A few days passed and nothing seemed to have changed for Alex. But everything had. The boys had done nothing other than to think of ways to show her their affection for their little sister.
Alex was sitting at the table tears threatening her eyes. She had been working on her math for hours now and she was getting no where fast. She heard someone coming into the kitchen and she wiped her eyes dry quickly.
Taylor was the one to enter the kitchen. “Hey Alex, what are you doin'?”
“I’m tryin' to get my math done.”
“You need any help?” Taylor asked hopefully, trying to find any excuse to show Alex his affection for her.
“No… yes… You know I always need help Tay.”
“You don’t always need help. You’re a bright girl.”
“Apparently not bright enough.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He slid into the seat next to her.
“Just that I’m surrounded by smart, talented, creative, people all of the time. I just don’t compare. I mean look at you. You alone can write music, play the piano that right there for me is impressive. I’m aware of exactly how bad at it I am. You have a record contract for god’s sake you have talent and people recognizes that."
"I’m just me. Stupid old me. Don’t try to tell me I’m not stupid because I know I am. I can't even to dimple homework. Mom has to sit with me for hours just teaching me how to do something simple when she could be helping someone else or doing mom things. But no she has to sit here and help her twelve year old daughter how to do stuff that her ten year old caught onto last week.” She yelled frustrated.
In all her twelve years Alex had never raised her voice to anyone.
Taylor sat there wide-eyed. He didn’t know what to think. He hugged her and she began to sob.
“Why did God make me? I know I was a mistake.”
“You are not stupid or a mistake! You hear me?!” Taylor couldn’t believe the stuff that was coming out of her mouth.
“I must have been born to the wrong family then.”
“No, you were definitely born to us because God doesn’t make mistakes.”
“Well, he's made one mistake and I’m sitting right here.”
Taylor felt his shirt become wet with Alex’s tears.
“I mean you and Zac don’t even really like me. You’re only nice because you have to be.”
“No, no, Alex. I love you a lot.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t. What’s there to love?”
“You… everything about you. From your quirky way for eating your hamburger to the way you look when you sleep. And everything in between. You are a special person, Alex.”
“Really?” She pulled away from him and rubbed her red eyes.
“Yes.”
“Sorry for getting your shirt wet.”
“Don’t even worry about it. C’mon why don’t you take a break and follow me to the garage.”
Alex’s eyes light up at the prospect of her older brother wanting to do something with her. She jumped up out of her chair and followed her brother to the garage.
Taylor grabbed a pencil from the floor and started drawing on the mural. Alex sat on the floor and watched. “There are markers over there, draw something.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Alex got up and slowly got the markers waiting for the second when Taylor would begin laughing and take the markers away from her and say ‘just kidding’. 'Why do I think he would do something that cruel to any of us?' She wondered.
She never understood her fear of this brother. She never feared Isaac or Zac she wanted their approval of things but she had always been frightened of Taylor. It was an irrational fear but it was there none the less. She began coloring in her designated spot on the wall.
“Alex, I’m sorry for always telling you no. When I was little I wanted something for me. I could never deny Zac, still can’t. I don’t know why, but I could tell you no and you listened. So I kept telling you no. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay.” Alex smiled. She sat there in silence with her big brother both coloring on the wall. She drew multi colored 3-d boxes. She colored them in and signed her name to it and dated it.
“I’m done.” She announced proudly.
Taylor came over and inspected her picture. "Those are cute. I like the red and black ones.”
She smiled real big at her brother's compliment. “Thanks.”
He returned the smile with a smile of his own. “Hey Zac!!” Taylor screamed in the direction of the stairs. Not only did it startle Alex, but it confused her.
“Why are you calling for Zac?”
“He needs to see this.”
“No, he doesn’t. It’s stupid, Tay. He really doesn’t need to see it.”
Zac came down. “Yeah Tay?” He asked descending the stairs, hair bouncing wit his every step.
“Look at what Alex drew.”
Zac went over to the spot where his siblings were situated. He knelt down and looked at the boxes that Alex had drawn. “Those are neat. I like it.”
Alex’s eyes widened in surprise that both of her older brothers liked something that she did. It was a dream come true. She was waiting for something to break her happy little world but nothing did much to her surprise. “You really think it’s good?”
“Of course I think it’s good. I wouldn’t have said it was good if I really didn’t think so.”
Alex smiled and hugged Zac. “Thanks Zac that really means a lot to me.” She grinned form ear to ear. She knelt back down and picked up her mess. Zac looked at Taylor. They both grinned evilly and attacked their little sister. Taylor held he down as Zac tickled her.
“No stop… Zac!” she screamed. “Ike! Help! Ike!” She screamed she knew her big brother would stop these two.
“There’s not helping you now.” Taylor said as he sat on top of her and held her arms firmly in place.
"Please don’t spit on me. Please no Tay…. Tay no.”
“Taylor!” Isaac said from the top of the stairs.
Taylor turned to face his older brother.
“Don’t do that.”
“C’mon Ike, be fun.” He whined.
“Thank you, Ikey.” Alex said relieved.
“Get off of her, Tay.”
Taylor reluctantly did as he was told.
Isaac smiled. “You’re supposed to do it like this, Tay.” He said as he began to tickle her mercilessly.
“Oh, I knew I was doing something wrong. Didn’t you, Zac?” Taylor giggled.
“Yeah. I had forgotten Ike torture.”
