❝You're gonna be happy, ❞ said life, ❝but first I'll make you strong.❞
» » »
A story of how a family reeling from loss and pain can come together and realize that there is beauty in the mess of life.
In the wake of their mother's death, five siblin...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
― Theo ―
I hurriedly picked up the baskets of dirty laundry and chucked it into Elias's room as Julian's friends from the basketball team started arriving.
I asked Elias to do one thing when he came back from his football practice last night. I told him to take the laundry and put it into the laundry room.
I would've even asked him to do it but I could tell from his limping that practice was intense. I mean Elias was in varsity college football and his team was preparing to go against one of the toughest teams.
But it really doesn't excuse that he literally carried it downstairs, only to leave it right in the middle of the hallway because he heard Julian making mac and cheese in the kitchen.
Serves him right. He can pick up all the laundry in his room instead of relaxing in the backyard later.
"Theo! We need more hotdog buns," Julian declares as he and his friend Nolan carry boxes of soda to the backyard, where the entire basketball team has gathered.
"I left them in the car Jules," I respond distractedly, trying to recall if I forgot anything else .
"Alright wait I'll go-" he gets interrupted when more boys barge in through the garage door.
How many of them are there? I didn't buy enough hotdogs to feed an army.
The two guys approach them, carrying what I hope was cans of soda and not beer. I rather not have a bunch of parents calling to blame me for getting their children drunk.
Julian smiles at them and because he is such a good host, he hands me the boxes of soda and shows them the way to the backyard.
We host this event every year Jules. I think they know their way around the damn house.
I wouldn't normally be in such a pissy mood but considering I have to spend the day cooking for a bunch of teenagers on what is supposed to be my off day, I was not enthusiastic.
Adding on was the call from the social worker, confirming that she would be coming around to check in.
Check in my ass.
They just wanted to find a reason to deem me as unfit as a guardian and take my siblings into their custody.
My mood only went downhill from there. It was taking all my patience to not snap when Julian basically handed the boxes of soda at me, throwing his responsibilities onto me.
So when the doorbell rang repeatedly and Julian decided this one time to not play host, my patience snapped.
I dropped the boxes on the ground and angrily pulled the door open. "What?!"
My eyes widened. I was expecting one of Julian's friends to be playing a prank because everyone on his team knew not to bother ringing the bell and just head straight to the back.
