Scars On Ice | Charlie Conway

t h i r t y - s e v e n

It had been a particularly draining week for almost everyone. Once Caine and Aspen had finally worked up the gumption to express their concerns for their older brother to their mother, the entire household fell into disarray. It took Joey four days to even look at his younger siblings, let alone speak with them. And then when he finally resumed adding to their family discussions, his smooth voice was coated in a bitter spite. While Aspen missed their closeness, she forced herself to be patient. She knew that he was getting help, and while he might be angry at her for not minding her own business, she knew that everything would finally be okay.

The school-side of things was no less tumultuous. She had taken to spending more time with Charlie, Adam, and Delanie, as the tension between Peter and Elle was only worsening. Peter, bless his heart, had no idea what he had done wrong, but he was constantly finding himself in a blowout argument with the girl. No matter how hard Aspen and Jay tried, they couldn't get their best friend to fess up to her mistakes. It was too much for anyone to handle, and it only worsened as Zara became better friends with the lot of them. Once she started hanging out with Peter and Jay, Elle took it as a personal attack. Aspen didn't know how to fix it, and no one was giving her much help.

Despite his promises of normalcy, Roland was still nowhere to be found.

All things considered, Aspen was craving an easy weekend. Her homework load was light, and she was very much looking forward to curling up in her bed with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. When she woke up on Saturday morning, her heart was immediately filled with a genuine gratefulness. She so badly needed a break.

Caine had left early in the afternoon, going out for a coffee with a "special someone" who he didn't name. There was a hesitant gleam in his toffee eyes, like a ray of sunlight desperately trying to break through a cloudy sky. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but Aspen could see the begrudging excitement he held. Things would be different this time. Caine would get his girl. Just like they always knew he would.

Aspen didn't see Joey -- not until that evening when he delicately knocked against her bedroom door, pushing it open without waiting for her to stumble over to let him in. She closed her book with nervous fingers, genuinely worried for what Joey might say. But all he did was give her a fragile smile. "There's someone at the door for you."

There were a million things Aspen wanted to ask her older brother, but he gave her the chance to say none of them. He disappeared into the hall without waiting another second, leaving Aspen and her bumbling brain behind.

He'll be okay, Aspen swore to herself. He always is.

When Aspen passed her parents in their sitting room, she didn't fail to catch the playful look her mom sent her. "What?" she asked, pausing in the doorway.

Her mother waved her off nonchalantly. "Oh nothing. We just need to have a chat when you get home."

Aspen's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "When I get home?" she repeated inquisitively. She didn't know what her mother meant, nor did she understand the smile that was painted onto her thin lips.

"Stop asking me questions and go answer the door," her mother instructed, her tone playfully strict.

Aspen raised her hands in defeat before turning away from her parents. She couldn't help but shake her head at herself, her own thoughts seeming to get more and more puzzled as the day went on. She didn't know what to expect as she tugged open her front door, and she definitely was not prepared for the eruption of butterflies in her stomach that ensued.

There was a lengthy period of silence -- consisting mainly of open-mouthed staring on Aspen's part -- that was finally broken by a happy chuckle. "Hello to you too, Aspen," Charlie greeted lightheartedly.