point A to Z

𝙳

point D: with a heart like yours, you deserve the world and so much more.

I'm tired this morning, it's a Saturday, but my dad practically dragged me out of bed so he could take me to the store with him. It's bradens tenth birthday in two days and we have no party supplies at all. So here we are stood in the celebration aisle of Walmart looking for decorations. Now, my brother doesn't exactly have friends his own age since he isn't in school yet, but the adults around him are coming over to celebrate with us. It's mainly gonna be the intelligence unit plus a few doctors we're close to, but if that's enough to make Braden happy, then we're happy.

"Does this match?" Jay held up a set of pale blue cups. Brianna raised her eyebrows and nodded, "yeah" she smirked. Jay laughed and threw the cups in the basket, "and these?" He held up a pack up plates, "dad they're for food, people aren't gonna inspect them" she laughed. He sighed, "fair point" he threw them in the basket. She walked over to him and folded her arms, he's taking this decoration task way too seriously. He checked over everything he had and sighed, "you know, it might not be such a bad idea to invite one of your friends over, you might get bored after a while" he raised his eyebrows.

Next joke please, I don't have any friends.

"No I'm good, it's not my party, it's bradens" she shook her head. He shrugged, "okay then" he looked around. She pulled out her phone to see no notifications, shocker. After a while of making sure they had everything, they paid and left the store. They drove past a familiar diner on the way home which made Brianna smile, "can you remember going there when I was younger?" She smiled. Jay laughed, "of course I can, you ordered the same thing every time. Blueberry pancakes with whipped cream and syrup" he smiled. Brianna smiled back, oh the good old times...

                Later that day Braden came storming into the kitchen, "Bri..." he tilted his head.  Jay and hailey looked at each other as Brianna nodded, "lead the way" she ran after her brother.  The adults smiled at each other as their kids left the room, "I feel bad for not paying as much attention to Bri as much as we do with Brady" jay sighed.  Hailey nodded, "I know, I do too. The guilt gets to me sometimes, but she's a good kid, she understands everything" she rubbed her head.  Jay nodded, "we should do something with her, just us two and Brianna, we haven't done anything alone for years" he frowned.  Hailey nodded, "I look into something" she smiled.

"Not quite buddy, try again" Brianna smiled as Braden attempted to order the planets from smallest to largest. Braden sighed and demolished his line-up, "hey, it's alright Brady. Don't get frustrated, just try again. You nearly had it" she smiled. Braden sighed and picked his planets back up, "now think really hard" she smiled. Braden took a somewhat deep breath and rearranged his planets before waiting for his sister's response. "Jupiter, Mars, mercury, earth... erm, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and venus?" He smiled. Brianna smiled back, "bingo" she poked his arm. He smiled back before poking her arm and letting out a contagious laugh.

It's moments like these when I forgot about everything, and the only thing that matters to me is Braden. As much as I do miss the old times when it was just me, mom and dad, I do love having Braden around me at all times, he's the light of my life.

                 "Hey mom?" Brianna walked into her parents bedroom, it was roughly 5:40pm so they weren't exactly doing anything in particular, "Mmhmm?" Hailey hued in response.  Brianna took a discreet deep breath, "there's a party next week, and uh, I was just wondering if I could go?" She leant in the doorway. 

                 You see, I don't exactly have friends but I do have 'f r i e n d s'.  They aren't close to me and I don't exactly sit with them at lunch or anything, but there are a few girls that when we need partners in class, they'll come and sit with me.  I know they're using me because I'm smart and all, but hey I'm gonna accept when people are being kind to me, no questions asked.

                "A party, huh? Go and ask your dad, he'll give you an answer" hailey smiled weakly and continued folding the laundry.  Brianna nodded weakly, "doesn't matter" she smiled and began walking away, "Bri, just ask him..." Hailey sighed.  Brianna continued walking to her room and closed her door after her.  There's no way in hell that she's going to ask her dad, she already knows what he'll say.

              "No" is what his answer will be, I wasn't born yesterday...

                 Hailey walked downstairs after spending roughly an hour folding the laundry and placing the designated piles outside of her kids bedroom doors, "hey" jay smiled and held his arm out.  He set the case file down and let his wife snuggle up to his side, "anything new?" She nodded to the file.  Jay shook his head, "nope, nothing" he sighed.  Hailey nodded understandably before pausing the TV, jay looked down at her in confusion.  "Did Bri ask you about the party she wants to go to?" She smiled weakly. Jay shook his head, "no, why?" He smiled back.

"She asked me first, so I told her to ask you. Then she said it doesn't matter, so I'm assuming she's already given up" hailey sighed. Jay nodded, "smart kid, she knows I'll say no that's why" he shrugged. Hailey frowned, "I get that we're trying to keep her out of trouble, but don't you think we should cut her some slack?" She tilted her head. Jay looked down at her, "she's 15 hails, there's plenty of time for her to go to parties in a few years time" he sighed. Hailey shrugged, "I know I know, it's just... when have we actually ever had one of her friends around? She's always on her own, maybe getting out with a bunch of people would do her good?" She smiled sadly.

Jay smiled, "she's a good kid for a reason, she doesn't drink, do drugs, sleep with boys, and the second we start letting her go to parties, that's all gonna change. I think we should hold off on the parties for a while, and if she wants a few friends around, we'll let her. I think she's just too young..." he sighed worriedly. Hailey nodded, "no, you're right. I get it" she tapped his leg. He smiled down at her before gently kissing her head, he just doesn't want his first born to grow up too quickly, that's the real reason.