f o u r
With a cheap earbud plugged into his left ear, Elliot leans against the rusting pole outside the elementary school gates.
A loud chime rings across the yard, followed by the sight of children racing out of their classrooms in yells and cheers of delight.
"Where is the little rascal..." he mutters looking through the crowd of heads with Frozen and Spiderman backpacks.
"Ewiot?" A timid voice whispers and he feels a small tug on his shirt.
Looking down, Susie gazes up at him with twinkling eyes.
"Ah, there you are little fairy." He hastily stuffs his earbuds into his pocket.
Crouching down beside the girl, it allows for Susie to jump up and he holds her up on his back.
"Ewiot, what are you doing?" she giggles, her small hands graspsing tightly to her brother's shoulders
"I'm helping my little fairy fly of course," he states as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The sound of giggling follows.
"Oh Ewiot you're so silly," an exasperated sigh tickles his ear.
Smiling fondly, he strides out and down the paved footpath away from the school.
"So, what happened at school today, little missy?"
Right on cue, as if she is already expecting him to ask, Susie begins her animated speech of the events that happened that day.
"-but Katie said that Lila couldn't be the pink Barbie because she wanted to be the pink one so they started arguing and not talking nicely which wasn't very nice because I don't like fighting and it's very mean."
"Yes fighting is very bad," he agrees, nodding his head to her story as they cross the road.
"Mhm, so instead I gave Katie my purple Barbie and she was very happy so Lila was able to get the pink Barbie which made her very happy and then everyone was happy again!" Susie exclaims this cheerfully and he feels her jump up while on his back in excitement at the same time.
"Wow that is a very nice thing of you to do."
"Yep, it is."
Chuckling, he looks across the street.
The hospital is in sight, only a couple blocks down.
Stopping in his tracks, he stares at the large building facility in the distant.
"What are we looking at, Ewiot?"
A silent pause passes before Elliot nudges his sister on his back.
"Hey little fairy, wanna visit mummy today?"
[a/n: this chapter has been rewritten/edited as of 18/01/17]