I open the door to our house and Samy rushed past me. "Hey!" I glance towards the door where all of our shoes inhabit. Rolling her eyes she walks back over, throwing her shoes off. I unlace my boots and neatly set them near the door, then doing the same to Samy's shoes. I stand back up and stretch, my shoulders and back making satisfying popping noises. I sigh in relief. "Stacia? Is that you hon?" My mom calls from the kitchen. The smell of stew fills the air. I walk in and see Samy already assuming her place next to mom. "I'm making broth stew, you hungry?" She gestures towards the pot and my stomach growls. We've never really been able to afford better food, let alone good in general. Me and dad have been the bread-winners of the house since Ma's accident. Samy even started working recently to help us pay bills. "No its okay ma. I'm not that hungry. You and sam can have my portion." I walk around the counter and wrap my arms around her, giving her a hug. "Okay hon...just let me know if you change your mind." She looks at me skeptically. Even through sickness she still holds a certain beauty. A fragile beauty. She needs the food more than I do. I walk out of the kitchen and back into the hallway, looking for the mail. I smack my head realizing nobody grabbed it. I open the front door and walk back into the crisp cool night air. A slight breeze ripples the tress surrounding our house. The smell of summer fills the air. "Hey Stac! Look what I caught!" His voice echos throughout the darkness. "Eew Chuck! Get that away from me!" I yelled, laughing as he shoved a frog into my face. I blink rapidly. Brought back to reality yet again. As soon as it had come, the memory disappeared. A sudden chill runs down my spine. I pick up my pace towards the mailbox and grab whatever its contents are. I scurry back up the walkway to my house, his voice still whispering in the back of my mind. I open the front door and glance behind me. I shut the door with a satisfying click.
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