"Tired?" Max questioned sweetly. I sighed and motioned at the baby sleeping
in her carrier on the park bench.
"She only sleeps when I don't and she is awake and screaming whenever I close my eyes," I grumbled. Max laughed and his eyes that matched his mother's, Phoebe, glinted in the sun.
"I told her to do that, it's my plan to make you so tired that one day you accidentally give me your powers," Max said with a smirk. I sighed and leaned my head back against the warm wood of the bench. On cue Olivia opened her eyes and started screaming. Max bent over and picked her up carefully.
"Careful Max, use your hand behind her head," I said quickly. Max made a face at the baby and tilted his head comically.
"Is Daddy dearest being too over protective? Does he forget that Uncle Max has two younger brothers?" he said in a high pitched voice. Olivia's cried seized and she stared up at the fifteen year-old boy that had taken a shining to her. Max and I returned to the manor with Olivia in tow, sleeping quietly in her carrier. Noises filled the air. It was always loud in the crowded house, if there was no noise, then that usually meant that something was wrong. Paige smiled tiredly at them as her four year-old son, Shane, clung to her leg sobbing.
"Mamma I want to!" he screamed loudly. I glanced worriedly down at Olivia, hoping that my cousin's cries wouldn't rouse her from her peaceful nap. Paige swung the boy into her arms and kissed his head.
"I know you want to go see Daddy baby boy, but he's very busy," Paige explained quietly to him. Her husband was away on a business trip. Olivia's eyes fluttered open and she opened her mouth widely. A yawn escaped from her tiny mouth and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wyatt where were you? I have been waiting for you to help me with my math for an hour!" my youngest brother Vic complained. His dark hair covered his ears and his bangs hung in his eyes, which when visible were hazel.
"Sorry Vic, but I have to go change Olivia, did you ask Marcus for help?" I asked the angry thirteen year-old. Vic sighed and shook his head, at that moment I was sure that I could see the hurt in his eyes, even through the bangs. Mom entered the living room and threw her hands up in frustration, shattering a small statuette that was sitting on a shelf. Shane squealed with laughter. I looked at Aunt Paige and she shrugged and grabbed the baby carrier from my hands and motioned for Max to follow her. I sat carefully beside my mother.
"What's wrong Mom?" I asked quietly. She turned to me and I could see tears welling up in her eyes.
"It's nothing you have to worry about Wyatt," she said, trying to sound truthful. I raised my eye brow and shook my head.
"Its okay mom, what's going on?" I asked. She started crying softly. Fear boiled p in my stomach, it took a lot to make my mom cry.
"The doctor.she says that I may be sick," she started slowly. I felt the color drain from my face.
"What does she think that you have?" I asked quickly, hoping that it wasn't too serious.
"A tumor.they think.it.I mean.it's not for sure.I'm so scared," she cried softly.
"Oh Mom, it's going to be okay," I promised. She started crying harder and shook her head.
"No, your father he can't stay with us anymore. He's got to go back and help the Elders. There's something wrong and he can't tell me what. How can I take care of you and your brothers by myself on top of this.this sickness?" she asked, ending in a whisper. I bit my tongue and willed myself not to cry. I heard Olivia let out a cry from upstairs.
"I'll take care of you and Marc and Vic, I swear," I promised, feeling a sinking notion in my stomach. A scream of frustration sounded and I recognized it as my fourteen year-old brother's voice. Vic came barreling down the stares and stopped in front of me.
"I hate you! Marcus won't help me and now I'm gonna fail math!" he yelled before retreating to the far side of the room and staring darkly out of the front window. Aunt Paige came back and handed me Olivia who was crying at the top of her lungs.
"Sorry, I changed her but I think she wanted her Daddy," she explained before leaving the room. Marcus walked heavily into the room and stopped at the foot of the stairs and grumbled. His dark eyes flashed with annoyance.
"Stop telling Vic that I'll help him. I'm busy and you were the one that said you'd help him. I don't want to have to help that slow idiot with math," he raged before spinning around and returning to the darkness of his room. I sighed and glanced at Vic, then at Mom who was wiping tears from her eyes and then down at Olivia who continued to scream and flail her eyes. Marc's door slammed shut. I leaned my head back against the couch and closed my eyes.
"How the hell do I take care of everyone?" I asked myself silently.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"She only sleeps when I don't and she is awake and screaming whenever I close my eyes," I grumbled. Max laughed and his eyes that matched his mother's, Phoebe, glinted in the sun.
"I told her to do that, it's my plan to make you so tired that one day you accidentally give me your powers," Max said with a smirk. I sighed and leaned my head back against the warm wood of the bench. On cue Olivia opened her eyes and started screaming. Max bent over and picked her up carefully.
"Careful Max, use your hand behind her head," I said quickly. Max made a face at the baby and tilted his head comically.
"Is Daddy dearest being too over protective? Does he forget that Uncle Max has two younger brothers?" he said in a high pitched voice. Olivia's cried seized and she stared up at the fifteen year-old boy that had taken a shining to her. Max and I returned to the manor with Olivia in tow, sleeping quietly in her carrier. Noises filled the air. It was always loud in the crowded house, if there was no noise, then that usually meant that something was wrong. Paige smiled tiredly at them as her four year-old son, Shane, clung to her leg sobbing.
"Mamma I want to!" he screamed loudly. I glanced worriedly down at Olivia, hoping that my cousin's cries wouldn't rouse her from her peaceful nap. Paige swung the boy into her arms and kissed his head.
"I know you want to go see Daddy baby boy, but he's very busy," Paige explained quietly to him. Her husband was away on a business trip. Olivia's eyes fluttered open and she opened her mouth widely. A yawn escaped from her tiny mouth and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wyatt where were you? I have been waiting for you to help me with my math for an hour!" my youngest brother Vic complained. His dark hair covered his ears and his bangs hung in his eyes, which when visible were hazel.
"Sorry Vic, but I have to go change Olivia, did you ask Marcus for help?" I asked the angry thirteen year-old. Vic sighed and shook his head, at that moment I was sure that I could see the hurt in his eyes, even through the bangs. Mom entered the living room and threw her hands up in frustration, shattering a small statuette that was sitting on a shelf. Shane squealed with laughter. I looked at Aunt Paige and she shrugged and grabbed the baby carrier from my hands and motioned for Max to follow her. I sat carefully beside my mother.
"What's wrong Mom?" I asked quietly. She turned to me and I could see tears welling up in her eyes.
"It's nothing you have to worry about Wyatt," she said, trying to sound truthful. I raised my eye brow and shook my head.
"Its okay mom, what's going on?" I asked. She started crying softly. Fear boiled p in my stomach, it took a lot to make my mom cry.
"The doctor.she says that I may be sick," she started slowly. I felt the color drain from my face.
"What does she think that you have?" I asked quickly, hoping that it wasn't too serious.
"A tumor.they think.it.I mean.it's not for sure.I'm so scared," she cried softly.
"Oh Mom, it's going to be okay," I promised. She started crying harder and shook her head.
"No, your father he can't stay with us anymore. He's got to go back and help the Elders. There's something wrong and he can't tell me what. How can I take care of you and your brothers by myself on top of this.this sickness?" she asked, ending in a whisper. I bit my tongue and willed myself not to cry. I heard Olivia let out a cry from upstairs.
"I'll take care of you and Marc and Vic, I swear," I promised, feeling a sinking notion in my stomach. A scream of frustration sounded and I recognized it as my fourteen year-old brother's voice. Vic came barreling down the stares and stopped in front of me.
"I hate you! Marcus won't help me and now I'm gonna fail math!" he yelled before retreating to the far side of the room and staring darkly out of the front window. Aunt Paige came back and handed me Olivia who was crying at the top of her lungs.
"Sorry, I changed her but I think she wanted her Daddy," she explained before leaving the room. Marcus walked heavily into the room and stopped at the foot of the stairs and grumbled. His dark eyes flashed with annoyance.
"Stop telling Vic that I'll help him. I'm busy and you were the one that said you'd help him. I don't want to have to help that slow idiot with math," he raged before spinning around and returning to the darkness of his room. I sighed and glanced at Vic, then at Mom who was wiping tears from her eyes and then down at Olivia who continued to scream and flail her eyes. Marc's door slammed shut. I leaned my head back against the couch and closed my eyes.
"How the hell do I take care of everyone?" I asked myself silently.
TO BE CONTINUED.