Page 46 of Artfully Wild
The red front door bleeds into my retinas as I stare it down,hoping it’ll open up to another dimension instead of to my parents’ house. Don’t get me wrong, my family is everything to me even though I’ve been shit with them since Sarah died. It’s only been recently that I’ve been coming around more and actually showing up for Sunday brunch. I guess I have my idiot brother to thank for never giving up on me and all the rest of that sappy crap.
Before I have the chance—really, I have had every chance—to open the door, it flies open and a small figure squirms his way out and through Jacob and me, separating us by a few inches.
“Hi, Aunt Sky! Hi, Uncle Jacob! Can’t stay, gotta move!” Ethan yells as he runs into the front yard toward the large oak tree. It doesn’t provide great cover right now considering it’s the dead of winter, its branches as bare as can be. But, he climbs it anyway. Once he gets about halfway up, his dark pants and brown long-sleeved shirt actually does camouflage him more than I expected. It’s his sandy blonde hair he inherited from his dad that sticks out.
Before I can turn around, Hudson barrels through the open door, completely ignoring us as he searches the front yard for Ethan. There’s literally only a few spots to hide, so either Hudson is pretending like you would with a toddler, or he’s actually that dense. I’ll go with the latter.
“Problem brother?”
“Yeah, your little weasel of a nephew is trying to cheat.” He grunts as he bends over to look under the porch. As if Ethan would even dare crawl under there. He’s seen far too many pranks between me and his uncle to even think about hiding underneath.
“Ethan would never.” My gaze accidentally flicks to the tree and I try to mask it by looking across the street, but Hudson catches it.
“There you are, you little cheat!”
To some people, if they came across this scene, they might be worried about the thirty year old man yelling at an eight year old boy, but most people in Blue Grove know how the Waters family is. And, well, this is how we are. We yell and fight and scream, but we also love deeper than any other family I know.
“I’m not a cheater, you’re just a sore loser!” Ethan shouts back followed by him sticking out his tongue at his uncle.
“I’m taking Ethan’s side!”
“You always take his side, Sky,” Hudson grunts as he attempts to climb up to where Ethan is perched, which is almost to the top of the tree. I take a seat in one of the rockers on the front porch, bringing one leg up underneath me while the other pushes up and down to create a slow rhythm back and forth. Jacob sits in the other one next to me and copies the way I am sitting. He reaches across and takes my hand in his as a branch snaps below Hudson’s foot. My brother hangs on to a branch above him and swings his legs over to gain a foothold. We both laugh at his ridiculous attempt to climb this tree. Hudson may look like a sports guy with his build, but he is as clumsy as Avery. A match made in heaven.
“He’s going to end up breaking something,”
“Probably.”
“And I’m not that kind of doctor, so he’s on his own,” he jokes. His thumb sends shockwaves up my arm, fireworks dancing across my skin.
This moment feels charged. Jacob’s thumb traces small circles on the back of my hand and goosebumps trail after it. I lay my head back and listen to the creak of his rocking chair, the fabric of his corduroy jacket shuffling as he adjusts his other arm, his inhale, his exhale—I’m aware of every part of him. I am transported back to our time spent in the RV parked just a few yards away from us. Part of me wants to pull him back inside, lock the door and put a “Do not enter” sign on the outside of it like a surly teenager. I’m pretty sure Hudson did that when hewas a kid. Or a “No girls allowed” sign, which didn’t stop Sarah or me. Usually me. Sarah was better at respecting boundaries. I personally didn’t give a shit, even though I probably should have.
“Oh good, you’re here!” comes a shout from the door. “I thought I heard other voices out here besides those two.” Mom gestures to the two in the tree—Ethan perched high up and laughing down at Hudson who is still struggling to reach him.
I look up at her and give her a small smile, not letting go of Jacob’s hand. He squeezes mine for reassurance and stands to hug my mom.
“Isabelle, it’s good to see you. Thank you for inviting me.” She immediately pulls him in for a hug, then pulls back to pat his cheek.
“Please, you know you are always welcome, J. You’re practically one of us. Always have been.”
She isn’t wrong. Jacob spent more time here than he did his own house. With his dad gone most of the time and his mom working a lot, the Waters household became his second home.
My mom starts to come in my direction, but stops to whisper something in Jacob’s ear before she does. He offers me a smile and a wink before heading inside. Mom takes the seat he vacated and we watch as Hudson finally reaches Ethan. Now that he’s up there, I’m not sure what his plan is. I doubt he thought that far ahead.
“Really, Hudson? Chasing your nephew up a tree? You’re ridiculous!” Avery makes her way down the steps and looks up to where her fiancé is now crouched on a tree branch.
“Sorry, sunshine, I had to!”
“Had to, my ass! Get him down safely before either of you break a bone!”
“She’s no fun,” he grumbles to Ethan.
“It’s not going to be fun when you’re in the ER by yourself, either!” she yells back. God, I love her. I never thought Hudsonwould find someone who would challenge him in the ways Avery does, but she doesn’t back down.
“So,” my mom starts. I wait for her to say more, but she doesn’t. The silence washes over us, as our chairs rock in sync.
“Yes, mother dear?” I say in an overly sweet voice while I bat my eyes at her.
“Jacob?”
