Gracious

Chapter 49

A/N - well aren't I treating you all😍

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I couldn't say I was used to all of us being awake and out of bed before ten in the morning, but all six of us had been in the kitchen for just under an hour now, and it had been nothing but chaotic.

I'd tried to make a coffee and ended up stepping on Xavier's toe, and with his theatrics you would have believed I'd stabbed him in the chest instead; he'd been sending me dirty looks ever since.

"Five eggs?", Prescott raised his eyebrows at Alexander as he threw another eggshell into the trash, "all for you?".

"Yes all for me", he scoffed, "I'm a growing boy".

"You're a greedy one", Xavier teased, "it's weird having you back here Chasey". Our nineteen year old brother looked up from his phone, his other hand holding a spoon and hovering over a bowl of half-soggy cereal.

"It feels weird being back", he smiled, "I'm surprised you all coped without me".

"Oh please", Alexander scoffed as he turned around, pointing a spatula in Chase's direction, "it's been peaceful".

"It's peaceful when he is here", Prescott rolled his eyes and proceeded to frown, "where's Cub?".

"I saw him go outside", Chase lifted a shoulder and I narrowed my eyes, sipping my coffee before moving over to the patio doors and slipping on my shoes.

Like Chase had said, Caleb was outside at the bottom of the garden, just sitting on the bench with an empty mug in his hands.

"Escaping their noise?", I smirked, lowering myself to his right and sighing. Despite it being early in the morning, it was hot outside, so much so that my twenty year old brother was shirtless and only in a pair of shorts.

"Something like that", he gave me a small smile, his gaze returning straight ahead, "I was just thinking, I guess".

"Can I ask what about?", I raised an eyebrow before sipping my coffee, crossing one leg over the other.

"Everything, and nothing at the same time", was his ominous reply and I hummed, "I think you telling us that Izzy's coming home has made everything sink in".

"It's a big change", I nodded, "one I believe we'll all adapt to just fine".

"And her?", he turned to me, "do you know how much that woman's missed? Last time she was here August was still alive- we were seven and eight, she's missed so much".

"She's missed everything", I corrected him, "the twins' first day of school, your birthdays, Christmases, Halloween, you all losing your teeth- your smiles, your laughter...your pain, your hurt; she missed it all". He stayed quiet for a moment, letting my words sink in as he fiddled with his mug slowly.

"You hate her", he stated. I could only hum in reply for a moment.

"So much that the sheer thought of her makes me livid", I nodded once, "and I don't expect you all to feel so strongly-,".

"I do", he cut me off, "I know they're both to blame, but what she did? We grew up without a mother because she wanted to protect Izzy and not us".

"Does that make you envious of our sister?", I asked him, he shook his head frantically afterwards.

"Never", he swore, "the only thing that could be worse than what happened to us would be Isabella being here to witness- to experience it too". We'd all rather die than see harm brought towards the girl we hadn't seen in nearly thirteen years, and that would never change no matter how much distance there was between us.