Kaden
Chapter nine
“Do you think I can try strawberry?” Melody asks quietly from beside me.
We’re out in the city with Dad and Ms. Love today.
One of our stops was to check up on my stepmom’s new storefront.
There were tarps everywhere and fresh white paint drying on the walls.
Racks of clothes were shoved into the back room with a promise from the interior designer that everything was on track for the grand opening.
Not wanting to go home just yet, Dad suggested we have a family outing. Most of what we’ve done today is sightseeing and walking until our feet hurt. Ms. Love suggested we stop for ice cream on the last leg of our trip.
“Do you want to try it?” I ask quietly.
Our parents are a few paces ahead of us, their heads tucked together as they smile at each other.
“I do…” Melody trails. “But what if I don’t like it?”
An idea forms, and I shrug. “Don’t worry about that.”
She nods as we near the little shop, and Dad opens the door for us. The inside is cool, and the sweet scent of sugar and cream wafts through the air. A few families are seated at the small white tables, enjoying their treats as the day draws to a close.
I stand with Ms. Love at the glass case, the brightly colored tubs of ice cream sitting chilled beyond the counter, as Dad takes Melody to a table.
“What kind are you picking, Kaden?” My stepmom asks.
“Chocolate,” I say.
Her brows shoot up. “I thought you didn’t like sweets?”
“I don’t.”
“Can I help you?” The cashier asks, getting Ms. Love’s attention.
“Two chocolate—”
I tug on my stepmom’s sleeve. “Melody wants to try strawberry.”
Realization passes behind her eyes before she corrects herself. “One strawberry, one chocolate, and two mint chocolate chips.”
The cashier rings it up before scooping each serving into green cups. Everything is handed off to us, and I hold my sister’s treat in one hand and mine in the other. I slide the strawberry in front of Melody before taking the chair next to her and waiting for her reaction.
She takes a helping bite of the ice cream, her lips pulling down in disappointment. “Oh…”
I sigh before swapping our flavors, and she gives me a sheepish thank you before digging into the chocolate. My strawberry ice cream melts as time passes, but I’m not concerned with the sugary treat. I hate ice cream, but seeing the pure joy on my sister’s face is all that matters.
As we leave the shop, Dad slows his pace to match mine. He stares ahead at Melody and Ms. Love as they walk hand-in-hand to the car.
“That was kind of you, son.” He praises quietly.
“Thank you…” I mutter, the unnatural feeling of a compliment washing over me. I don’t care for my dad’s opinion of me, but I know he cares for Melody, and that’s all I could ask for. He treats her like his own daughter, and Ms. Love treats me like her own son.
Somehow, we became a family over the last year, and it should please me. I’ve grown fond of my sister and the domestic life we’ve all created together.
But something eats away at my subconscious.
I can’t place a finger on it, but it’s restless—as if I can’t stop pacing inside of my own head.
No matter how hard I try to push it down, it always resurfaces the moment I’m alone with my sister.
I have this profound feeling when it comes to her—as if I can’t breathe when she isn’t around.
Something about her presence grounds me in a way I never experienced before.
Ivan suggested that I’m experiencing brotherly love for the first time. Neither of us had siblings before, and that was all we could chalk it up to.
Until Saint rudely shot it down because he hates his sisters and spends most of his time fighting with them. Ever since then, I’ve just been in limbo, unsure of what to make of these emotions.
And they only grow stronger with every passing day…