Brother, Sister (Plotbunny Response!)
Title: Brother, Sister
Author: Mara
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Ryan tries to explain the family dynamics to a curious Sophie Rose.
Notes: Idea from yessi_5, who posted the bunny on oc_plotbunnies... I was gonna think about it overnight, but... I decided to just post... sometimes I think too much... lol...
Brother, Sister
Ryan was helping clean up the backyard after Sophie Rose's sixth birthday when she came over and tugged on his pant leg. He turned and smiled as he crouched down. "What can I do for you, birthday girl?" he asked, tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"You're really my brother, right?" Sophie Rose asked.
"Of course I am," Ryan said. "Why?"
"Mikey said that cause you don't call mommy and daddy 'mom' and 'dad' like me and Seth, and you don't have the same last name as us, you're not really my brother," Sophie Rose said, tears forming in her eyes.
Ryan took a deep breath and let it out, then sat down in a chair and pulled his little sister into his lap. "It's... it's kind of complicated," he said.
"But you are my brother, right?" she asked again, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Ryan sighed. "A long time ago, years before you were born, I had different parents," he began. "But... they weren't really good at being parents. My mother didn't... she couldn't take care of me, she didn't really want me most of the time. And one day, she said I couldn't live with her anymore. I had nowhere to go, no one to help me, and that's when your mom and dad helped me. They let me move in with them and Seth."
"So you're not my brother?" Sophie Rose said.
"Family isn't just what you were born into," Ryan said, trying to figure out how to explain it. "Family is the people who love you. And... my mom and dad weren't very good at the loving me part. But your mom and dad... they are really good at it. And that makes me their son, and it makes me you and Seth's brother." he paused to rest his chin on the top of her head. "I may not call them mom and dad, but they are my parents. And you are really my sister. Ask any of my friends, who all last week kept hearing about how my baby sister was turning 6 and almost all grown up!"
Sophie Rose giggled slightly and wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck. "I love you," she said.
"I love you, too," Ryan said. "Now, can I get back to helping our parents clean up?" he asked.
"I'll help!" Sophie Rose said, jumping off his lap to grab some of the napkins.
"No, birthday girls aren't allowed to work," Ryan said. "Go play, I'll clean up."
"Then can you play with me?" Sophie Rose asked. "I want you to help me with the puzzle you got me!"
Ryan smiled. "Sure, I'll be inside soon," he said.
As Sophie Rose ran inside, she went right past Sandy and Kirsten, who were both standing in the doorway and had overheard Ryan's explaination. "We've got good kids," Sandy said quietly.
"Yeah, we do," Kirsten replied, going out to help Ryan. She squeezed her son's shoulder before going around to grab the other end of the tablecloth so they could fold it.
The End
Author: Mara
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Ryan tries to explain the family dynamics to a curious Sophie Rose.
Notes: Idea from yessi_5, who posted the bunny on oc_plotbunnies... I was gonna think about it overnight, but... I decided to just post... sometimes I think too much... lol...
Brother, Sister
Ryan was helping clean up the backyard after Sophie Rose's sixth birthday when she came over and tugged on his pant leg. He turned and smiled as he crouched down. "What can I do for you, birthday girl?" he asked, tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"You're really my brother, right?" Sophie Rose asked.
"Of course I am," Ryan said. "Why?"
"Mikey said that cause you don't call mommy and daddy 'mom' and 'dad' like me and Seth, and you don't have the same last name as us, you're not really my brother," Sophie Rose said, tears forming in her eyes.
Ryan took a deep breath and let it out, then sat down in a chair and pulled his little sister into his lap. "It's... it's kind of complicated," he said.
"But you are my brother, right?" she asked again, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Ryan sighed. "A long time ago, years before you were born, I had different parents," he began. "But... they weren't really good at being parents. My mother didn't... she couldn't take care of me, she didn't really want me most of the time. And one day, she said I couldn't live with her anymore. I had nowhere to go, no one to help me, and that's when your mom and dad helped me. They let me move in with them and Seth."
"So you're not my brother?" Sophie Rose said.
"Family isn't just what you were born into," Ryan said, trying to figure out how to explain it. "Family is the people who love you. And... my mom and dad weren't very good at the loving me part. But your mom and dad... they are really good at it. And that makes me their son, and it makes me you and Seth's brother." he paused to rest his chin on the top of her head. "I may not call them mom and dad, but they are my parents. And you are really my sister. Ask any of my friends, who all last week kept hearing about how my baby sister was turning 6 and almost all grown up!"
Sophie Rose giggled slightly and wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck. "I love you," she said.
"I love you, too," Ryan said. "Now, can I get back to helping our parents clean up?" he asked.
"I'll help!" Sophie Rose said, jumping off his lap to grab some of the napkins.
"No, birthday girls aren't allowed to work," Ryan said. "Go play, I'll clean up."
"Then can you play with me?" Sophie Rose asked. "I want you to help me with the puzzle you got me!"
Ryan smiled. "Sure, I'll be inside soon," he said.
As Sophie Rose ran inside, she went right past Sandy and Kirsten, who were both standing in the doorway and had overheard Ryan's explaination. "We've got good kids," Sandy said quietly.
"Yeah, we do," Kirsten replied, going out to help Ryan. She squeezed her son's shoulder before going around to grab the other end of the tablecloth so they could fold it.
The End