Page 89 of Driftwood Daffodil

“You do?” Then why was he always doing what our dad said?

“Yeah, but you know what…”

I shook my head.

“He always finds me.”

I dropped my head back on my knees and muttered, “He hasn’t found me.”

Maybe our dad liked Atlas better. He spent more time with my brothers. They were always doing things together. Meanwhile I was left here with the stupid old moth ball smelling nanny.

“Well,” Atlas lifted his head a little further out the window, “that’s because you have a pretty great hiding spot.”

It was a great spot. No one ever thought to look on the balcony roof outside my window.

“I don’t really want to talk to dad either, can I join you?” Atlas asked.

This was my place, but I didn’t mind sharing it with my brother.

I nodded and slid over.

Atlas was bigger, so he had a harder time climbing out than I did. He needed to tilt his shoulders and wriggle his hips to get through. It was kind of funny how he flopped down beside me on his back. I couldn’t help but giggle at the way his dark hair fell over his face.

“Hey, don’t laugh at me.” He blew his hair out off his eyes and sat up. “That was hard work.”

“I did it.”

“Oh, you did , did you,” Atlas threw his arm over my shoulders and ruffled his other hand through my hair. “You little shit.”

“Stop it.” I growled while slapping his hand away.

Atlas kept messing my hair until I pushed him back and shot him a scowl. I hated when he did that stuff. Now I’d have tobrush my hair again. Not that he cared how angry I got. Big brothers were annoying.

“Oh, stop pouting,” he propped his arms on his knees and gazed out at the yard. “You’re better than that.”

“Dad doesn’t think so.” My chest heaved with a breath as I sucked back a tear. “He won’t let me do anything.”

“That’s because he’s scared.”

That was dumb. “Why would he be scared?”

I wasn’t going to do anything bad. I just wanted to be included.

“Because one day he won’t be your dad anymore.” Atlas sighed, “he’ll be your boss.”

That didn’t make sense. People couldn’t stop being who they were. “He’ll always be my dad. Just like you and Romeo will always be my brothers.”

“That’s right,” he looked over at me. “I will always be your brother. I want you to remember that, okay?”

“Okay?” That wasn’t something I would forget, like where I put my shoes. We were family. We’d always be family.

“Good.” Atlas nodded then rolled his stare out at the yard.

There was something different about the look in his eyes. The way Atlas stared as if he could see something I couldn’t, while his forehead furrowed and brows knit. Was he was waiting for something, or planning something?

Maybe he was wondering where all the lightning bugs were? There were usually more little lights flickering out by the pond. I wondered where they were. Were they hiding from someone like I was, or did they just decide not to come out tonight? Maybe they were mad at their fathers? Did lightning bugs even have fathers, and if they did, did their father’s ignore them too?

“Atlas…”

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