Smiley and Sunshine

42.

Sense of Impending Doom

"When you feel as though something extremely bad is going to happen. You may also feel as though your world is coming to an end."

--Urban Dictionary

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"Hi Mr. Turtle. You're not who I called."

Hayes lowered the green stuffed animal from blocking the camera on her phone, revealing not only herself but also displaying Emerson's familiar, comforting, smiling face on the screen.

"Oh hey Sunshine, fancy seeing you here."

"Hi Emerson," Hayes replied, laying her chin on top of the stuffy's head. She had it squished between her chest and her knees and her phone was propped on the bookshelf so her hands were free to wrap around her legs.

Hayes was sitting on the floor, where she'd been since she had arrived home with some of her siblings from the bowling alley only maybe ten minutes prior. Only some, because the absentees were on a dinner run for the family. Hayes overheard votes for BBQ, but didn't pay attention to what they ultimately decided.

Once Austin unlocked the front door, they all dispersed to do their own things. Austin went into the den, Glen said he was taking a shower, Francis turned on the television in the family room, and Hayes collapsed on her bed before rolling onto the floor in the far corner of the bedroom.

Her back was resting against the bed as she was tucked away in the narrow space bordered by the wall, bed, and Colton's bookshelf. The tight space provided a sense of security that she and Glen used to seek out when they lived with the Bear. There were many nights where the two of them huddled together on the floor, trying to keep quiet and make it through the night.

But that was then.

Right now she'd been skimming the shelves full of various book genres, deciding which one was worthy enough to read. It was a distraction to the uneasiness she couldn't shake.

It was either find a book to distract her mind or keep dwelling about her suspicion that her brothers were possibly keeping a secret from her. She didn't have any besides her gut to back her up about this idea though.

Stop, Hayes.

They promised no secrets between them. She was just being hypervigilant and was making things up because that's what kids do. But she knew Glen better than she knew herself and vice versa. It was like he was trying to hide that something was bothering him.

He was acting weird.

But she trusted Glen to the fullest.

He'd tell her when he thought it was time, if there was something to even tell.

That was when her phone rang, scaring the bejeezus out of her, only to bring a pure smile to her face when she saw who was facetiming her.

Sonny, Sr.

And she, of course, was Sunny, Jr.

Emerson had updated his contact name in her phone when he had last visited for her birthday, along with choosing the most obnoxious ring tone possible - the classic 'old phone' tone.