Miss Braxton: Home and Away Fanfic

Chapter 8

The next few days came and went within the blink of an eye. I tried to spend as much time as I could with all my brothers and all their families. Every morning started with a surfing lesson with Brax and we were usually accompanied by Heath, Ash or Andy. Then I'd be sure to squeeze in a visit to the restaurant to see Kyle on his break from work. We'd catch up on the balcony that overlooked the sea and play guitar, singing a few songs to show each other what we could do. That was especially relaxing. Kyle was incredibly laid back and I felt like I could talk very freely with him and vice versa. He told me a lot about Phoebe, who was away at a gig. I gathered from what he said that she was a very important aspect of his life. That, in my opinion, was incredibly sweet.

After that, I usually joined Heath when he was taking Harley out for a stroll on the beach. It was something he did pretty often because it always seemed to calm little Harley down and send him to sleep. Harley took to me almost as well as his sister. She would wrap his stubby little fingers around my hand and refuse point-blank to let go. He giggled and babbled ecstatically whenever I made faces or smiled at him; always glad to see me.

I usually ended up hanging out with Darcy once she was back from school too. I even started waiting outside the school gates until she finished so that I could walk her home. This worked well for everyone because it meant that Heath didn't have to leave Harley and Bianca could stay and work late if she needed to. On top of that, I got more quality time with my awesome little cousin. She was so smart it was scary and she funny beyond belief. I barely ever saw her without a smile, which was really refreshing. Darcy was an incredibly uplifting kid.

At nights, I had dinner with the entire family and whoever else was joining us (sometimes girlfriends or friends). I helped Bianca and Ricky cook and loved sitting at a table and having a proper meal with a real family discussion going on around me. It gave me a very homely, warming, welcoming feeling.

By the end of the week, I'd developed really close bonds with almost everyone. It hit me the most on the one day when Bianca and Ricky took me and Darce shopping, where we searched out baby clothes for Ricky and Brax's unborn son. Despite my protests, they also brought me new changes of clothes, which I quickly fell in love with. Jeans, shorts, tops, even shoes. They insisted on getting rid of my old scruffy sneakers. Though, when they weren't looking, I slipped the old pair into my bag to take back home with me. The more trainers I had, the better. And though they were old sand roughed-up, we'd been through a lot together and I'd developed some form of stupid sentimental attachment.

"You really don't have to get me all this stuff, Ricky." I reminded her, feeling guilty as she dumped the heap of clothing in front of the man at the till. "I'm genuinely fine without them."

Ricky laughed sunnily and shook her head. "Alex, I know I don't have to. But I want to."

"But this is all your hard earned cash... I just don't feel right taking it." I protested. I really hated owing people.

"You're not taking it, I'm giving it to you. There's a difference." She insisted. "You can call it a gift. It's a thank you present for making everyone in the house so happy this week. You've helped Heath and Bianca out with Darce, you've made grumpy Kyle crack a smile or two - which is difficult to do when Phoebe's out of town, you've kept me company and Brax... Well, Brax has been a lot happier since you've been around. He's so much more... relaxed. I think he likes having another sibling to take care of. Brax just isn't happy unless there's someone else to worry about and take responsibility for. A fifteen year old sister fills that spot."

"I doubt he'd still be happy if he saw how much money you're spending on me." I muttered in answer, my eyes enlarging as I watched the numbers on the cashier climbing continually higher with each scan of every item.