Chapter 1
A roasted hazelnut coffee with chocolate milk is always ready for me by the time I get to the front of the line at the café, and today is no different. However now I hold and empty cup, lamenting the loss of the warm drink as I sit with a girl. I feel the loss like I do the time as I start preparing myself to leave.
Dev,” Lily groaned as I pulled away from her ear.
I had been teasing her, whispering to her how her eyes were like the stars and her hair smelt of lavender. She was already missing the warmth of my presence but I had responsibilities to get to, and I was never late. Lily smiled at me, batting her eyelashes before begging me again to stay a little longer.
“You know me, always places to be. But I’ll be around this summer,” I assured moving to give her an one armed hug.
She closed the gap and started to invade my mouth with her tongue. Of all the girls I regularly hit on, Lily was the easiest. When we had met I said, ‘My dear, what stars has to align for you and I to be here right now. For your beauty today will only be out matched by your beauty tomorrow’. I’m normally told that I’m too forward, if they say anything in return it’s to the affect of ‘get lost’.
I waved her off after that, seeing her watch me from the window of the coffee shop we had met at, but her extra long goodbye had me running late. I started jogging when I get down the block away from the crowds, following my usual route to the school. Still arriving with the early parents, I blended into the line of those waiting. Belinda was wearing a tank top, and as she bent to pick up her two year old son I got a look down it. Not bad even after the three kids, but I turned away as the toddler’s hand started tugging at her collar. It was her choice to bend in half right in front of me, but I doubt she planned Jacob invading her space quite like that.
The bell rang loudly overhead and I turned back towards the door, thankfully seeing Jacob returned to his stroller. When the blue metal door swung open Mrs. Kyle pushed it up against the magnetic stopper and greeting everyone there for pickup. She started saying goodbye to all the children individually, and then looked to the crowd for their guardian.
“Soleil?!” Her voice broke over the murmurs of the other kids talking to their people as her eyes scanned the crowd, before her finger struck out to me. “There’s your brother Soleil.”
I made my way over to them just in time to see her giving Soleil a hug and hear her wish her a happy summer holiday. As she stood back up I was beside her, accepting a bag of all the colourful school projects my sister had done over the year from the teacher’s aid.
“You be sure to remind that husband of yours just how luck he is to have you everyday when we have to go without your pure soul all summer,” I said to her sweetly and Mrs. Kyle faked a blush, accustomed to my innocent flirts by this point in the year.
“Oh Dev, always so sweet. You have a good summer too, try and get some time off from those jobs for yourself,” she encouraged, smiling she as smacked my arm lightly.
“None of them is as hard as rangling 30 of these monsters must be.” I tussled Soleil’s hard and she smacked my hand away, groaning my name before grabbing my hand and dragging me off with an eye roll far above what should be allowed by a five year old.
I followed her away, waving to the other guardians as we left. When we were away from everyone she slowed down and let me hold her hand and walk beside her. She adjusted her bag and huffed a breath like she had seen a war in that kindergarten classroom today.
“Hey Sunshine, how was your day?” I asked her, squeezing her fingers.
She sighed, “I’m going to miss my friends.”
“You’ll still see them,” I assured. “We’ll invite them over for a summer party, how does that sound? I’ll set up the pool for you guys and order pizza. Maybe some of the girls will even be allowed to sleep over.”
She smiled up at me and my heart warmed. “Really?!”
I nodded. “Of course, but your brothers and sisters will probably want the same so we will have to plan accordingly.”
She nodded along with me, grinning wide enough to show the front teeth she had lost. “And I can help!”
I squeezed her hand again. “There’s my sunshine, and my best big helper.”
We walked around the building to collect Briar and Brooke from their class party. Some kids version of the songs I went clubbing to ringing through the windows. When we got closer I knocked on the glass and signalled for them to say their goodbyes.
They no try huffed at me but obliged, and went around hugging their friends like they wouldn’t all be living just a few houses apart and likely texting all summer. I rolled my eyes and laughed. Everything when your twelve is so dramatic or the end of the world.
The girls finally came out, their year books clutched tightly to their chests. I’m sure they had all their friends sign it during the day and couldn’t wait to read it when we got home. They fell into step beside us as we headed off to their future school, the high school around the corner.
“How was your last day of elementary school girls?” I asked when we were fast enough away that I wouldn’t /embarrass them.
“Fantastic!” Brooke cheered.
“So sad,” whined Briare. “Mary is moving!”
She started to cry and Brooke held her close. Mary had been her been her first big crush and they had a couple of ‘dates’ at our house. I knew why they were moving, thinking that Briare had corrupt their child, and it was disgusting. I would never tell my sister the heart breaking truth, so I just rubbed her back gently as we walked.
“I’m so sorry Briare, did you manage to get her new number?” I asked carefully.
She gave a small smile. “I made a new ChatApp account and got her to add me. Her parents don’t like me that much so we thought that was better.”
I nodded. “So not all is lost,” I returned with a smile.
They took turns telling me about their day, sometimes talking simultaneously the way only twins could. Me and Soleil listened intently, adding supporting comments and sharing looks with each other when they were dramatic. She was my little rockstar, I never had to worry about her. Soleil always told me the truth and talked to me about her problems, which was more than I could say about our other siblings. Most of the resented me for taking on the parental role when our folks took off, but I knew they were more upset at them for not coming back.
Tall grey walls decorated with a painted bear clawing through them came into view and we headed for the gym. Maddox would be competing in his last match as a high school student, wrestling was a passion for him, and though I hated treating his numerous black eyes and multiple dislocated shoulders… it was better than the path he was heading. I told Ezra to meet us there to cheer him on before we all walked home together.
I didn’t usually pick up my brothers from school. They were definitely too embarrassed to be seen with me and their little sisters, and as long as they walked home together and had their phones on them, we didn’t live that far. Today was special; today Maddox would get his letter of recommendation from his coach for his dream college, and a metal for Player of the Year. He didn’t know of the award, I was just asked to make sure he didn’t take off right away so they could give it to him when he didn’t look like shit after his match. They wanted a good photo for their wall, and for him.
We entered the gym and Soleil started pouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly as the chants of those in the stands filled the air.
“There’s Maddy!” She called to me and I shushed her with a small smile. He hated when she called him that.
“Come on, let’s go find a seat far away from Ezra so we don’t ruin his cool,” I kidded with her and she giggled with me.
I picked her up onto my shoulder so she could see over the crowd and we all went tofind seats. Maddox was a senior so he would be one of the last matches and we hunkered down for a long sit. I pulled off my backpack and handed all the girls a container with snacks and a juice box. Despite any other opinions they had on me taking over as their guardian, they would never complain about my cooking and meal prep.
