heart
Mom sighed, sinking her teeth into a green apple and going silent. Dad followed suit. I won the argument! Grinning, I hurriedly finished my breakfast, and as I passed the front door on my return to my room, the doorbell rang. “It’s Ashleigh, she said she’d stop by before we left.” I walked to the door, not caring if my best friend saw me in boxers. “Hey, Ash—,” I stopped mid-sentence as the door swung inward.
It wasn’t Ashleigh.
“Um, hi.” A girl—about my age—stood at the door, running a hand through her dark brown curly hair and looking very uncomfortable. “You must be Tristan?”
“You must be one of the daughters.” I said through gritted teeth, hiding behind the door while I let her in. She was one of Mom and Dad’s guests, after all. “Hi, I’m Tristan.” I didn’t offer my hand; I was too embarrassed.
“Hi. My name’s Emily. Nice to meet you.” She smiled awkwardly, trying to be polite but avoiding looking at me too long.
These had to be silk boxers.
“So, Emily, um, Mom and Dad are through there. I’ll be back.” I pointed to the dining room archway, waiting for her to move before I made my dash up to my room.
“Emily? Where are you?” A child’s voice called through the open door, and before I knew it, a young dirty-blonde girl stood next to Emily. She looked like she was six or seven, with big dark blue-green eyes—matching Emily’s, I noticed—full of blissful innocence. “Hi, who are you?” She looked at me with those young eyes, and for once in a lifetime, I melted.
“I’m Tristan. Who are you?” I crouched down to be on her level, forgetting my issue with only wearing silk boxers.
“I’m Izzie.” She giggled, running to hide behind Emily’s leg. “You’re naked.” She whispered, like she was telling me something I wasn’t aware of at all.
Which, at the moment, was partially true. I had forgotten my three-quarters nakedness, so blushing, I stood up, and pointed them in the direction of the dining room. Izzie kept glancing back at me, giggling childishly.
“By the Gods, why me?” I mumbled to myself.
