Siblings

30- Park.

Adaline buried her head into my neck. Demitri held my hand while Anna was on the other side of me.

"So, how's school going?" I ask, looking at her. She shrugs.

"It's alright. I don't really care for it."

"A lot of kids are like that."

It was quiet between us for a minute.

"It's his birthday next week." Anna says, softly. I tensed up and stopped walking. She looked at me. "Sorry."

"No. It's fine. I just wasn't thinking about that." We continued walking until I set Adaline down. "Are you and Gwen doing anything special for his birthday?"

"No. Well just watching his favorite movies." I nod.

"Sounds like fun." I whispered.

"Yeah."

"How are you doing, Anna? Really?" I ask, looking at her.

"I'm alright, Maeve."

"You can always talk to me, you know? I get that I'm just a stranger but I do care for you. I'm really sorry about the kids, Ann." She looked at me. "I get that you may not want them around 24/7. I'm trying. I'm really trying."

"It's fine, Maeve. I like getting to know them. Besides, it's fun hanging around another girl." I smiled at her.

We walked over to the park benches where the rest of my siblings are.

"Remember, there are a lot of boys." I whispered. She smiled at me. "If you feel uncomfortable or anything, you tell me. I know they won't try anything but still, I take that shit seriously."

"Bad word mom." Adaline says, frowning. "10 bucks in the swear jar." I looked at her.

"You got it." I smiled at her.

"I promise, Maeve." Anna says, smiling at me. I smiled at her too. Adaline ran over to Angel, making Angel pick her up. Anna stood behind me, starting to play with her fingers. I looked at her.

"Do you want my rings?" I whispered. She looked at me. "You can have them, if you want. I can always get other ones."

"Y-Yeah. Sure." She whispers. I took them off and gave them to her. She put them on.

"Better?" I ask, making her nod.

"Thanks." I nodded at her and looked at my siblings.

"Hey Maeve. Here." Axel asks, handing me a milkshake. He handed me another one to hand to Anna. I handed it to her and looked back at him.

"Um, this is Demitri and Adaline." I say, introducing the kids. They smiled at them. Demitri stood near me, clutching onto my arm. He looked at me and I looked at him.

"Can I go play?" he whispers, looking at the playground. I looked too and saw some other kids.

"Rules?"

"Don't talk to other people besides kids. Don't go off with other people. Ask to pet other people's dogs. If they say no, smile and leave. Do not go out in the street. Check in every few minutes. I remember our safe word. Bitch, right?" He says, smiling. I smiled at him.

"Good. Yes, you can go play. If you take your sister, stay with her at all times. Do not leave her. You leave her, you are in trouble. If she leaves you, she's in trouble. Got it?" He nods. He goes over to Adaline and whispers in her ear. She got up and they both ran to the playground.

"Your safe word is bitch?" Matt asks, making me look at him.

"Yep. It's unique. Why? They only cuss when it comes to the safe word. Now you guys know it too."