Descendants.

The party had been winding down for the past hour and a half, but most of the families were still hanging around. If I was a parent and my kid was gone for most of the year, especially being as young as they are, I would want to spend every waking minute they were back with them, too. It was obvious that the guests invited to this get together were all very close to the band. There was no air of needing to impress anyone, and they all looked comfortable and happy. Exhausted, but happy.

I had found a refuge in Harry’s backyard, on an old wooden swing that creaked just enough to make me a little homesick. I was 10 years old when I got placed in my favorite foster home. A young couple who had two babies of their own had taken me in for a short while. I fantasized that they would fall in love with me and make me a permanent part of their family, but when the man’s mother got ill and they were forced to move several states away to take care of her, that dream was shattered, and I was placed back into the foster care system. But that family had a porch swing just like this one, and the woman used to tell me stories of her life growing up while we would rock back and forth on that swing.

They were the only people from my past I ever missed.

“Do you mind?” I was hugging my legs close to my chest, my chin resting on my knees, deep in thought. I looked up to find Liam pointing at the empty spot next to me on the swing. I shook my head ‘no’, feeling the weight of his body as he sat down.

“I’m sorry.” I spoke softly, just in case he was going to spook easily again. He turned to face me, his eyes full of emotion.

“What do you have to be sorry about? I doubt it was your idea to wait until I was home to spring this on me.” He was still angry about being left out of the loop.

“I’ve never had a brother. I’m not sure how all of this sibling stuff works. You and Nicola and Ruth seem to be able to push each other’s buttons, probably on purpose most of the time.” It was the first genuine laugh I’d seen from him all day. It made him look younger.

“I love my sisters, but they’re certifiably insane 90% of the time.”

“If you need time, it won’t hurt my feelings.” I turned my entire body to face him, crossing my legs underneath me. I wanted him to know that I wasn’t expecting anything from him. Ever. “I’ve had a long time to figure out that I wanted to know my family. You already have a family, I understand that. Nicola doesn’t seem too keen on me sticking around either.”

He followed my lead, turning to face me, tucking his legs underneath him so that our bodies mirrored each other. Looking down at his thumbs twisting around each other, he sighed but didn’t say anything for several long minutes.

“Nicola can be a right bitch.”

“You don’t have to convince me of that. The only time I’ve seen her anything other than irritated was the minute she saw Harry standing in the library.” Liam groaned.

“She’s been trying to catch his attention for four bloody years. You’d think a girl would get the hint. Especially when I clearly say every time I see her, he’s not interested.”

“Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.”

“Well his heart is going to want a restraining order if she’s not careful.” He mumbled. I laughed out loud. A comfortable silence fell over us before Liam cleared his throat, something obviously on his mind.

“You can ask me anything, Liam. I’m an open book here.”

“How did this happen?”

I sighed.

“I’d like to know the answer to that myself. Especially considering our parents are still together and have an entire family. But,” I took a deep breath. “I haven’t been able to ask yet. I think maybe I’m scared of the answer.” He nodded in understanding.

“Will you tell me about it? Your life growing up.”

“I spent my childhood in foster care. I had a few decent foster families, a few really terrible ones, and one that I loved more than anything. But by the time I was a teenager, no one really wanted to take me in. I never got in trouble and I worked really hard in school, but it’s harder to find a family the older you get. Everyone wants the cute babies or toddlers. So I just kept my head down. Went to cosmetology school while I was in high school, so I could support myself the second I turned 18. Worked a lot of hours the first few years out of high school, saving every penny I could to put myself through college. It wasn’t easy but it made me appreciate everything I have. Now I have two career options that I love. I can edit books when there’s work available, or I can go back to styling hair if I want.”

“How did you get through it? Not having a family to support you?”

“Our world’s are very different, Liam. You’ve always had your parents and your sisters to lean on when things didn’t go the way you hoped. And when things worked out, you had them to celebrate with. I could only ever count on myself. Even when I found a home that finally felt like a home, I couldn’t trust that I would be there long enough to see my next birthday. If I didn’t learn to do things by myself, and for myself, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

“There you two are!” Ruth bounced up to us, smiling when she realized that we had been in this exact spot for some time now. “I hope you’re getting along.” She smiled.

“I think we’re doing okay.” Liam smiled back.

She waved her arms towards her body, motioning for us to get up and follow her back into the house. “C’mon guys. It’s game time. The parents headed out to grab some food, so we’ve got an hour or so before they’re crashing the party again. Blair, welcome to the madhouse.”

Notes

Chapter Title lyrics: "Hard Life" by Brad Paisley.