puberty | hiatus

n i n e.

nate

i wake up just as lucia stumbles through the door at one a.m.

"where have you been?!" i say, shock in my voice.

"out." she says, exhausted, and i hear jack's truck drive away with music screaming out the windows.

"well, are you okay?" i ask, yawning as i stretch out my sore body.

(hey. it's not easy to sleep on the floor of a five-year-old's bedroom.)

"yeah, i'm fine." she says, and then heads out of the room.

she pokes her head back in. "thanks for watching tyler while i was gone." she gives me a soft smile.

my heart is beating faster than it should be.

--
lucia

i smile at him. nate and tyler look so cute asleep, their cheeks pink and their hair all messed up.

haha, i sound like a mom.

i yawn tiredly and head to my room to bury myself in my beautiful bed.

how i love my bed.

i get in and pull the covers over me, snuggling deep.

i quickly pray, and then fall asleep.

nate runs into my room, panicked. "lucia, where is tyler?! i can't find him anywhere!"

"it's okay, he's around here somewhere!" i attempt to reassure him.

the doorbell rings and he runs downstairs while i continue to search. finally, i find tyler. he was in a closet, crying because he had a nightmare.

i reassure him and put him to bed. just when he falls asleep, i hear a gunshot, and nate cries out. i hear jack laugh and call to me.

"you didn't think you'd ever escape me, did you?"

someone shakes me and i bolt upright as someone hugs me tightly.

nate pushes me down gently and holds me against his chest. "you were crying." he murmurs against my neck.

i sniff pathetically and let him hold me. he's warm, and comfortable.

and the smallest problem in my life right now.