make you miss me • q. hughes

30

Jeremy "Jem" Schuyler is probably the best dad I know. No offense to our father. Our father has said it himself. A bit drunk each time but it's the thought that counts. Jem is the best dad I know. Maybe even the best parent in general. It comes naturally to him. I can only hope that I'll be as good as he is.

He smiles as he sees me. My biggest brother. In Vancouver. It's a shot of joy. His girls see me next, practically ready to bounce toward me. They look up at Jem instead and he says something that makes them look defeated before nodding and saying more. The two girls take off in a sprint.

Charlotte's taller due to those three years she's got on Imogen. Immy plays dirty though and manages to pull her sister back by the arm, landing her flat on her ass to get to me first. I scoop Immy up, doing the same to Charlie when she gets to us. After her fast recovery from her fall because she's a Schuyler.

"Sorry, do I know you two?" I ask.

Immy huffs. "It's Imogen and Char, Aunt Scout."

"Imogen... Imogen..." I hum in feigned thought. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Their father finally catches up. You'd think he'd be able to cover more distance with that 6'4 stature of his. But no. He walks at one pace: slow.

"You look different," he says.

"Last time you saw me I was leaving for the other side of the country. I hope I don't look the same."

He squints. "That's not it. You look different from even further before that."

I do my best to shrug with the girls in my arms. They both giggle at the attempt. How I have fucking missed these two. And Jem, I guess. Who am I kidding? I won't tell him but I've missed him so much. Oh. So much.

* * * * *

"Immy, that is the most cheatingest cheating cheater move I've ever seen."

She frowns at me from across the coffee table. "Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh," I retort. The girl literally looked through the top few cards of the deck until she found a match. If that's not cheating in a Go Fish game, I don't know what is.

"You're cheating," she says.

"I'm cheating? How am I cheating?"

"You won't give me any of the ones I need."

I scoff. "I haven't had any of the ones you've ask—"

The front door opens and in comes Quinn. Immy says something but I can't focus on the words. Instead, I focus on the way Quinn runs his hand through his hair after taking his hat off and putting it on one of the coat hooks. Slips off his shoes and puts his keys in the bowl. God, there's that domestic feeling. Not to mention how good he looks. His hair— I love his hair.

"Hey, kiddo," I say, not taking my eyes off Quinn as he walks toward us. "Go tell your dad he's here."

She pops up and runs off to the hall. Quinn and her are perfectly timed so that he doesn't get cut off by her. So he can come and sit on the couch cushion to the side of the one behind me. Diagonal? Is that the word that could be used? I don't know. His knee bumps my shoulder and I smile up at him.

"Just so you know, you didn't have to beat me in pool to get me to meet your brother," he says. Then almost goes to say more. Instead, he puts his hand on my head and messes my hair up. Messes it up as much as he can. Out of all the neatness in my life, my hair never quite catches up.

I shrug. "Would've won anyways so. Might as well, right?"

"Humble." His hand slides from the top of my head to the side of my face. I nearly swoon like a goddamn cartoon character as the guy swipes his thumb over my bottom lip. "I'm a little scared."