Everlee didn't know who her parents were until she was 7 years old. At first, she thought Maddie was her mother and called her Mama until Maddie explained what a sister was.
Then she thought Giles and Marie were her parents as they were the ones who watched over them the most. They were the ones who tucked her into bed, made her food, and took her to school.
Once again she was corrected, she was a Buckley. Her parents were Phillip and Margaret Buckley and she didn't see them until she was 10 years old.
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Maddie wrangles a squirming Everlee into a white lace monstrosity of a dress. "Come on Evergreen. I need you to get ready so we're not late for dinner."
"I don't know why I have to wear this itchy dress. I thought we were going to eat pizza and watch movies in our pajamas before you go back to college tomorrow."
"That was the plan, but mom and dad told me that they're hosting a dinner party tonight," Maddie says as she runs a brush through Everlee's hair.
Everlee pouts and look at Maddie through her Vanity mirror's reflection, "That doesn't explain why I have to dress up. They never want me around."
"That's not true, they're just." Maddie looks around for something to say before sighing. "They're just busy Everlee."
The two girls are quiet as Maddie solemnly applies a bit of makeup on her young sister's face. The final touch is a long string of pearls wrapped around Everlee's neck.
"Maddie."
"Yes?"
"What do they look like?" Everlee asks hesitantly.
"Who?"
"Our parents."