The Life - Rebirth (The Life 4)

“Oh Lance, we didn’t mean to. It’s just that there’s so much going on. Gabe keeps disappearing, Ma has been spaced out sometimes, and Pop seems worried all the time. Then those two show up claiming to be my brother’s brother and sister, and why do they look more like Gabe than we do?”

Now we’re getting into dangerous territory. I don’t recall when or who had mentioned Gabe being adopted by his dad. It could’ve been Gabe himself. But it has been so long that I somehow forgot. Plus, the way Unc treats his son, it’s hard to remember that they’re not blood.

Whatever the story is between his mother and his bio-dad, I haven’t a clue, but I get the feeling that it’s not good. I wouldn’t dare go digging my nose in because I know that Gabe or Unc will tell me when the time is right. But these two don’t have much patience.

“I think we should let the adults tell us in their own time. In the meantime, your brother is the one who sent them here for their protection because he’s expecting us, his family, to do this for him. So come on, don’t let your last year at home before going away to university be like this.”

“We’re not going.” Shit! Anna was back to pouting, and I know the arms crossed thing with the long bottom lip means trouble. Rosa, of course, followed her lead.

“What do you mean you’re not going?”

“We aren’t. Since Gabe gets to stay home and do his classes online, I don’t see why we can’t.”

“But you’ve always wanted to live on campus.”

“We don’t care; we’re not going.”

“Are you really that afraid that she’s going to take your place?” Their silence made my gut hurt.

I hate that they feel like this, that their usual confidence has been shaken.

“Plus, Gia just came back with the babies, our niece and nephews will grow up fast, and we’ll be the only ones to miss it.”

“So you plan on doing online classes, okay does your dad know?” Though I’m pretty sure he’d jump at the chance to keep them both here.

“We haven’t told him yet, and you better not either. We’ll bring it up when we think the time is right.”

“I won’t say a word. Now, do you promise to take it easy on Natalia?”

“That’s up to you.”

“What do you mean, Rosa?” I noticed lately that she’d become just as ornery as her sister. Usually, she’s the coolest head out of the bunch, but I don’t know; the sight of Natalia has made them both damn near rabid.

“We mean that if you want us to be nice to her, to accept her and not kill her in her sleep, then there have to be some boundaries.” I sat back in my chair to listen.

“Go on, what are these boundaries?”

“If we’re doing something together and she calls, you don’t just drop us and run to her side.”

Ah-ha, so that’s the bee under their bonnets. “What if it’s an emergency?”

“She has her brother with her; let him take care of it. Or I don’t know, gramps and nana are like their new guardians or something. I don’t see why you have to play the knight in shining armor each time she calls.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes, you’re not allowed to like her more than us.” Anna was actually crying when she yelled this, and for the first time, I realized that although they’re strong and brave, they’re still human and young, and these two have never had to deal with any type of opposition before in their lives.

“I can never like anyone more than you two. I’ve already told you no one can take your place, and I’m surprised that you could even think that.” I felt bad because I never stopped to think about their feelings. When Natalia first started contacting me, which was only a few days ago, I didn’t think anything of it. Like I said to Unc and Gabe, as far as I’m concerned, if she’s Gabe’s sister, then I will treat her the way I’m supposed to.

There was never any division between the twins and me, and though I don’t see Natalia quite the same way I see Anna and Rosa, how can I? I still accept her as his sister even though I don’t know the whole story. I know how attached the four of us are and have always been, so maybe I should’ve expected this, but for some reason, I didn’t.

It hurts me that I’ve hurt them, and wouldn’t you know, my phone went off just then, and it was, of course, Natalia. I had a choice to make, but there was no competition, not with these two feeling neglected like this. So, I looked at the phone and put it away without answering. I’m not sure how they guessed it was her, but from the look on their faces, they knew. The fact that they shared a secret smile with each other when I didn’t answer solidified that belief.