The family curse

Chapter Three- A new normal

On the way home from camp, in the fifteen passenger van, they stopped and got food. With the time away it brought Gabe and Makayla closer. With spending the last year being home schooled together they were being taught at a higher class levels then they were. Gabe is a grade ahead of her but they are both learning a grade higher then him. Makayla loves that she can be smart just like her big brother, she idealizes him now. They have one last meal just the two of them and then hop back in the van, back to reality. 

Once they got back to the church their aunt picked them and their cousins up that was with them. On the way to their aunts house they were sadden by not seeing their mother. They missed her dearly and couldn't wait to hug and kiss her, tell her they love her. As well as Gabe needing to tell them he chose to be baptized, as only Makayla her 2 cousin's and uncle knew. When they pulled up in the driveway they saw a strange looking van that they have never seen. 

When they got their bags out and were bringing them inside they saw three people they have no memory of meeting. Once mother saw them staring at each other she cleared her throat. "Dears we need to talk and have a family meeting now. Welcome back kids, I have missed you so as a ton of things have happened while you were away, and that's why I couldn't stay with you two." Hannah came running around the corner yelling "Hugs! I need hugs!" Makayla jumped with joy as she saw Hannah smiling so brightly. Gabe, Makayla and Hannah were all cuddled together in a pile hugging each other. They all shared a special bond since the day they moved into the new place they were 3 little peas in a pod. But was the family curse going to let their bond stay strong.? 

The Hearts' gathered in the living room, with the three strangers they saw outside were young girls. Her parents were sitting on the love seat and the two couches had the Hearts kids and the other the strangers. Mother said "These ladies are your distant cousins on your fathers mothers' side." Father turned to them and introduced them. Sitting on one couch from oldest to youngest, "This is Alana, Chloe, and McKenzie. They will be living with us from now on. I understand that this will be difficult to manage but this is going to be 'our new normal'.  I know this is short notice Gabe and Makayla but I didn't want the girls being split up so this is how all of them will stay together as a family." 

Gabe was turning red as he saw he was out numbered and furious that someone might have touched his things, as he is OCD, as well as a germaphobe. Makayla noticed her brother in destress and decided to speak up. "When did they move in and what do you mean our new normal? We don't have rooms for us all to have them separately, to as we just got our own rooms. And if we are sharing rooms, with whom and where are these rooms?" The youngest, McKenzie, now glaring at her folding her arms folded and scrunching her face. "Oh!" Makayla slipped out. Father now scowling at her because she basically said she wasn't happy with them 'moving in' with her words. 

Makayla is getting angry because she is being moved again. She finally had her own room with in the last year. Being home schooled the Hearts built a bedroom for themselves in the basement as well as an office. That being Makayla and Hannah finally got their own rooms. Makayla decided that she would move rooms so Hannah could have the purple room as she protected her by letting her keep it so nothing changed for her. Gabe took their parents old room giving Makayla his room, a room closer to the bathroom. Also he wanted the biggest room as he was the oldest. The dog and cat would sleep with her since she sleeps with the door wide open, to let the light in. Life was nice and easy and she was wondering what was in store for her when they get home.

Gabe stood up and yell "WHO went into MY ROOM and touched MY things?" Mother spoke up softly and said "I moved your room to the office down stairs. Only I touched your things and moved them." As he was walking away to the kitchen you could see the steam coming out of his ears and no one followed. "Wow that was over reacting, all she did was move his room to the basement." Alana said irritatingly. Father growled "He is OCD and you will not make fun of my son, do you hear me!" Nodding yes in a silence reply, she elbowed her sister Chloe. Jumping she said "Hey I'm Chloe nice to meet you." Hannah giggling while saying "I know you silly you've been here for 3 days now" 

Mother stood up, "Alana is in the ran room. Chloe and McKenzie are in the green room. Makayla and Hannah are in the purple room." Gabe stood in the door way now and sighed "So I guess that means I'm in the yellow room?" Mother walking to Gabe and putting her hand on his shoulder "yes and I'm truly sorry that you couldn't move your own things. I understand that this is going to be hard on you because you are the only boy in the house as father works nights. I know you also hate the basement but we figured you wouldn't want to be upstairs with four girls." Now taking a sip of his cold soda he just shook his moms hand off him and slowly walked towards the back door. No one understood but he always felt protective over his sisters so whose to say he didn't care if he would have been in between four noisy girls, at least he would be able to be close to protect them or stick up for them. He always carried the guilt of not stopping the neighbor boy. But the guy was double his size and his sister understood he couldn't take him on. 

Father bent down on one knee and took Makayla's hand and apologized for her glass doll breaking during the move as well as her dresser leg to her antic set. She started crying when he said glass doll, all he could make out was what doll, not bride. She fell onto him with her arms wrapped around his neck. He patted her back and told her the country doll. I know it looked just like you and I'm sorry that I can't replace it. Once Makayla found out it wasn't her bride doll but her favorite one she decided she would get up and yell "Who broke her, who did it?"

No one spoke. "It's Irreplaceable, is it was passed down to me through my mother's mothers family for Generations." McKenzie spoke up finally and said "I did and I'm sorry but it was on the dresser when the leg broke and it fell off the top." in a sassy attitude. "Why didn't you just move it off the top of the dresser?" Makayla tried to say nicely as she could as she was speaking through her teeth while grating them together with her fists closed tight. She already cried enough she thought. She had already gone through so much with dealing with the neighbor boy, now this. McKenzie jumped up and shouted "Because we're orphans and now I have to live with people we don't even know." She then ran outside and Makayla just stood there and said "I'm sorry I did not know, but still what am I supposed to do now. I have to pass that will onto my granddaughter in the future. You know that mom."

Alana and Chloe looked at each other trying to understand what that meant. Alana got up and excused herself to go get McKenzie and see if she was ok. Chloe wasn't sure what to say but that she was sorry that the doll is broken but her sister wasn't thinking and she's really sad. Mother than said the father "I'm going to talk to McKayla alone if you do not mind." He shook his head no. Mother than waived Makayla over so they could go for a walk. As they were walking out the back front door they passed all three girls sitting on the rock wall talking. Makayla was trying not to cry until she knew they wouldn't be able to hear her.

A little down the road, Mother spoke and said 'It is just a doll but I will talk to my mother and see if he knows what we should do I have all the pieces to the doll, I am trying to put it back together but they're so small sweetie going to take me forever. Its not going to look as good as I does now but we will see.' She looks to mother and asks "May we call grandma as soon as we get home. It is so important she told me to never let anything happen to her. I was sleeping with her every night since she gave her to me, but you told me not to bring her to camp and now she is broken into tiny pieces." She started crying again. Her mother stopped to pull her into a hug and hold her and sooth her. None to walk back and face them all again.