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She nodded, and we all started to walk out, but I glanced back to them, the family in white. Ethan’s mom wrapped her arms around him and messed his hair. He tried to get away, but she just held on tighter, giving him a big kiss. When he broke away, he wiped his face before going to his brother. It was then that his mom looked at me with a big smile on her face. Melody waved her hands at me and it made me cold. It kind of felt like she was teasing me. The last thing I saw before doors closed was her husband wrap his arms around her waist.
Just like that the fairytale was over.
* * *
ETHAN - AGE 9
Chicago, Illinois
July 28th
It didn’t make sense.
My mom made an excuse for talking to the girl who was hiding behind her parents this whole time, and it didn’t make sense. She had grey eyes and dark brown hair. Plus these small black dots on her face, under one of her eyes, and the other by her mouth. There was even one on her neck. She reminded me of a mouse the way she just moved by people’s feet. She didn’t really do anything so why was my mom talking to her? And lying?
Dona had asked for painting and a table filled with cakes and candy. Wyatt said he wanted to either have rock climbing or a pool party because one of friends already had a paintball party. That’s why we didn’t have one for their birthday. That’s how I knew it was a lie. Plus, my mom wouldn’t care to ask why just one kid wasn’t having fun; definitely not if one of those kids wasn’t one of us.
I just didn’t understand why. Was that girl important? She didn’t look it. So, what did my mom have to say to a mouse? Why did the mouse look like she was about to cry? I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
As I watched her family go into the house, Wyatt and Dona were already cutting their cake. So I crossed the grass, walking back into the house myself.
“Allen,” I waved to one of the guards as he brought the gifts in.
“What can I do for you, little man?” he grinned, putting the stuff down.
I frowned. I really hated that name. “My name is Ethan. And can you go over there and tell Mr. and Mrs. Affini my parents want them to wait for their goodie bags before they leave?”
“What?” He looked over my head at them as they were getting their things back from the butler.
“Your parents said that?”
“Yes, go tell them and get them the stuff…please.” I didn’t want Dad to give me another lecture for being rude.
“Okay.” He glanced back out at the courtyard, nodding to tell the other guards to pause. I waited as he walked over to them.
The moment he told them, the taller girls, the mouse’s sisters, started to beg. The whole family had brown hair, however her dad’s was lighter brown than her mom’s. Her sisters had that light brown hair, and the mouse and her mom had dark brown. They all looked so boring and plain in their clothes, as if they were background people in movies. Just there, sometimes spoken to or about, but once they were gone you forgot they were ever there.
Mr. Affini nodded and all of them waited. While they did, the mouse started to do what she did outside, just looking around. Her eyes were different from everyone else in her family. They were grey instead of brown. Finally, she looked to me and I waved for her to come over.
She gave me a confused look, her eyebrows coming together. When she looked over her shoulder, I wondered why in the world I wanted to ask her anything. I should just wait and ask my mom but that would take too long, and she might not answer.
She pointed to herself.
‘Yes,’ I mouthed, nodding my head at her. She moved to ask her mom and I just turned to walk away. Never mind, she was hopeless.
“Mommy, I still need to use the bathroom,” I heard her complain and stopped in my tracks.
“Hold it.”
“I can’t—”
“The bathroom is down the hall and to the left,” I spoke, walking forward.
“Thank you, Ethan.” Her mom smiled at me then tapped her on the back. “Hurry up, Calliope.”
She frowned and looked around. “There are two halls? This place is so big; how do you not get lost?”
“Calliope! —”
