'Til Sun Beams Find You [COMPLETE]

Forty (Part 1)

Nico stood next to Carter as she watched his hand drop from ringing the doorbell.

He had a hesitant look on his face, and she found herself reaching for his shoulder and gently rubbing.

"It'll just be for an hour or two."

He grumbled quietly.

He didn't want to be there, and it was obvious.

The door was pulled open and a young girl in a blue dress and her hair up in a neat ponytail opened the door.

"Hi," the little girl smiled curiously. "Who are you?"

Carter just looked at the young girl.

"I'm Nico.. and this is Carter," she introduced when it became obvious Carter wouldn't speak.

The young girl turned her head to the side as she tilted her head all the way up to look at him. "You're Carter?"

He nodded.

"That means you're my cousin!" She exclaimed and then jumped from the front door to give him a hug.

Her arms wrapped around his torso as she hugged him, and Carter looked at the top of her head to see a blue bow tied around her bun.

Nico eyes softened at how adorable the sight was and she instinctively squeezed at Carter's bicep as she watched the little girl hug him tight.

"What's your name?" Nico asked the girl when she let him go.

She looked at her and grinned. "Payton Nyala Brooks."

"That's a pretty name," Nico said. "How old are you, Payton Nyala Brooks?"

"I'm eight... my mom and your mom are sisters," the little girl turned her gaze back to Carter, and if it were at all possible, smiled even wider.

"Were," he corrected.

Her brows furrowed. "They're not sisters anymore?"

"His mom's dead you idiot," a voice called from behind the door, and they all glanced over to see a girl with a less friendlier expression on her face than Payton's.

"Jazzy! You can't say stuff like that," Payton harshly whispered to her older sister.

"What? It's the truth," she shrugged nonchalantly. She wasn't dressed as girly as her sister. She had on a pink shirt and blue jeans on, and her hair was big and curly as it framed her small face. In her hand was a Rubik's cube that she was trying to solve. "And stop calling me Jazzy, my name's Jasmine. Sorry that my sister's stupid," the older girl said, directing the words to Carter this time.

Payton shoved her older sister, and Carter chuckled at the two girls.

"It's cool."

"Mom! Carter's here," Jasmine yelled as she disappeared back into the house, leaving the three of them on the porch.

Payton grabbed Carter's hand in her left and Nico's in her right.

"And Nico!" She added.

Nico laughed at how adorable the little girl was.

"My faaaavorite uncle Kenny's here... and mom made my favorite.. spaghetti and meatballs. It's also my uncle's favorite. He brought us gifts too. I got a new American Girl doll. Wait.. is he your uncle too?" Her mouth was moving a mile a minute as she spoke, and the excitement was palpable.

"Yeah."

She gasped. "Did he get you a gift too?"

Carter chuckled. "Nah. He didn't."