abyssal ❦ lrh

01 ➝ smiles

Elise Halder was always drifting off.

She was like her brother, in that way, though she found herself losing track of her mind, rather than her body. She often had her head in the clouds, whilst the little boy was out looking for the clouds, quite literally.

At the fresh age of three- almost four- Aiden Halder was an explorer by heart, often distracted and easily fascinated by the littlest of things. He'd always been, since the moment he could stand up, wobbling on his own two small feet. He liked to run- loved jumping. That was his favorite. He'd leap over just about anything he could get his legs above, for he'd learnt the hard way that some things were just a bit too tall for him.

Even so, nothing ever stopped the little boy, for no one in his life would dare try to. No matter how hard he got to keep up with, his quests for curiosity had always been well encouraged. Happily, even.

Perhaps he wasn't old enough to understand sacrifices, but he was always grateful. Anytime he was taken somewhere new, somewhere exciting, just for him to play, the dimpled smile on his face was a reminder that it made him happy, and he always said thank you. Even just to be outside was enough for him, and luckily, someone was always willing to take him.

It didn't hurt that Aiden was inarguably adorable, with his dimpled cheeks and dark hair that sprouted big, wavy curls from an early age. His mother once tried to tame them, but the boy had insisted that he leave them free. He actually quite liked them, so there they stayed, unruly as ever, always seeming to fall atop his forehead.

It was those same curls that he haphazardly pushed back, away from where they brushed along his eyelids; one small hand mussing them up, the other tugging furiously at the end of his much older sister's jacket. "Lis'thi?" he frowned, clearing his throat, trying again. "Li-si,"

Elise granted him attention immediately. He'd been working so hard on his lisp, for he'd told her over and over that he was trying spesth-if-ically just so he could say her name the way everyone else did. He just wanted her to be proud. And she was- far more than he knew.

"You okay?" She crouched down, returning his fond smile once he nodded. "What's up?"

Aiden blew a loose hair from the middle of his forehead, brows furrowed in concentration. "Uhm, can I help, pleasthe?"

He gestured to the commotion around them, settled in the midst of voices and boxes and rolling carts, all contributing to a certain level of stress that everyone but the little boy could understand. He was still trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

Nonetheless, Elise nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips as she adjusted the curl on his forehead that refused to stay in place. "Of course," she shrugged like it was obvious. "How would we get this done without you?"

His eyes lit up and it made her heart happy. It was her favorite thing, because he was her favorite person.

And she was his favorite, too. He loved her so much it was endearing. He looked up to her, he always had.

Elise took his small hand in hers, noting the pleasant smile on her brother's face; bright and childlike, completely void of any sadness. Sometimes she wished her smiles still looked like that.

"Elise!" She heard the voice call, somewhat frantic but otherwise familiar. "Where's Aid-"

"Right here, don't worry," she called back gently, used to it. "He's with me."

Her father visibly relaxed, a strained smile on his face as he caught sight of his youngest, safely in the hands of his oldest. "Oh," he crouched down, ruffling the unruly curls atop his little head. "Hey, buddy. You doing alright?"