Distraction

Three.

Justin knocked on the door softly as he held the wine. He waited only a moment before a huge grin greeted him.

"Justin!" A short girl with long blonde hair opened the door. Her eyes were a deep brown as her skin was fair.

"Hey, Charlotte." Justin smiled at his young sister.

"Mom is upstairs with Toby. Dad should be home from work soon!" Charlotte moved so Justin could enter the house.

"Has he been working a lot?" Justin questioned as walked to the kitchen.

"Yeah, there is a new project that he is in charge of." Charlotte shrugged, and tugged on the sleeves of her soft yellow sweater.

"That's good, right?" Justin smiled at Charlotte as she averted her eyes.

"They are arguing more lately." Charlotte took the wine from Justin, and slid it in the fridge.

"Why have they been arguing?" Justin questioned as he leaned against the counter.

"Sometimes people fall out of love. Sometimes things just can't work." Charlotte smiled at Justin before he pulled her into a hug.

"They will work it out. It's just the stress of a new baby, and him working all the time." Justin mumbled as he whispered in her ear.

"She had her forever love with your dad, Justin. This was supposed to be her lasting love." Charlotte said as she pulled away from him.

"What does that even mean?" Justin smiled at her as he rolled his eyes.

"A forever love is someone who you will love forever, but you can't be with them, because it can't work. A lasting love is someone you love, and you can be with them, because you are perfect together." Charlotte walked to the living room as she tried to explain.

"What about Clarence and me?" Justin followed her to the couch. His heart started to beat faster as he waited for her to answer. She bit her lip as she tried to think. He worried she would say something he wasn't ready to hear.

"I think it will be a forever love. It was the love that changed you, Justin." Charlotte leaned against his shoulder as she talked.

"But what if she comes back?" Justin asked as he heard his mother yelling upstairs.

"She hurt you by leaving. You hurt her by not waiting." Justin shook his head.

"I am waiting for her." Justin closed his eyes, and thought of the girl he met an hour before.

"Maybe today. Maybe tomorrow. But not forever." Charlotte closed her eyes as she heard her mother's voice raise more.

"I think dad is still at work." Justin mumbled as he looked at the ceiling.

"Maybe mom is right." Charlotte shrugged.

"About what?" Justin asked lazily.

"She shouldn't have married him." Charlotte whispered as she pulled at her sleeve.

"Then you wouldn't have been born, silly." Justin smiled down at her, but she just shrugged.

"Will that be the worst thing?" Justin looked down at his little sister in shock. The girl he has seen grown up. The girl who welcomed him in the house with a huge smile. The girl who use to dream of finding her prince charming. The girl who kept him sane these months.

"I would die without you in my life, Charlotte." Justin kissed her head, "I don't care if our parents are not seeing it. I don't care if our sister does not see it. I don't care if the world doesn't see it. I see it."