Sequel: Stronger
Status: Finished.

Tongue Tied

FIVE

Alexa had been watching me carefully ever since her parents had dropped her off next door at my family’s house. Since my folks were out of town for the weekend, I had agreed to come home for a couple of days, and watch my two younger siblings who just weren’t quite old enough to stay at home by themselves yet. As soon as Alexa had found out I was home for the weekend, she had marched her way over to the house, and did everything- begging, pleading, crying and a couple puppy dog pouts- in order to get out of a family dinner. Apparently it worked because she was sitting next to me in the spacious kitchen waiting for the first batch of chocolate chip cookies we had made were ready to come out of the oven.

“Whatcha reading over there?” I asked, taking a peak into the living room where Rhea and Isabella were curled up onto one of the couches watching reruns of “Sesame Street”. Apparently for six year olds, waiting for cookies weren’t as fun as making a mess of the kitchen and “cooking” them. Alexa stared down at the book in front of her, and shrugged.

“Catcher in The Rye. It’s for school.” I smiled. It used to be one of my favorite books when I still was in high school. It had been one of the first books that I had been assigned in class that I actually read entirely (also one of the few that I actually passed without the use of Spark Notes).

“Aren’t you a little too young for that book? Isn’t it for people over the age of twelve?” I joked, nudging her in the shoulder with my own. She grimaced and gave me the “stink eye”. Out of all the Lemieux children, Alexa probably was my favorite because she had been the youngest child, and by the time I started babysitting for her family she had just been born, and I treated her like my little sister—because at the time my sisters hadn’t been born yet.

“I am fourteen, thank you very much.” She replied with a short tone. Ruffling her hair, and shaking my head, I laughed at how ruffled her feathers were getting over it.

“I know Alexa-Bex. You know I just have to harass you a little bit. I’m not home enough anymore, so I don’t get to do it as much.”

“Well if you’d come back here more often, you wouldn’t have to harass me so much every time you see me.” She countered, taking a sip of the glass of milk I had set on the counter.

“I know, Bub. But I have to work. Gotta pay those big girl bills.” She frowned—as did I. As much as I liked living on my own, and having my own place, something about the familiarity of home was always nice from time to time.

“Busy with Sidney?” She asked with a small grin. My face started to tinge pink, and luckily the timer on the cookies went off; saving myself from the embarrassment of having to explain why I was blushing. Alexa was an extremely observant child.

After I pulled out the cookies, she posed the same question, this time with more fervent to get an answer. “Busy with Sidney?” This time my face didn’t turn red, and the uncomfortable “What the fuck am I doing here?” feeling didn’t return. I answered, as truthfully as I could.

“Busy with work. Yes, that includes Sidney. But I’ve only worked with him a couple of times.”

“And went out to lunch with him.”

My mouth almost hit the countertop. How did she even know we went out to lunch?

“Don’t lie, Care.” She grinned, taking one of the fresh cookies off of the cooling rack and popping a piece of it into her mouth. Before I could reply she was hopping around the kitchen, looking for a cold glass of water to cool off her burnt mouth. Serves her right for meddling into my own personal business. Especially if there was nothing, absolutely nothing going on between Sidney Crosby and I.

“There’s nothing going on between us, Match Maker.” I smiled, as we set the cookies on plates. Nothing was going on between anybody and I.

She didn’t look so sure, though. Her facial expression looked like she was going to press on for more questions- questions were things I wasn’t a fan of- but instead my sisters popped in the kitchen all upset because Big Bird had said goodbye for the episode. For being six years old, they were sure hard to please. I remember being six years old, and being okay with spending the entire day at the pool and coming home for Ice Pops as a treat; but not these children.

“Are you sure?” I raised my eyebrows towards Alexa, signaling for her to drop it. I didn’t need my nosy little sisters to try and pick apart a conversation in order to try and get me into some sort of trouble—despite being twenty-five those little brats still got me into trouble with my parents, whether it be cursing in front of them or not giving them cookies before dinner.

World class spoiled little brats they were.

I was content with being an only child for nineteen years, until they “popped” up one day.

“I am sure. Perfectly sure, one hundred and ten percent sure.” I rolled my eyes. Since everything happened, I hadn’t gone on a date. I wasn’t ready for any of that, and quite honestly, I didn’t know if I ever would be. Even if I had been ready at this point, I wasn’t going to take Hockey’s Golden Child, especially since he was one of my clients.

“You know he lives next door.” It was a statement. Simple and innocent, yet for some reason—deep down—I didn’t think of it that way, for some odd reason unbeknownst to myself.

“Does he?”

“Yeah, he moved in when he turned 18, and hasn’t left yet. He says he’s building a house, but I’m not so convinced.”

“Well people live in their parents house until their older, there isn’t anything wrong with it.”

“But my parents aren’t his parents.” She had a point.

“I don’t know what you want me to do about it, Lex.” I sighed, handing each of my sisters a plate of cookies, and a sippy cup filled with milk; even though they were six, I didn’t trust them just yet with big girl cups. Last time I tried that, they got red juice all over my carpeting… A mess that took me almost a month to get out of the tan carpet.

“Go on a date with him. I’ll set you up.” My eyes practically bugged out of my head.

“No way.” I said.

“Why not?” She countered.

“Because he’s my client. I work for him, and for your dad. That’s unprofessional.” It wasn’t like I was lying or something.

“So?” Typical Alexa.

“’So’ meaning I can’t date somebody I’m working for, besides there are other variables I have to think about…”

“Like?” If this kid didn’t become a lawyer when she grew up, I would jump off a bridge.

“Grown up stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Personal grown up stuff.”

“You mean--?” I nodded.

“Well sometimes, you have to let that go. As much as you don’t want too, you have to move on with your life.” For being fourteen and basically having the world at her disposal, she was sure philosophical.

“Yeah, Lex. One day I’ll maybe be able to do that, letting it all go. But until then…”

I wanted to let it go everyday of my life. Just forget about everything that happened, and go back to my normal life.

But after the metaphorical tornado goes through the town and breaks, rips, and tears apart everything left in it’s path, then leaves as quick as it came, you’re left with the destruction and damage.

Sometimes it’s an easy fix, nothing too terrible. But other times the damage is so severe it takes an entire lifetime in order to finally feel whole again.
♠ ♠ ♠
Kinda a little filler. Next chapter more happens!!

Also, I started a Staal fic. Or am in the process of starting it (chapter one might possibly be put up tonight). So if you're interested in that, give it a subscribe or read or whatever you want. Here it is.

Taaaaanks for all your lovely words. Honestly because all the lovely feedback I've gotten, it keeps me wanting to write the story. So comment away!! :)