Smiley and Sunshine

16.

Time froze as everyone comprehended what Austin just said.

Information on our mother.

He wanted to talk to them about the woman who haunted Hayes' nightmares; the woman who only by mere thought of her name sent chills crawling down Hayes' spine. The one responsible for putting the fear in her eyes. The root of why the kids distrusted mother figures.

Brothers shouldn't have to protect their sister from their own mother.

No, no, no. Hayes was not prepared for this group confrontation. She did not want to hear this.

As if a switch had been hit, Glen abruptly left the kitchen without another word, ducking under Colton's outstretched arm in order to escape to his bedroom. The sound of the door slamming made Hayes flinch, breaking the spell she was under.

"I'm just gonna," Hayes spun on her feet, hoping to escape just like Glen had.

No such luck as Colton stepped in her way, catching her by the shoulder. "Why don't you go wait in the family room?" Hayes rapidly shook her head no. She wanted to flee and hide from her past, preferably under her bed covers in the comfort of her room, far away from where this meeting would be held.

"Let's go," Dakota mumbled, gripping onto her upper arm. He pulled her away before she had a chance to protest, the words caught in her throat. As much as he wanted to lay into Austin for withholding information, Dakota knew Austin would not spill until everyone was present. Therefore, he needed to leave the kitchen before his temper got the best of him.

It wasn't until they walked the 30 steps out of the kitchen and into the family room did Dakota release her. He not-so-gently pushed her in the direction of the couch as he took his previous seat closest to the television. The soccer game he had been watching had ended, switching to reruns of a football game.

Finding a seat, she couldn't be any more squished into the corner of the L-shaped couch than she already was. With her knees tightly folded against her chest and her arms hugging her legs, Hayes had her defensive walls up.

She absentmindedly watched the television as she worked hard to turn off her brain.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Dakota shift in his seat, only understanding his intentions when his hand grasped her fidgeting fingers. Without looking at her, his thumb made small circular motions on the back of her hand. Hayes wasn't sure if it was to lull her nerves or his.

That lasted for a few minutes until another brother came into the family room and Dakota retreated back to the end of the couch like nothing ever happened.

"Hello, Sunshine." Emerson glanced quizzically at Dakota as he sat down on the couch next to their sister. He had been upstairs taking a snooze when Austin called for a family meeting. He was woken up by Glen slamming the door and only came downstairs when Colton popped his head into the bedroom to tell him to go downstairs.

"Can I have your sweatshirt?" Hayes asked so softly that Emerson took an educated guess on what she wanted. He watched her rub her arms but she wasn't cold. It was just no matter what she did, she still felt exposed and wanted the extra layer of protection to hide behind. But nothing could protect her from her own mind.

"This one?" Emerson questioned and started taking his sweatshirt off. Hayes nodded, immediately putting it on when he passed it over. It looked like she was drowning in it, the sweatshirt way too large for her frame. Just the way she liked it.