posted September 5th, 2020

At our house, there was a new dynamic.

First and foremost, it wasn't just me and Ken anymore. Sitting at the kitchen table were three more people; Daniel, Cherry, and my long lost brother Isic.

Nora was married to him, but he told her only for six months approximately, because he suspected our family dynamic would change. He was right. It did.

She agreed to be married to him that short amount of time. Their divorce was fine, because she wasn't really in love with him. And ken wasn't in love with her. his love was Cherry, my mom. Turns out that he never stopped loving her even after all those years.

Who would have known that under those tight-lipped smiles was a heart bigger than mostly everyone else's?

His way for expressing his love was subtler.

I gulped down my orange juice fast. We were late for the party.

"just take your time, birdie. Nothing matters more than your digestion." She smiled, and her eyes shone with a glint of humor.

"ok. I see you." I said, and stood with a full stomach.

I washed my hands, and brushes my teeth before heading to the door. Everyone was waiting for me when I got there. Waiting for me... I could get used to this everyday.

"just a few seconds." I said, putting on my blatant red shoes.

"it's fine." Isic replies, with a hand on my back. "nothing more important that the health of your back. mother's words."

I laughed while still bent. "no, mom didn't say that." But it was still funny. And he earned smiles from everyone.

Isic was also part of my family. He was my brother. But because of- Blake, you guessed it- who at the time hated my mom for being married and threatened to take her child away, she confided him to the Roxanne, while promising to tell him we were related when he grows a bit older.

It explained why we were always at their house when I was younger. I grew up with a brother without even knowing. My messy curled brother.

In fact, he started playing with my freshly combed hair. "isic, you know how much I hate that."

I felt another hand mess my hair. "we do." Daniel said in a smile.

I stood up with a jump, and although a few of my hair pulled out, I caught their hands. "exactly. Stop. Both of you."

Ken unlocked the door of the house. When the sliding doors finished sliding, the glare of the sun blinded us all- the perfect family. The reunited family. The stronger than ever reunited and perfect family.

"let the adventure begin." Cherry said, arm locked with Ken's.

I also locked arms with my brothers, sandwiched between them. the youngest child always ends up being pushed around by the eldest's, right?

"Let it begin." I said, taking a step forward. I was confident that, as a family, we would get through anything.