Hush big Brother 3
Her little eyelids fluttered a bit as she dreamt on, even though he was know awake. He smiled to the little angel beside his daughters, watching his family sleep on as he laid there in his own bed.
They didn't have a lot. But they had enough to get them all by.
He saw her first, since she was closest to him on their bed to his own. Her normally straight red hair was tangled up and frizzy, and she had her cheek pressed against her older sister's, who was asleep under her, letting the smaller girl slept tucked under her arm. The older girl who his own daughter by birth with blonde hair that was always in curls, and then eyes that could still your heart with their dark blueness. Yes, thirteen-year-old Meslissa was quite a sight.
And then there was his youngest and second birth daughter, Cassidy, who was three years old. She was pressed against the back of the other young girl of the family whom he'd adopted, with her blonde hair still tied in two braids and her eyes shut tight in her sleep. He smiled at the three of them, sliding out of the bed and stretching out lazily.
The second oldest woke first, lifting her head a bit and yawning softly in her British accent, "Morning, Daddy."
"Good morning, Emily," he kissed the top of her forehead, and she smiled as she rested her small eight-year-old head on her big sister's chest once more, watching him the entire time with the stars in her sleepy brown eyes.
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"Yesterday was fun," Claire yawned from where she was still waking up on her big brother's chest, back in Minnosota.
"It sure was, Claire-Bear," he cooed, kissing her small nose and hugging her tight. The thought was in both of their minds, however: It would've been better with Emily.
"I miss her," her soft little girl voice was even softer now, sad and sounding almost depressed.
"I do too, baby sis," his eyes were starting to blur up as he tried to think of a way to make her happy again, for her not to worry when he felt like he should be the only one dealing with that kind of stress, "hey…want to go play with Katie?"
The six year old's face brightened just a bit, "Of course."
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He stepped out into the cool South Dakoto air and stretched once more. Ugh, so cold….he just wanted to go right back in that house and curl under the sheets to warm up again. But he just rubbed his eyes, turning to kiss Meslissa's head and spin Cassidy around once lovingly.
"I'll try not to get in too late," he promised, and his oldest smiled as she pecked his cheek.
"It'll all be fine, Dad," she looked down to Emily, who was bouncing on her heels and more than likely thinking of the hot coco and popcorn the two of them would make when he was at work, "right, Em? Right, Cass?"
"Yes Daddy!" the two of them crowed together innocently enough, and he had to chuckle as he stepped out into the snow.
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"Clairey!" Katie crowed, hugging her best friend tight and grinning her pumpkin grin, "I didn't know you were coming over!"
"Jaime said we could!" the other six-year-old giggled happily as they broke the hug, scurrying off to Katie's room and hopping on the bed eagerly, "what do you wanna play?"
"Let's play Lions!" the little sister of Kendall suggested innocently and happily, and the other squealed her delight.
"Okay! I'll be the Daddy lion!" for some reason, the little sister of James always preferred being the male in their games.
Maybe it was because of Carson Jones, Katie's abusive father, and Claire knew that it would bother her friend, even though she didn't know about that. Maybe it was because she just preferred being the hunter.
Or maybe it was because hers was never around.
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"He's cute," Mesliissa giggled at the boy a little younger than herself on the TV show Almost a Superstar. He was known as Kendall Knight, and…yes, she did think he was adorable.
Emily giggled with Cassidy, but as she sipped her coco and looked at his eyes, she couldn't help but think she saw someone familiar in the background….
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Both young girls' squeals could be heard in the living room, where the two best friends were playing video games. Kendall couldn't help but notice his friend's eyes seemed a bit distant, and his curiousity screamed for him to ask. After all, they got like that sometimes….
He would regret not asking by nightfall.
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Emily hadn't forgotten her brother and sister.
After all….how could she of? He'd taken her in and protecting her from the start, and she was always sweet and hopeful when their mother's were not around, which was always. She missed them, but she'd had a feeling of abandment and rebellion from both of them when he put them in the foster home and Claire refused to be adopted by who was now her dad, Danny Sullivan.
But she missed James and Claire every day.
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"How about we have a sleep over tonight?" Ms. Jennifer Knight inquired to the two drowsy boys as it got darker later on.
"What is that?" the two asked as one, and as soon as they learned, both of their eyes brightened up a bit.
James stared at the phone a minute later, however. She told him to call his parents and ask for permission, and he was nervous. His dad wouldn't answer, and if he did….well, it would suck for him because he'd be drunk as hell.
"What's wrong?" Kendall mumbled as Jennifer went to tell the two girls, and he bit his lower lip.
"Just say I called him," he shut the cell phone, leaving his friend to be confused and worried the rest of the sleep over.
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Claire didn't know why James didn't tell Kendall about their father and mothers never being there. After all…she'd told Katie.
"Wow," Katie looked shocked, and her eyes were suddenly older as she hugged her best friend, "I know how you feel."
The six year old hugged her tight, smiling waterily, "It'll all be okay. You already taught me that, Katie Jo."
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Kendall's eyes widened from where he was listening to the two after going to raid the kitchen. James had a lot of explaining to do….
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"Here he comes!" Cassidy crowed, and Emily jumped up with her older sister as they did a speed clean-up of the living room.
"Daddy!" Emily was the first to cry, running to hold his leg and looking up in surprise.
It wasn't their dad at all.