Emma
1380 Words
“Helloooo?”, I called to the dimly lit kitchen.
I heard a quiet “Shhhhhhhhh” in return, and turned the corner to see my sister sitting on the couch with Lily in her arms. She looked exhausted—they both did.
Ada had her head tilted back with her eyes closed, and I saw that she had dark circles from lack of sleep.
“Hey!”, I whispered, walking carefully so I wouldn’t wake Lily. “Is now an okay time to chat? I can come back later when Matt gets home.”
Ada opened her eyes, and I saw they were red. From crying? From lack of sleep?
“He’s not coming home today.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“He went on a boy’s weekend trip”, she said, looking away as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Are you serious? He left you here with a newborn so he could get drunk and play golf?”, I hissed, outraged.
“I said he could go. He needs guy time. There’s probably too much pink around here now.”
“That’s ridiculous. He should be here helping you!”
“I don’t need help!”, she said, sticking her chin out defiantly.
“Ada. You’re a great mom. But everyone needs help sometimes! Matt is supposed to be your partner in this!”
She grimaced, but didn’t say anything.
“When is the last time you slept? You look exhausted.”
“I’m not sure. Maybe Wednesday?”
“It’s Saturday! Give me Lily. I’ll watch her while you take a nap. No arguing”, I said, giving her my best stern face.
She laughed and handed Lily to me.
“I bet I look like a mess”, she said, patting the top of her head to feel the rat’s best of tangles in her hair.
I rolled my eyes, “you always look good. You know that.”
***
I sat in the rocking chair with Lily, thinking about my future.
I was happy with my life. I had a loving family, freedom to paint a create whatever I wanted, and all the time in the world to train and run.
Even will all these blessings, I yearned for more. I felt that I hadn’t found my niche yet. I hadn’t made my mark on the world and shown that I was more than the quiet girl in the corner.
But if I became a Hunter, everything would change. Would I still have the freedom I loved? Would I still get to see my family? What if I wasn’t strong enough?
I started to feel anxious about all the unknowns, and that anxiety must have affected Lily, because she opened her eyes and started to squirm.
I stood and started bouncing her, but I could tell some kind of baby tantrum was on it’s way. I hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle from the fridge. Mercifully, she quieted and began sucking on the bottle contentedly.
When she finished the bottle I set her down in her high chair and looked around the kitchen. It was a mess. Bits of food littered the counter, dishes were stacked up in the sink, and I could feel little crunches of debris under my feet as I walked.
Ada’s catalogues covered the kitchen island that I assumed she was using as a workspace. Her laptop was out of battery; the charging cord wrapped around the legs of the bar stools.
I sighed. Even though she was extra stressed, this kind of mess was not unusual for Ada. Wherever she went, she seemed to whirl through the a hurricane, leaving chaos and paint swatches in her wake. Still, somehow all the interiors she decorated were immaculate.
I, on the other hand, was a total neat freak. I couldn’t even go to sleep in a messy room. My brain simply would not allow it.
I set to work cleaning the kitchen, Lily watching me with wide eyes as I worked. It was soothing to me, and I loved the satisfaction of sitting back at the end of a deep clean and admiring my work.
Ada came downstairs, stretching and yawning as she walked. She stopped and rolled her eyes when she saw the kitchen.
“You didn’t need to do that, you know. I can handle my own messes.”
“Mmm hmmm. Certainly seems like it”, I replied sarcastically.
She stuck her tongue out at me and turned to pick up Lily, but then I heard a muffled, “thank you.”
I smiled and put away the cleaning supplies, stripping off my latex gloves with a snap.
Ada looked up me up and down and said, “Are you still growing? You look taller?”
I looked around and saw that she was right. The top of my head was definitely closer to the doorframe than it had been before.
I gulped, but tried to act casual, saying, “Nah. I think you’re just shrinking. I’ve heard that can happen when you get old.”
She snorted and walked into the living room, calling behind her, “what did you want to chat about?”
I followed her and said, “I wanted to ask you about the last Hunter who chosen. You knew him, right?”
She turned and gave me an appraising look.
“Yeah, I was friends with him. Zander Dalton. He was in my grade at school. I think he was chosen when we were twenty-two.”
“What happened?”, I asked.
“We were all hanging out at a house party. A couple members of the Hunter Squad showed up and said they were there to pick him up. I haven’t seen him since.”
“So what happens to them after that?”, I questioned her.
“How should I know?”, she said with a shrug. “It’s not like school taught me more about them than you.”
“What was he like?”, I asked, frustrated.
“He was nice. Really quiet though. I don’t think I ever heard him say more than a few words. Why the sudden curiosity?”
“No reason”, I lied, trying and failing to be nonchalant.
She sat down on the couch and I leaned back into an armchair across from her.
“You know who probably knows way more about Hunters than me? Caleb. He lives at the pack house. He probably sees them all the time!”
Of course.
“By the way, I have a bone to pick with you.”
I sighed, “what is it now?”
“You’re twenty years old, Em. By your age, I’d dated like six guys AND found my mate.”
“Ugh I soooo don’t want to talk about this right now.”
“Come on! You can’t just sit around mooning over Caleb!”
My mouth fell open in surprise.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about”, I replied stiffly.
“Please. I’m not blind. Literally everyone knows how much you like him.”
“He doesn’t,” I grumbled.
“And whose fault is that? Buck up and tell him how you feel! Do it now!”, she urged.
I slumped lower in my chair.
“He’s going out with Ayla tonight.”
“Wow. What a man-stealing b***h!”
“Stop it, Ades. She’s really nice”, I said grudgingly.
“Well you all went to school together, right?”
I nodded.
“Then at least you know she’s probably not his mate!”
“Yeah but neither am I, genius”, I retorted.
“Doesn’t mean you can’t still have a little fun together”, she said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“Ew. I’m so over this conversation”, I said, standing up. “I should probably get going anyway.”
“Okay!”, she replied. “Thanks again for helping with Lily.”
I smiled, kissed Lily on her tiny nose, and said, “anytime. You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for this angel.”
- Writer
