Dara walked down the stairs, her arms full with clothes from the line. She gently kicked the door, calling to her sister. "Arcadia, please come open the door."
She heard tiny footsteps pounding their way to the door. The wooden door opened to a young, flaming red-head girl. She stood out of the way and allowed her sister to walk by.
Dara gently set the clothing on one of the beds and lifted up one of her father's shirts. She folded it evenly and set it on the bed. As she began to pick up more clothes, Arcadia came and sat on the bed, plopping down quite forcefully. The bed bounced slightly, causing some of the clothes to topple out of the pile.
"Arcadia, be more careful," Dara said as she caught a pair of pants before they fell off the bed. She shook them out before folding them.
Her sister nodded, her bright hair flying into her face. Dara glanced over at her and smiled. "Come here," she said as she motioned her little sister to sit in front of her. Arcadia bounded over and sat down cross-legged.
Dara picked up her sister's beautiful, long red hair and brushed through it with her fingers, pulling out here and there a few knots. She then wrapped some twine around her hair and pulled it up into a ponytail. She then began to braid it, her fingers weaving delicately with the hair. She was finished quickly, and she wrapped the braid into a bun. From there she pinned it in place.
"There," she said, gently patting her sister once on the back before returning to folding the clothes. Arcadia patted her hair with her hand, smiling at the firmness of her hair. She skipped over to her sister.
"Dara, did you use to do my hair when I was tiny?" she asked as she carefully, this time, sat on the bed.
Dara laughed. "No Arc, that was mama who did that. I was too young to do your hair." She grabbed the pile of her mother's clothes and took them over to her mother's dresser. She placed them in their according places. She then did the same with her father's, her own, and Arcadia's.
Just then, the door opened to reveal a man with red hair and dulling green eyes. His smile upon seeing his children, however, brightened his eyes. "Dara! Arcadia! How energized it makes a father feel to see his children healthy and happy at home!" he called, opening his arms to welcome his girls.
Arcadia ran into his arms, hugging him tight. Dara gently closed her drawer to hers and Arcadia's dresser. She walked over to her father and kissed his cheek. "Welcome home da," she said, taking his coat for him. He set his youngest daughter down and sat in one of the wooden chairs by the kitchen table.
"Oh, the factory's been taking quite a toll on me lately. I feel my bones aching more and more as each day passes," he said, placing his hand on his back and stretching, his face becoming a grimace.
Dara brought him a cup of a steaming liquid. "Da, how many times have I told you, I am more than willing to work until you regain your strength," she said as she set the cups in his hands. He sighed and took a sip of the liquid.
"Tis a sad day when a father must watch his daughter go off to work for his own benefit. However, I feel I must agree this time. I feel as though I cannot move without aching." She nodded, kissing her father on the cheek one last time.
"I shall go out and look for a job then da, see you at dinner time." And with that, she took off to the streets to find a job.