‹ Prequel: Down the Rabbit-Hole.
Sequel: Twins ›
Welcome Home.
o2.
When Dru woke up the next morning, she was alone on the couch. There was a half-eaten bowl of Cocoa Pebbles on the coffee table. She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, tilting her head toward the ceiling when she heard the noises. Squeaks and not-so-loud yells. Brendon and Ryan were fucking.
The sounds stopped when she was in the kitchen pouring a bowl of Lucky Charms and waiting for the frozen blueberry waffles in the toaster to pop up. She was buttering the waffles when both boys came downstairs, looking happy and kissing her on the top of the head. Brendon stole one of her waffles and Ryan pulled the orange juice from the refrigerator, drinking it straight from the carton.
“Sleep okay, baby?” Brendon asked, taking a bit of waffle and wrapping his arms around the girl from behind. She nodded, leaning back against him and smiling. “Good girl.”
“Let’s go in the living room. I don’t want to have this conversation in the kitchen.” Ryan said, shutting the refrigerator door and wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his hoodie.
“What conversation?” Dru asked, sleep still evident in her voice as she turned to look at him.
Brendon moved his hand to the small of her back and gently pushed her from the room. “Come on, baby.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, nearly spilling milk all down the front of her shirt. “What is it?” She sat down on the couch looking extremely upset, her face only growing more worried when the boys sat down on either side of her, Ryan snaking one of his arms around her shoulders, leaning in to brush a kiss against her forehead. “Ry?” She was almost crying.
He gave a small smile and took the bowl of cereal from her lap, handing it to Brendon who set it on the table. “Remember when you asked where I was yesterday?”
“You’re not leaving us, are you?” she asked, the tears threatening to fall from her hazel irises.
“Of course I’m not leaving.” Ryan pulled the girl to his chest, kissing the top of her head and rocking her for a moment, hardly daring to meet Brendon’s eyes with his own. “I went to a hospital.”
She sat up, nearly cracking his chin with her head. “Why?”
“I’m sick.” he said quietly, reaching out from Brendon’s hand. The other boy took it, gently running his fingers across the palm, fighting his own tears.
“With what?” the girl asked.
“They don’t know yet.” Ryan said. “I don’t want you to worry, Dru-baby. We’re going to figure it out and we’re going to fix it, okay? You don’t need to worry.” He ran his thumb along her bottom lip before leaning down to kiss her lightly on the mouth.
She was crying before he pulled away.
The sounds stopped when she was in the kitchen pouring a bowl of Lucky Charms and waiting for the frozen blueberry waffles in the toaster to pop up. She was buttering the waffles when both boys came downstairs, looking happy and kissing her on the top of the head. Brendon stole one of her waffles and Ryan pulled the orange juice from the refrigerator, drinking it straight from the carton.
“Sleep okay, baby?” Brendon asked, taking a bit of waffle and wrapping his arms around the girl from behind. She nodded, leaning back against him and smiling. “Good girl.”
“Let’s go in the living room. I don’t want to have this conversation in the kitchen.” Ryan said, shutting the refrigerator door and wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his hoodie.
“What conversation?” Dru asked, sleep still evident in her voice as she turned to look at him.
Brendon moved his hand to the small of her back and gently pushed her from the room. “Come on, baby.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, nearly spilling milk all down the front of her shirt. “What is it?” She sat down on the couch looking extremely upset, her face only growing more worried when the boys sat down on either side of her, Ryan snaking one of his arms around her shoulders, leaning in to brush a kiss against her forehead. “Ry?” She was almost crying.
He gave a small smile and took the bowl of cereal from her lap, handing it to Brendon who set it on the table. “Remember when you asked where I was yesterday?”
“You’re not leaving us, are you?” she asked, the tears threatening to fall from her hazel irises.
“Of course I’m not leaving.” Ryan pulled the girl to his chest, kissing the top of her head and rocking her for a moment, hardly daring to meet Brendon’s eyes with his own. “I went to a hospital.”
She sat up, nearly cracking his chin with her head. “Why?”
“I’m sick.” he said quietly, reaching out from Brendon’s hand. The other boy took it, gently running his fingers across the palm, fighting his own tears.
“With what?” the girl asked.
“They don’t know yet.” Ryan said. “I don’t want you to worry, Dru-baby. We’re going to figure it out and we’re going to fix it, okay? You don’t need to worry.” He ran his thumb along her bottom lip before leaning down to kiss her lightly on the mouth.
She was crying before he pulled away.