Yasmine chuckled at the drama that had just unfolded. This in turn brought her father's attention to her. "What about you. Did you break up with Shane?" He took a step toward her making her chuckle.
"Last week dad. Like you told me to."
"At least one of my children listens to me." He sighed and slumped his body on the kitchen counter.
"El listens dad. He just has a different processing system and works with his own time." Yasmine rubbed a comforting hand over her father's back. He was always trying to be strong for the whole family. Yasmine could not imagine the pressure it put on him at times. He ran a hand down his face.
"I hope you are right. The last thing I would want is for either of them to get hurt."
"I am always right." Yasmine drummed her fingers on the kitchen counter as her eyes ran over the nook and crannies in the kitchen. The kitchen felt cold. There was always something cooking filling the house with the delicious smell. Elroy and their mother had cooking wars in this same kitchen every weekend. Yasmine would side with her mother while Elroy was sided by their father.
Yasmine smiled at the memory of them fighting over who had cooked a better casserole. They had to call a third and fourth party, who at the time was Amy and Shane. Shane and Yasmine had just begun dating. He was a nice guy from her college and she liked how his hair was long and soft. He also had a nice smile. Amy had punched her brother the week before and in turn, he called her over to prove he was serious about their dating.
It was a fun day. Yasmine remembered with a smile the food fight that had ensued after her mother had thrown a spoon of mashed potatoes at her father. It landed on his cheek. It was practically a declaration of war.
Yasmine chuckled at the happy memory. It was one of the last remaining few she had. Her father glanced down at her. "You are remembering the food fight too, aren't you?"
Yasmine nodded and smiled.
"Do you think I made the right call?" Jason Boise asked nervously. Yasmine smiled at the sight of his vulnerability. His father was nothing more than a big teddy bear.
"The move is good for us dad. I also agreed to move with you and get a new college around the area."
"But Skylar refused to come with us Yas. It makes me think I was not at all considerate of your emotions."
Yasmine knew this was coming. Her elder sister Skylar adamantly refused to move with them. She was in her second to last year at university and she was studying to be a veterinarian. This had worried their father to no end when she said she was going to stay back. She had assured them that she would visit every two weeks and would video call as much as she could. As compensation, she was to go with them to the airport.
"She will be fine, dad. Besides, she is your daughter. She can take care of herself." Her father ruffled her hair. She huffed and tried to fix the mess her hair had become. Jason Bosie chuckled.
"You are right Yas."
They fell into silence for a minute before Yasmine spoke up, "She is happy where she is, isn't she, dad?"
He nodded looking at the kitchen counter absentmindedly for a second too long. "I'll be outside with El. Sky should be here by now."
She walked out of the kitchen, leaving him in his thoughts. Jason Boise let his eyes wander the kitchen. He sighed. The move was going to be good for all of them. They needed to heal. Living in this house would deny them that chance. He sauntered to the living room and took a deep breath. The faint smell of lavender still hung in the air. It brought a small smile to his face. "I miss you," he said to the emptiness of the room.
Of course, since there was no one else in the room with him, there was no reply. He sighed deeply before walking out of the house and shutting the doors behind him.
Outside, on the ground next to the car, Elroy lay with his eldest sister sitting on his back.
"Apologise!" Skylar was shouting as she squeezed the back of his neck. Elroy was wheezing and slapping the cobbled driveway with his palms. Yasmine was standing to the side watching the interaction with her phone recording.
"Skylar, let go of your brother. You'll kill him." Jason said shaking his head exasperatedly. "And you," he pointed at Yasmine, "stop recording your brother's demise."
Yasmine shrugged and slipped the phone into her pockets.
"But..." Skylar began.
Jason gave her a pointed look which made her release her youngest brother. "Fine." she stood and dusted herself off glaring at him. Elroy sat upon the ground and stuck his tongue out at her. Yasmine immediately grabbed onto Skylar who was on the verge of jumping onto their brother once more.
"Let me at him!"
Elroy in turn hid behind their father. It was quite comical considering the fact that they were nearly the same height.
Skylar then burst out laughing at the sight which died out almost immediately and was replaced by tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said wiping the tears that had spilled down her cheeks. Yasmine immediately engulfed her elder sister in a hug. They were nearly the same height with Yasmine being a barely noticeable inch taller.
Elroy moved from behind their father and engulfed his two elder sisters, his frame towering over theirs. Jason smiled at the sight. Rarely did his children not bicker, but when it came down to it, they were loyal to each other and loved each other.
He stifled a tear from escaping his eye by looking up at the sky and blinking rapidly preventing his tears from falling. When his gaze returned to his children, he found them looking at him. Skylar was in the middle, Yasmine to her right, and Elroy to her left. Sky's cheeks were streaked with tears that left her eyes red. She was sniffling.
"Don't you want to join the hug dad?" Yasmine asked a small smile on her face that reminded him so much of his wife.
"Move over." He got in the middle and let them wrap their arms around him. "Now," he began, "Skylar you will stay with the car here. We will get a new car waiting for us there. You are to visit us at least one weekend every month."
"I understand dad," she said.
"I love you three. Okay?" they nodded but did not speak. The hug was enough for their rarely intimate family.
They let go of their father and before anyone could say anything, Yasmine shouted, "I call shotgun," she jumped into the front seat and stuck her tongue out at her brother who always sat at the front.
"Hey! You can't do that. I don't want to be stuck with her." He pointed his thumb at Skylar. She threw him a menacing glare. Another family secret was that Skylar liked disturbing whoever sat at the back with her. She would shout in their ear, use them as a pillow by draping her legs over theirs or poke whoever is sitting with her and pretend she was not the one that had done it. She found it comical, but anyone who sat in the back with her would struggle not to strangle her thanks to her antics.
"I'm already in the seat," Yasmine smirked pulling the seatbelt over her frame.
"Dad," Elroy looked to his father who patted him on the back,
"Fight your battles." he proceeded to the driver's side.
He looked at his eldest sister. She was already seated in the backseat. She smirked and patted the space next to her. With a sigh, he gave their home one last look before getting into the car.
At the airport, Skylar was beginning to regret not relocating with her family. She was going to be alone. But it was for the best. She needed to finish school then she could join them and find work close to their new home.
She let them go with a smile on her face although she hurt as she watched them leave. After watching their plane take to the sky, she forced her legs to the car that had been left behind, lest she lost her resolve, and bought a plane ticket to follow them. Her tears fell when she got into the car.