A Feeling Like Home by Haleigh Wenger

Author:Haleigh Wenger [Wenger, Haleigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781736430026
Publisher: Sword and Silk, LLC

White lights illuminate the linoleum underfoot as we huddle together outside the airport doors. My siblings line up, minus me, by pure habit, in order of oldest to youngest again. It’s a funny leftover from our childhood holiday pictures. I stand next to Mom, letting her lean on me like a prop to hold herself up. Unlike the Seattle airport in normal hours, the early morning lines are short to nonexistent, and there are hardly any other people dropping off.

Even with Dad asleep at home, we’re still a big group. With the airport virtually empty, we stick out more than ever. Ally and my brothers take turns hugging Mom and patting her back and telling her, again, everything will be fine. I’m glued to Mom’s side, so I get hugs right after her.

Ted and Peter squeeze me at the same time from either side, lifting me off my feet and stealing my breath away. I swat at them until they let go, waving my arms like a baby bird trying to fly. “Put me down,” I manage to shriek.

They drop me unceremoniously, and Peter rubs his hand back and forth over the top of my hair. “You still mad at us, baby sister?”

Still mad? That implies I was mad in the first place and not completely livid. Mad would be if one of them used up all the hot water before my turn to shower. Mad is what I am after I stub my toe on the corner of the downstairs bathroom door for the fifty-millionth time.

My brothers stole my phone and texted flirty messages to Joey. I’m way past mad.

And besides that, fire blazes in my ears at being called a baby. I’m always called a baby, and being a measly two years younger than the twins doesn’t give them the right to torture me.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I humph and tilt my head away from them. I smooth the frizzy hairs pulled up by Peter’s noogie. “Yeah. I’m still mad.”

Ted slings an arm around my shoulder. “Don’t be. We were trying to help you out.”

Peter shrugs. “I already said I was sorry.”

I inhale, biting the inside of my cheek. Mom watches the three of us out of the corner of her eye. Gavin talks at her and she nods, but I know she’s spying. I pull my arms around my brothers. Voice light, I say, “You’re right. I’m over it. It’s not a big deal.”

Ted, momentarily stunned, grins and slaps my back. Peter mumbles another apology and walks off to say goodbye to Mom again.

I can pretend to not be furious at my brothers for a little while if it means I get the chance to show Mom how mature I am now. The old me would have held that grudge forever. The current me still plans on it. But Mom doesn’t have to know that.

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