Norman

I still couldn't get over what Carol had said to me . "You were supposed to be the big brother we supposed to have! Aren't we siblings?!?"

I wasn't so sure about it. Could be that hard to become the brother she needed , even though I hid in total secrecy?

I knew I needed a break from doing paperwork, so I went out of my office to get some fresh air, as I did, I was amazed of who I saw. 

It was Carol, who was by herself, reading a book . 

I am still amazed that this is Carol, the infant that came to the Gracefield House so long time ago, when I was with Ray and Emma, trying to format an escape plan from the Demons and Mama. 

Although, she was an infant, it really did help us a lot, with finding where the tracking devices were , and it took Ray and Emma to do the impossible of finding their way to the Outside World, and to find me in their quest. 

I took a deep breath before calling out to her. 

"Hey, Carol!" I yell out to her. She seems to be distracted , as if she turns from left to right, to find the one who was calling out to her. 

I tapped my younger sister on the shoulder, as she finally notices I was right besides her. 

"Oh, hi, Norman." She said. 

Carol

I was reading a book that Emma had given me. "Here. Consider it as a late birthday present from me. I have to go somewhere. " 

"Where to, Emma? What you planning to do?" 

"Oh, um... it's a secret. " She said. 

"Hey, Carol!" I hear someone's voice calling me. I turned side to side, trying to adjust where the sound was coming from. 

Ever since I cut my left ear , I wasn't able to hear very clearly . I was shocked to see it was William Minerva, no, I mean, Norman. 

The brother I never knew existed, who was sent to ^7241, and didn't bother to mention that he left Phil, Emma, Ray , me and the rest of the 15 Cattle Children behind. 

"Oh, hi, Norman." I said. 

He seems so distant, as he looks at the bandage of where my left ear was supposed to be. 

"I'm sorry. I called out to you, but I totally forgotten that you cut off your left ear. " He said. 

I realized that he was feeling was guilt, guilt was building up inside of him, and I can see how painful it must been, like I was feeling eleven years , for knowing the burden of the House. 

I closed the book I was reading, as I touched his hand, "Norman, it's all right. You don't have to apologize for that." 

He smiled a bit, but then said, "Carol, I know that things haven't been easy for you and the other Cattle children. 

It's probably my fault that you have suffered a lot by knowing the truth of the House, and I should've rescued you sooner than you waited for eleven years. " 

"Stop it, Norman! Like I already told you, I already forgiven you, sure it was a shock for me that you used to be in the Gracefield House with Emma and Ray. 

It seems like when we reunited, it's like you already experienced my reaction before." I said to him as Norman rubs his head. 

"Oh, was it too oblivious? I guess that when I looked at you, Carol, it reminds me of Emma." 

"Really? " I ask, totally shocked by his words. 

The teen nods in total concern, "Yeah, I never thought in my wildest expectations, that I would ever reunite with Ray , Emma , and the other 15 siblings in Gracefield House. To me... it felt like it was a dream. 

A dream that never thought it was possible. " 

"I never knew that. It must've been hard , living on your own, and you stayed anonymous ... for our sake. I'm sorry that I reacted so selfishly. It's just without Phil , it felt like nothing I can do to help protect our siblings from danger." I said, which make the teen to be silent, listening to me. 

"I never thought Phil would tell anyone about this. " Norman said. 

"Well, I guess that he had a lot of responsibility. It wasn't exactly easy for him to hold the burden. I remembered how misery he was , and that was when I discovered the truth about everything that happened in Gracefield House. " 

"I see." He said. 

I begin to form some devilish grin, "By the way, speaking of Emma, you have a certain crush on her , don't ya?" 

His cheeks begin to form to red embarrassment as I begin to laugh . 

"How can you tell?" He asks nervously as he was trying to change the subject as I calmed myself from laughter. 

"Seriously, you're like an opened book! You have to confess your true feelings to her . " 

"Oh, and exactly how I am going to do that, lit' sis? Emma and I are compete opposites . I barely know her now since she escaped the farm." 

"True, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try to confess your feelings about each other. I bet Emma feeling quite conflicted as you are. 

Just try talking to her about something. It will come naturally. " I said to him, as he was amazed of how mature I had become. 

"Wow, my sister given me love advice. You really are not what I expected you would become, Carol. " 

"What is that supposed to mean, Norman?!?" I pouted as he chuckles at me as patting me on the head. 

"N-Norman, cut it out! I'm not a little kid anymore!" I stuttered . 

Norman

I thought of how I would express my feelings towards Emma. Even though it seems like it has been harder on her, I want it to be special. 

That is when I remembered what she had given me when I was sick, back when we were kids living in the Gracefield House. 

It was a cup string  phone, and it really makes me felt that Emma and I would always be connected , no matter where we are. 

I begin to form a smile on my face, as I grabbed the old cup phone and I left it in a place where she could see. 

I see the string line up as I placed the phone into my ear. 

"I haven't see this in a while." She said.

"Well, I found the old cup phone. I wanted to talk to you with them." I replied. 

"What you want to talk about, Norman? U know that this is really adorable that we can use the string phone again, but what does have to do with us?" She asks me with a curious expression. 

I took a deep breath to collect my thoughts before replying back to her. I really hope that I can be a good influence to her, as I really have liked her. 

"I figured that I wanted this to be special." 

"Norman, you love someone , don't you?" She said, "It's like not like sibling related , but in love love. " 

I smiled of how smart she has become since leaving the farm. 

"Yeah, I do love someone. It's been with me this whole time, no matter how long I kept it as a secret. 

It's burning up inside of me, like it's trying to find a way out of me. " 

She chuckles, as she said, "That's so funny, I kind of felt the same way. Ever since I became more matured here in the Outside World. "

I took a huge amount of breath , knowing that this would be a major shock to her since she never experienced love. 

Suddenly she said, "Norman, I have something to confess." 

My heart skipped a beat . Was this suppose to happen? 

"Norman, I love you. Not as a sibling." She said. 

"Emma... you do love me?" I ask. 

She drops the cup phone and ran towards me and kisses me on the lips. 

The kiss was totally caught me off guard, as she was happily accepted her true feelings as if she held it in all this time ever since we were together living in Gracefield House. 

As she lets go of the kiss, she breathes a sigh of relief, as if the secret of having feelings for me is out of the open. 

"Finally, I got the nerve to do that. I imagined this moment for a long time, but I was kind of scared of being rejected." She said. 

"Emma." I said, still being speechless of what just happened. 

Her green eyes sparkled with delight as I touched her orange hair. 

"I never thought that you would be the one to kiss me, Emma. Usually, it's the other way around." I chuckled. 

She giggles, "Well, it's acceptable, isn't? I mean, this feeling... is what I want for so long ever since you left Gracefield House. 

To be completely honest, I wasn't able to admit my feelings back then. I was such a naïve child then, sometimes I still act like one. 

I hope that you would accept me as I am, Norman." 

Hearing those words gave me hope that we can be a couple , after all these years being apart. She's my true love, my best friend. I don't want her to be alone ever again. 

As I was about to kiss her again, we were interrupted by Carol, Don, Gilda and Ray, who fell from their hiding places, grinning at us. 

Emma was first to react , "W-What the?!?"