Chapter 6: Home is Where the Heart Is

|7:47 am|

The sound of two lovebirds transpired from the open window, also distributing the blinding sunlight that seeped its way through the dewy glass exterior, entrapping Jackson and Allison's silhouettes underneath the comforter, as they slept idyllically, shielded from their reality at last.

The eldest Pierce daughter lay on her side, curling away from her brother who rested on his back, with his left arm tucked underneath his head conservatively.

At the mere noise of the lovebirds pitter pattering against the window, his eyes wavered open, being greeted by the whiteness of the ceiling above him.

Jackson unfolded his sore arm from beneath his head, and glanced briefly at Allison, who remained asleep, then assessed his surroundings.

He lay still in his spot, finally starting to successfully recall the happenings of last night. As he replayed the scene of aunt Josephine making a move on him, and inching closer to him as they spoke, he flinched in distaste, suddenly feeling nauseous at the unpleasant image in his brain.

The black-haired boy found himself carefully making his way out of the bed, making sure not to step on Bruno, who was still fast asleep on the rug beside the bed.

He shook his hand through his bed-headed hair, and groaned groggily, mentally preparing himself to take on the day. As he reached for the doorknob, with his wrinkly shirt pressed against his chest, and his sweatpants hugging his legs, he heard a little movement from behind him.

Sluggishly, he turned around to investigate, and found Allison now facing him on the bed, with her large brown eyes, staring credulously at him, with her body engulfed in the bedsheets.

"Morning." Jackson was the first to speak, trying to decipher the intention of her wide outstretched, childlike smile that seemed to overtake her face.

"Do we have to get up?" She whined, letting a yawn escape her lips after her question. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

Naturally, Jackson's curious expression transformed into a light chuckle, witnessing his sister's ability to go from being a totally responsible mature teenager, to being a little five year old girl. Sometimes, Jocelyn reminded him of Allison when she was little, and he couldn't help but smile at the limited happy memories he could remember of him and his sister when they were kids.

Getting lost in his thoughts, he seemed to recollect a certain cynical comment Josephine had made last night, about him and Allison. It had made him quite uncomfortable, even more so than Josephine wanting to sleep with him, and he couldn't help but wonder how his aunt could make such an inappropriate assumption.

He and Allison had done nothing wrong, and they weren't going to, ever. How could she so easily imagine them both in that circumstance?

"Jackson."

Allison's concerned voice rang through his ears, as he snapped out of his unsolicited thoughts, finding his sister now standing in front of him, staring worriedly up at him.

"What's wrong?" She pried further, noticing his odd, twitchy behaviour, as Jackson took a cautious step back, not wanting to get close.

He cleared his throat a couple of times, watching his sister stare at him with a confused expression, then replied, completely dismissing her recent question. "I should go...check on Josephine."

He stood there awkwardly for a moment too long, and then departed the room before closing the door, leaving Allison to wonder about his strange demeanour.

Jackson let out a ragged breath of relief once he exited his sister's room, and stared at the door in front of him that led to his own room.

Finally, after replaying the encounter he just shared with Allison, he knocked lightly on the wooden door, waiting anxiously for the moment Josephine would open up.

A couple of seconds went by, and no reply. So he knocked once again, making sure to add. "Aunt Josephine, it's me." He then carefully chose his words, not wanting to reintroduce the uncomfortable atmosphere he shared with her last night. "Good morning."

Again, no reply.

Curiously, he then gripped onto the doorknob, hesitating to twist it, to open the door to reveal his half-naked aunt laying in bed, much to his dismay.

He cursed silently under his breath, despising his current situation, and then pushed open the door, making sure to shield his eyes from the view he was about to face.

Slowly, he blinked back his hands that covered his face, to find his deserted bed, left untouched. There were no bags in sight, and everything was where it was supposed to be.

Jackson raised both eyebrows, taken aback at the sight in front of him, feeling utterly confused at her sudden, untold departure. He tried to play out all kinds of scenarios that could've led to her egress, but strained to find a sensible and logical theory.

Suddenly, the sight of his drawings scattered on his desk, caught his eye, as he rushed towards them in panic. His heart skipped a frightful beat, as he recognized the certain sketches he knew far too well.

His hands skimmed the papers scrambled all across his desk, and observed his own drawings in disappointment, for they were all of Allison; the one's he had stuffed at the bottom of the desk drawer, in an effort to hide them from anyone else's eye.

He had forgotten all about them, and aunt Josephine had seen them all. No wonder her suspicion was transpired so facilely.

Jackson held onto his forehead, and mentally cursed himself for being so stupid, and careless. How could he be so irresponsible and negligent? This was all his fault.

If it didn't make matters worse, Allison came trailing into his room, searching his bedroom for any signs of Josephine's bony frame.

"Where's aunt Josephine?" She wondered obliviously, as Jackson turned around leisurely, standing tall, as an attempt to cover his countless sketches of his sister, ensuring that she did not see any one of them.

Now successfully hiding his work of art behind his big body, he noticed Allison had changed out of her pyjamas, and was now wearing a grey oversized shirt, equipped with her go to light blue denim jeans, and she had brushed her long brown hair, that hung just above her belly button.

"Jackson, where is she?" Allison repeated, growing impatient by his unresponsive attitude, while he stared at her dead in the eye, releasing two stabilized words from his mouth.

"She's gone."

-

The two siblings scattered around in the kitchen, attending to two different tasks, while being sidetracked by Josephine's unannounced departure.

Allison started to prepare breakfast for the twins who were still fast asleep upstairs, exercising the benefit of Saturday mornings with no school, and Jackson had poured Bruno his food in the labelled bowl on the ground.

"You know," Allison began, a persistent tone in her voice, as she turned around to glance at her brother. "I don't understand why she would just up and leave in the middle of the night."

Jackson shrugged emotionlessly as a response, not wanting to continue this theoretic conversation that only made him anxious from the swirling thoughts of him potentially being at fault for her absence.

"Maybe..." Allison trailed off conspiringly, pulling a few eggs out of the fridge, with an invested look on her face. "She got what she came here for."

Jackson had now focused his undivided attention on his little sister, who may had been on to something, which concerned him even more.

Allison, however, continued her theoretical assumption. "Didn't I tell you she wanted something? She might've gotten it last night, and left in a hurry so we wouldn't notice." Allison then gasped, almost startling Jackson at the loud sound. "Oh my gosh! Mom and dad's room!" She exclaimed, eyes widening, as she placed the eggs violently on the counter, almost cracking them. "Did you lock it last night?"

Jackson rolled his eyes boringly at his sister infusing so much effort into this, and responded nonchalantly. "Yes. I did." Turning to give her an exasperated sigh. "And what could she possibly want from their room?"

The brunette girl placed a sassy hand on her hip, while the other hand held a pan, and looked at her brother in disbelief. "I don't know," she started to list sarcastically. "Expensive jewelry, family secrets, important documents?"

Once he had realized about all the valuable things contained in that room, and that hadn't been touched in years, he spoke callously underneath his breath. "Okay, point taken." He then continued his sentence, with his hands up in defence. "I just think we should drop this topic. We should be relieved that she's gone."

He was hesitant upon using that specific word to describe her absence, as he felt sort of a panic, for possibly driving her away. It went unnoticed, even though his hands were shaking mildly, anxiety creeping in slowly, at the concern of his family separating due to a misunderstanding brought by aunt Josephine,  and made it to look likely, by himself.

He also felt guilty, and wondered how he could've communicated with Josephine last night, to not make her get the wrong idea. He only hoped she wouldn't go running to the authorities about something that was untrue.

"You're right," Allison admitted truthfully, nodding at her brother's statement. "We did want her to leave all this time; and now that she's gone, we shouldn't be asking all these questions."

The hand that was positioned on her left hip, now slid down beside her, and she maneuvered towards the stove, to turn it on, while placing the pan she was carrying in her right hand, on top of it.

Jackson remained in his spot for a short moment, contemplating whether or not he should inform Allison about the happenings of last night.

Deciding to spare the details, he made his way to the front door, and declared. "I'm going to

check the mail."

Without waiting for a nod of approval from Allison, he exited the house, making his way to the mailbox. Allison crinkled her nose, wondering what was up with him, and continued to make scrambled eggs.

As she proceeded to concoct breakfast, the sound of four stamping feet emerged from the stairs, as she now diverted her attention to the twins rushing down in starvation.

"I'm hungry!" Alex cried aloud dramatically, immediately rushing over to Bruno who had just finished eating his food.

"Alli, where's Jackie?" Jocelyn asked innocently, hopping onto one of the bar stools, with her elbows propped up onto the counter to stabilize her balance.

"He's out getting the mail," Allison informed casually, dividing the scrambled eggs into four plates, while the toast popped up from the toaster.

"And...aunt Josephine?" Jocelyn spoke weakly, looking back and forth cautiously to avoid her bone crushing embrace.

Allison paused for a moment, then took in a deep breath, turning around with a spatula in her hand, to face her little sister.

"She uh, left early morning." As she lied, she made sure to control her facial expressions that would give it all away. "She had something to do-"

"Typical." Alex cut her off, crossing his arms over his chest, and showcased his bitter attitude, while Allison ignored his salty behaviour.

"But...why?" Jocelyn questioned further, looking up at her older sister for a response.

However, Alex was quick to bud in, yet again, and this time, he marched over into the seat beside Jocelyn, while Allison left her mouth ajar, at a loss of words.

"You didn't really think she liked us, did you, Joce?" Alex shook his head in disbelief. "No one does. No one has time to sit around all day, and babysit us," he went on, shrugging sourly. "You'd be crazy to think they would."

Jocelyn instantly looked down at her lap in sadness, and started playing with her fingers, suddenly finding them interesting.

"That's enough, Alex," Allison finally said, eyeing him warningly. "Aunt Josephine was busy. She had to go to work," she fibbed once again, feeling her chest clench up from all the guilt entangling her intestines, and producing a pit full of horrendous butterflies in her stomach.

She hated lying to them, but what else could she do? There was nothing in the word that could make up for the loss of their parents, and how it affected the twins.

"Yeah, right," mumbled Alex, his gaze drifting to the cream coloured walls, as Jackson barged in through the front door, a couple of envelopes and coupons intertwined in his hands.

At the sight of his older brother, Alex slipped off the bar stool, and stomped all the way into the backyard to kick around his soccer ball, with Bruno trailing afterwards.

Jackson took notice of his strange attitude, and made his way to his little sister, who sat obediently in her seat, awaiting breakfast.

"Morning princess." His voice softened at the sight of her, as he bent down to plant a kiss on her head.

She smiled in return, and he made his way around the counter, to step inside the kitchen, where Allison was almost done completing breakfast.

"What's up with him?" Jackson spoke in a hushed tone, nodding over to Alex who kicked his soccer ball hard against the fence, with a miserable look on his face, causing a loud ruckus.

Allison tilted her head at her older brother, and shared a knowing look, as Jackson sighed and nodded in understanding slowly. A few minutes later, the eldest Pierce daughter prepared two plates, and placed one on the counter in front of Jocelyn, and one beside her, for Alex.

"Thanks, Alli," she beamed, as Allison smiled in response, then turned to look at Jackson, who was sorting through the mail.

"Anything interesting?" She asked, peering over his shoulder to take a peek, as he slumped back in his position, and held up a bundle of cash suppressed in an envelope.

"A few coupons, some bills, and...your child support." He waved around in the air, raising both eyebrows frivolously, sharing a perspicacious look with his sister.

"What about the twins'?" She spoke in a hushed tone, a keen eyebrow outstretched on her forehead, with a hopeful gleam radiating through her eyes.

Jackson only shook his head routinely, setting the mail on the kitchen slab, slumping backwards into his position, watching the optimism in his sister's eyes fade away.

This had become a regular. They had never once received the twins' child support from their father, but only received Allison's portion. They couldn't do anything about it though, as the concern of authorities parting them was just around the corner, if they were to take legal action. It was a conceivable mystery.

"Jackie, what's child support?" Jocelyn asked obliviously, swaying back and forth in the barstool she sat upon, instantly gaining the eldest siblings' attention, as they turned their heads towards her.

Allison then looked at Jackson for help, while he struggled to come up with a convincing explanation.

"It's um..." he stuttered gravely, unable to meet her eyes as he scanned the room for possible ideas. "It's a predicament in which...children are...supported."

After stating his sentence, he quirked his eyebrow upwards at his peculiar choice of words, and then glanced at Jocelyn who held on a confused expression. Allison, on the other hand, gave her older brother an incredulous gaze, while he shrugged in response.

"So," Allison started, shutting off the stove carefully, meeting her brother's eyes. "What's the itinerary for today?"

Jackson fumbled with his words a bit, caught off guard, and still recalled aunt Josephine's mysterious vanishment, and then replied indulgently. "I was thinking of cleaning the house a bit; maybe sort through some files, and whatnot?"

It came out more like a question, as he peered over at his younger sister, trying to sound lenient with his plans for the weekend, as he understood the stressful week they had both undergone.

Allison however, nodded approvingly, at his suggestion, and simply replied. "Okay."

Jocelyn proceeded to eat her breakfast patiently, while Jackson now drifted his eyes towards the backyard, where Alex was kicking his soccer ball angrily against the fence.

The eldest Pierce siblings shared eye contact for a split second, and then telepathically, agreed upon Jackson confronting him about his off-putting behaviour.

Allison fixed herself a plate of breakfast, and plopped down on the couch, making sure to turn on the television screen as a way to occupy herself temporarily, while Jackson attempted to consult their younger, moody brother.

"Alex," Jackson called out, stepping out into the backyard, to be instantly engulfed with an embrace from an excited Bruno.

The black-haired boy graciously gave Bruno a few pets, and then focused his attention on Alex, who had now stopped carelessly kicking around his soccer ball, to stare sassily at Jackson himself.

"Why don't you come inside and consume the food your sister so considerately made for you?" He encouraged, speaking lightly to begin with.

"I'm not hungry," Alex only mumbled bitterly, rolling his eyes inwardly, and walking over to fetch his soccer ball that lay lifelessly on the burnt grass.

"Doesn't matter," Jackson continued, growing more stern as he went on. "You have to eat breakfast, whether you like it or not. You're a growing boy, and you need all the food you can get."

"I said," Alex began rudely, repeating his words grumpily. "I'm not hungry."

Jackson held in a breath, struggling to see eye to eye with him, and then released a sigh, studying his younger brother's precarious behaviour.

After seconds of debating in his head, whether he should press further, Jackson finally shrugged mildly, suppressing his short temper, and simply replied. "Suit yourself."

With a masked smile, he turned on his heels, and strode back inside the house, where Jocelyn was now lounging beside Allison on the couch, watching a comedic show.

Before he could say a word, Allison's eyes quickly caught his gaze, requesting an explanation, but Jackson only shook his head, and started making his way up the stairs, towards his parents' room.

Allison sighed quietly to herself, catching Jocelyn's attention, who turned her head towards her older sister in worry. The eldest daughter only conjured up a complaisant smile in her little sister's direction, and then stood up from her position on the couch, briefly announcing. "I'm going to go help Jackson organize some documents."

She tucked her cellphone neatly in her back pocket, and trudged up the stairs, in search for her older brother. The hallway seemed to emit an eerie feeling, as the sounds of the television downstairs echoed against the hollow walls, and the faint ruckus of Alex kicking his soccer ball against the fence every other second, making it feel like a horror movie during its most suspenseful part.

Allison made her way deeper into the hallway, passing her room, then stopped directly in front of her parents' room, where she found Jackson rummaging through various items, and scattering them all along the floor into huge piles, creating quite a huge mess.

"What's going on here?" Allison questioned apprehensively, noticing the way her brother was passive aggressively rearranging things.

Jackson directed his gaze back to his sister after throwing multiple items on their parents' mattress that had been collecting dust, and spoke uncharacteristically. "Josephine's right, this place hasn't changed in several years; it's like an insane asylum." He went on further, throwing a bunch of picture frames carelessly on the bed, while Allison tried to make sense of his sudden outburst. "Things have changed over the years, we need to evolve with them."

He grunted briefly as he stood up straight from his position, and assessed the now empty drawer that was covered in a thick layer of dust, and multiple spiderwebs. Finally satisfied, he made his way around the various items dispersed along the hardwood floor, and marched over to the closet with many sets of clothes, and important documents organized in stacked cardboard boxes.

"I understand," Allison voiced honestly, carefully making her way to the mattress, where she leaned her body against, watching her brother's every move. "But, don't you think you need to slow down? We've got plenty of time to rearrange and organize-"

"No," Jackson cut her off loudly, retrieving his hand from the unopened box he planned on unpacking, startling Allison, who was now sitting at the edge of the bed, shuffling around picture frames.

Jackson took in a deep breath, and then looked apologetically at his sister, as she remained quiet, unable to fragmentize a sentence.

"Look," he started calmly, his brown eyes softening at the sight of Allison. "I just need to throw all of their belongings away." He then spoke underneath his breath in a hushed tone. "Maybe then we can all completely move on."

His gaze shifted to the ground, and fixated on the tiny space of exposed hardwood where his parents' belongings had not yet made contact with, while Allison juggled picture frames in her hands, coming across one portrait that photographed both her and her father years ago, grinning ear to ear next to each other.

Her heart palpitated momentarily, taken off guard by seeing his familiar face, and she clutched onto the brittle bedsheets with her right hand, her awful memories flooding back.

"Maybe so," she started slowly, replying to her brother, with her sight held strongly on her father's smiling face. "But the scars will still remain."

The words rushed out of her like a waterfall, as Jackson focused his eyes onto his sister, who sat sulkily on the bed, and analyzed the sudden shift in her mood.

As he stepped closer to her, he noticed the picture she was holding in her hand, and flashed her a sympathetic look, reaching to take the frame from her hands. As he did so, he purposely made sure to brush his right hand comfortingly with hers that remained stagnant on the picture frame, and the two shared eye contact for a long time, reading each other's minds.

Suddenly, breaking their unified moment, Allison's phone vibrated from her back pocket loudly, and she jumped up startlingly, fishing to check the notification.

Jackson instantly broke his gaze with his sister, and gently placed the picture frame downwards onto the bed, now beginning to shuffle his feet back and forth awkwardly. After finally working up the nerve to reroute his gaze back to his sister, he noticed her completely transformed expression.

She stared admiringly at her phone for a long period of time, hesitating to push any buttons, as Jackson hovered over her to view the notification. As big bolded letters played out to be Ethan, he immediately scratched the back of his neck, trying not to overstep his boundaries of respecting his younger sister's privacy.

"What's up?" He asked casually, after a moment of silence passed by, still trying to interpret Allison's thoughts.

The eldest Pierce daughter quickly snapped out of her disarranged thoughts, and met her older brother's eyes in a panicked motion.

"It's Ethan," she delayed a response, searching for the right words. "He wants to go on a date today."

Jackson's eyes widened as the serrated words escaped from his younger sister's mouth, and refrained from making a scene.

Instead, he slumped back in his position, and let out a calm breath, shrugging it over, and replied unequivocally. "You should go."

Taken aback by his nonchalant response, Allison stared at her brother with wide eyes, noticing his spunky attitude, and reasoned realistically. "But what about all the housework that needs to be done?"

Jackson only smiled genuinely, holding in a slight chuckle over his sister's worrisome and responsible mentality. Don't worry about that; I'll take care of it," he continued sweetly. "Go and have fun. You deserve it."

Allison now stood up from her parents' bed, and looked at Jackson in disbelief, proceeding her argumentative perspective on not wanting to abandon him abruptly. "What about the twins? Will you be able to handle them while I'm gone -what with all the housework and rearranging that needs to be done?-"

"Allison," Jackson cut her off in a playful tone, noticing her tendency to ramble on, and her selfless personality. "Go get ready."

Allison only tilted her head in return, standing still in her spot, resisting the urge to go. Jackson, however, refused to let her miss out on something she really wanted, and softly guided her out of their parents' room with a light push, and steered her in the direction of her own bedroom, urging her to get dressed for her date with Ethan.

Finally, after minutes of trying to convince her he'd be fine on his own for a few hours, Allison decided upon taking a shower, while Jackson returned back to his parents' room, continuing to sort through important paperwork, and family pictures.

As he did so, he no longer recalled his childhood memories from seeing himself at a young age, as his mind was noticeably somewhere else, trying to turn an unusual feeling into something normal.

-

It had been just over an hour, and Jackson now had piles of black garbage bags sitting at the top of the stairs filled with old,

useless items that were clearly not needed anymore. Jocelyn and Alex were watching television in the living room, and Allison was finishing getting ready for her first official date with Ethan.

Her brown hair was curled to perfection, and she had applied some mild makeup to enhance the black, knee-high dress she decided upon wearing, equipped with the necklace Mr. Fairchild had so generously gifted her, and her much adored charm bracelet that Jackson had so thoughtfully given her.

She stood in front of her grand mirror, judging the way her body looked in the fairly tight dress, and squirmed uncomfortably, becoming rather indecisive about her choice of attire. She wondered if it was too formal, and quickly grew irritated at the way her frame was shaped.

Allison let out an annoyed huff, then glanced down at the charm bracelet that rang melodiously in her ears, sending shivers down her spine. She admired each one of the charms attached, and unknowingly smiled while remembering each person the charm represented.

A loud shuffle of feet emerged from the hallway outside her bedroom, and she snapped out of her trancelike state, to hurriedly rush outside, and witnessed Jackson struggling to balance multiple garbage bags in his hands, in attempts to bring them downstairs.

She chuckled briefly, and then jumped to his aid quickly. "Let me help you."

"Thanks," he muttered lowly, unable to steal a glimpse at his sister due to the huge garbage bags in front of his face.

He trudged down the stairs carefully, with Allison pursuing shortly behind, and then rested them on the hardwood floor with a breath of relief followed after.

Once Allison set down her handful of garbage bags, Jackson was finally able to take a good look at her, and grew astounded by her all too revealing dress showing off her slim legs, and the makeup on her face that made her out to be much older than she really was.

"So," Allison started shyly, her hands neatly folded in front of her, as she frequently stared at the ground to avoid eye contact. "What do you think of my attire?"

Jackson withheld the urge to critique the dress that was way too short for his liking, and forced a smile on his face after seeing Allison's hopeful expression.

"You look good," he stated curtly, quickly averting his gaze from her in fear of vocalizing the way he truly felt about her get-up, and then made his way towards the garage to discard the multiple garbage bags.

Allison held on a fixated look at her brother's reaction, then made her way to the living room, where her younger brother and sister were lounging on the couch, entertaining themselves with their favourite cartoon.

Jocelyn rested her head against the arm of the couch, and Alex sat grumpily beside her, looking stiffly at the television screen, with his hand propped underneath his chin to hold his head in place.

Bruno lay at ease on the carpet beside the twins, and Allison began constructing a conversation with Alex to get him to snap out of his unwanted mood. Unfortunately, Alex was set upon his ways, and no amount of small talk would change that.

Jocelyn then lifted her head from the arm rest on the couch to flash a sympathetic smile Allison's way after her many failed attempts at conversing with Alex, but was mesmerized by her natural beauty, as she took a glimpse in her older sister's direction.

"You look pretty," Jocelyn cooed, staring at her sister with admiring wide eyes, instantly evoking a smile on Allison's face, as she dismissed Alex's mindless conduct briefly.

"Thank you, Jocelyn," Allison beamed in response, feeling a little less insecure about her get-up, while she glimpsed down at her body once again, in hopes to completely convince herself.

Jackson then came back from his minor task from the garage, separating Allison from her endless, self-conscious thoughts, that seemed to eat away at her brain. Her gaze drifted towards her older brother that was overly concentrated in his chores, and didn't even bother to glance her way. She found herself studying his every move; the way he shuffled his hair unbeknownst to himself while figuring out what to complete next, and the way his brown eyes twinkled in the sun rays that emitted from the kitchen window.

She wondered why his reaction to her apparel was almost dull-like, in comparison to his usual words of encouragement. Did he not like her dress?

Catching herself in her trail of countless, scattered assumptions, her phone vibrated, startling her a little. Across her phone screen, read Ethan's name, showcasing a simple text he had sent her; I'll pick you up at five.

Her heart fluttered momentarily, as the idea of Ethan picking her up at her front porch steps to go on their first official date, finally settled in. She was in disbelief. Nonetheless, she couldn't control her excitement, and remained anxious for his arrival.

Shooting him a quick response, Allison then viewed Jackson working on something in the kitchen. Immediately, she rushed to his aid, and volunteered instinctually. "Here, let me help you with that."

The sound of Alex's cartoon show was heard in the background, as Jackson gave his younger sister an obscure look as a response to her offer.

"It's fine," he finally spoke emotionlessly, avoiding her eye contact in fear of saying something he'd regret.

Jackson then proceeded to get a head start on tonight's dinner, pulling out a few ingredients from the fridge, and turned on the stove. Allison however, tilted her head at her brother's awfully unusual behaviour, but shrugged it off, going to fetch certain seasoning that would be needed, in the cabinet.

Jackson flashed her a raised eyebrow, questioning her actions, as Allison only questioned theoretically. "Mac and cheese?"

Slightly surprised by her spot-on guess, Jackson found himself nodding slowly, still amazed at how she was able to figure it out so quickly. Allison continued to gather all of the necessary ingredients, and set them all in a symmetrical row on the counter for Jackson to view and utilize.

After doing so, she stood straight, with a warm smile plastered on her face, standing back to watch Jackson start to prepare dinner.

Holding in his urge to laugh, Jackson started preparing his well-loved recipe of mac and cheese, still not meeting his sister's gaze.

After a moment of silence between them both, Jackson opened his mouth slightly to vocalize reservedly. "Maybe you shouldn't be in the kitchen. You might ruin your dress."

The way he had pronounced dress was almost harsh, and a cause for concern, as Allison took notice of his reticent demeanour. Nevertheless, she wasn't about to let him win, whatever this was. He was acting rather competitive suddenly -for a lack of a better word- attempting to make dinner all by himself.

"I won't," Allison quickly chimed in, bouncing on her heels childishly, to peer over the stove into the heated pan. "The least I can do is help with dinner, in return for my absence later today."

As she mentioned her plans for today once again, Jackson caught himself staring ahead at the kitchen window, fixating his sight on the exuberant, cloudless sky.

He promised to protect her. But he also promised to give her the freedom she deserved. How could there be a balance when one of them had to be outweighed in order to fulfill it successfully?

"So..." Jackson started uncomfortably, after a few minutes of silence passed. "Where do you two plan on going?"

He tried to seem as uninterested and casual as he possibly could, gesturing for Allison to pass him the uncooked macaroni.

Allison scrunched her eyebrows in wonder, and cautiously conveyed the plastic bag of macaroni to Jackson, trying not to drop it.

"Hmm," she murmured questionably, watching Jackson starting to dump the macaroni in the now boiling water on the stove. "I don't know..." Jackson glanced at her shortly, concerned by the fact that he wouldn't know about her exact whereabouts. "It must be a surprise, then."

Irritating Jackson about not knowing Allison's location as a precaution, he subconsciously dumped the remaining macaroni into the boiling water much too aggressively, causing the burning hot droplets as a result, to bounce onto Allison's bare skin on her exposed arm.

"Ouch." She flinched quickly, pulling back in pain to see her sensitive skin turning red already from the hot flash.

Jackson jumped in panic, guilt rushing through his veins, as he quickly guided his sister towards the kitchen sink, where he turned on the tap for cold water to touch her inflamed skin.

"I'm so sorry," he uttered underneath his breath, holding her left arm firmly in his hands underneath the faucet which helped to ease the pain for the time being.

Allison watched his concern face, as he concentrated his gaze on her arm, and couldn't help but form a faint smile, moved by his worrisome ways when it came to her.

He had turned off the faucet now, and was now carefully examining her arm, making sure there wasn't any trace of a potential burn scar to manifest. Allison still had her stare focused on her brother, and stood frozen still, when his eyes had finally met hers, both of them at a loss of words.

Breaking their unified affair, Jocelyn came trudging into the kitchen. "What are you making for dinner?"

Her soft voice had made Allison and Jackson quickly pull apart almost instinctively, and had made them focus their attention on their younger sibling.

"Uh, mac and cheese," Jackson stuttered momentarily, returning back to his regular state, as he continued to stir the pasta in the pan that the boiling water was now slowly being evaporated from.

Allison nodded in confirmation at his reply, and dropped both of her hands to the side, her left, drenched arm producing water droplets to fall on the tiled floor.

Jocelyn stared at Allison's attire once again in confusion, and wondered aloud curiously. "Are you going somewhere, Alli?"

Allison found herself speechless all of a sudden, unaware as to how to answer her sister's simple, yet loaded question.

To her dismay, before she could even conjure up a sentence, Jackson had taken the words that she hadn't dared to ever say, right out of her mouth.

"She's going on a date."

-

The time had come, where Allison was awaiting anxiously for her date to arrive in a matter of minutes. The bright blue sky had dimmed slightly by now, and dinner was already prepared, resting wistfully on the stove, where it had been yet to be consumed.

Jocelyn was playing on the ground with Bruno, producing gigantic fits of giggles whenever he would roll around on the carpet playfully. Alex was now grumpily playing on his game boy, ignoring everyone else, and Jackson and Allison continued to attempt to clean up the house, and rid themselves of the gruesome memories each inanimate object fuelled.

Jackson stood across the kitchen, in the living room, putting away any loose, scattered items that lay lifelessly on the moon table leaning against the wall. He found all sorts of things; loose ribbons, rubber bands, dice, and marbles.

Astonished by the amount of mess they had all joint-produced over the years, and how the maintenance of this moon table was neglected, he started tossing out all the incessant items into the black garbage bag he was holding in his left hand.

As he did so, he accidentally dropped a pearlescent marble on the ground, and watched as it rolled smoothly underneath the table. Sighing impatiently, he placed the garbage bag sluggishly on the side, and bent down to try and retrieve the loose marble.

He stuck his right hand cautiously underneath the small space between the table's base and the floor, and waved it around in hopes to find the annoying marble. Taken aback, after his hand grazed something much more bigger, and softer, he jerked his arm back intuitively, then hesitated, instantly recognizing the familiar texture.

His eyebrows furrowed in disbelief, and then confidently pulled the mysterious object outwards, identifying it as his childhood toy that he used to carry around everywhere.

Completely thrilled by his nostalgic find, he immediately voiced excitedly. "Allison, look!" He exclaimed, catching his sister's attention, who was busying herself by sweeping all the crevices in the house.

She quickly joined her brother's side after hearing his childish tone that she hadn't heard in years, and viewed the stuffed bear that Jackson was holding so delicately in his hands. It was covered in age old dust, yet the stitch work and the material itself remained intact, wondrously.

"Is that...Mr. Cuddles?" She questioned in fascination, amazed by her brother's find.

"Yes!" He beamed, recalling all the precious childhood memories buried alongside that bear. "I can't believe it." He shook his head in incredulity, continuing on. "But, how did he end up there?"

The two siblings held on an analytical expression, trying to recollect any memory of why exactly Jackson's toy would end up there, out of all places. Then suddenly, Allison let out a loud laugh, confusing Jackson as he tilted his head slightly at her uninterpretable reaction.

Allison then cupped her mouth knowingly, withholding the urge to laugh even more, while Jackson held on a questioning look, wanting to know why his sister was acting so childishly weird.

"Don't you remember?" Allison finally blurted out, with a wide smile outstretched across her dolled-up face. "hid it there -after you broke my doll's head," she confessed accusingly, while Jackson continued to think about the happenings of this incident.

A flashback of little Allison running around the house in a carefree motion with Jackson hot on her tail crossed the eldest Pierce sibling's mind, executing a loud chuckle to escape his lips. He had remembered how he had accidentally broken Allison's favourite porcelain doll by dropping it on the hardwood floor, and how in return, Allison snatched Mr. Cuddles, and planned to do the same. He also recalled how in the midst of their youthful banter, their parents had come home arguing relentlessly, the smell of alcohol present on their father's lips, putting a halt in their vigorous activity, which might have given young Allison a chance to victoriously hide his stuffed bear.

Finally, the two siblings simultaneously erupted into a large fit of laughter, and both of their smiles reached their eyes, reminiscing about their limited happy childhood memories.

But alas -as always, their happy moment got cut short by the doorbell ringing, interrupting their careless laughter, and indicating the arrival of Allison's date.

Jackson and Allison shared a knowing look with each other, and instantly, Jackson's eyes no longer showed happiness, as he hung onto his bear with his right hand securely.

Allison quickly looked away from her older brother, and breathed in heavily, before scrambling to fetch the door, where she would meet Ethan's heavenly brown eyes. Jackson had tucked his hands in his front pockets, and slumped backwards lethargically, dreading to witness this encounter.

The eldest Pierce daughter clutched the doorknob firmly in her hand, after fixing a few loose strands of hair on her head, and slowly twisted the doorknob rightwards to reveal Ethan, and a young girl in two braids, standing on the front porch.

"Ethan..." Allison trailed off, speechlessly, stepping aside to let her school crush, and the little girl inside.

"Allison," Ethan greeted wholeheartedly, a pleasing look existing on his unblemished face. "You look...beautiful."

His brown curls bounced around as he entered the house, alongside the little girl that held onto his hand ever so tightly, while Allison blushed credulously at his compliment,

"I hope you don't mind," Ethan continued, answering the question that had been prying Allison's brain the second he had revealed himself to her. "I brought my little sister Emily to get to know your siblings. Maybe they can become good friends?" He suggested, flashing Allison one of his charming smiles, prompting his endearing dimples to showcase themselves.

Allison only nodded mesmerizingly at his words, too focused on the way Ethan looked, and how her fantasy was becoming a reality.

"Emily," Ethan spoke comfortingly, snapping Allison out of her trancelike state. "Don't be nervous."

Emily clung onto her brother's legs, as Allison and Jackson both watched Ethan deliver comforting words to her. Finally realizing the newcomers, Bruno galloped towards Emily, providing a sense of assurance, warming Emily up with everyone's presence.

Ethan chuckled at the sight of his sister befriending the big furry creature, as Jocelyn hovered behind skittishly, hiding behind Jackson's leg that remained stagnant on the hardwood floor. She'd never had anyone of her age come to her house before, and it sort of frightened her a bit.

"Hi Emily," Allison greeted politely, waving in her direction, as the short brunette glanced her way briefly, then skimmed her gaze around in Jackson and Jocelyn's direction. "I'm Allison. This is Jackson, Jocelyn, and-" the eldest Pierce daughter gestured to Alex, who lingered still on the couch, unhealthily attached to his gameboy. "This is Alex," she completed her summarized introduction, then found herself looking towards Ethan, who still showcased his dimples, highlighted by his infectious smile.

With the presence of Ethan and Emily, Alex had finally pried his eyes away from his gameboy's screen, and drifted them towards the two unfamiliar, unwanted faces with disapproval.

Ethan advanced in Allison's direction, speaking in a hushed tone. "I...really hope this is okay with you. I just thought we all could get along."

His charming smile never failed to erupt butterflies in Allison's heart, and she gave him a goofy grin. "Oh of course! I'm sure Alex and Jocelyn will love the company."

The two classmates shared a tight gaze, forming an awkward bout of silence, forcing Jackson to clear his throat clumsily, maintaining his inability to voice his proper thoughts.

He had been caught in a chokehold, where he knew not what to say, and how to react to everything. He could only stand alone and watch as life had taken its course.

Jackson clutched his childhood toy tightly in his right hand, painfully watching his sister being taken away from a boy he hardly knew, yet convinced himself to grant her the freedom he had promised. She was no longer a little girl; she had the right to make her choices. She had the right to fall in love...but he feared her departure would leave too big of a wound to heal.

Unexpectedly, Alex had risen from his seated position, and shouted. "I knew it! I knew you would leave!" He went on his spiral, with tears threatening his eyes. "You're gonna leave...just like mom did!" He spat at Allison, and then ran upstairs frustratingly, alarming both Jackson and Allison, and surprising Emily and Ethan.

In an uncontrolled manner, Jackson had unknowingly dropped his toy on the ground, his heart starting to beat at an irregular pace in sheer distress.

"Alex," Allison called out worriedly, jumping upwards in concern, and met her older brother's eyes that gave a reassuring look, silently communicating with her.

"I'll talk to him..." Jackson trailed off, trying to sound as casual as possible, in attempts to suffice Ethan's potential questions about their mother's absence.

Jocelyn clung onto Jackson's leg shyly, while both Allison and Jackson stared at each other intensely, fearing that their cover had possibly been blown, and worried about their younger brother's mental health.

"Well," Ethan started gradually, catching a hold of Jackson's uncomfortable expression, and brushed his arm against Allison's, who held on a dazed appearance. "I guess we should leave now."

Immediately, Jackson snapped out of his enigmatic thoughts, and viewed Ethan slowly guiding his sister out of the house, his troublesome temper fighting with his logical perspective.

"I'll get Allison to text you my house address, so you can drop Emily off whenever's convenient for you," Ethan informed, stepping out onto the front porch with Allison beside him, as Jackson made his way towards the front door, with Jocelyn sticking close by. "I'll get Allison home safely, so no need to wait up." He flashed Jackson a cunning smirk, leaning forward slightly to relay. "Oh and, pink, and Matilda."

Jackson responded with a confused look, awaiting for Ethan to elaborate further. He continued shortly. "Emily's favourite colour and book."

Instantly, he recognized the other night's conversation in which he had almost completely lost his temper when he bombarded Ethan with disreputable questions to intimidate him. He had even gone so far as to question his relationship with his younger sister, in comparison to his bond with his siblings.

Dismissing his untimely, audacious behaviour, Jackson focused on Allison, who seemed to be staring at the ground unresponsively, unable to meet his eyes.

Without another word, Ethan had taken Allison by the wrist, and led her to his car that was parked symmetrically on the driveway, while Jackson watched his sister get in willingly, avoiding his eye contact specially.

He breathed in heavily, trying to suppress his temper, and came across her eyes through the windshield while she sat in the passenger seat. The two were speechless, as they held on their gaze for a long time, while Jackson continued to stand in the doorframe, where the door was left ajar.

Their silent communication was soon broken, when Ethan pulled out of the driveway, and drove down the street, taking Allison along with him.

Jackson conjured up every bit of courage he had, and finally closed the front door, remembering the presence of Ethan's little sister, who stood still against the wall, not knowing how to function.

"Jocelyn," Jackson spoke in his falsified sweet voice. "Why don't you start getting to know our guest, and show her around the main floor?" He suggested, while Jocelyn immediately nodded obediently. "I'm going to go talk to Alex."

Noticing the intense atmosphere, Bruno had calmed down in the midst of it all, and had gone to lay down on the carpet submissively, while Jackson climbed upstairs, in search for his younger, vexatious brother.

He walked towards the twins' bedroom, and nudged the door slightly, to reveal Alex laying on his bed with an upset look plastered on his face.

He lay flat on his stomach, with his head now buried in his pillow, as Jackson cautiously sat down at the edge of the bed, trying to form a proper sentence, as he was still flustered by the recent occurrence.

"Alex," Jackson spoke calmly, getting a slight reaction from his younger brother, as he twitched his body marginally at the sound of his sympathetic voice. "Alex. Are you okay?"

He ran a comforting hand down his brother's back in hopes to soothe him, but Alex only shook it off aggressively.

"Leave me alone," he growled, clearly irritated, but Jackson only pried further.

"No," he refused, taking notice of his younger brother's foul attitude. "Tell me; what's wrong?"

Alex huffed angrily, and violently shifted his weight over, now turning upwards, and sat upright. "Alli's got a boyfriend now," he confessed truthfully, an annoyed look on his face, as Jackson fortuitously discharged the repugnant word, and faced the matter at hand, listening keenly. "Which means she'll be leaving us...like everyone else. Why does everyone leave?" Alex tried very hard not to break down in tears, as he squeaked out the last few words unstably, his eyes getting noticeably glossy.

Jackson sighed, and nodded sympathetically, while rubbing Alex's back consolingly, saddened by the wary outcome of his siblings' damaged expectations.

"Trust me," Jackson finally voiced quietly, glimpsing down at his brother's worrisome face. "She's not leaving anytime soon," he spoke confidently, so sure of his words, but Alex didn't seem to be convinced.

"How do you know?" He asked attentively. "How do you know she won't leave?"

Jackson flinched at his powerful declaration, frightened himself, of the outcome, but continued to have optimism in his sister's decisions.

"Because she's not mom," Jackson only managed to produce a temporary affirmation -more so for himself, and continued with his brutal words. "I mean...she loves you more than anything. She would never give that up for a boy," he voiced strongly, trusting in his sister.

He knew she was growing up, and wanted more freedom, but he also knew his sister was smart, and wise. She would never place herself in a position to lose her family. That was something him and her agreed on entirely.

"Don't worry," Jackson continued to assure, pulling Alex into a brotherly embrace, as Alex buried his head in his older brother's chest, seeking solace.

Jackson peered over, and stared at the cream coloured wall behind Alex, as he held him securely, thinking about his sister and her new boyfriend.

He could only hope Ethan would treat her right. There was nothing much he could do. And Alex's worrisome words only provoked more of Jackson's much too over-intellectualized thoughts