Open Hearts

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Open Hearts Part 17:

"So, they really said yes!?"

"Yes! They said yes! I can go to Norway!" I shouted at my phone screen.

I called Bjorn on Skype as soon as I got upstairs. He was just as excited as I was about the news.

"This is perfect! Now you'll get to spend Christmas with us. I can show you where I used to live, where I went to school, you'll get to meet all of my family too!"

Bjorn kept raving on and on about Norway and all the things I'll get to experience. I was just happy to be with him. My dad was right, I would hate being here without him during Christmas.

"And the best part is, when I wake up Christmas morning the first thing I'll see is your face. There couldn't be a better present on earth." Bjorn said in a quieter, more serious tone.

I was off in my own world when he was ranting. I was imagining a white Christmas in a foreign world with Bjorn beside me. All of that came to a screeching halt as Bjorn's words pulled me out of my daze. I almost missed his sweet compliment and tender words. Luckily, I did hear him; and I was touched. It was such a sweet and romantic way of thinking about it; I was almost unable to respond.

"Bjorn... you... gah! Why are you so... amazing."? I stammered nervously with rosy cheeks that gave away my embarrassment.

---

I woke up the next morning feeling energized and refreshed. I slept well knowing that everything in my life was going in the right direction. Now I've just got to survive another day at school. After my morning ritual and coffee, I got dressed and went back down stairs to leave for school. My mom stopped me on the way out; she had her phone glued to her ear.

"Yeah, uh huh. That sounds great. Call me after you've bought them and give me the details. Okay, no problem, bye." My sighed deeply after hanging up the phone.

"What's up mom?"

"You know that hurricane that's barreling towards Florida? Well the airports are going to close soon, and your Aunt Mary wants to send the boys out here before they do; which means today." She replied with frustration in her voice.

"Why does she want to send them here? And why isn't she coming?"

"The schools will be closing tomorrow and they're probably going to lose power at their house for like a week. The last thing she wants is two boys stuck at home, in a storm, with no electronic distractions."

I narrowed my brow and looked at my mom with an unimpressed expression.

"So, she's dumping them on us."

"Yes... she's dumping them on us." She replied with the same level of enthusiasm.

"But we aren't going to look at it like that. Florida isn't safe right now and we are going to do the right thing by letting them stay with us. And you're going to be nice because they're FAMILY Keaton." My mother said with a huge emphasis on family.

"I'm not going to be mean mom but they're going to be bothering me every second they're here. Also, what about Bjorn? They'll ask questions for sure."

"Then answer them. They're 6 and 11; I'm sure they'll ask a million questions about everything. You can be the first gay influence in their lives. They've always looked up to you, now will be no different."

My mom is right. My cousins, Jackie and Jordan, have always kind of looked up to me. I guess they saw me as a cool older brother or something. I doubt they know anyone who is gay back home. If I answer their questions now, then they might grow up to be respectful; and not homophobic douches like some of my cousins.

"Well when you put it that way, I guess I'll just have to be the coolest and gayest role model on planet earth-"

"Okay I didn't say all that Keaty. Keep it PG please." My mother interjected.

"Moooom... you know what I mean. Gosh you ruin everything."

"Fine, fine. Go on with your gay self. Have a nice gay day honey. See you later Rupaul!" My mom said teasingly as she pushed me out the door.

"Who is Rup-"

The door shut in my face and ended our conversation.

I wanted to stay and defend myself, but I'd be late for school if I stayed any longer. You win this round mom.

---

"So, your cousins are visiting you?" Bjorn asked as we rode the bus to school.

"Yeah, until the hurricane passes."

"Cool... but are they... do we..." He stammered with obvious confusion.

"We don't have to act different in anyway; just be yourself."

Bjorn smiled and looked down at his lap for a moment. He looked like he was embarrassed about something.

"Hey Keats, ... I need help with something."

Before I could ask what, he reached into his bag and pulled out his math homework. He got a 48% on it. It was hard to find any problems that didn't have a red pen mark somewhere on it.

"Babe! This is the first homework assignment. It's literally just a refresher on last year's stuff!" I exclaimed with surprise.

Bjorn didn't offer anything in his defense. He just looked back down at his lap and uttered a soft "I know"

I immediately felt bad for reacting the way I did. Bjorn was coming to me for help, he didn't deserve to be mocked for it.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it like that." I offered sincerely.

"It's okay Keaton, I know I'm stup-"

"If you finish that sentence I swear I'll take a vow of celibacy" I interjected.

He let out a small chuckle, but I could still see the embarrassment in his eyes.

"Don't worry about this babe. I'll help you with it. As soon as we get back to my house today we will go through all of it." I moved my hand to his arm and stroked it gently.

"Thanks Keaton. You don't have to though. Just if you have the time."

"Don't be silly, we're going to knock this out of the park... together."

---

When I entered the room, a chill went down my spine. The echo of the door shutting behind me rang throughout the small bathroom. It was the time in between 4th and 5th period, and I had to pee.

I didn't want to come back to this bathroom; in fact, I think I could have held it. But something unknown to me was driving me here. Some voice in the back of my head was beckoning to me; it wanted me to come back here.

I took small steps and short breaths as I navigated my way into the stall. The same stall where Ryan forced me to my knees. The stall where I was humiliated and assaulted. I didn't want to be here, but for some reason I knew I had to be.

The scent of ammonia and urinal cakes wasn't pleasing to the nose. But the memories of that day made me much more uncomfortable than any smell could.

I walked out of the stall, which almost felt like a prison cell at this point, and approached a urinal. I did my business quickly; I wasn't eager to stay here by any means. The immense pressure that this room put on me was almost suffocating. I jogged to the sink and washed my hands. I was in a hurry to leave this place behind.

As I opened the door to the hallway an overwhelming sense of relief hit me. When the door closed behind me, I smiled a bit. Maybe it was relief, maybe it was something more. Either way, I'm happy to leave that place behind me.

---

"Do you think I can spend the night tonight?"

Bjorn's sudden question broke me out of my trance. We were riding the bus home and I was lost in the passing scenery.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Well maybe. I don't know, I'll ask." I uttered back to him.

I went back to staring out the window. I wasn't trying to ignore Bjorn, I was just lost in my own thoughts. From time to time, I like to reflect on my life. Doing so usually helps me know where I'm going, and why I'm going there.

I thought about Bjorn and our first meeting, the beach and the football, even David too. Then I thought about the night we spent stargazing, Bjorn telling me about his mom, and all the moments we've shared up until now. Life has been moving so fast since I moved here. At times, I wish it would slow down a bit; so, I can savor each moment. Regardless, I wouldn't trade a moment we've shared for anything on earth. I love him so much.

Bjorn shifted a little bit, then I felt his head rest on my shoulder. He let out a soft sigh as he snuggled against me. It didn't sound like a sigh of frustration; it was more like relief I think.

"I'm tired." He groaned in my ear.

He added a small yawn at the end to emphasize his fatigue. I wanted to turn and kiss him, but I didn't want him to leave my shoulder.

"Me too. Let's take a nap when we get home." I offered sweetly as I rubbed my thumb across the back of his hand.

His yawn, of course, made me yawn too. Now we were both teary-eyed and groggy on the bus-ride home. It was a serene ride, not too many bumps or potholes breaking up our peace. I had to shake Bjorn gently to wake him up once we got to our bus stop. It was almost September, but there wasn't much chill in the air. Only the brief gusts from the coastal winds made the day nice and cool. I was used to warm autumns and winters by now though. Florida is probably still 100 degrees today; I can't say I miss it.

I dragged Bjorn's tired butt all the way back home. My mom's car wasn't there so I can only assume she went to the airport already. As I was about to walk inside my house, I felt Bjorn's hand grip my arm and turn me around.

"Keaton, wait! How long do we have until your birthday again?" He asked in a frantic voice.

"Uh... it's Friday, so two more days."

Bjorn seemed a bit more relieved but there was still a look of worry on his face.

"Why? Did you forget my birthday?" I asked mockingly.

"No. I just forgot what today was. I still need to get your gift; are you having a party?"

"No, I don't think so. I'll probably just sit at home and chill; maybe watch movies and eat junk food. You're welcome to join me if you want to."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Bjorn replied with a big dorky grin as we walked into my house.

I called my mother to confirm my suspicions. She was on her way to the airport and wouldn't be back until later tonight. Since she said she'll be feeding my cousins after she picks them up, she won't be making dinner tonight. Of course, my dad could cook if he wanted to, but knowing him, he'll probably just order a pizza.

"Hey babe, do you want to help me cook dinner with me tonight?" I batted my eyes and asked sweetly, but I knew he'd say yes regardless.

He agreed without further coercion, but soon after I realized he wanted to be the only one cooking. Bjorn raided my refrigerator and started to shuffle through the contents.

"I can make meatloaf... oh, or breakfast for dinner... ooh there is steaks in here too!" he exclaimed with glee.

"I thought we were cooking together love." I said with frustration as I grabbed a sprite and took a seat on the counter.

"We can, or you can just let me cook for you while you relax." Bjorn responded with a cheesy grin.

I rolled my eyes but didn't offer any resistance; I'll probably get in his way anyways. I pulled back the metal pin on the can of sprite and pressed down until the metal cap gave way. Maybe I did it too hard, maybe it was a bit shaken up. Either way, I was surprised when some of the beverage splashed out of the can and hit me in the face. Bjorn looked over at me with an expression of pure amusement. The drink was starting to drip down my face now and I just sat there in a state of confusion and stupor.

I let out a deep sigh and started to wipe the sprite from my face; but before I could get it all, Bjorn took ahold of my wrist and moved in close to me. He leaned in and softly licked the sugary soda from my cheek before releasing my hand, giggling, and retuning to his duty as head chef.

I wanted to jump on his back and hug him from behind for being so cute; but I just sat there in a frozen stupor while he pulled out various ingredients.

Every time he pulled out an ingredient or condiment, he would ask me the Norwegian word for it. Some of them had the same or very similar word in both languages. Others were a bit more difficult. I didn't know most of them, so Bjorn would teach me the word and make me repeat it at least ten times or until I sounded it out perfectly. I had to prepare for my trip to Norway in December, I needed to know as many words as possible. More importantly, I needed to learn how to piece sentences together. Knowing words is great; I can ask for things and use context clues to understand people. But being able to actually speak the language is a whole other monster, and somehow, I was going to have to learn how to tame it.

Bjorn found all the ingredients he needed to make dinner tonight and set them aside in the fridge, so he could prepare them later. For now, we've got some time to kill and the both of us were pretty tire. The most obvious solution was a rousing game of cuddling on the couch. We were both pretty good at it, it usually ended in a tie. We both sat down next to each other on the sofa, but within minutes I was laying down on his chest and listening to the soft thumps of his heart beating. Bjorn stroked my hair and occasionally ran his fingers down my back. I was purring like a kitten by now; moments later, I was sound asleep.

Surprisingly it was Bjorn who woke up first between the two of us. My eyes started to flicker and strain at the incoming assault of natural light. The time on the cable box read 5:34 pm.

His hand was rubbing my back once again; this time, he intended to wake me up, not put me to sleep. I slowly picked my head up off his shirt and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. When the world around me finally started to become clear, Bjorn's soft smile shun back at me. He was still groggy like I was, but judging by the shift in his hips, he was awake and ready to get up. I climbed off him and allowed him to sit up on the couch. When he stood up and headed for the kitchen, I thought I was ready to follow him. Sadly, I was mistaken. I started to stand up when a wave weariness hit me and forced me to sit back down. Every part of my brain was screaming at me to close my eyes and find something soft to lay against. I did just that by retreating to the spot where Bjorn laid and letting my heavy eyelids slam shut. I had no idea I was so tired.

---

Judging by the clock, it was now a half hour later. I finally awoke with a better grip on my consciousness. The room was filled with the smells that wafted from the kitchen. The presence of sauteed onions and cooked meat was obvious welcome. I slowly stood up and followed the scents to their source. Bjorn was gleefully humming a tune as he moved from station to station in the kitchen. Like an expert, he handled each pot, pan, utensil and ingredient with both swiftness and caution. He could flip the onions, stir the beans, and check the meat inside of the oven within seconds, without ever giving off the appearance of clumsiness. He was a confident chef; one who could work quickly but never seem to be in a rush. Once he finally stopped for a moment to wait on the onions, I seized the opportunity to greet him.

"Hey mister." I groggily whispered. I wrapped my arms around his waist and propped my forehead against his back. If I was taller, I could have rested my head on his shoulder; but this will have to do.

Bjorn kept his focus on the task at hand and continued to stir various pots full of ingredients. He didn't turn around, but he responded while I remained clinging to his body.

"Good morning sleeping beauty, I thought you'd never wake up." He responded with a slight chuckle.

"You know, I'm still not feeling very awake; do you remember how they got sleeping beauty to wake up?" I countered.

Finally, I drew his attention away from the food for a moment. He turned around to find me, looking up at him, with a huge goofy smile on my face. He rolled his eyes, but he didn't hesitate when he placed his hand under my chin, lifted it slightly, and pressed his lips to mine. To avoid breaking my neck, I stood on my tip toes to meet his kiss. This subsequently encouraged him to give me more than just a quick peck. We kissed for a few moments, 10 seconds, maybe longer. It could have lasted a year with no objections from me.

Eventually, he had to release my chin and revert back into chef mode as he finished cooking our meal. A variety of spices joined the dish and gave off the wonderful smell of chili peppers. When it was all ready, Bjorn served me an incredible meal of shredded chicken tacos and black beans. Not exactly fine dining, but man was it delicious. I heard locks turning and our front door being opened when my dad entered through the door. Even he had to take a moment to breathe in the aroma of spices and compliment Bjorn on dinner. And since there was plenty left, my dad helped himself to a plate as well.

After dinner, Bjorn and I spent a few hours renewing our rivalry over video games. Every time I would start to catch up, he'd beat me again and manage to stay out of my reach. I would have settled for a tie, but Bjorn was always one step ahead. It was getting late and I hadn't asked my parents if he could stay over yet. I was just about to go downstairs and ask my dad when I heard the front door open. Various voices, including one very high pitched one, started to chatter in the living room below us.

"I guess my cousins are here." I said in a disgruntled huff.

"Cool! Let's go meet them." Bjorn shot up and started for the door. I was surprised that he was so eager to meet them.

I followed him out the door and shuffled down the stairs. In the living room, my mom was giving instructions to Jordan while my dad was flying Jackie, the six-year-old, around the room like an airplane. He was crying out in a shriek of boyish giggles as my dad made mock airplane noises. Jordan didn't seem to be nearly as joyful as his younger brother was; at least until he saw me. His gloomy expression lit up and he offered me a weak smile as I came up to greet them. He was about to say something, probably hello, when we were both taken back by another loud shriek from Jackie. I looked over just in time to see him charging at me as he yelled my name in glee.

"Keeeaaaton!" he exclaimed as he leapt through the air and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I let out an audible "oomph" as his body collided with mine. He was always very energetic, never shy, and crawling all over you if you didn't pay him any attention.

I ruffled the boy's sandy blonde hair and gave him a light squeeze to acknowledge him.

"What's up guys?" I casually asked. I then turned to Bjorn, who was nervously standing there, looking for an opportunity to introduce himself.

"Oh, and this is my... friend, Bjorn."

Both Jackie and Jordan looked at me with an expression of pure confusion. Was it something I said, I'm not sure.

Jackie answered my question though by attempting to sound out what he just heard.

"B... Bur... Yor... Burn?" He stammered with difficulty. I looked over at Bjorn, who was amused by his attempt. I mean you can't expect a six-year-old American boy, who only speaks English, to be able to pronounce Bjorn.

"Bee-Yorn?" Jordan exclaimed with equal amounts of difficulty.

"Close, Be-Yurn." I sounded out to the boys. Jordan was able to get it after a few times, but Jackie was still unable to say it consistently.

"Can I just call you Burn!? Ooh what about Bernie, can I call your Bernie!?" the younger boy cried.

"Sure, you can call me Bernie. So, what's your name?" Bjorn asked as he bent down to the younger boy's level.

"Jackie!" He exclaimed proudly, followed by a large toothy grin.

Jordan also stepped forward and introduced himself. I guess he wanted to seem cool and all grown up, because he extended his hand and offered to shake Bjorn's. Bjorn humored him and returned the handshake but afterwards he told him it was okay to just fist bump instead.

Jackie and Jordan were almost identical, aside from the age gap. They both had sandy blonde hair, brown eyes, and soft round faces. Jordan was the shy one while Jackie... Jackie was more like a firecracker.

"Keaton, help the boys take their stuff up to the guest room. They'll have to sleep on the couch tonight and tomorrow we'll buy a mattress; we've been meaning to get to that anyways." My ordered.

"They can sleep in my room. We'll make a pallet of blankets on the floor, I'm sure that would be better than the couch." I offered.

My mom and the boys didn't offer any resistance to my plan, so I took their stuff up to my room and started to pull out blankets and pillows for them. As they were unpacking, I quickly rushed down the stairs to ask my mom the big question.

"But it's a school night Keaton." She exclaimed with frustration.

"He's spent the night on school nights before! And he lives across the street; he'll be up and over to his house before I'm even done showering. I promise we won't stay up! Pleeease!" I begged. It was risky asking her now. They just agreed to let me go to Norway, I might be asking for too many things all at once.

"Keaton... fine, but both of you better be in bed by 10 o'clock, and if you're not, or if you're late to school, he's not spending the night again." My mother commanded. She sounded too tired to argue and gave in easily tonight.

"Yes! Thanks mom!" And just like that, I ran back upstairs to deliver the good news.

Bjorn was already getting acquainted with Jordan by breaking out the video games. Much to my surprise, Bjorn was losing in a game of Mortal Kombat. I couldn't believe it and apparently neither could he. Bjorn wasn't a poor sport, but you could see the shock in his expression as he was getting his butt kicked. Jordan never dished out any trash talk, but I had to seize the moment offer up some of my own.

Although, he didn't want to hear any of it, because my constant snickering was interrupted by him dropping the controller and tackling me on the bed. Normally, this would have looked a bit suspicious to older boys; but since Jackie and Jordan were still at that roughhousing age, they didn't hesitate to join in and wrestle. Not wishing to join the losing side, Jordan opted to help pin me down and attack my side while Bjorn sat on my legs. Jackie on the hand, full of confidence, jumped right onto Bjorn's back and attempted to pull him off me. He played along and allowed the younger boy to drag him off and gain a dominant position with his knees on his chest. When Jordan reached over to grab his brother, I sprang into action and flipped the boy onto his back. Just like that, my team was now winning. I high-fived Jackie and gave the young boy some congratulations, but he was so hyped up from the activities that I don't think he even heard me. He was just giggling wildly as Bjorn pretended to struggle underneath his weight. The boy probably weighed 40lbs soaking wet, but he was convinced that he had him pinned with no possible way to escape. To add to that, Bjorn dramatically surrendered to the boy and cried uncle so that he could escape. It was cute watching the two of them play, Bjorn seemed to like kids. It seems like most older boys, whether they be brothers or cousins or whatever, enjoy picking on little kids. I know they say it's normal for siblings to fight, but I don't understand why someone would be intentionally mean to their younger brothers or cousins. Sure, they can be annoying at times, but that doesn't give anyone the right to pick on them or beat them up.

Responding to all the noise, my dad came into the room and gazed upon the bed. There he saw four boys staring back at him, frozen still like statues. I was still holding Jordan down while Jackie was on top of Bjorn. My dad looked us over for a minute before shrugging his shoulders and closing the door shut. The four of us all started to laugh and pulled ourselves apart from each other. It was already getting late, definitely past Jackie's bedtime. So, I decided to put on a movie to try and calm everyone down. If Jackie is in one of his playful moods, you'll never get him to go to sleep.

The boys made a pallet of blankets on the floor and started to get comfortable. I didn't think it was appropriate to sleep naked, but underwear shouldn't be an issue. Bjorn followed my lead and undressed to his boxer briefs; Jordan followed suit and stripped down to his boxers. Jackie on the other hand, changed into a pair of Spiderman pajamas. His choice of superhero seemed to fit his personality perfectly. Like Spiderman's ability to shoot webs and swing from place to place, Jackie's energy that allowed him to basically bounce off the walls was a good match. Luckily, tonight he seemed to be a bit drained after the plane ride and quick wrestling match.

We all settled in, Bjorn and I in the bed, the boys on the floor. I put on one of the Avengers movies and scooted close to Bjorn. Since we were on the bed, the boys couldn't easily see us. I took this opportunity to kiss Bjorn goodnight. I know my mom said we can act normal, but I don't want to surprise the boys all at once by kissing him in front of them. It's better for me to just ease into that conversation instead.

It didn't take long for the two jet-lagged brothers to fall asleep. Once Bjorn noticed as well, he slipped his hand underneath the blanket and slipped it in between my thighs. While the thought certainly crossed my mind, I knew I had to decline this time. We both needed to sleep, and I wasn't willing to let the boys accidently catch us in a precarious situation like that. I turned to him and politely asked for him to just cuddle instead. He looked a little disappointed, but not surprised. He knew it was a long shot and I can't blame him for trying; but no, not tonight.

Eventually, we joined the boys in dreamland as we drifted to sleep. I hadn't thought about the possibility of one of the boys waking up first, so I didn't hesitate to let Bjorn hold me. I slept soundly until I felt the gentle push of Bjorn's hand on my arm. I could feel him gently shaking me awake and I prayed to all the gods in existence that it wasn't time to wake up already. I jerked a bit and sat up in bed, my eyes strained to see Bjorn in the darkness. The only source of light came from the TV, which was playing a loop of the Avengers DVD title screen. I glanced at the clock and noticed the time was only 1:52 am. Why the hell is he waking me up? I was about to question him when I heard a noise in the room; it was a soft whimper coming from the floor. I looked back to Bjorn, who was motioning me with his eyes to turn around. I did so, and could see the two boys still lying in their pallet. Jordan was sound asleep, but Jackie was curled in a ball and seemed to shake a bit.

I quickly swung my legs out of bed and crept over to the boy, he was awake and crying softly. I reached out and gently and stroked his arm. He was startled at first until he saw it was me.

"Hey buddy, what's up? Are you feeling okay?"

Turns out, he had a nightmare and wet himself. I wasn't used to being in this position, but I couldn't just let him lay there in soiled clothes and cry himself to sleep. I helped the younger boy up and brought him into the bathroom where I took off his clothes and tossed them into the hamper. Once I had the shower water going, I returned to the bedroom to fetch him some fresh clothes. Bjorn was barely awake but awake enough to ask how he was doing. I assured him that it was just a bad dream and I was helping him clean up. Bjorn got out of bed and hobbled out the door in search of something to drink downstairs. Jackie hopped in the shower on his own, but I still felt the need to check on him and make sure he was okay.

"Hey Jackie? Does your mom and dad still help you in the shower?" I asked as I approached the shower.

The door to the shower was open; the boy turned to me and nodded his head silently. I could tell he was embarrassed by this whole ordeal. I didn't have much choice since we didn't have a bathtub, I had to jump in and help him wash. I was exhausted, and I had to be up in a few hours, but it had to be done; plus, I felt bad for the boy. I dropped my underwear and stepped into the shower with Jackie. I grabbed a bottle of shampoo and squeezed the gel-like fluid into his hair. As I was working the shampoo into his hair, I realized there was no point to washing his hair; we were only in here because he wet himself. Oh well, best to not leave a job unfinished. "I'm not a baby." The young boy stated while I scrubbed his hair.

"I know, it was just an accident. And you know something else, I get nightmares too." I stated with pride to try and cheer the boy up.

"Really!? You get them too?"

"Yep, sure do. It happens from time to time, you don't need to be embarrassed."

I think the boy was starting to feel a little bit better now. We finished washing his body and I took him out the shower to dry off. There was a light knock on the bathroom door, I assumed it was Bjorn, so I called for him to come in. At first Jackie was really embarrassed when Bjorn came in; either because he was naked or because I still was. But Bjorn didn't make any comment or show surprise to our nakedness. Instead, he grabbed two towels and offered to dry Jackie off while I dried myself. Jackie got a big smile on his face and agreed to let Bjorn dry him. I guess he was enjoying all the attention he was getting; or maybe he just expected us to make fun of him for what happened, and he was surprised when we met him with kindness instead. Whatever the reason, he was all smiles now as we dried him off, dressed him, and took him back into the bedroom.

"Alright Jackie, let's get back in bed now." I urged as I pushed him towards the pallet of blankets.

"But Keaton, my blanket is wet." He whined.

"Oh, yes I guess it is."

"Can I sleep in the bed with you and Bernie?" He begged while pulling on my arm.

I wanted to say no, just because there wouldn't be a lot of room for all three of us. But looking down into his big brown eyes and hopeful face, I couldn't find the strength to object.

"Uh yes. Sure, I guess you can."

And just like that, Jackie ran and leapt onto our bed and climbed right in the middle. I glanced over at Bjorn and sighed deeply but he just giggled and patted my back out of reassurance. The two of us climbed into bed on opposite sides of the squirrely six-year-old and pulled the blankets up. After the shower, Jackie seemed to be more awake now and not exactly ready for bed. He squirmed and wiggled under the covers to get comfortable, but it wasn't working. If we didn't do something to make him fall asleep soon, we'll never get any sleep.

"Jackie, it's time for bed okay?"

"But I can't sleep Keaton." He whined insistently

Bjorn offered a solution to the both of us.

"If me and Keaton told you a bedtime story, would that help you fall asleep?"

"Yes! Please tell me a story, Pleeeaasee!!!"

I wasn't sure where Bjorn was going with this, I didn't know any bedtime stories. As it turns out, neither did he.

It started out with the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel, but since we didn't remember all the details of the original, we kind of made it up as we went along. In fact, it quickly became something so much more interesting.

"And then the red dragon swooped down from his perch at gingerbread mountain, breathing blue flames for all to see!" Bjorn declared while making swooshing noises to simulate the dragons flight.

"All of the villagers shouted in terror and ran from the mighty dragon... until..."

"Until what!" Jackie pleaded.

"Until the mighty warrior Hansel, and his clever apprentice Jackie, rushed to the aid of the villagers! They drew their candy cane swords and fended off the evil dragon!" I added, in a dramatic narrator's voice.

Needless to say, our version was much cooler. Jackie loved it too; actually, he loved it a bit too much. We had to tone it down as we went along and make it much more boring in order for him to settle down. Finally, after a half hour of me and Bjorn going back and forth, Jackie fell asleep. We were proud of ourselves. We singlehandedly avoided the crisis of Jackie's nightmare, cleaned him, and created an awesome story to put him to sleep. Sure, it was almost 3 am and I've got to be up in three hours, but we've conquered a six-year-old; and that was enough to put me to sleep with a smile on my face.

---

When the alarm started to screech at 6 am, it wasn't the worst wake up I've ever had. The worst wake up I ever had was Jackie's foot kicking me in the face. How the hell did he end up up-side down! I guess the alarm scared him and made his leg jerk involuntarily. This isn't the start to the day that I had hoped for, but it could be worse.

It got worse.

First, Bjorn had to leave and get ready for school at his house. Then, both the boys had long bathroom breaks which prevented me from showering my fresh bed head away. Also, and worst of all, we were out of coffee. Now I was in a rush, with no caffeine and no boyfriend to help me through it. My mother stopped me in the kitchen when she noticed the look of absolute despair on my face.

"You don't look so good baby boy." She uttered as she sipped the last cup of coffee in front of my face. I knew she wasn't trying to be, but she looked so smug with that cup of delicious morning fuel in her hands.

"I didn't sleep well." I muttered.

"I told you not to stay up late Keaton!"

"I didn't! Jackie woke us up late last night because he had an... accident. I'm tired, I need the boys to get out of the bathroom, so I can shower, and there is no coffee left." My voice trailed off in the end in almost incoherent whine. I almost started to cry. Not because I was sad, just this sudden stress assaulting my sleep deprived brain was hitting me harder than usual.

"Oh, well thank you for helping Jackie out." She looked down at her cup of coffee with a mix of guilt and heavy contemplation.

"You know, you've been through a lot these past couple days Keaty. The school was fine with you taking some time off after the... incident. Maybe you should take the day off. Recharge your batteries and spend some time with your cousins. There is plenty of time to make up the work later." My proclaimed as she set the mug down and stroked my hair gently.

Every bit of my stubborn mind wanted to object and go to school today; but just the simple action of her caressing my head had me falling asleep while standing up. Maybe it's best to just agree this time.

"Okay. I guess I can do that." I started to walk away slowly as I limped towards the stairs. Then I turned around after remembering I needed to make one last request from her. "Mom, can you buy more coffee today?" I mumbled just coherently enough for her to understand.

"Of course, sweetie. I'll get some today, now go up stairs and get some sleep."

I collapsed on the bed the moment I entered my room. I didn't bother getting under the blanket or taking my house clothes off. As soon as my face hit the soft fabric of my pillow case, I was unable to move any of my limbs. My mom came in briefly to tell my cousins that I needed rest and that they should come downstairs and spend some time with her. I never lifted my head to acknowledge any of them until I felt two small hands grip my arms and hug my back. I strained my neck in order to turn and see who it was. It was Jackie, who gave me a slight hug before joining my mom and Jordan on the stairs. He didn't say anything, he just hugged me and left. It warmed my heart a little bit to be on the receiving end of his affection. I guess it's his way of thanking me for last night. Not that I felt I needed a thank you, but it's appreciated regardless.

Damn, I almost forgot. I had to text Bjorn and let him know I wasn't coming. He responded within seconds to reassure me it was okay and that he'll stop by after school. Now that that's taken care of, I have the whole day to do whatever I want. The only thing on my mind was sleep, glorious sleep, and that's exactly what I did.

---

I got about two hours of sleep before I became too restless to stay in bed. It was enough to recharge me though, and since I was now awake, my mom had the opportunity to go to the store. Jackie was watching TV on the couch while Jordan played on his phone. They were capable of keeping themselves entertained, I guess. I've got to use this time to make good on my promise to my dad. Actually, I had already broken the promise by not mowing the lawn yesterday; but since he didn't notice, I'll mow it now.

I went out the back door and headed to the small tool shed where our old mower was housed. This John Deere has been with us for probably a decade now, at least I think that's what my dad said. It was one of the few big things they brought with us from Florida. I mowed plenty of yards back home, it's how I earned almost all my money. I knew the ins and outs of this mower like the back of my hand; so, it was no issue getting it fired up.

Actually, there was always an issue, just not one that I couldn't handle. Just push in the choke, tap the accelerator a few times, sometimes kick the side of motor and... voila! The motor turned over and the mower roared to life. A few chunks of grass from previous yards spit out the bottom, while the smell of gasoline drifted through the stuffy air of the small shed. I threw the mighty green monster into reverse and backed it out of the shed with the utmost precision. At least, I thought I was being precise, until I head the screams of a six-year-old boy behind me.

Out of fear, I immediately turned the engine off and turned around to check my surroundings. Jackie was in the backyard, but he was at least 15 feet away.

"Dude! Why are you out here!? Do you know how dangerous it is to be in the yard when someone is mowing!?" I was angry, but I was more so relieved. At least those screams were for attention and not because his foot got cut off. I'd hate to kill my cousin after only two days here. How can I be a good parent if I can't keep a child alive for more than 24 hours?

Jackie looked upset after being met with so much hostility. I hope he doesn't cry, I just wanted him to know not to be out here.

"I just wanted you to teach me." The young boy uttered as his gaze met the ground.

"Teach you what buddy?"

"To drive the tractor." He said plainly with the same melancholy tone as before.

Well I couldn't be upset now, the boy just wanted me to teach him something. I've never had the responsibility of teaching a six-year-old how to operate heavy machinery before. But I rode one with my dad around his age and drove one alone by the time I was nine, so I guess it's okay.

I motioned to Jackie for him to join me on the mower. I picked him up and placed him on the small section of seat in front of me. We were both small so he just barely fit. Together, we went through the steps of starting a mower and all the safety tips you would need to know to avoid killing yourself or someone else. He listened intently but I knew all he really cared about was driving the machine. I let him turn the key while I pressed on the choke, together we started the motor once again. Jackie was having the time of his life as we drove around the yard. We were having such a good time, I almost forgot to actually mow the damn thing. I dropped the blades and started to drive in nice even lines; it's not as much fun as just driving around, but all little boys really care about is loud motors. Jackie was no different, and loved just sitting there and occasionally holding the wheel still for me as we mowed. When the job was all said and done he started to beg me to let him drive the mower tomorrow. I didn't want to say no, but I couldn't say yes either, so I improvised.

"I'll tell you what. How about today we go swimming instead. We've got a nice big pool here and when Bjorn- I mean Bernie, gets home from school we can take turns tossing you in."

This seemed to sit well with him because he practically sprinted to the door to tell his brother that we were going swimming today. When I joined the boys indoors, Jackie was breaking the news. Jordan wasn't nearly as impressed though. He seemed to be more drawn to the YouTube videos on his phone. It's going to be tougher to get to him than Jackie; but I'm sure ill figure something out. Maybe I- I mean Bjorn, can teach him how to surf. What kid wouldn't want to learn that?

Unfortunately, Jackie was now riled up and I didn't plan on swimming until Bjorn got home from school. I've got to find a way to keep him occupied for the next few hours.

"Hey Keaton, the blanket upstairs smells like piss." Jordan suddenly announced while he kept his eyes glued to his phone screen.

"Oooh, Jordan said a bad word!" Jackie added.

I can admit, I was a bit taken back by his language, but I guess he just wants to seem cool in front of his older cousin.

"Oh, does it? Well, I'll go wash it, sorry about that."

I forgot about the damn blanket. I hope Jackie doesn't tear the house down while I do some laundry. As I climbed the stairs the phone in my pocket started vibrating. It was my mom trying to call me.

"Hey honey, how's it going?"

"Good, I just finished mowing the lawn."

"Well that's great honey but you're supposed to be relaxing. Also, you can't leave Jackie alone for too long, he'll find something to destroy." My mom said jokingly, but it was more fact than fiction.

"It's okay, I let him ride on the mower with me."

She was less than impressed by this statement. Apparently, it wasn't safe for him to be out there without an adult.

"I'll be 14 tomorrow, mom. I can handle Jackie, trust me." I said with the utmost confidence.

"Okay mister man, if you're so grown up, how about you make the boy's lunches? Better yet, you'll be their full-time babysitter while they're here; except when you're at school of course. If you do a good job, nothing gets destroyed and no one gets hurt, I'll pay you for it."

I laughed in the face of this so-called challenge. I could do this in my sleep. Jackie was the only one who needed real attention. Jordan will just keep playing on his phone while I keep the little monster contained. It'll be a breeze.

"Too easy mom, I accept your challenge. I'm already counting the money in my head." I said smugly.

Suddenly, I heard some yelling downstairs that prompted me to quickly end our conversation. I rushed my mom off the phone and shuffled back down the stairs to find the boys arguing over something. The arguing escalated when Jackie, red-faced and nearly crying, lunged at Jordan, and attempted to hit him. Jordan defended himself by grabbing his younger brother and tossing him off the couch and onto the hard floor. Within seconds, the house was filled with the wails of a crying six-year-old. I looked on with absolute horror as I realized the challenge ahead of me. These two might be more difficult than I previously thought. Still, I can handle this...

I hope.

---

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