything...that's what a god parents for right?
Elsie watched them playing outside with the new bikes she'd bought them, black and red with flame stickers for Spencer and pink with glitter tassels and stabilizers for Sam. They looked happy enough but one little boy didn't, not that she'd really noticed the kid standing near the street light eyes flickering between watching his brother and father enjoying a game of basketball in their yard and the two siblings riding their bikes gleefully, but someone else noticed… "do you want to play with us?"
"W-what?" the boy all but jumped out of his skin as he looked at the pair who'd abandoned their playing to talk to him but he didn't get a chance to answer as Sam giggled with a flick of skirt and take's the boys hand, dragging him past her unanswered brother "of course he wants to play with us!"
Watching his sister steal the boy away Spencer shrugged before rushing over to grab the hose, bikes forgotten on the lawn, and spraying them both for walking off on him. As the drenched little girl laughed, wiping dripping blonde curls from her eyes she shouted with a glint in her minted green orbs "HEY! No fair!"
"Let's get him!" Sam called as she chased her brother around and he kept spraying them, fighting them off with the force of the water. The shy boy finally started laughing as he caught up to Spencer and struggled with him for the hose, soaking them both. Elsie laughed from her spot on the porch and noticed the neighbor boy's family stop to watch, his mother had emerged with a tray of lemonade and had her husband's arm draped around her shoulders with cheerful smiles while the elder brother gagged on his half guzzled drink.
They all watched the three blonde haired youngsters have the time of their lives, before falling to the floor in exhaustion, leaving the hose to flap about while two pairs of sweet minted green orbs lock with sky blue and the boy asks "what's your name's?"
"Samantha, but I like Sam better and this loser is Rat!" the girl laughed with a twirl of her wet locks between her fingers.
Shoving his sister almost to the ground Spencer growls "shut it Mouse! I'm Spencer… we live here now." he says it like it's an achievement, something special.
"I'm Isaac, Isaac Lahey and I live right... there" The shy boy smiles, pointing over to his family as water dribbles from his hair down his face.
Isaac watches as the twins share one of their secret connected stares before shouting as one over their shoulder's "Mimzy, can we keep him?"
Both families laughed as the three continued to try and drown each other.
That was a good day, one of few, for both houses… but it was more than that, it was the catalyst of things to come, because misery loves company and all that jazz right?
Yeah… right...