DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to Veronica Roth.
Chapter 34
Excuse Me! No One Owns Me!
Today was Ezra's first train jumping. Tobias had helped him on and off since he was a baby but now after turning 4 Ezra needed to do it on his own.
"Come on Ezra!" Damien shouted, his hair flicking out of his eyes due to the wind.
"Do what we do!" Phoenix told him as her ponytail did the same dance as Damien's hair.
Ezra picked at his basketball shorts and then looked to Tobias.
"You've got it little man." Tobias promised. Ezra nodded and removed his shirt. Damien did the same his first time since he feared it getting caught on the wheel. Obviously some wise brotherly advice.
"We're right behind you buddy." I tell him, watching the train approach. Damien is off first, racing for the car door and jumping up to hit the open pad. The doors slide open and he slides in. Phoenix isn't far behind, her little feet carrying her faster than any child I've meet. She swung in like her brother and peered out to Ezra.
"You got it Ezra! Just jump!" She called, he ran faster and caught the handle. I picked up my speed so I was behind him as he swung in and laughed loudly. I jumped on followed by Tobias who gave the shirt back to Ezra.
"I DID IT!" Ezra shouted loudly. We all cheered and sat in the car, waiting for the first patch of grass to appear.
"You ready?" I ask him, he nods his head causing his curls to unravel. "Alright Damien and Phoenix, you first." I urge, they count to three and jump, somersaulting back to their feet and laughing at their fresh scrapes.
"Alright Ezra. On three." Tobias and I take opposite sides of him and count. At three we all launch out of the car. Tobias and I stayed on our feet as Ezra barrel-rolled and landed 3 feet away.
"That was awesome!" He demanded, standing up and dusting off his arms and legs.
"You did great!" I reward, messing up his hair and leading the family back to the other side of the tracks for the train back to Dauntless.
"Can we get dinner when we get back?" Damien asks. I swear that kid is always hungry! He's skinny thought so I guess he needs more food.
"Sure buddy." Tobias says, taking my hand in his.
"I'm going to tell everyone that I can get on and off the train by myself." Ezra says with glee.
"I'm sure this will deserve some dauntless cake." At this 4 children look at me with gleaming eyes.
"Really?" Tobias asks excitedly making me roll my eyes.
"Yes, we can have cake." I promise kissing him on the chin and allowing myself a laugh.
"YAY!" All the kids cry, this time excluding Tobias from the list.
"So Ezra, ready for kindergarten?" Damien asks, jumping the train tracks despite my warning about trains hitting him.
"I guess." Ezra replies, scoping the ground for a cool rock.
"Only 1 more year. Izzy starts school with us in a month." Phoenix warns, throwing a few stones against a large rock hoping to have them rebound. "I mean Damien and I are on summer break now so this is technically your last summer as a free child. SCORE!" She screams, the rock she last threw rebounding and pelting the poor Damien on the neck.
"Okay Phoenix quit terrorizing your brother and pelting your other one with rocks." Tobias says, she drops the rocks instantly and gets onto the track herself.
"I wish I had a sister." She said finally, laying on the track and looking up and the pink sky. It was almost dark, also known as her favourite time of the day.
"You have Piper." Damien suggests.
"No I mean my own sister. Someone I can share a room with." She says with a small smile. "You have Ezra and I have no one."
"Excuse me!" Ezra said loudly. "No one owns me!"
At this Tobias and I laugh, watching carefully for a train so we can save our children from it.
"Either way, I just wish I could have one." She concludes.
"Okay kids off the tracks, the train is coming." Tobias commands. The kids move out of the way and start forward. They jump in once again with Tobias coming in last.
"Tobias we can't have anymore children." I whisper to him as we sit in the train car and watch the kids peer out the door.
"I know, it would be too much. She'll get over it." Tobias says, stroking my hair.
"Like Damien said: she has Piper and Izabel. Those girls will make good sister figures." I say holding his other hand.
"Exactly, no need on putting ourselves through another 9 months of health scares." He says, remembering the moments that the baby(ies) and I could've died.
"Yeah, I think our family is perfect the way it is." I conclude, kissing the stumble on his chin and standing up. We watch the kids jump and follow in suit.
We all head to the cafeteria where stew was being served.
"I refuse to eat this." Piper said, I remember that same attitude toward the soup 4 years ago.
"Fine then, eat a few rolls." Will offered her a basket of bread and she gladly munched on it.
"So what were your 5 up to?" Marlene asks, slipping into her seat next to Uriah.
"I learned how to get on and off the train on my own!" Ezra says as everyone congratulates him.
"That means you're all set for school then." Zeke says, giving Ezra a high five. Izabel jumps into the seat next to Ezra and they begin to go off about different strength abilities.
"I am much stronger because I'm a year older!" Izabel fights back.
"Ahh but I am taller!" Ezra contradicts. From there all I heard were mixed up words and playful shoves between the two.
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-Valentina