𝓢𝓮𝓮 𝓜𝓮

Prologue

EMMALINE LEILA WARNER

5 years old:

"I want to give him that!" I beam as I show my drawing to my mum, throwing the coloring crayons away as I stand up.

"Oh?" Mum tilts her head, her eyes still on my drawing, "why?"

"Because he's my best friend and I love him!" I say lowering my drawing and looking behind me to find him. He sat on the dining table with uncle James playing with puzzle. I hated puzzles. They are so confusing and boring. But for some reason Kai loves them, so I don't want to interrupt him.

"Love who?" Dad's voice turned my attention to him. He came in from the kitchen and sat next to mum on the couch, still looking at me for an answer.

"Kai!" I smile.

"Excuse me?" His eyebrows lower, and a line forms between them, "why do you love him?"

I cross my arms still holding my drawing, "I can't tell you."

"Really?"

"Yup," I look away and sit back on the floor waiting for uncle James to finish the puzzle with Kai so I can give him my drawing.

"Hey," Uncle Kenji said to dad from the chair in front of me, "stop glaring at my kid."

"I'm not glaring," dad said calmly and leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Kai, "I'm simply observing."

"Observe something else," Uncle Kenji replied before smiling, "it's not Kai's fault he's lovable. It runs in the genes."

"Please," dad rolled his eyes, "your kind should have ended ages ago—"

"My kind?!"

I sighed as they continued going back and forth. They argued more than I did with any of my friends. Losers.

"Hey," my mum's whisper snapped my head up, "look."

She nodded her head to Kai's direction. He was done with his puzzle, drinking Juice as Uncle James messed with his hair. I grinned at my mum before making my way to him, toning my dad's threat to French braid Uncle Kenji's nervous system out.

"Hey, kiddo," Uncle James smiled and I hugged him, "what is that you got?"

"It's not for you," I hugged the paper to my chest, "go away."

"Woah," he chuckled, before dramatically putting his hand on his chest, "I'm hurt."

"You'll get over it," I said and pulled on his sleeve, "now leave. Go sit with the adults."

"Okay. Okay," he raised his hands in surrender, "no need to be mean about it."

I waited until he was out of sight before climbing up the chair next to Kai, "hey!"

"Hi," he replied quietly, "what is that?"

"A drawing," I smiled, "for you."

"Me?" He frowned.

"Yeah," I laid the paper on the table in front of us, "remember when you said you wanted us to visit the highest place on earth? So that we could see the whole world from up there?"