THE DAYS THAT NEVER END

CHAPTER SIX

    Eliana stirred awake as she sat up on the bed rubbing her eyes with her tiny fist. Looking around she started to panic when she didn't see Miguel but calmed down as soon as she saw him sprawled out in the middle of the bed. Her little heart started to race as the events from yesterday came crashing down . Her mother was dead. And she had a father she never knew existed till yesterday.  Her whole life had changed in the blink of and eye and it was too much for her to handle. The water works started.
    Antoine sat on the floor of his room smoking. All his brothers were out and so was his father . He was taking his third drag when he heard wailing. He ignored it but he then remembered his new found younger siblings were at home with him. Putting out the bud he rushed to his father's bedroom. Sat on the bed were the twins with tears running down their faces. He slowly approached them .
    "Ah, babies! Please don't cry" he said softly trying not to scare them. This was new to him and he was never good with children.
     Eliana's head snapped up to look at him. Her lips were pouty and her cheeks were tear stained. Miguel had a worried look on his face as he pouted.  Carefully Antoine took one of each child in his arms.
   Two pairs of arms wrapped around his neck as they buried their faces in his chest. Their cries eventually calmed down and they were just whimpering. Antoine sat down on the bed leaning against the headboard as he bounced them on him lap.
     'This is way out of my comfort zone,' Antoine thought .
       Looking down the twins had quieted down and the room was now filled with the cute little snores coming from Miguel as Eliana sucked her thumb. He tried putting them down but the second they were on the bed the cries started back up. Although as soon as he held them they quite down. With reluctance he cancelled all his plans for the day. He went downstairs and sat on the couch. Pulling out his phone he scrolled through his instagram .Miguel was pressed against his right side hand gripping his shirt tightly while Eliana lay on his chest . Antoine closed his eyes letting sleep take over.
     Late afternoon around five o'clock Ben, Jared, Enzo, Riley, Garret and Fernando arrived home after a long day.
   They were shocked to see Antoine and the twins cuddled up together on the couch watching television. Well only Miguel was watching. Eliana was fast asleep on Antoine who was also asleep. Riley dumped the bags he was carrying down which landed with a loud thud startling Eliana awake. Tears welled in her eyes . Antoine jumped awake holding Eliana close while rocking her trying to calm her down. He shot Riley a glare but not before his Fernando slapped him upside the head.
   "Why did you do that?" Riley grumbled looking at Fernando who just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Antoine greeted his father before retreating to the bedroom Eliana and Miguel still in his arms. The other brothers went about their business.
   Before dinner, Fernando installed the high chairs he had bought earlier along with other necessities a three year old would need.
    He had missed out on three years of their lives and was planning to make up for the lost time. He missed their first steps, first words and many other milestones in their lives so far. But what backed him was why would their mother keep the twins existence from him. He would find out and when he did heads will be rolling.
    During dinner Eliana refused Antoine to put her down. When he tried she burst into tears but calmed down when he held her again so she was sat in his lap while he fed her and ate his food. Unlike Eliana Miguel was already sat in the highchair. But after he saw his sister was not near him he threw a tantrum wanting out of the highchair. Fernando said no but Jared got him out anyway. Miguel continued his tantrum though because he wanted to be near his sister and Jared was sat on the other side of the table from her. He extended his tiny arms out to Garret who was on his phone and was sat nearer to Antoine.
"Garret," Fernando pleaded with him to carry Miguel and stop the crying before it made Eliana cry again and give him a headache.
"No," Garret said to Miguel's face which sent him into a new wave of tears.
  Eliana who was halfway done with her food looked up finally noticing the commotion. She looked around but her breath hitched when she saw Miguel crying. Without another thought, she jumped out of Antoine's lap and ran to Miguel who was sat on Jared's lap. She tugged his pants pointing at Miguel then the floor. Jared gently set Miguel down. Eliana grabbed his hand in hers and in a flash they were gone. All except Garret looked in the direction in confusion and shock.
    Eliana entered the first door to the right and walked towards the large closet closing it behind her as Miguel looked on. She took his hand and whispered soothing words to him and he calmed down. She was angry that the strangers who claimed to be her family made her brother cry. She realised she was letting her walls down too soon so she built them back up. From now in she decided to only talk to Miguel and Fernando.  The others had to first earn her trust.
    Fernando was concerned for his youngest two. He had no idea the kind of life they lived when they were staying with their mother but he was going to find out.
  If he discovers anyone hurt his little prince and prince's. It won't be pretty. For now he was going to have an investigation done on their past lives. Where they lived, where they went to school and all that. Right now he was occupied with scolding Garret for his unruly behaviour.
"They are babies. You have to be careful with what you say around them," Fernando was sad and furious all at once.
"I never wanted younger siblings in the first place. I thought you and mom stopped on me but you couldn't keep it in your pants could you!" Garret exclaimed.
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree then does it," Antoine smiled at him
"Your one to talk, you've already banged half the girls at school."
"That's it I'm tired of you acting like an entitled brat just because your young."
   Antoine lunched at Garret punching him square. Soon the two were rolling around on the carpet fighting.
"S-STOP" Enzo yelled. He was usually the quiet one.
     Everyone looked at him shocked but he shrugged them off and walked towards the stairs. He came back with Eliana on his hip her face buried in his shoulder hidden away from their eyes. Antoine stepped forward to take her into his arms but as soon as he touched her she held onto Enzo tighter. Eliana looked up and seeing him scared her. She whimpered and hide back in the crook of Enzo's neck.
   Antoine felt his heart break into a million pieces.  Wordlessly, he stepped back and walked away disappearing at the end of the hall. The sound of his door slamming shut echoed in through out the hallway .
    "Well that concludes the night. Go to bed, we shall continue this talk tomorrow. Goodnight. " Fernando retreated back to his room. And the rest followed.

  

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