Hacker (CENTURIES series: Book #5) (VERY SLOW UPDATES)

12

• Present Date •
(Finally)

| January |

24 was a really young age to retire.

And yet, as I woke up now for the third month in a row since the incident, that was exactly what I was. Retired.

Scratching my stomach and yawning, I winced a little as I moved my feet under the sheets, feeling my bad leg act up after eight hours of being horizontal. One of these days, I was going to be able to predict rain.

Sitting up and swinging my legs out over the edge of the bed, I instantly noted music blasting from the kitchen, which could only mean one thing; My girls were awake.

Smiling to myself, I slowly stood up and winced again as I begun limping towards the kitchen, now smelling the pancakes in the air, too. Please, dear God, let them be chocolate chipped.

"Hey, anyone here wanna call dibs on my morning hug?" I called into the kitchen the second I rounded the corner. As expected, I found Smurf and Elana by the stove, Smurf jerking around the minute my voice broke through the heavy metal music.

"Morning!" She smiled tiredly, causing Elana to turn as well when she did. Immediately, Elana raced around the kitchen island and towards me in her Princess Jasmin pajama that she had gotten for Christmas last month. She ran straight into my open arms as I crouched down and enveloped her. Morning hug, secured.

Good morning, beautiful, I quickly signed to her with a big grin before she pulled me into her tiny arms. I lifted her up off the floor with some difficulty, then kissed her cheek before limping towards my other little lady.

"You really shouldn't be carrying her yet," Smurf observed concernedly, watching me wince slightly as I set Elana down again.

"Hey, even if I should wake up dead tomorrow, you bet I'll want to be buried with her in my arms."

"Right," Smurf sarcastically mused and turned back to watch the pan, just as I leaned down and pecked her cheek as well.

"Good morning," I whispered, wrapping my arms around her. She leaned into my embrace while working the spatula under the fat pancake, which, absolutely, was chocolate chip-pregnant.

"Good morning," She mumbled back. She wasn't in her full face of beaten black makeup yet, but still bare-faced with just her piercings to adorn her face. Her blue tuft of hair was combed, but not styled, giving me the impression Elana had woken her up before she had the chance herself. Obviously the chocolate chip situation had been of the urgent kind, or so my sister had deemed, given it was only a quarter past eight.

"What time does Elana's tutor get here today?" I asked, just as she flipped a pancake before patting it.

"She should be here around nine," Smurf replied, watching me as I now limped towards the sink to pour myself some water. I nodded absentmindedly while filling a glass, sensing Smurf keeping her eyes on me.

"... Did you have another nightmare again?" She then hesitantly voiced.

I closed my eyes and lifted the glass of water to my lips, ignoring the restricting sensation in my chest as I slowly drank.

Nightmares. That was the burden, other than my leg, that had plagued me ever since... it had happened. Smurf had wanted me to see a shrink, but what could she tell me that I didn't already know? I was suffering from a nightmarish post traumatic stress that left me waking up abruptly during the nights, covered in sweat and fighting an anxiety attack.