Plan B(aby)

6.

BRIELLA CARTER
"So, how's going school, Nik?" Ava says, braiding Melody's hair as she slept in her lap.

Ava came over today for lunch since Nikolas didn't have to go in today and now she sat with her daughter on the couch.

Ava was a average size girl. She had dark brown hair that she kept pin straight and sometimes wavy on a good day. She had big brown eyes like her brother and they only complimented the small selection of freckles that that littered beneath her eyes. Her eyelashes were thick and full, looking like she always had mascara on but in reality she just had nice eyelashes.

She was quiet and had a unique laugh that if you heard, you immediately began to laugh. Ava was a fun spirit and reminded me of her brother in many ways. She was just a little more up tight — which generally came with the big sister roll.

Melody was a sweet little girl. She had brown kinky - coily combo hair that she hated getting done. Ava had to do it while she slept in order to avoid a tantrum. Melody was only two years old— actually about to turn thee on the twelfth of November — and she loved to draw. I could totally see her being an artist when she grew up or at least drawing more and more as a teen. Melody had her uncle Nikolas wrapped around her tiny little fingers and she knew it.

"Great. I can graduate in December which means everybody better be here so I can have a graduation party." Nikolas says, a dashing smile across his face while his fingers fly against his MacBook keyboard.

"Did you pass the exam?" Ava asks, causing both Nikolas and I to roll our eyes. This is Nikolas Ellison we're talking about. Of course, he passed the exam.

"With flying colors, sister. Did you expect anything less?" Nik questions, looking up from his phone. He raises his eyebrow to his sister and niece. "Because I'm a fucking genius. I'm a fucking genius."

"I'll make sure you get a huge party and hopefully a girlfriend. I know Briella is tired of seeing you everyday. Sebastian probably thinks your his daddy." Ava laughs, gesturing to the baby who was pushing yogurt melts into his mouth while digging his other hand into the container.

"Yeah, he called me daddy the other day." Nikolas says, scratching his head immediately after.

"Wait... that sounds too odd." I hear Nikolas mumble before picking at his thigh through the hole in his jeans while he worked.

It was a habit of Nikolas' to pick at a scar that was there whenever he was getting frustrated or impatient.

"Briella! I can't believe Sebastian is turning one so soon. It was like just yesterday I came to visit you with Melody in your hospital room. Before you know it, he'll be walking and touching everything. That's how Melody currently is. She some how found a way to fit inside the cabinet, so now if I give her snacks, she'll go straight to the cabinet and eat there. Don't ask me why." Ava laughs, moving on to another piece of hair. Melody stirs slightly in her sleep and I can't help but see the resemblance between them.

While Ava was definitely lighter than Melody, Ava and her looked almost identical besides that fact. The slight natural pout of the lips and the big brown puppy dog eyes. Melody even had a few freckles just like Ava did. She was literally a mini me... mini Ava.

"Sebastian's new thing is opening containers and then saying 'uh oh'. Oh, and he loves those yogurt melt things from Gerber. The strawberry banana kind." I say, gesturing to where he was pulling out yogurt melts and moving them with one finger as if he was counting them.

"So is that why we have nearly fifteen containers of it?" Nikolas asks, looking up from his laptop and eyeing the open container that Sebastian was currently eating from.