Barker House

Chapter 1

"Don't forget to unload the dishwasher!" Mom said as she left to go to her "new" job downtown. She worked in this cottage style coffee shop, and thanks to her it has the worst service you could possibly get. Just kidding! Mom is a great waitress and the food is to die for.

She's been there for like 15 years, but she had to take a break from working after she had the triplets. I'll get to them later, but trust me it took her awhile to recover from that. Oh, and she had osteosarcoma cancer in her hip and was in the hospital for at least a year straight. Let's just say she didn't exactly have time to work part-time.

That year was probably the hardest my family ever had, but we were lucky. My mom is one of those people that consults a doctor the second something doesn't feel right and luckily, something didn't feel right. She started having pain in her hip at least two years ago and went straight to Dr. Knisely. They caught the cancer super early and my mom was able to undergo treatment right away. Her impulsive need to have an OK from a doctor saved her life.

The day she was cleared was the best day of our lives. It not only told us that she would be okay, but that we would all be alright as well. Life would never be the same without her. And plus, who's going to fill the spot of the best waitress at the Acre Cafe if she isn't there.

Speaking of that old gem, I love the style of the place because it reminds me of my Grandma and Grandpa's cottage in Pennsylvania. It's got these adorable blue and white plaid curtains that perfectly compliment the old looking wooden paneled walls. In NYC you don't really see places like that anymore so I guess that's why it's so popular.

My dad, on the other hand, works for this incredibly fancy law firm in the city. It has all of these expensive(and unnecessary if you ask me) decorations that make it look all modern. They have a waterfall thingy in the lobby! Sometimes he takes us to work with him when he doesn't have much to do there, but lately, he's been busy with all types of work stuff.

Dad makes so much money that technically my mother doesn't have to work, but she refuses not to because she feels obligated to contribute to our huge family. It could be easier for the family if she was a stay at home mom, but we don't mind her need for something to do that isn't taking care of 500 children.

I have so many siblings I don't even know if I can count them all, but I can try. Gage, my oldest brother, is 23. He graduated a year ago from Temple University and married his high school sweetheart, Kate. They have one son named Dylan and he is the most adorable little boy I have ever seen! They have their own house now so it stinks that I can't see him ever.

Aliah, my second oldest sibling, is eighteen and she is a senior in high school this year. She has a job at McDonald's so her phone plan is completely her responsibility. I kind of feel bad for her because she texts a lot. She is my ride to literally everywhere. I always make her take my friends and me to the movies, and last year we got her to take us to the mall on Black Friday. Yeah... She's never doing that again.

Don't tell anyone but my sister Jade is probably my favorite. I honestly trust her more than my mom. Is that bad? But I hate how she knows everyone in my grade so I can't keep secrets from her. She is going to be eighteen in about two weeks. Aliah was born just under a year before her. Hmm, I wonder what she wants for her birthday.

Note: Get Jade a present before she finds out I don't have one!

I have to say my fourteen-year-old brother Calum is definitely the most annoying human being on the planet. Don't get me wrong, I love him, he's my brother, but sometimes you just want to slap him straight across the face. Even his friends agree with me! But, then again there aren't many of them to agree with. Ooh, burn. My little brother King is a lot like him actually. But he is only ten so my mom yells at me if I punch him.