Splinters: Part One

Part One | 9

It was silent for a moment and for that moment, I thought she wouldn't return his words, but then she did. "I love you, too."

The tip of my lip curved upwards. Never in my entire life had I ever heard my parents say those three words to each other. It was a luxury I never got to have, and honestly, I didn't know it was a real thing. I had only ever seen adults say they loved each other in movies. 

This was the first time I ever heard people say it to each other before me, and it gave me some type of hope. Hope that one day I'd be happily married to a woman and I'd have as many daughters as I want and I'd have a big house and a happy family and we'd all be close like the Piersons. It was a nice thing to think about. 

"Do you think Brayden's going to like his outfit?"

I scrunched my nose and looked down at my apparel.

"Let me be truthful, Lis, I bet you Brayden hates it."

Thank you, Greg.

"What?" Melissa gasped. "Why?"

"Boys hate wearing suits, Melissa. It's textbook."

Melissa was quiet for a moment, but when she spoke up again, I could hear the smile in her voice. "I bet you he looks very handsome in it though."

"Well, why don't we go see," Greg suggested.

My eyes widened and I bolted towards the stairs, but stopped when I saw Ursanne coming down with Annetta and Edaline. I finally caught a glimpse at my sisters' dresses. Ursanne was wearing a soft pink dress that had spaghetti straps. She was just starting to put on a shawl. Annetta was wearing a light blue shirt and a white fluffy skirt that resembled a tutu. Her hair was tied up into a tight bun. If Edaline wasn't taller and had lighter hair, the two could easily be twins. Edaline wore a purple dress with white sandals and her hair was pulled up in the same way as Annetta's.

"Brayden, you look nice," Ursanne commented.

"Brayden! Turn around, sweetie!" I heard Melissa exclaim.

I did, seeing Greg and her come toward me. Melissa covered her mouth as I turned to her completely.

"You look so great!" she said with the biggest smile on her face.

I rubbed the back of my neck, beginning to feel a little nervous.

"You really do look great, son." Greg nodded

Happiness engulfed me when Greg called me son, but also sadness. My father had never referred to me with that word. In that moment, part of me wished Greg was my actual dad. 

"Let's get ready to go," Melissa hurriedly said. She maneuvered towards the stairs and put a hand on the railing, shouting upwards. "Odera! Beau! Are you two ready?"

Two voices yelled in reply, "Yeah! We're coming."

Footsteps were heard as the two remaining sisters came to meet with us.

...

Odera and Isabeau sat in back while Edaline, Annetta, and I sat in the middle and Greg and Melissa sat in front with Ursanne between them. I was shocked the car actually fit all of us. In fact, I think it's the very first time we'd all been in a car together at the same time. 

I stared out my window as we passed by houses, then stores, then fields and trees, and then finally, we arrived at St. Sebastian's. The church was huge, larger than the orphanage itself. When I got out of the car, I stared up at it, almost scared to go inside for some reason.

We all made our way to the church doors when everyone had emerged from the car and Greg had locked it. When we fully entered the church, I watched as every Pierson dipped a finger into the holy water next on the side of the wall.