Oliver had been living with his dad and his siblings for a week now, and he had to admit, it wasn't as bad as he had feared, but better than he had hoped.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9b1UbZ9ebR
He had his own room, which was bigger than his old one, and filled with cool stuff, like a second gaming console, a laptop, and a skateboard. He had access to his dad's pool, gym, and home theater, which he shared with his siblings. He had a chauffeur, who drove him to school and back, and a maid, who cooked and cleaned for him. He had everything he could ever want, and more.
But he also had something he didn't expect: another family.
His dad, Ashton, was a busy man, but always made time for his children. He took them to work with him sometimes, and showed them his projects and inventions. He took them to parties and events, and introduced them to his friends and colleagues.
He took them to fun places, like amusement parks, museums, and zoos, in the weekends. He was always kind, generous, and supportive, and he never raised his voice or scolded them, unless they really did something wrong.
His siblings, Ashlyn and Draco, were also amazing. They were older than him, yet treated him like an equal. They taught him new things, like how to play chess, guitar, or soccer. They played with him, watched movies with him, and told him jokes and stories. Although they had minor quarrels at times, it was all a part of sibling life, and he knew it.
Oliver felt happy, and grateful, for his new life. He felt like he belonged, like he was part of something bigger than himself.
But he also felt guilty, and conflicted, for his old life. He missed his mom, and his sister. He wondered how they were doing, and if they were okay. He wondered if they missed him, if he would ever see them again.
He wanted to call them, or text them, but he didn't know how. He didn't know their phone numbers, or anything, and was too afraid to ask his dad for help contacting them. He felt like he had lost them, like they were strangers to him. He felt like he had betrayed them.
He didn't know what to do, or how to feel. He was torn between two worlds, two families, two lives.
He was Oliver Winters, and he was Oliver Wylde.
And he didn't know who he was.
|•|•|•|
One afternoon, he was seated at his table, doodling in his social studies textbook when he was supposed to be studying. The atmosphere was quiet, as always, save for the faint scream of "DELEGATES, DECORUM!" coming from his sister's room every ten minutes. She was tensed, as any budding chairperson would be if everyone was talking non-stop in the middle of an important zoom conference, whether it was related to Model United Nations or not. But he learnt to ignore it.
- “Whatcha doing, bro?” Draco asked, walking into the room.
Oliver turned around on his chair. "Social studies... all this 'brother-in-law' stuff makes no sense..." he complained, frowning at his textbook.
"Reminds me of a story Uncle Jayden told me, about our parents," Draco said, walking into the room. He sat on the edge of Oliver's bed, and grinned.
Jayden. Oliver had heard the name before. He just couldn't place it though.
"Who's that?" he asked, curious.
"Dad's little brother. When dad and mom were the worst of enemies in ninth grade, their little brothers, Leo, mom's brother, and Jayden were the best of friends, in third grade. They had just learnt about this same system of in-laws, and hatched a brilliant scheme to get our parents together, simply to become brothers-in-law," Draco explained, chuckling.
"I remember now! Uncle Leo told me that story once. But he was sworn to secrecy too," Oliver said, recalling the conversation he had with his mom's brother. "Turns out it worked... ish."
"I've never met him before, just like you've never met Uncle Jayden. He's the best though, you have to meet him someday," Draco said, wistful.
"Nah, Leo's better," Oliver teased, sticking out his tongue.
A third voice yelled from the other room. "Both of you children shut up! A, everyone knows Aunt Kaitlynn sends the best gifts, and B, I have work to do here," Ashlyn shouted, annoyed by the noise. She was busy with a group project at school and she needed silence.
"True that..." Draco grumbled, and whispered into his little brother's ear, "She's dad's sister." He winked, and nudged him.
Oliver nodded, and smiled. He liked his new family, even if they were loud and crazy. He felt like he belonged.
