"What are you painting?" Hunter leaned against the door frame as he watched Delia painting an outline. Delia jumped slightly before shuffling her feet so she was still cross-legged as she faced him. Seeing Delia Hunter's mouth began to twitch, before he couldn't hold it anymore and burst into laughter. Blue paint was smeared on her forehead and miraculously a small spatter of it had landed right in the tip of her nose. Cocking her head in confusion, Delia stared at the brother who she had always labeled the calm one. Seeing her obvious confusion, Hunter tried to halt his laughter, but it didn't last long before he began to laugh even harder. Delia began to get slightly frustrated. What was causing him to laugh this hard? Unable to stand it and longer, she grabbed a pillow that she had used to prop her paint pallet the on and chucked it at Hunter's head. It missed, which cause even stronger laughter from Hunter.
Delia decided to give up and turned around, her back to Hunter as she began to paint once again. Seeing that his sister was angry and ignoring him. Hunter tried again to reign in his laughter, but the harder he tried the more impossible it seemed. Eventually Hunter was able to stop.
"Come on, I didn't mean to." Seeing his apology was ignored Hunter tried again, "You looked so serious when you turned to face me but there was this perfect spot of paint on the top of your nose, the contrast was to funny." Still being ignored Hunter tried again, "I'm sorry." Delia's head inclined towards him but she just continued painting. Hunter began to panic, was Delia going to continue ignoring him forever? Did he just lose his status as her favorite brother or even as her brother? He didn't mean to laugh it was a moment that caught him off guard. No. He wasn't going to allow for Delia to get away from him again even if it was just emotionally.
Hunter tugged Delia into a hug tightly clinging to her. Frozen in shock Delia didn't move from her spot in the floor. Delia's eyes widened. She hadn't meant to make him upset. She was kind of angry and annoyed in the beginning but after his explanation of why she laughed she pretty much forgave him. But the novelty of being coaxed by her real older breath was too tempting especially since Hunter didn't bother explaining himself a lot.
Now that she realized that he was truly concerned, she leaned slightly forward to place the paint pallet on the mat on the ground to keep the paint of the carpet. At her movement Hunter whimpered and tightened his grip not allowing her to move. Unable to tell him what she was doing and him keeping his head down, Delia was helpless.
Letting out a sigh Delia decided to give up on moving. Reaching up with her free hand Delia began to tap a rhythms out on Hunter's arm. Once she felt Hunter's arms loosen slightly she began to rock back forth to the same rhythm. Although Delia appeared calm and her body didn't reject Hunter's presence, she was still worried and nervous. First off she didn't know what exactly made Hunter panic so much and lastly she wasn't completely comfortable comfortable with people touching her: if they weren't her twins. As Hunter seemed to somewhat come out of his trance he began to mumble incoherently. Delia managed to make out some of it. He seemed scared that she would now reject him? That she would ignore him forever. However the sentence that was repeated the most was "I'm sorry." It was insistent and compulsive. He almost seemed to be clinging to it. Delia was still worried but didn't know what else she could do comfort him. Sometimes Delia wished she could talk, and this was one of those times.
Suddenly Delia got an idea. Halting the tapping of her hand on her arm she continued to rock back and forth. Fortunately Hunter didn't seem to panic any farther. Relieved she reached with her now free hand towards her back pocket pulling out her phone, Delia opened an app that she had been downloaded specifically for her. It was one were she could type what she wanted to say and an automated voice would say it for her. Delia hadn't used the app, because she still preferred using sign language or writing to communicate, plus she wasn't us to typing. But this event was special and so the app came to mind when she tried to think of a way out of her predicament.
Hunter are you ok? Can you tell me why you are upset? Don't worry I forgive you. I won't ignore you.
Hunter paused and listened but didn't respond. Delia hit the buttons so the message repeated.
"I'm sorry for laughing at you Delia. Please don't be mad. I didn't mean to." Delia hit the repeat again.
"I haven't known even a month after you came back, but I love and as your brother I should protect you not hurt you. I'm sorry. Please don't leave me!" There was since of urgency and remorse in Hunter's voice. Delia froze for a second, had he somehow figured out her plan? If that was so she was in trouble her plan didn't have very much room for error. Drew had almost figured it out earlier and now Hunter was saying this. Delia decided she shouldn't jump to conclusions and she should ask, but be cautious of how she did it so as not tip him off.
Why do you think I'm leaving you? You didn't do anything that bad. Isn't it a siblings right to bug there siblings?
The voice said robotically, this was another point against the app. It couldn't convey her voice accurately it was better for others to have her own voice in their mind so they could add the tone intonation appropriately.
"You left me before. Mom left us too. It was all because I wasn't good enough, I didn't stop her from taking you away." Sniffles punctuated Hunter's word. Delia was slightly relieved, but still felt worried. Hunter wasn't usually like this, he was acting more immature and emotional. But Delia didn't try to convince him to move this may be the last time she was hugged by him it was ok to indulge him this once.