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I don’t yet know what to do about them. I love my family—both my brother and my parents. For all their flaws, I know they love me in the only way they can. And I worry about them. Ben, because he’s growing increasingly erratic and violent when that’s not the person he’s been his whole life.
My parents, because I can see the level of stress they’ve been under. My father especially. I can tell that everything that’s happened has taken a significant toll on his health—and his campaign. I almost feel guilty for my part in his stress, but not enough to give up my happiness. And that’s what I’ve found with Efrem.
But more than anything, I’m worried about Ben. Over the past few months, his shift has been drastic, and I know this isn’t who he wants to be. He needs someone to pull him back on track, to help him see the dangerous road he’s walking down without even realizing it. Resolved to talk to him, I hope I can get him to see the harm he’s causing.
My biggest fear is that he’s already so far down the road he’s on that he won’t even be able to hear me. That’s how it’s felt the last few times we tried talking. Like he has a wall up and doesn’t want to see things from my perspective. I suppose I’ve been more that way, too, lately. Then again, no one in the Veles family has asked me to pick up a gun and shoot someone. I just wish my big brother could hear what I have to say and meet me halfway, at least.
“I think it fits pretty well,” Melody says, bursting into the room and making me jump as she interrupts my reverie. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No, you’re fine. Let’s take a look.” I walk around her, checking to see if I want to nip or tuck any of the fabric here or there. But honestly, it fits perfectly.
The cream-colored top and burnt-orange suede skirt work beautifully with her russet skin and thick black waves of hair. The cheeky chocolate-colored leather jacket sends the look over the top, making her look like someone straight out of a fall catalog.
“The boots were too small,” she says, her tone almost apologetic.
I laugh. “That’s not really a surprise; you’re quite a bit taller than I am. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Silvia will be able to rustle something up. And if not, I’ll think of something.”
The other girls file in as well, Leah in a frilly golden jumpsuit that accentuates her honey-blonde hair and reminds me of a beautiful stalk of corn. Tori’s striking autumn leaves dress, with a subtle cream background, makes her look beautiful as well. And thankfully, they both can fit into my shoes.
Silvia returns last, dressed in dark jeans and a T-shirt that says “Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice.” But Isla’s little pumpkin outfit is the cake topper. She looks adorable in a loose-fitting dress with a jack-o’-lanter’s smile across the front, and her green-striped tights only accentuate her adorableness.
“You all look amazing,” I say, clapping my hands. “I have us set up on the roof. Everyone ready?”
The girls nod, and I fall into step with Silvia as we all head upstairs. “You don’t happen to have a pair of larger boots, do you? Mel doesn’t fit in mine.”
“I can look for sure. And if worse comes to worst, I do have a pair of galoshes that are too big. I’m sure she would fit into them.”
“Great.” Smiling broadly, I walk with the girls up to the roof while Silvia makes a stop on the second floor.
My props entail a miniature pumpkin patch, several pots full of tall, dried wheat grass meant to mimic a wheat field, and a cornucopia of dried corn and colorful gourds of various shapes and sizes. I figure I can mix and match and see what sticks.
It’s a good, cloudy day for this, and as we wait for Silvia, I have the girls each take up a spot near a prop so I can make some adjustments to the filter I want to use.
“Oh, those are perfect!” Melody explains, accepting a pair of bright-yellow knee-high gumboots and slipping them on.
I have to admit, she’s right.
“Okay, who wants to go first?” I ask.
When no one jumps on the opportunity, Melody shrugs. “I will.”
“Thanks,” I say, grateful for her willingness.
The others gather and watch as I have her start in my makeshift wheat field. Adjusting the grass to fan between me and Melody, I talk her through the different moves and poses she might make, offering her suggestions but also telling her to play with it if she feels comfortable.
“Okay,” she agrees, flashing me a grin. Then she gets to work, starting with a casual walk behind the wheat stalks, turning this way and that as she plays with the space.
I follow her, adjusting my camera to focus as she takes the ten-second pauses I requested so I can really capture the moment it’s just right. She looks sharp and powerful from behind the lens of a camera, her youth transforming into a striking vibrance that makes it shockingly easy to capture her beauty.
She’s naturally talented with angles too. Shifting her body into positions that might not be entirely casual, she makes them look both comfortable and chic as she fills the negative space with engaging lines and angles.
“That’s perfect,” I state, clicking back through several of the images on my digital camera to see how they look. “Okay, why don’t you take a break? Who’s next?”
After seeing the fun Melody had with it, both Leah and Tori are enthusiastic to try it out. I put Tori with the pumpkin patch, suggesting she use them as various playful props—pretend she’s picking one out to carve, using the largest one as a chair.
She does a great job working with the pumpkins and looking stylish in her autumn leaf dress. The colors work well with her red-tinged brunette pixie cut, and she giggles nervously as she tries a few of her own poses. Her raw vulnerability and shyness carry through the camera well. While she might not have the natural ease that Melody did, I manage to capture several great shots before it’s time for Leah.
Leah I put with the cornucopia, and she plays up the cornsilk color of her hair and the golden shade of her dress as she handles the food playfully, going so far as to incorporate the stalks into her jumpsuit, slipping them into her belt loops and then placing the odd-shaped basket on her head as if it were a witch’s hat.
