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"Where's Mom and Dad?"
Elliott threw his arm over the back of the couch, pointing toward the kitchen, never looking away from the tv as he shoved a handful of chips in his mouth.
"You need a haircut," I said as I walked by the couch, ruffling his messy, dark brown hair. "You're starting to look like a bum."
"Yeah, well you need a new face," Elliott instantly retorted through a mouthful, smacking my hand away. "You're starting to look like a bitch."
"Aw, thanks," I cooed, putting a hand to my chest.
I walked into the kitchen to see my parents sitting on the barstools at the island.
Mom was still in her fuzzy pajama pants and oversized t-shirt. Her light brown hair was hanging awkwardly in a messy bun, making it obvious she hadn't been out of bed long.
Dad was in a navy blue suit, accompanied by a matching tie over a white button down shirt. His almost black hair was brushed over and back, in an attempt to cover his thinning crown — which only made his receding hairline more visible.
"What are you doing home, Dad?" I asked, frowning slightly.
"No, 'wow, Dad, glad to see you home'?" He frowned back before smiling. "I just took a long lunch."
"Wow, Dad, glad to see you home," I said in an overly excited tone before laughing lightly.
"That's more like it," he nodded happily.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, noticing how their bodies were facing each other, like they were talking about something serious.
"Everything's fine, baby," Mom gave me a tired, somewhat stressed smile.
Well that's not very reassuring.
But I knew that was my mom's way of telling me it was a private conversation, so I didn't push. Even though I really wanted to; I could feel my anxiety creeping up.
"Are you guys finally kicking El out?" I joked, trying to relieve some of the tension, and clasped my hands together — making Mom's face relax as she let out a small laugh.
"No, nothing like that," she said in a playful tone, waving a hand dismissively.
"Ah, okay, got it," I pursed my lips, nodding in mock understanding.
Dad shook his head with a laugh before patting Mom's knee. "I gotta get back soon, but I should be back for dinner."
Assuming that was my queue to leave, so they could finish their talk, I told Dad I'd see him later and walked into the living room.
"Better start packing, bro," I said teasingly as I stopped next to the couch.
"Huh?" He scrunched his face in confusion as I sat next to him with a small laugh.
