❝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 —
"Wait-but Mal. Why can't you just partner with me," Vaughn whined.
"Because you're old partner literally quitafter working with you for like a week," Malia retorts. "I will not subject myself to that same torture."
"Oh c'mon Malia. It wasn't even my fault okay?"
Malia pinches the bridge of her nose. "An ambulance had to be called."
"There wasn't anybody free to watch my birds. I had to bring them with me. How was I supposed to know that she had an abnormal fear of them?"
"Did you not see the scar on her arm from when she got attacked by a goose?"
Vaughn pauses. "I thought it was that crazy kid at the beach that bit her?"
I snorted under my breath. "No that's the scar on her other arm."
Malia turned her death glare to me. I gulped and ducked my head, busying myself with Nova as we picked up garbage off the cool sand.
"She broke her nose, Vaughn!"
"Well, then I deserve a thank you-Ouch! Malia," he muttered as Malia smacked his shoulder.
Vaughn backed up, keeping an arm's distance from Malia. "She always complained about her nose. The only reason she had this job was to save up for her plastic surgery. If you look at it this way, it's a win-win situation. She gets her nose job and I can get a new partner."
"Except the only problem is, nobody wants to be your partner; much less stand closer than a ten-foot pole."
Vaughn pouts — a sulky look on his face as continues to pull along the garbage bag. Nova sympathetically pats his shoulders, which instantly causes Vaughn's bright energy to resume.
It's like there was no off switch for him.
Before I know it, I've bumped into something. The abruptness caused me to fall flat on my butt and the garbage bag in my hand unravelled, causing the hour's worth of garbage I've collected to land right on me.
Vaughn and Nova seemed almost shocked at my clumsiness before they fall into fits of laughter. I tune them out, trying to figure out what exactly got in my way.
Of course, it wasn't a what but more like a who as I landed my gaze on the culprit herself.
"Is this revenge for always being late? Or did I just inherit all the clumsy genes in my family?"
Malia sheepishly smiles. "Ah sorry, Theo. I just had a genius idea and well...you can say you literally got in the way of it."
I swear to all that is holy, I can't go one day without making a fool of myself. Elias better not hear about this.
