The little girl crashes into my legs and I scoop her up just in time before Annalee can grab her.
"Who am I saving you from?" I spin around and plop Everly down so her butt is sitting on the island counter. I wait for my brother to say “tables are for glasses not asses” like he normally would when I hop up there, but he keeps quiet. Apparently that rule only applies to adults.
"The tickle monster." She points to Annalee who is wiggling her fingers like she does in fact wants to tickle Everly.
"Not the tickle monster," I tease. "How do we defeat the tickle monster?" I innocently ask Everly, then wait to see how she wants this game to go.
From the corner of my eye, I can see a smirk on my brother's face.
"We tickle it back." Everly squeals just seconds before a similar sound comes from Annalee.
I don't have to see to know she’s taken off back the way she came. I can hear her footsteps like an elephant traipsing through the grassland.
"Then let's go." I swing Everly back down to the floor. As soon as her feet hit the tile, she's off like a rocket, chasing after Annalee.
Because I can't resist watching this scene unfold, I chase after both of them. I find them in the living room, Annalee on her back, kicking her feet and laughing hysterically while Everly does her best to straddle my soon-to-be sister-in-law. Her little fingers tickle along Annalee's neck as she too laughs like a hyena.
I jump right into the fray and pretend to tickle Annalee right alongside Everly.
Everyone in the room, including Owen, is laughing uncontrollably. And damn it feels good to let loose that way.
Minutes later, Annalee calls for a truce and both Everly and I fall to the floor gasping for air.
"I hungry," Everly informs us after she catches her breath. Annalee, being the great person she is, offers to take Everly to the kitchen to get her whatever she wants.
I wait until the two of them have left the living room before I look over at my brother and find him smirking again.
"What's that look for?" I have a feeling I know why he's smiling, but I ask anyway.
"You're great with her, you know that?"
I turn my head toward the kitchen. Even though I can't see her, I know who he's talking about.
"It took some time to get used to each other, but she's a great kid." They all are actually. The more time I spend with them, the more I see just how amazing they really are.
"I was worried at first."
I tilt my head and lift my eyebrows in a silent question for him to explain what he means.
"You being a nanny. I was worried about how well that would work, but I see I had nothing to worry about. You're great for those kids."
I feel the red climb up my cheeks and I don't know what to say.
"You've grown up, kid. I didn't want to see it before, but it's true. You're going to make a great mom someday."
Now I just want to cry. He never gets this sentimental on me. I can even feel the tears pricking my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I don’t want to weird him out. My brother doesn’t handle weeping sisters very well. Instead, I give a very unladylike snort. "You're getting mushy in your old age."
Owen laughs. "Annalee has that effect on me."
I nod my head because I know it's true. I've seen such a change in him now that he's found her. Before he was stuffy, and he took his role as the head of the family far too seriously. Now there’s a bit of playfulness peeking through his overprotectiveness.
"I like her a lot."
My brother looks longingly in the direction of the kitchen. "So do I."
We stay like that for a little while, enjoying the comfortable silence until Annalee and Everly come back into the room. I glance at my phone to see what time it is and realize we need to head out.
Everly is starting to rub her eyes and graces us with a huge yawn. I take that as the perfect opportunity to say, "We better get going."
