Welcome to Ohio

twenty one

On the 25th, Julie was going around the house like a chicken without a head trying to make sure she had everything packed up for the near month-long camp she was about to head out for.

"Where is it? Where is it? Why can't I find it? I just had it!" Julie mumbles to herself and I raise a brow as I watch her pace the living room with Cora in her arms, looking for something. "Mom-"

"Basement." I cut her off, and she raises a brow.

"But you didn't even-"

"Basement." I insist, and she sighs, shrugging before heading down to the basement, coming up with her national team bag.

"Not fair. You're always using your mom powers for evil." Julie says, and I chuckle as Julie disappears upstairs, Cora still clinging to her for dear life.

-
Julie
-

I sigh as I sit Cora on the floor where all my stuff was strewn, very strategically, on the floor.

"Hey, Julie, I-" Dad says, coming in, and I look up at him as he looks at my packing mess. "I thought I told you to clean your room before you left for your camp." He says, and I roll my eyes.

"Come back in an hour, and try that again, pops. What'd you need?" I ask, and he thinks for a moment.

"I forgot, I'll come back when I remember." He says, reaching for Cora, who shakes her head, but he pays no mind to it, until Cora starts crying as dad lifts her up. "Oh, I see, it's Julie Day." Dad says, and I grin.

"She knows." I say, and he shrugs, disappearing, and I smile at Cora as she takes one of my socks and swings it around.

"Cory, that's dirty!" I say, smiling at my little sister as I take a teddy bear from my bed and hand it to her, trading that for the dirty soccer sock.

-

Half an hour later, as I was back to stressing, Dad comes in.

"Yes, a distraction." I say, and Dad furrows his brow.

"What's wrong?"

"No, no, what did you need last time you came in? Say it before you forget." I say, pacing, as my dad and little sister watch me.

"Right, uh, yeah, no, I can't remember, I guess I wasn't supposed to ask you anything." He says, and I sigh. "What's wrong? You look like you're waiting for a pregnancy test after a condom broke." Dad says, and I go cover Cora's ears.

"Dad, not around my sister." I say, and dad rolls his eyes.

"She can't even understand us right now." He says, and I give him a look. "What are you looking for?" He asks, and I sigh.

"My Carlsbad shirts. I wear them before games and when I'm stressed. I can't go to this camp without those shirts." I say, and Dad thinks.

"I think Nana was washing them the other day." Dad says, and I groan.

"No, they're going to smell like vinegar." I groan out, and Dad chuckles.

"I can take them off the hangers and toss them in the wash for you, if you'd like." He says, and I look at him.

"Yes, please. You're such a life saver, dad, I don't know what I'd do without you." I say, and Dad grins.

"Probably fall behind on your packing by a few seconds." He says, and I give him a look. "Come eat." Dad says, taking Cora, and I sigh, following him out of my room, and down to the kitchen where Kane ran up to me, food in his hand, and in his mouth, he was hopping up and down, so I lifted him up and carried him back over to the kitchen island.