Page 178 of Composed
“Holy,” Lyrics says, careening to a stop right next to Hendrix’s chair.
Melody bounds next to her eyes wide in amazement. “Ship!”
Lyric doesn’t bother with introductions. She just throws herself into a frozen Hendrix’s lap, wraps her arms around her neck, and burrows herself deep into her chest. “Hi, Auntie Rixie. We missed you.”
My heart thrashes.
Hendrix doesn’t move a muscle.
The seconds drag out as Lyric squeezes Hendrix with all her might. Melody watches on from the side, silent but unwavering as she places a tiny, wiggling hand on her sister’s back.
She’s different from her twin. Less vocal, but no less emotional. She absorbs everything around her. All our emotions, all our energy. For someone so little, she feels too much sometimes.
Hendrix’s fingers tremble beneath mine.
I squeeze them, trying to pour my warmth into her.
Her lashes batter furiously.
“Rixie.”
She shakes her head.
I bite my tongue.
“Say something,” Carter pleads with her, his eyes dull as they flicker over every inch of her face. “Cuss me out. Scream at me. Hit me if you must. But please just say something, Rix.”
She clenches her eyes shut, her teeth tugging hard at the ball in her lip.
Lyrics peers up at her. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want. Melly doesn’t do it a lot.”
Hendrix releases her stud and peers down at the little girl in her lap.
Time slows as she watches Lyric.
“Melly?” she asks, finally.
“My twin, Melody.” Lyric grins, tugging her sister in closer.
“Right.” Hendrix blinks. “And which one are you?”
“I’m Lyric, silly.”
Hendrix’s lips quiver. “You know, only one person has ever called me Rixie.”
“We know,” Lyric tells her.
“Uncle Coley,” Melody says. “But he said we could share the name with him.”
“He did, huh?”
Melody nods. “He said it was a really special name and only really special people get to use it.”
My pulse slows as Hendrix flicks wet eyes my way for a single beat, before she moves them between the girls.
“So that must mean you two are really special, then,” she whispers.
Lyric bobs her head as the corner of Melody’s mouth twitches.
