𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭

-𝚘𝚗𝚎

The sound of sirens made me shoot up my shared bed with Susan, both of us rushing out and started gathering blankets and flashlights.

From the corner, Susan noticed Lucy crying from her bed for their mother. I rushed over and pulled her out of bed. "Lucy, come on!"

We ran for the shelter outside, where I could see my older brother Alexander carrying William. Peter was right behind us, with Edmund trailing in the back.

"Wait, dad!"

Edmund turned and ran back to the house, making me freeze in my tracks.

"Edmund! No!"

I ran after him, despite Peter trying to pull us both back, despite everyone else yelling at me to turn around. I found him in the living room, grabbing the picture of our dads together in their uniforms before they left.

"Edmund! We need to go, now!"

Suddenly, we were both pushed to the floor, our older brothers covering our bodies as the window shattered. Alex lifted me up and ran back over to the shelter, Peter and Edmund right behind us. Once we were all inside, Peter slammed the door, drowning out the sounds of the bombs outside.

"Emma! What were you thinking! You could have gotten killed!"

All the while, Peter was yelling at Edmund for the same thing.

It goes without saying that Edmund and I never do as we're told. Ever since we were born, we were two peas in a pod. There was never one without the other. That also included when one of got in trouble, so did the other.

"I saw him running, and-"

Alex lowered his voice and sat us down next to William, who immediately snuggled into my chest.

"Emma, please don't scare us like that again. We need to stick together, okay?"

I nodded and stroked William's hair, something I know always calms him down and helps him fall asleep.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I got worried about Edmund."

Peter and Alex looked at each other and shook their heads, the former speaking up.

"You two are going to be the death of us."

Lucy and William shortly fell asleep, followed by Helen and the older siblings. Leaving just Edmund and I.

"Can't sleep?"

Edmund shook his head and patted the spot next to him. I wiggled out of William's grip, gently placing him on Alex and scooted to sit next to my best friend and whisper with him.

"Do you miss your dad as much as I do?"

I put my head on his shoulder and shrugged. "I miss him everyday. It's hard to measure stuff like that."