Jonathan

I ate my breakfast silently with my parents and Henry. I got in an hour ago and they made me eat first before seeing Liv, apparently I became thinner within the week that I've been gone. As if. My parents are crazy.

But I knew better than to question them so instead, I sat quietly and ate, settling with watching my father pour coffee on my mother's mug while she tried to play with Henry, a little chinky-eyed boy we adopted into our family three months ago. I smiled at the picture perfect moment because my parents seem to have this unspoken understanding that they don't need words to send out an 'I love you', even without them saying it, I can feel it. Like it's literally radiating inside the entire dining room. Crazy.

And then there's Henry, it sucks that we're 18 or something years apart, I mean, as a kid I always wanted a little brother - I kinda adopted Liv's brother, Michael as mine so it's fine- and now that I did get my wish, we have the whole age barrier thing that'll separate us.

He's still my brother though, no matter how unalike we look.

"You're not hungry, Jonny?" Dad asked, patting me on the back before sitting.

My mom looked over at me with a sudden concern for my well-being.

"Just feels weird, is all. And I'm not hungry, I ate before going here."

"You've gotten used to the life in the university?" Dad asked, continuing the conversation.

"Sort of. I'm just a little disorganized right now." In truth, the whole 'getting used to being not home' thing was lot weirder than I expected. It was unsettling to be back, like there's a forming pit in my stomach and I miss my home that I don't want to go back to my dorm.

"Olivia's excited to go to school?" Mom asked, still playing with baby Henry, oblivious to the fact that I am, all of a sudden, homesick.

I nodded and realized she couldn't see. "Yeah, she is. A little scared as well, I'm sure she'll get over it fast, her school looks awesome from the website."

Okay, I looked her school up online, sue me.

"Well, how about you, how are you enjoying your classes? Or have there been any classes already, it's just the first week, right?"

"I guess it's fine, I can't tell definitely since it's just the first week, a lot can change in a year." I looked at my watch and saw that I'm still a few hours early for Liv. "You think I can walk little Henry for a little bit?"

Mom looked at the time. "Sure, walk him to the park and play a little, he loves it there."

I knew that, I've been doing exactly that during the entire summer since Henry came to us. I mean, I've only stopped doing it for a week, mom!

Since I was honestly in no mood to eat and Henry had just finished his, I took him from my mom so she could eat.

Taking him on a stroller would just be a pain in the ass because I wanted to carry him so I didn't bother getting it and told my parents that we'll be back in a little while and then took off.

Henry was pulling my hair as we walked to the park and I don't know why but I didn't mind. He'd pout after I tell him that pulling people's hair is bad and it was the cutest thing.

"How've you been little guy?" I asked as I played with his hands. He's a year and ten months old so I knew that he could understand a bit of what I'm saying. "We're going to the park, you wanna play?"

"Eesh." he'd say which meant yes.

The little guy had a hard time when he moved in with us, always crying at night and stubborn in the morning. We all guessed it's because he wasn't familiar with the surroundings. He coped up quickly though and he started being all giggly after he warmed up to us.

Although he didn't look like any of us with his chinky-eyes and other Korean features, we treated him like he's our own kin and I honestly loved the little guy, he's going to be my annoying little brother - although I'd be eighteen years older than him.

My sister, Bobbi, will be twenty-two years older than him though, which makes me feel a whole lot better.

I'd bet my sister's gonna love him too once she sees him. She couldn't make it back over the summer because she went on a cruise with her boyfriend and by the time it ended, classes at her university already started. She's going to graduate this year but my dad's insisting that she live with us and work in town, no moving in with her boyfriend just yet, dad's strict about those things.

Little Henry and I played a little bit at the park. Henry knew how to walk but I couldn't dare myself let him do so with my fear that he'd trip, fall and injure himself so I stuck with carrying him or letting other children play with him while he's on my lap.

"I thought I saw you walking." Liv said. I knew it was her before I even turned to look, my brain knew her voice like the back of my hand, as well as her entire being actually.

She sat next to me on the bench and hugged my side, tucking her face on my neck. I had Henry on my lap so I couldn't really move to hug her back so I just let her hug me and kissed her head.

"I missed you." I told her sincerely. "I thought you'd still be asleep so I didn't come to your place."

She uncovered her face and stared at me. "I expected you to look different, glad you don't."

I smiled at her. "God, my classes are effin' hard, I bet I'd look like a zombie after a few months in."

"I missed you." She said before kissing my cheek and then looking over at Henry and kissing his forehead.

I took a deep breath, I know what you're thinking: They look like a cute couple. If we got a dollar everytime we hear that, we'd be crazy rich.

I do love that we're this close. I mean, I've never even been this affectionate towards a girlfriend, and I've only had one. Maya di Angelo, I've dated her for our entire high school and yet I've never truly been this close with her. Not physically.. more like heart and soul.

I kissed Liv's forehead and smiled. I love her more that I'd ever love anyone. Maybe someday we'd be together or maybe we won't.. but as long as I have her with me, I'll liv. Geddit?

"How was your week?" I asked.

Her eyes widened in mock surprise. "It's just been a week? For a second there I thought it'd been ten years!"

I laughed. I felt the same thing,

She released me from her hug and took Henry, making funny faces at him. "How was school?" She asked.

"Crazy for a first week. How about you, are you ready for yours?"

She shrugged. "I don't know how to feel yet."

"You'll love it." I assured.

She stopped playing with Henry and raised her eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"

I smiled. Don't mess up now Jon. This is the only surprise she hasn't figured out yet so shut it. "I just wanted to sound positive." I lied. In truth, I went to her university yesterday after class to bring her surprise. In totality, her campus was freakin' awesome. Downside is that the security sucks since I got in.

"Let's get you to Harper-Hans University then."

I stood up and held my hand out to her. She held Henry tightly and took my hand and then we started walking to my place.

As we walked, we passed by Mrs. Anita Shelly, she's a mom of one of our high school batchmates and she knew us fairly well, being in the same town and us going to the same school as her daughter. She smiled at us and took note of our entwined hands. "My, you two just never stop being adorable, do you? Andy praises your relationship all the time."

We smiled, trying to be polite. Andy, her daughter I mentioned, was a total bitch to Olivia in high school. Imagine my surprise when her mom told us that. She's probably lying.

When we got to my house, mom gushed over Liv and college and all the things she was excited for. Mom loved Liv like she was her own daughter, sometimes, maybe even more than she loves me and Henry put together, but that makes me happy. I'm proud of my mom for loving Liv the way her mom's supposed to. Because honestly, sometimes I just hate Liv's parents for abandoning her and her brother like that.

As my mom reminded Liv of all the things she should bring, in case she forgot, I went up to my room and took a few stuff I wanted to bring back to my dorm. I love my dorm but it just doesn't feel as homey as my actual room does. I took a few more books and my alarm clock, as well as some more posters.

Never really knew growing up felt so fucking lonely.