How our lives changed by thepurplebutterfly (primary phonics books txt) 📕

Anna agreed. She walked over to the cupboard and took the maple syrup back to the bench and pulled out the plates when the doorbell rang.

I glanced to Anna as I dished out a pancake each and put a slice butter on mine. She was talking to Christian and they both looked pretty happy for the first time in a month so I walked to the door. I opened the door to see a damp Steph and baby Elise in her arms and her luggage resting against her ankles.

"Hey guys," I said. Steph gestured for me to take Elise so I did. I had started to rain and they must have gotten a bit wet on their way over.
"Hey kiddo," she said giving me a hug and bumping the foyer table with her suitcase.
"So where is Ryan?" I asked.
"Which room am I in?" She asked dismissing my question.
"Yours," I replied. She nodded head and started towards it. I closed the door and smiled down at Elise. She was cute. Her strawberry blonde hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing a shirt that said 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' with a picture of an apple with a worm in it, accompanied with jeans. She had cute, pearly blue eyes like mine.

I popped my head in the kitchen. "Hey An, can you make some pancakes for Steph and Elise please?" I asked.
"Yeah sure," she said smiling at Elise.
"Thanks," I winked at them and left.

I walked over to Steph's room where she was unpacking her suitcase and it looked like she was moving back in, to be honest. But with Steph you never know how much is too much or not enough. That's the problem with her.
Family confrontation

"Steph, where's Ryan?" I asked again.
"Beats me," she replied avoiding eye contact. I went over and sat on her bed.
"What happened?" I asked
"I told him last night that we were going to be staying here for a while for a while and he just lost it! He started shouting and saying I was to close to my family and I should be more like him, like very distant from you guys and have us all hating each other. I told him to stop shouting because he was troubling Elise and he got even louder like it was a problem we had her, like he resented her. I didn't understand why he was being like this so I told him to sit down so we could talk maturely about it." She explained as she sat down beside me, with tears starting to sprinkle out of her eyes.

I placed Elise in the Chris's old cot that was in Steph's room from when she first had Elise.

"I asked him what his problem was with my family and he said for us to really be 'US' that I should experience loosing my family like he did so we should leave and never come back and make no more contact. I was so shocked that I just stared at him, gasping at the thought of his last sentence. He looked at me and said he needed time. He packed his bag and left. I didn't know what to do or where to go so I packed or things, slept there, paid the bill this morning and came right over." The tears were gushing now.
"Oh, Steph," I consoled. I gave her a comforting hug. "You can stay here as long as you like. You could live here too," I joked. "I guess mum was right about him. I remember she told me after you introduced him to her, 'never trust a guy that gets you pregnant at twenty four.'" I giggled.
She glared at me, "right."
"Mummy?" mumbled Elise. We both looked at her and smiled. She giggled her cute baby giggle.
"So who is ready to try my pancakes?"

They followed me into the kitchen where Chris and Anna were waiting. Anna had had just served their pancakes and I noted the she had put sugar on mine.

"Hey guys!" Anna smiled reaching out for Elise. Steph and Anna weren't the as close as me and Anna or as I am with Steph, Although I'm not really close with Steph, none of us are. Its because of her disruptive past. Steph handed her over reluctantly because, well, she disliked Anna as much as Anna disliked her. Steph sat down next to Chris. I handed Steph hers and Elise's pancakes and placed Chris's in front of him. Anna placed on the seat between her and Steph and I cut up Chris's pancake and placed a small dish of maple syrup next to it.

"How are you Anna?" Steph asked uneasily feeding Elise. Chris and I glanced at each other with doubt in our eyes.
"Average," she said timidly keeping information about her to herself. I know if I asked her she would tell me the truth. Not wanting to be rude, she gave Steph a friendly smile that is normally saved for polite strangers.
"Going to school today An?" I asked wanting to change the subject and shoving some sweet buttery deliciousness in my mouth.
"I've missed the bus," she replied shortly.
"I could drop you off, Chris needs stuff and Elise will some too." I said.
She gave me a pleading look. "I don't want to go,"she muttered dropping her head.
"Its okay, you don't have to go." I said.
"Thanks," she replied, placing her plate in the dish washer. Steph scoffed and Anna shot her a cold glare as she shuffled out of the room.
Steph shook her head. "Is she alright?" Steph asked.
"No," I replied "none of us are."
"Some are better than others." she said.
"Are you saying your great and happy and nothing can spoil your mood? And that I should force Anna into going to school?" I said anger rising up inside in me.
"I didn't say that. All I'm saying is don't be a pushover or her." She warned.
"That's not fair. If you were saying this a month from now I would agree. She died yesterday Steph, yesterday and her funeral is soon. Don't sit there and tell me that I can't support her by giving time to understand all this. Oh and no offence but your in no place to say what is good for Anna and what isn't," I said.
"Ly, clam down your scaring Elise." she said picking up Elise.
"Don't say stupid things in places where they're not needed. That's typical Steph though isn't it? She's coming back isn't she? Back in her home where she had the most power. Why can't you break down in tears? You're not made of stone you know, show me that you're normal, like everything has changed since we all thought you had. Newsflash Steph nothing is the same!" I yelled.
"Lyhla, shut up would you. This is hard on me, don't you understand that. Oh and I have changed. Having a child does that to a person." she snapped.
"Well its like that for everyone you know. Your not the only person who feels like their life has been taken away and smashed to pieces right in front of our eyes. Loosing your mother does that too."

Sisterly feuds

"LYHLA SHUT THE HELL UP!" Steph yelled at me.
"Anna was right, you shouldn't have come, you haven't lived or spoken to us in three years so I wouldn't expect you to understand. Go if you want, I don't care anymore. Join Ryan, you fit his criteria for an 'US' now. It'll make him happy but for him to really and truly be happy with you, he'll want you to get rid of someone else in your life first." I said glancing at Elise.
"My god Lyhla! I'm only here to help and you won't even except my first attempt at assisting. Why won't you listen to me?" She complained.
"Because first of all, your wrong. And because your making it all about you. When you left we could talk about out feelings together. We didn't have to focus on the one person." I pointed directly at her and Christian started to cry. I had forgotten he was there. He had had his fingers in his ears. I went over and got him out of his high chair.
"Its ok, its ok, I'm sorry, so sorry." I soothed. I kissed him on top of his head and hugged him tightly. I placed him on his feet. "Go to your room ok, I'll be in soon." with that he toddled out of the room.
"Is it really ok?" Steph asked.
"No, but I'm managing myself, Anna and Chris the best I can. Dad is busy and I'm not going to full on burden him with Anna, Chris and myself and other stuff." I replied.
"What Stuff?"
"Anna, Chris, house chores, gardening chores - so they place doesn't look uninhabitable-, meals, you."
"Me? Why would I be burdening him?" she sounded offended, typical attention lover.
"With your emotional dramas and problems you fabricate out of thin air." I scoffed.
"Lyhla you have no bloody idea. Oh and every single time I complained, something was wrong." she started.
"What things? 'OH! I broke a nail! MUM!'or 'DADDY! Aaron hugged me goodbye! go and tell him to apologize!' Those things?"
"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!" Anna yelled from the door way. She scared me so much I almost jumped out of my skin and we both turned to face her. "Please, stop. This is ridiculous. This is why I didn't want you to let her come here. She'll tear our relationships apart!"
"Anna, Anna, calm down. I'm sorry. Really I am." I said hugged her.
"That's what you said before." Steph murmured playing with Elise's hair.
"Steph, don't." I said whipping my head around just to glare at her.
"Why did-" I pointed to the doorway.
"Anna, I'm sorry. I'm tired and flustered and stressed. I'm sad and all I want to do is have mum come and wrap her arms around me and allow me to cry into her and I know that sounds stupid and it pains me that I can't do that.