empathy

THIRTY-EIGHT

Hearing Antonina giggle, Anastasia can't help but smile to herself as she walks after them. 

Emmett is carrying her on his shoulders and Jasper is chasing them down the streets as they make their way to the small diner. Apparently, Edward and Rosalie are fighting and Emmett wanted to get her away from there. 

Something Anastasia appreciates greatly. 

She shakes her head slightly and takes her little sister's hand when Emmett puts her down, quickly hurrying off alongside Jasper, the two of them chasing each other for whatever reason. 

"How is kindergarten going?" Anastasia asks her little sister. She hasn't talked to her in far too long. "It's doing great. I made a new friend, Jenna, she just joined and she's super nice. And I saw another butterfly, they're so beautiful, it was sitting on a flower and I let it rest. because it had to take a nap," Antonina exclaims proudly. "That sounds great," Anastasia smiles down at her. 

"Rosalie picks me up every day and sometimes I get ice cream or pudding," the little girl rambles on. "And Saturday we went shopping and I got a new Peter Pan pyjama." "Sounds fun."

Arriving at the diner, Anastasia glances over at Emmett and Jasper, who are still running around like little kids.

It's refreshing to see them this careless, Jasper especially. He has been tense all day and the major only disappeared shortly before they met up with his brother and her sister. 

"Hey, idiots," she calls out for them, not raising her voice all that much. They can hear her either way. "You coming or shall we pick you up at the playground later?" she raises a brow. 

"You don't say idiot," Antonina points out, looking at her sister with narrowed eyes. "You're right, I'm sorry. How about we go and ask about some banana cherry juice and forget I ever said a thing."

Antonina grins at the sound of that and the two of them make their way inside, the brothers following after them soon after. 

"You want Burger?" Antonina offers Emmett, who has sat down opposite her while Jasper's opposite to Anastasia. "Not hungry?" he asks her. That's impossible, she's much like her sister in that. You can't ever get enough food. "Too big," Antonina pouts at him. "We can take it home and you'll have some lunch for tomorrow," he offers and her face lightens up again. 

"Can I?" she glances over to Anastasia, Emmett doing so as well. It has become scarily normal to act around her. He forgot he could be overstepping a line. "Sure," Anastasia agrees. 

It's not like that will happen. Either Antonina manages to finish it herself or Anastasia will finish the last few bites, it's usually not more than two or three.  

"Hi, can I get you anything?" Cora, the waitress, asks them, a friendly expression on her face. Although she is surprised to see Cullens in here. They have never come here before. 

Antonina bites her lip and sinks deeper into the booth, Anastasia smiling once more at that. God, she misses her little sister.

"A banana cherry juice, coke and two cheeseburgers, one with hot sauce and the other without onions," Anastasia orders and Cora writes it down before looking over to Emmett and Jasper. "I'll have an apple juice," Emmett orders. "And another coke," Jasper adds. "Right up."

Antonina does indeed end up finishing her burger, taking the cucumbers and putting them on her sister's burger before she even starts to eat. It's something they do every time they go and get a Burger. Anastasia loves them while her sister hates them with a passion. Though, onions are worse.