❝You're gonna be happy, ❞ said life, ❝but first I'll make you strong.❞
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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...
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― Theo ―
"JULES GET YOUR ass moving! The trash bag isn't going to move itself," I yelled.
The only response I received was an aggravated groan coming from upstairs. I rolled my eyes as I continued hauling boxes from the attic into the living room. I was panting by the time I got all of them down and dumped them next to the couch.
"Damn when was the last time you hit the gym Theo," Elias smirks.
He was sprawled on the carpet, a duster in his hands as he waved the damn thing around the room like it was a fucking wand, getting dust everywhere. He was supposed to be wiping the dust off the picture frames and shelves but his attention was more focused on the basketball game playing on the TV.
"Shut the fuck up Eli. I can still knock you on your ass anytime," I say out of breath.
"Yeah, when we were seven Theo. If you haven't forgotten, I tackle people for a living dear brother."
Elias makes his way over next to me, reaching up to dust the higher shelves. They were a pearly white that rested against the wall on either side of the TV.
Picture frames were scattered over the shelves, capturing photos of our family ― my first basketball games, Rey's elementary graduation, Elias opening his gifts on Christmas, and even a picture of the day the twins were brought home from the hospital.
I make my way past Elias, subtly bumping into his shoulder, the force sending him sprawling onto his ass.
"Wow, would you look at that? Sixteen years later and you're still the one rolling on the floor dear brother," I internally smirk.
His fall causes some of the books to fall off the shelf, falling quite perfectly onto his head. The impact on his head so loud that it echoed throughout the house.
"What the hell did you do now Eli?" Riley yawns as she walks down the stairs. From her tangled locks of hair and the dried trail of drool on her chin she probably only woke from Elias's fall.
I guess Eli getting hurt is her wake-up call.
"What the hell did I do? Why don't you ask Theo?" Elias exclaims as he rubbed his ass.
Riley doesn't even bother asking. She shrugs before walking towards the kitchen to rummage through the fridge for her chocolate milk.
Julian lazily walks out of the kitchen, dragging his sock-clad feet across the hardwood floor as he held the trash bag in his hand. He probably only woke up because of Riley ― who was the only one who was capable of getting him up.
It was cleaning day today. A day where I forced everyone to get up at eight in the morning ― but more like nine considering it took the twins an hour to get up ― to clean up the house because we were all too lazy to spread the chores out into a week so it just got crammed into one day.
