Natalie’s arm tightened slightly around my shoulders. I turned my head to see tears skidding across her cheeks.
“I think we should remember these stories… but let them be the past. We should think about now. Look where we came from – three pairs of lost girls. But look where we are now – the six of us. We’re a family,” I murmured, drawing faint smiles from the rest of them.
“Cass can be mom!” squealed Sami playfully, ruffling Cass’s red hair, and Ali laughed, still cuddling Prim. Cass ducked out from Sami’s attacking hand, giggling. Prim yawned, tried and failed to hide it, and sniggered. Cass rolled her eyes.
“Well, if I ‘mom’… it’s bedtime, you lot!” she half-growled playfully.
“But I’m not sleepy!” I whined.
“Bed!” ordered Cass.
“Aw… Just five more minutes? Please mom?” Cass glared at me, but she was smirking.
“Crysta. Bed. Now.” I pulled a face, and crawled grumpily into the tent Nat and I were sharing before bursting into uncontrollable giggles, hearing five other voices join in.
Not one of us had a happy past. No-one knows their future. All we can do is live in the moment, and if you lose your family, find yourself a new family, a family you choose.
Just like my friends. My sisters.