HOME COMING

MORE THAN FAMILY

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of laughter downstairs.

For a moment, I stayed in bed, listening.

The house had been quiet for months, and now there were voices everywhere. I could hear May laughing, someone running across the hallway, and Nana telling somebody to stop making noise.

I smiled.

Christmas had officially taken over the house.

I quickly got dressed and went downstairs.

When I entered the living room, May was sitting on the carpet with Jeiel. They had several cards spread between them.

"You are cheating!" Jeiel shouted.

"I am not!"

"You changed the rules!"

May folded her arms.

"I didn't change anything. You just don't know how to play."

I laughed.

"What are you two arguing about?"

Jeiel pointed at May.

"She keeps changing the rules because she's losing."

"I am not losing!"

"You are."

May looked at me.

"Emily, tell him."

I shook my head.

"I'm not getting involved."

She frowned.

"You're supposed to be my sister."

"And that's why I'm staying out of it."

Jeiel laughed.

May threw a card at him.

"Hey!"

"May!" Nana shouted from the kitchen.

May quickly picked up the card.

"Sorry!"

I couldn't stop laughing.

Lora's children had only been in the house for a few days, but somehow, they already felt like part of the family.

There were four of them.

Noah was the oldest.

He was quiet and observant. He wasn't the type to enter a room and immediately become the center of attention. He preferred to watch what was happening before getting involved.

That morning, I found him helping Dad carry some boxes from the garage.

"Do you need help?" I asked.

He looked at me.

"I've got it."

"That's heavy."

He smiled.

"I can manage."

I watched him lift another box.

"You're strong."

He laughed.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yes."

"Then thank you."

Noah was easy to talk to, even though he didn't talk much.

Jeremiah was the complete opposite.

He could talk to almost anyone.

He had already told me about his school, his friends, a basketball game, and a disagreement he'd had with his teacher.

And somehow, he was always the one who was right in every story.

"I don't understand why nobody believes me," he complained during breakfast.

Rebecca looked up from her plate.

"Because you exaggerate."

"I don't."

"You do."

"I swear I'm telling the truth."

Rebecca laughed.

"That's what makes it worse."

Jeremiah pointed at her.

"See? This is why I like Summer better."

Summer looked up.

"Please leave me out of this."

"Too late."

Everyone laughed.

Jeiel was the youngest of the boys, and he had already become May's best friend.

They were almost always together.

If May went outside, Jeiel followed.

If Jeiel wanted to play a game, May joined him.

If one of them started running, the other immediately followed.

Nana had warned them several times not to run inside the house.

They listened for a few seconds and then forgot.

Lora's daughter was different.

Her name was Leah.

She was quiet and gentle, and she seemed to enjoy staying around Summer.

That morning, she sat beside Summer on the couch while they looked through pictures on Summer's phone.

"What are you looking at?" I asked.

"Summer's school pictures," Leah replied.

Summer laughed.

"She's been looking at them for ten minutes."

"They're nice," Leah said.

"Thank you."

I sat beside them.

"Are you in high school?"

"Not yet. I'm starting next year."

"Are you nervous?"

"A little."

Summer smiled.

"You'll be fine."

Leah looked at her.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

I smiled.

Summer had that effect on people.

She could make you feel confident even when you weren't.

Later that morning, everyone gathered around the dining table for breakfast.

Lora sat beside Nana, while her children occupied almost every other seat.

Mum walked in carrying a tray.

"Who wants pancakes?"

May immediately raised her hand.

"Me!"

"You haven't even seen them."

"I don't care."

Everyone laughed.

Jeremiah reached for one.

"May, you're too greedy."

May frowned.

"I'm hungry."

"You just ate."

"I can eat again."

Rebecca shook her head.

"That girl has no limit."

May stuck out her tongue.

Rebecca laughed.

For a while, everything felt normal.

Happy.

But I noticed something about Rebecca.

She wasn't eating much.

She kept checking her phone under the table.

Every time her phone vibrated, she looked at it quickly and then turned the screen away.

I noticed it because I was sitting opposite her.

"Who keeps texting you?" I asked.

She looked at me.

"Nobody."

"Nobody?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you keep checking?"

Rebecca sighed.

"Emily, please."

I shrugged.

"Okay."

Summer glanced at her.

"Is everything fine?"

"I'm fine."

Her answer came too quickly.

Summer looked at her for a few seconds before returning to her food.

I said nothing.

After breakfast, Mum asked everyone to help decorate the house.

The living room quickly became chaotic.

May and Jeiel were arguing about where to put the Christmas decorations.

Jeremiah was making jokes instead of helping.

Noah was fixing the lights.

Leah carefully arranged the decorations on the table.

Summer was directing everyone.

"Put that one there."

"No, not there."

"May, don't touch that."

"Jeiel, get down from there."

Rebecca eventually sighed.

"You know, Summer, you don't have to control everything."

Summer turned around.

"I'm just trying to help."

"You've been giving everyone instructions since morning."

"Because nobody is listening."

Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"Not everything has to be done your way."

The room became quiet.

I looked at both of them.

Summer stared at Rebecca.

"I'm not trying to control anything."

"Whatever."

Rebecca walked away.

Summer looked confused.

I followed Rebecca into the hallway.

"Are you okay?"

She turned around.

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"I'm just tired."

"You've been saying that since yesterday."

She sighed.

"Emily, please don't start."

I stopped.

"Okay."

She walked upstairs.

I stood there for a moment.

Something was definitely wrong.

That evening, everyone gathered in the living room again.

Jeremiah was telling another one of his stories while Noah sat quietly beside Dad.

Leah and Summer were talking.

May and Jeiel were playing on the floor.

Rebecca was sitting at the far end of the couch with her phone.

Then her phone rang.

She immediately stood up.

"I'm going upstairs."

Nobody paid much attention.

I did.

A few minutes later, I went upstairs to get something from my room.

As I passed Rebecca's room, I heard her talking.

I stopped.

"I told you I don't care."

There was silence.

Then she spoke again.

"No. Don't tell them."

I frowned.

Who was she talking to?

"I said I'll handle it."

Her voice sounded serious.

I knew I shouldn't be listening.

So I quietly walked away.

When I returned downstairs, everyone was still laughing.

No one seemed to notice that Rebecca was missing.

I sat beside Summer.

She looked at me.

"Where did you go?"

"Upstairs."

"Why?"

"Nothing."

I looked toward the staircase.

I wanted to tell her what I'd heard.

But something stopped me.

Maybe it wasn't my business.

Maybe Rebecca had a reason for keeping whatever it was to herself.

Or maybe I was about to find out that there were things happening in my family that I knew absolutely nothing about.

For now, though, the Christmas lights continued to glow.

Everyone was together.

Everyone was laughing.

And from the outside, we looked like the happiest family in the world.

I just didn't know how long that would last.