Facade

Eighty

Authors Note: When the fuck did I get to eighty? This is stressful.

Anyway, enjoy some flashbacks of our three favorites as children and trouble-making teenagers.

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"Ow!" The little girl yelped when her mother yanked on one of her pigtails, squatting in front of the five-year-old.

"Listen to me. Make me look good, do you understand?" The older raven-haired woman glared at the child, who nodded quickly in fear before the front door opened.

"Angela, how nice of you to come by." Ilah Greenbriar smiled softly at her daughter before looking down at the small girl.

"Hello, my sweet angel girl." Opening her arms, the child leaped into them happily, giggles falling from the girl as her grandmother tickled her sides.

"Hi, Nonna!" She squealed, hearing loud footsteps, Ilah smiled widely at the small girl, asking her who that could be while the girl's mother, Angela bristled at the footsteps, rolling her eyes. The adult hated how much her parents loved her daughter, she was jealous of the five-year-old, but god did she loathe how much her father loved the child. It made her hate her daughter.

"Pops!! Put me down, Nonna! Put me down!" The small girl wiggled out of her grandmother's arms, bolting into the tall man's waiting arms as he spun the small child around and carried her further into the house, loud, happy, and childish laughter carried down the hallways. The two women were staring at each other, the older a threatening look in her eyes while the younger looked away from her.

"She is too small. Are you feeding her?" The younger woman scoffed at her mother, pushing past her into the house.

"Of course, I'm feeding her! She's my child, mother!"

"You better lower your voice when you speak to me, Angie. I'm just concerned for that baby." Before the woman could say more, they both turned at the sound of a car door closing. The Ruffilo's and little Noah, family friends.

Family.

"Ilah, thank you for having us." The matriarch of the Ruffilo family placed a kiss on Ilah's cheek, sending a soft smile to Angela before walking into the house. The woman strongly disliked Angela Hurley and hated how she treated her own child.

The young boys stopped when Ilah bent down, hugging each of the small children.

"Is Lowy here?" Noah, the younger of the two boys asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his eyes excited and hopeful as the woman laughed, smiling knowingly at what the boy had not yet realized, nodding her head and sending him a wink.

"She's just inside, waiting on you."

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The boy sat outside watching the girl twirl in circles, blowing bubbles and laughing when one popped on her nose. Her eyes were wide, watching them travel with the wind, her grandmother had put her in a white dress, her black hair in pigtails, red ribbons on each bundle of her hair. It was Sunday and they had gotten back a few hours ago from Sunday service.

The boy sat there in wonder, she was so innocent as she danced in the bubbles, and yet she had been through so much in her short life.

Yet she remained magical. His favorite person.

"Nono!" The boy snapped out of his daze, standing and making his way towards her.

"What's wrong, Lowy?" She pouted, holding up the tube of bubbles. It was empty and that made her sad. Noah grabbed her hand, gently leading her into the house to the kitchen sink and grabbing the bottle of dish soap. Noah held his hand out of the tube before the girl placed it in his hand. Stretching her neck up to watch the boy make a concoction of water and soap in the tube before handing it back to her.