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Frater Sororque Semper- Iris, Mistel

Written by hopeandalexander, illustration by ribbonreverse

Synopsis:

Losing your parents at a young age is hard. Living with caretakers who seemed bothered by your existence is even harder. It gets easier if you have someone by your side; someone who cares about more than anything in the world. Iris and Mistel only have each other to keep themselves company as their caretakers take them through life. They learn about themselves and that nothing is set in stone, that their future is in their hands regardless of what others say.

“Oh, the poor things…”

“Losing their parents so young…”

“What’s going to happen to them?”

“I don’t know…”

The rain couldn’t cover their whispered thoughts. The crowd of people in black all had their eyes on the children standing before two graves. Sympathy laced their voices and it struck her heart like tiny pinpricks of ice. These were words she didn’t want to hear. She wanted to hear her parents, laughing and holding her close, saying it was a joke and that they were fine.

This was a wish that would never come true.

Mistel hugged her neck with his chubby arms. He fussed and buried his face into her hair. Adults were saying that he was too young to understand what was going on, but Iris knew he did. No matter how young or old a child was, they knew when their parents were gone. Mistel was no exception and she knew that he was a smart child. Of course he knew that his parents have died and weren’t coming back.

The group of humanized crows dispersed as the minutes flew by. All that remained were Iris, Mistel… and another couple.

They approached the children and Iris could feel an air of resentment. It made her feel worse than before. The way they looked at them with eyes that could stop a tiger from wanting to pounce.

This couple would be their new caretakers.

“Come, children. We should be getting home now,” the woman mentioned, holding her hand out for Iris to take. “You both could use a good washing to get this terrible day over with.”

Iris didn’t like how she said that. She may be young, but she felt like she deserved to have some time to mourn her parents passing. What kind of monster would want to make her move on so fast? If it was a sign of things to come, Iris should bolt right now and hide out somewhere. Perhaps in a museum. There was one nearby and she could make it there in no time.

Mistel fussed in her arms, threatening to cry out at any moment. There wouldn’t be any time to run away. With so many essentials needed, it would be impossible. She would need to return in a matter of hours if she did. And her arms were getting tired from holding Mistel.

With a heavy heart, she reached out for the woman’s hand and grasped it in her own. The man took Mistel from her, which made him cry out and fuss immediately. She dared a quick look at their new caretakers faces and found them scrunched up in disgust. If they didn’t like children, why did they volunteer to take them in? Did they feel obligated after their parents deaths?

Her parents wouldn’t have wanted her to judge by character like this. Perhaps they were just tired from today’s events and they would be warmer to them in the morning.

This is what she told herself as they got into their car and drove away from the cemetery.

~*~*~

Some time during the drive, Iris fell asleep. Her new caretakers shook her awake, hardly gentle at all. Mistel was already in the older woman’s arms as they climbed the steps to the building. Something clicked within her, a feeling that made it unbearable to see him away from her. Her limbs felt heavy as she climbed out of the car and tried to run after them. They refused to move fast, making her appear sluggish and ready to fall over from exhaustion. Climbing up the stairs proved to be the more difficult than she had hoped. Luckily, the woman and Mistel, who was fussing in her arms, hadn’t moved from their place at the top of the stairs.

“I can… I can take him from you, if you would like…” Iris spoke, holding her arms out for Mistel. Please give him to me. You don’t want to hold him anyway…she thought to herself, hoping that it didn’t read on her face.

“You’re much too tired to hold him yourself,” the woman replied, staring down at her. “Although, I do expect you to bathe him. Are you too tired to do that?”

“No, ma'am. I can do that just fine.”

“Hm.”

Her husband climbed up the steps and unlocked the door for them. Iris wasn’t sure what to expect from their living quarters. She saw the long winding stairs that lead to the upper floors and prayed that she wouldn’t have to climb them. Her prayers were short lived as the couple started to ascend the daunting staircase. Iris followed them, her feet hurting with every step she took.

With each flight, she hoped that they reached the destined floor but they kept climbing. By the time they reached the top, Iris was exhausted. Mistel’s cries of distress were louder than before. When she looked at the woman, she could see she was uncomfortable with holding him now. In any moment, she would expect the woman to hand Mistel over to her. She hoped that she would.

The husband opened the only door on the floor and led their noisy group into the flat. Iris remembered her old home. How her parents filled it with flowers and books with walls the color of the sky on a cloudless day. This flat was bland with white walls and decorated with gray painted furniture. Flowers decorated a table near the door, but Iris realized they were fake as she passed them. The living area was just as bland with it’s white walls and gray couch. Even the rug in front of the TV, the only piece of color in the room, was white.

It was so clean and neat, Iris wasn’t sure how they expected two children to live here. Especially Mistel, who could be a messy little boy at times.

“Are you hungry?” the woman asked over Mistel’s screaming. Iris wasn’t sure if she was talking to her or to her brother.

“Would you like me to feed him, ma'am?” she asked, her arms once again waiting for Mistel to drop in them. The woman didn’t hesitate plopping him in her arms then straightening out her own dress. Once Mistel realized who was holding him, he quieted down to just soft sounds. He looked up at his sister with big eyes that resembled their mothers so well.

“I’ll cook you up something, then. Before that, you two should take a bath,” the woman said, smoothing the last of the wrinkles of her dress. Her heels clicked on the hard wood floor as she walked down a hallway, not bothering to see if Iris followed. She did, not wanting to anger the woman who may just as well be her new mother. She opened the second door to their left, revealing a white bathroom. “You’ll find all you need under the sink. My husband bought some… bubble bath for you two. Try not to make a mess.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Iris said, holding Mistel closer. The woman stayed in the bathroom, watching them; analyzing them. It made her feel uncomfortable and even Mistel started to fuss just a bit more.

The woman sniffed, tilting her head up. “I’ll bring in some clean clothes for you two.” With that, she walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

When it closed, Iris felt at ease and Mistel quieted down. She didn’t think they were bad people, but she didn’t believe that they wanted them around. It made her wonder why they took them in. What kind of relationship did they have with their parents? Now that Iris thought about it, she couldn’t remember seeing them over for dinner or to speak to parents. There were so many other friends that her parents had who were warm and welcoming to them. They were always willing to play or give them a sweet every now and then. So who were they?

“Iris…”

Mistel hadn’t talked in days since they told her about her parents death. It was so good to hear his cute voice. “It’s going to be okay, Mistel,” she cooed, plugging up the tub and turning the facets on. She set Mistel down, allowing him to stand on his own two feet with her support. “We’re going to be fine.” At this point, she wasn’t sure if she was telling it for his benefit or her own.

They bathed in a rush, Iris putting only a few bubbles in for Mistel’s benefit. When she pulled them both out, she found clothes resting on the lid of the toilet seat. When their caretaker brought it in, she didn’t know. After she dressed them both, she picked Mistel up again and brought him out of the bathroom. Her feet made soft sounds as she went down the hallway to the adults. The smell of cooked food reached her and her stomach growled. Iris couldn’t remember the last time she ate.

As she walked into the dining room, she noticed a high chair in the white room and a small plate of food waiting for her. The woman was at the sink, washing dishes. Iris took the time to put Mistel in the high chair, making sure the straps were secure. “Ma'am, do you want me to feed him?”

“I can handle it. I’m not comfortable with you calling me that all the time,” she turned around, drying her hands on her apron. “I don’t want you to call me ‘mom’, either… It’s a bit too soon for that.” She looked over to the side, a thoughtful look on her face. “Call me Margery for the time being. I don’t believe that children should call adults by their first name but… I’ll make an exception, just this once.”

“Yes, Margery,” Iris said. The words felt heavy and strange as they rolled off her tongue and out into the open air. She wasn’t sure if this was something she would ever get use it.

“My husband said that you can call him Henry,” Margery said as she rummaged through Mistel’s baby bag. “So you don’t need to fret about that.” Pulling out a small container of baby food, she walked over to the table and took a seat near the high chair. “Well, you should go on ahead and eat. You must be hungry.”

Iris sat down at the table and picked up a fork to start to eat. It was just spaghetti, but it just tasted off to her. For now, she chalked it up to the days events and how awkward she felt here in Margery and Henry’s home. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Margery fed Mistel. Mistel was a bit fussy with the meal, but took it after a few tries. She waited for Margery to lose her patience, but she never did.

They finished eating and Margery was quick to clean up the plates. “Tomorrow, we will have to go to your home and bring your things here; both yours and Mistel. You don’t mind sharing a room with him for now, do you?”

“Not at all.”

“Good. We only have our office room left and we are going through the process of moving things around. It may be some time before you can get your own room.”

“I’ll be fine rooming with Mistel for as long as you want,” Iris assured again, bowing her head.

Margery looked down at her, lifting her nose up. Did Iris say something wrong? Was she too polite? Then why was she looking at her like this? Margery didn’t keep the eye contact for long. She grabbed a wet paper towel and started to clean both Mistel and the high chair up. After cleaning, she tossed the towel out and moved back to the sink.

“Your bedroom is the door after the bathroom. It’s all set up for you both,” Margery said, her back facing them.

Iris took Mistel out of the high chair and held him close. “Goodnight, Margery,” she said, padding back down the hallway. She wasn’t sure if Margery returned the farewell or not. Reaching the door, she opened it and stepped inside. Once again, the feeling of uneasiness passed. She felt safe.

Looking around the room, she found it to filled with at least a bit more color than the rest of the house. Some pastel greens and yellows. This must be the only happy place in the entire flat. Iris placed Mistel on the bed and wandered around, looking for extra sheets. When she found them, she rolled them up and placed it on one side of the bed, a few inches from the edge. It would keep from Mistel from rolling off the bed at night. She saw her mother do this a few times when she wanted to nap with him and keep him safe.

Iris jumped into the bed and took hold of Mistel, bringing him up to the pillow and tucking him in. She laid down beside him, feeling the days exhaustion envelop her like a warm blanket. Even Mistel yawned and buried his face in the pillow, ready to fall asleep with her.

And soon, she did.

~*~*~

The sun woke her, momentarily blinding her. Iris didn’t even notice that the blinds were open last night. She was so tired that her senses were all skewed. Now that she had slept with a full stomach, her mind was clear to think.

Her parents were gone.

They were gone and they weren’t coming back.

No amount of wishing was going to bring them back.

Not even if she found a magic lamp with a genie in it or a mermaid trapped in a net that would grant her a wish if she set her free.

They were gone.

And she cried.

Iris let it all out until she felt dried up. She was finally a mess of broken sobs, shaking under the warm covers. Mistel woke up just in time, fussing for his own reasons. She picked up her mother-like instincts and dried her face with her hands. She was quick to change Mistel’s diaper and returned to laying in the bed with him. She wasn’t sure when Margery would wake them up, but she wanted to enjoy just a little bit more of peace until then.

Two hours passed and Margery finally knocked on the door before stepping in. “You’re awake. I would have thought you would bother us the moment you woke up.” Her noise scrunched up, likely from the smell of the diaper she changed. “Breakfast is ready. We’ll be heading to your old home right before lunch.”

Old home. The words echoed in her head and it twisted her heart and stomach into a knot. She didn’t want to think of it as her “old home.” Then again, there were many things she didn’t want to think about. Iris had to face them or she would never move on. “I understand. Mistel and I will be out soon.”

Margery nodded her head and left the room, leaving the door open. Mistel cuddled close to Iris and played with her hair. If they were late for breakfast, Iris didn’t want to imagine what Margery would do. With a heavy sigh, she got out of bed and lifted Mistel up into her arms. She made her way back to the kitchen, finding only Margery there at the table. Her meal left untouched and there was a plate waiting for Iris, a bowl for Mistel in his high chair.

Her caretaker helped her sit Mistel in the high chair and they took their seats. It was porridge and waffles, a breakfast idea that never occurred to Iris. She started to eat when Margery did, who was waiting for her. Every now and then, both Iris and her took turns feeding Mistel so that the other could eat.

“I do have some good news for you, Iris, dear,” Margery spoke. She brought a napkin to her lips and wiped them. “You should be able to attend the same school as before. Henry has looked it up and found that we’re in the schools district.” She cleaned up their plates, bringing them over to the kitchen. “Which is good news since you won’t have to miss out on your education.”

“Who will watch over Mistel?” Iris asked. School was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She expected to have a few days away from school to grieve for her parents, but Margery had other plans. If she could find a loop hole, then she could stay here with Mistel until she was ready.

“I will. I’m capable of raising children.”

Iris wasn’t sure if Margery ever had children. For some reason, she had her doubts. “Okay…”

After cleaning everything (even Mistel), Margery brought them to the living room. Iris finally looked at a clock for the first time since the day before yesterday. It was already ten in the morning. It seemed so much later. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to head back to her “old home”. She didn’t want to find out how little of her stuff Margery would be willing for her to keep.

“There’s some toys for Mistel, I suppose you could watch some TV, as long as it’s proper,” she said. “I’ll be working on cleaning up the office down the hall. Find me if you need anything.”

Margery left without saying another word. Iris looked at the basket of toys and pulled out a windup caterpillar and ducks on a string. He took to them immediately, rolling or pulling the ducks around. She sat on the couch and watched him. She thought about what things she bring and what she had no choice to leave behind. Would Margery expect her to leave her childhood memories behind? It must be so.

“Iris!”

She jumped and Margery stood before her, holding Mistel who looked at her. “Y-yes?”

“It’s time for us to go. Go on and get dressed,” Margery said. Mistel was already dressed, most likely when Iris was so lost in her thoughts.

“I’m sorry. I’ll get dressed right away,” Iris said, stepping off the couch. She did so and met the two at the door.

And off they were to her parents old home.

~*~*~

There was nothing she disliked about her home. The way it looked with the flowers her mother had planted in the flower boxes by the windows and the garden. She could see the iris flowers her mother planted in the flower box at her bedroom window. She saw the misteltoe she planted on the ground level of their home. It aligned well with Mistel’s window on the second floor. It wasn’t even grown yet; she wondered if it ever will, now that someone new might be buying their home. Perhaps they would uproot it if it got too big.

She loved the pastel pink gate that she had helped her father paint three years ago. She loved the pathway leading up to their front door. If she were to walk to the back, she would find the tire swing that her father put up for her. She would find the patio furniture that her mother loved to sit on when they were outside together.

These memories were sweet on her tongue and her body felt warm. How could she leave such a place behind? Iris would never be able to find a home as wonderful as this one.

“Iris, please. We have much to do today,” Margery spoke as she walked up the path.

Could she not see that Iris was mourning? Couldn’t she just have few minutes admiring her old home and wishing that she could keep it with her forever? Perhaps she was a hopeless dreamer at this young age.

Iris followed after her, struggling to catch up with Margery’s much longer legs. They walked up the steps to the door and she felt like magic would happen at any moment. That a gust of wind would open the door and her parents would be standing there. They would wait for her and her brother with open arms. Instead, Margery produced a key and opened the door.

It still smelled the same.

Her mother made her peanut butter cookies before she left with her father to their dinner date. The smell lingered in the house for much longer than it should have. Even the smell of her mothers baking made her chest ache and her eyes burn. At any moment throughout the day, she knew that she would cry. When she stopped traversing memory lane, she noticed Margery walking up the stairs.

The question rested on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be set free. “Margery, how much are we allowed to bring back with us…?”

She looked back at the little girl, a frown on her face. Iris wasn’t sure if it was because she asked a question or because she was thinking. “Not too much,” she snapped. Margery seemed to struggle with saying something, her lips twitching. “Henry said that he would like for you two to be comfortable, though.” She started up the stairs again, her shoulders heaving up and down with a sigh. “Take what you want, but we’ll be looking through it all once Henry comes home tonight.”

This excited Iris. She would be able to take what she needed and wanted. Iris waited for Margery to clear the steps. She bounded up them, taking them two at a time. Her mother would always yell at her for it, but this was urgent. She had to see her stuff again, to see her room again. It would be the last time she would ever get to see it. The least she could do was take a photo of it to store in her memories.

Margery had gone down the right hallway, but she went straight to the left. Her door was the first one and she almost kicked it in.

Here was her room. Still as clean as she remembered it. It’s lavender lace curtains and purple canopy bed were her prize possessions of the room. There was something even greater hidden in the room, though. She walked over to her pile of stuffed animals and started pulling them out of the pile until she found her prize.

The mahogany box brought tears to her eyes. Out of all the gifts her parents had given her, this one was her most favorite. Iris pulled the box closer to her and unclasped the lid to open it. Her stationary set; a gift on her tenth birthday. The pens had beautiful purple cases that wrote in black. There were two purple journals filled with her writing on its purple pages. This case, this set, it was so important with her. For the nights that she left it behind, she had suffered from withdrawal. Without a night to let loose all her thoughts, she didn’t know what to do with herself other than mourn. Now it was back in her arms.

She picked the box up and held it close to her. A bit of strength came back to her, somehow making her feel like things were going to be okay. A sound came from behind her. Looking back, Margery was there, setting down some boxes. “Put what you want in these. If you need more… we’ll talk about it with Henry.” She left again, leaving Iris alone.

The boxes didn’t look too big and there was only three of them. Would she be able to fit what she wanted to take with her in them? She would have to see.

All afternoon, Iris packed clothes and a few stuffed animals and books in her boxes. To her surprise, the only thing she wasn’t able to fit were her blankets, sheets and pillowcases. She would have taken the canopy, but she could tell Margery wouldn’t have liked that. If she couldn’t take it, she at least wanted the sheets and blanket. Margery would be the only one she could talk to about it.

Iris made her way down the hallway to Mistel’s room. Walking in, she found that most of his stuff was already packed away. She walked over to the rocking chair and moved it back and forth. “Margery, I finished packing but–”

“But what?” she interrupted, packing some of Mistel’s clothing in a suitcase.

“… Is there another box around for my sheets and blanket? I would like to take them,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Sheets and blankets?” Margery asked, giving her an incredulous look. “We have plenty of those back at the flat! You won’t need more of them there.”

Did she expect any other answer? Well, somewhat. “I know, Margery, but… these are pretty important to me…”

Margery finished packing Mistel’s clothes. She took a deep breath and let it out. For a few more moments, she was quiet, just staring at the wall. “If you fold them up yourself, without help, we can bring them.”

She was unable to contain her happiness. She jumped over and hugged Margery’s waist, oblivious to how much she tensed under her touch. “Thank you so much!” After letting her go, she kissed Mistel’s forehead and ran back down to her room. She stripped her bed and started to fold everything as best as she could. Her mother made sure to teach her well about folding.

Iris never thought that all the things her mother taught her would come in handy. Now her little lessons didn’t seem so silly since she needed them now.

After she finished packing, Margery stood in her doorway, Mistel in her arms. “Watch him for me, please. I’m going to be moving some of the boxes down to the car.”

Iris nodded and took her little brother. Margery ran back and forth out of the stairs, bringing many boxes at a time. Iris stayed out of her way, remaining in the living room.

Today would be the last day in her childhood home.

She would never walk through these halls or up the stairs ever again. It was heart wrenching, just as much as her parents death. She brought Mistel through the house while Margery was busy. They wandered through the kitchen and dining room, the backyard and bathrooms. She even took a step into her parents room.

Iris set Mistel down on the floor and wandered to her mother’s bureau. All her makeup and jewelry was there. She didn’t want to leave this behind, but she couldn’t imagine how she would be able to sneak it in. With one look behind her, she made sure that Margery wasn’t standing at the doorway. She didn’t want a scolding from her for trying to take such frivolous things.

Making sure her pockets were big enough, she started to place bits of makeup and jewelry in her pockets. She didn’t take much, just things that reminded her the most of her mother. Once she finished filling her pockets, she looked at herself in the mirror. If Margery didn’t pay too much attention to her, there would be no way to tell what she had done. She could only hope that that would be the case.

Picking Mistel up, who was trying to play with a slipper, she walked back down the stairs. Margery was putting away what looked like the last of the boxes. The elderly woman wiped the sweat from her brow. “Are you ready to return home?” she asked.

Return home… She would have to get use to it.

Iris looked back at her former home and took one long last look at it. She would burn its features in her mind so that she would never forget it. The moment she stepped into the car again, her new life would start. She didn’t know how she would be able to handle it, but she would have to do her best. Mistel needed her and that would drive her until she couldn’t go any further.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out at a slow pace. She turned back around and climbed into the back seat of the car, strapping Mistel in his own seat next to her.

If only she knew then what her life would be after that day.

~*~*~

“ He once thought it himself, that he might die with grief: for his wife, his daughters, his sisters, his father and master the cardinal. But pulse, obdurate, keeps its rhythm. You think you cannot keep breathing, but your ribcage has other ideas, rising and falling, emitting sighs. You must thrive in spite of yourself; and so that you may do it, God takes out your heart of flesh, and–” -Bring up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel

“Iris!”

She closed her book and smiled at the little boy running up to her. Mistel jumped into her arms, and she lifted him up on her hip. “Good afternoon, Mistel,” Iris greeted. She set him down and started to fix up his hair. “How was school?”

“It was great! I learned a lot of new things today and even showed everyone that book you told me about,” he answered. Mistel took her hand as they walked down the sidewalk. Children all around them were going home with their parents or grandparents. “Everyone in my class thought it was great. They want me to bring another book next week!”

Iris touched his nose, earning a giggling reaction. “I’ll be sure to find a good one at work today, okay? Something just as grand as the one you brought in.”

Mistel’s fingers clenched around Iris’s hand. He hated it when Iris had to work. It left him alone with Margery and Henry. They weren’t… bad people to him, but he felt a lot safer when his sister was around. “Do you have to go in…?”

“I’m afraid I must. You know Margery wanted me to do good at being there,” she answered, squeezing his fingers back. “After all, she’s the one who helped me get it.”

Of course she did. Margery just knew that the library would be the perfect job for Iris. Whenever Mistel saw her there, she looked perfect doing it.

In his eyes, Iris was always perfect, even during her faults.

But right now, the fact that she wouldn’t be with him today sadden him. “Okay…”

“Don’t be too sad, Mistel. You have your cello lessons today!” Iris reminded. “Don’t you just adore your teacher?”

He smiled. Yes he did. His teacher, Mrs. Roux, was always nice to him. Whenever he played a piece without a problem, he would award him with a piece of candy. If he missed a few notes, she still did as long as he promised to do better next time. If Margery had ever learned that she had given him candy, she would find a new cello teacher. He took his dental hygiene as a serious manner just so Mrs. Roux could continue to teach him. “I do adore her, Iris, but I adore you more.”

Iris bent down and kissed his forehead. “You are the sweetest and handsomest man I know, Mistel.”

He loved it when she complimented him. He had never known anyone else to receive such high compliments from her. He hoped she didn’t give them out as well as she did his. It would make him a bit jealous.

“What are you reading?” he asked when Iris opened her book again and started to read.

“Oh, this book I borrowed from the library. It’s a wonderful read.”

Mistel smiled. His sister loved to read just as much as she loved to write and loved him. Although, he wasn’t a fan of her walking and reading. So many things could happen while she was doing so. Even now, he realized they were coming close to the corner, the street zooming with cars right after it. He tugged at his sisters arm, trying to get her to pay attention.

“Iris, wait! You can’t read and walk,” he urged, tugging at her arm. Not once did Iris pay attention to him, her noise buried in her book. He looked over at the street, seeing a bus ready to drive as soon as the light changed. If Iris continued to walk with her nose in her book, it would run over them both. “Iris!”

The light changed and the bus moved.

Iris stopped just at the corner, the bus zooming past them.

Mistel looked at the back of the bus, his eyes wide and mouth open. Iris looked up from her book and looked at him. “Hm? Did you say something Mistel?”

He looked at his sister, a look of complete admiration on his face. “You’re so cool!”

She laughed. “Oh, Mistel.”

The light changed and they crossed the street. They were lucky to find a cello teacher just a block away from the elementary school. It was easy for her to bring him there afterwards. They walked up the steps to the brownstone apartment complex. Letting themselves in, they walked to the door of the first floor apartment and knocked.

An elderly woman opened the door, smiling at them. “Hello, you two.” She leaned a bit closer to Mistel. “Are you ready to learn, sweetie?”

“Yes, ma'am!” Mistel took Mrs. Roux hand, squeezing Iris’s one last time before letting go. “Have a good day at work, Iris.”

“And you have a good day at practice.” She kissed his forehead.

Mistel watched as his sister left the building and squeezed Mrs. Roux hand. Iris would be at work until eight at night. Mrs. Roux lesson would only last for an hour and after that Margery would be picking him up.

… He didn’t want to go home without Iris.

“Come now, Mistel. Let’s go and have some fun.”

Throughout his lesson, he knew that there were many easy mistakes that he made. These mistakes were hardly done before when he played certain pieces. Mistel was more nervous than usual about returning home. He was never beaten and they never starved him. He just had an overwhelming sense of unease about going home.

The time came, though.

Margery was waiting at the door for him with Mrs. Roux. Mistel could only stall in the bathroom for so long. He stepped out and took Margery’s hand. “Goodbye, Mrs. Roux. Thank you for teaching me today.”

“You are always welcomed, Mistel,” she said, pinching his cheek.

Margery pulled Mistel away without saying a proper farewell to her elder. She was hasty and rushed him out of the door and down to the car. Mistel’s uneasiness was for a good reason. While he couldn’t tell what was wrong with her, he still knew that things weren’t going to be pleasant. Anyone could snap and hurt someone. Who’s to say that Margery or Henry wouldn’t snap today?

It scared him.

He hopped into the car and buckled himself in. Margery fell into the drivers seat and slammed her door shut. She held the steering wheel in a tight grip. Mistel could see in her face how much she tried to keep hold of her anger. His throat was sore and he wanted to ask her what was wrong. She would only scold him, telling him that a child doesn’t have to worry about an adult.

So he looked out the window and waited for the car to move. Or for Margery to speak.

“I had a wonderful pot roast in the oven and now it’s ruined!” Margery finally said. “We have to go to the market. Perhaps I can find something to cook in time for dinner. Completely unbelievable…”

This wasn’t the first time Margery had messed up a meal. It happened when he was younger but as he grew older, she was messing up more and more. Perhaps it was her old age finally getting to her. Mistel would never voice this or even his concern that she might be unwell. He’d rather it be someone else rather than him.

The car started and they drove away from Mrs. Roux’s apartment. They didn’t live too far from the school or even his teacher, but they were quite a ways from the market. During this time, it was bustling with activity. After Margery parked the car, Mistel hopped out and followed as she walked into the store. He was the one who grabbed the basket to carry around the store as they shopped. She always asked him to carry it. Mistel didn’t mind, of course. At least she asked.

They made their way along the produce section and he made a face at the vegetables they passed. He made an even worse one when Margery put a bunch of them into their basket.

“What’s that look for? You’ll eat it and you’ll like it,” Margery said with a sense of finality.

Mistel whimpered as he followed her to the meats. He never liked vegetables. Even as a baby, Iris has told him that he pushed his vegetable baby food aside. What was there to like about them? They were leafy and gross just to look at them. Their taste? Just as leafy and gross. Mistel doubt his body could even stomach it if he swallowed.

Tonight was going to be bad.

~*~*~

“Mistel, you must finish your vegetables.”

“I can’t…”

“I know you can. Just take your fork and eat it!”

No child could handle a parent yelling at them and Mistel was no exception. Even when he was much younger than he already was, he didn’t like them. Having her yell at him to eat something he despised only made the sinking feeling in his stomach worse. Margery made him uncomfortable with her constant glares and huffing breaths.

He wished Iris was around…

“I’m home!”

Oh, how the Goddess showed her mercy.

Iris walked into the kitchen, placing her bag on the floor near the couch. She walked into the kitchen and kissed Mistel’s head. “I’m sorry I’m so late. There was a lot of books that I needed to put away at the library.”

Margery huffed, her glaring eyes now on Iris as she moved around the kitchen. “So long as you were at work and doing nothing else.” She stood up and proceeded to leave the table. “Make sure Mistel eats his vegetables. I tire of trying and he listens to you.”

“Yes, Margery,” Iris answered, sitting where Margery had just been. Once a door closed down the hall, she reached over and piled Mistel’s vegetables onto her own. “Good job, Mistel. You ate them all.”

Mistel smiled at his sister. She knew exactly what to do and what to say at the best of times. He rest his arms on the table and his head on top of them. “Do you have any interesting stories to tell me, Iris?”

Iris nodded her head then held up her finger, chewing the mouth full of vegetables. “I do!” she answered after swallowing. “A man came in today with a book he borrowed fifty years ago. Why, the adventures he told us about it and where he’s been with the book. One time…”

His sister went on about her story, telling her the adventures that this man had gone on with this one book by his side. Of how he traveled around the world, always reading that one book when things got rough or when he was lonely. It never occurred to Mistel that his sister might be twisting the truth a bit. She was his sister and she would never lie to him.

She finished her dinner and set him off to get ready for bed. Mistel did so, knowing that Margery wouldn’t approve of him being up too late. He entered his room alone and changed into his pajamas. He recalled of days where he would spend nights in Iris’s room for the first few months. It happened after their parents deaths. Margery put a stop to this as soon as she deemed them unable to grieve any longer. She claimed that they had grieved long enough and that Mistel should sleep in his own room.

He never liked it. He missed sleeping with his sister.

An hour passed and he still couldn’t fall asleep. Mistel crawled out of bed and opened his door. It was quiet in the house. He was sure Margery was asleep and she usually slept like a rock. Closing his door, he sneaked to Iris’s door and opened it a bit. “Iris?” he whispered, taking a small peak inside.

“Come on in,” responded his whispering sister.

They often did this, where they would sneak into each others room if they were having a hard time sleeping. They would talk or tell stories to one another. It was a peaceful thing and it made Mistel feel a bit better about what happened during the day. He continued to sneak into his sister’s room and climbed onto her bed. She was writing away in her purple notebook, a fluffy purple pen in her hand.

He climbed onto her bed and cuddled close to her. “What are you writing about?”

“Oh, a fantastic story, if I do say so myself,” Iris answered. Her pen never stopped moving. It amazed Mistel to see how much his sister could do at the same time. “I hope you’ll be able to read it one day, Mistel.”

“I’ll be able to if you read it to me.”

She smiled at him. Finally putting her pen down, she ruffled his already messy hair. “Perhaps I will one day.”

The sound of something breaking broke their moment.

Immediately, Mistel felt a sense of dread wash over him. He clung close to Iris, grabbing her arm. She touched his hand before pulling his hands off. Iris stepped out of the bed and made her way to the door. She opened it a crack then opened it more. Mistel hoped that she would stand at the doorway for a moment before coming back, but he saw her leaving.

He didn’t want to be alone in the room, so he followed her, doing his best to be as quiet as possible. Mistel found Iris resting her ear against the master bedroom, a look of concentration on her face. He followed her example, putting his ear against the door. If Iris was listening, it had to be about something good or important.

“How could we fall so behind in our bills and rent?”

It sounded like Margery.

“Raising two children isn’t easy.”

“We should have never agreed to raise them. I mean, who in the world would have thought that they would die like that?! I didn’t!”

“There’s nothing we can do about it now. We’ll have to move and sell a few things to make things work out.”

“What if we ask Iris for help? She has a job now. I’m sure she can find a way to help us.”

“No one’s paid for volunteer work, Margery. We just have to move. I’ll look for apartments tomorrow. Be sure to break the news to the kids.”

Iris took hold of Mistel, picked him up, and brought him back to his room. Mistel was quiet as his sister tucked him in. It was hard for him to make any real sense of the situation. He understood the moving part, but the other parts of the conversation didn’t make any sense to him. Iris, as usual, was completely unreadable. He couldn’t tell if she was sad or angry at what they just heard. He couldn’t even tell how he felt about it since he understood so little.

“Iris, are you okay?” he asked, reaching up to touch her hand.

Iris covered his hand with her own. “I’m okay, Mistel. Please get some sleep.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled at him. “I love you.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “And we’re going to be okay.” Giving his hand a squeeze, she pulled away from him and left the room, the door closing behind her.

Mistel didn’t believe anything she said. Something was wrong and he didn’t understand it. He wanted to, though.

~*~*~

When Mistel woke up and got ready for the day, he expected Margery to talk to them like Henry said for her to do. She prepared breakfast and went about her own business, as usual. The entire flat felt suffocating. It made him uncomfortable as he ate his breakfast. Iris finished first and put her dishes in the sink to let them soak.

She turned to Mistel, her smile big and wide. “Mistel, would you like to spend all day outside in the city? There are some places that I think you would enjoy.”

Mistel smiled at her. There was nothing better he would like to do today. Every day that he spent with his sister, whether they were in or out of the house, was magical. She didn’t hesitate to make it the best for him. It was so admirable. He wished he could be even half the person she was.

They prepared as soon as Mistel finished eating. They made their own lunches and got ready to leave for the entire day. Margery stood in the kitchen, cleaning up and watching them as they were ready to leave. She followed them to the buildings hallway just as they made their way down the stairs. “Don’t be out too late, you hear?” Margery said, wiping her hands on her apron. “I don’t want you two to miss dinner.”

“We won’t, Margery,” Iris assured, lifting Mistel up so they could leave faster.

“And be careful! You never know what kind of ruffians are out there today.”

Mistel was the only one who saw Iris roll her eyes. “We will! Don’t worry so much, Margery. We’ll be fine,” Iris assured, finally reaching the other floor. She quickened her pace, hurrying out of the building. Whatever Margery was going to say next was on deaf ears.

For today, they were free.

Outside the building, she set Mistel down and took his hand. Together they walked down the streets, talking about what adventures they would have. Every part of him was brimming with excitement and he questioned Iris at every block. Were they going to have fun? What was it that she had planned for them? Her answers always involved saying that he would have to wait.

Often, he wanted to close his eyes and let it be more of a surprise, but he knew that Iris couldn’t carry him for miles. Besides, he didn’t want to feel like a burden to her. He would much rather have fun and let her take it easy. He may be young and understood little about things, but he knew when stress hit his sister. Mistel knew that Margery put a bit more pressure on her than she did him. All because she was older. If he could, he would take the brunt of Margery’s discipline, just so that Iris could relax for one day.

Today, though, would be a day for relaxing. Iris always kept her word and he always believed her every time.

“We’re here!” Iris announced, waving towards it with a fancy flourish.

Mistel smiled, gazing at the museum before them. He had heard his other classmates say how much fun it was and he wanted to go for ages. Margery always said that they were much too busy to go and that Iris had too much to do to take him. The Kinetic Museum was a big thing in his class.

“Let’s go!” Mistel said, taking Iris’s hand and pulling her along. Iris laughed, but allowed him to do so. Together, they hurried to the building and climbed up the massive stairs. Although the walk tired him out, he became energized upon reaching their destination. He was ready to see all that the museum had to offer and take in the mass amount of knowledge of kinetic items. Nothing could put a damper on his mood today.

They spent the entire day in the museum, looking at all the pieces and touching the ones they could. Seeing it crowded with various patrons, Mistel made sure to keep close to Iris. He always held her hand and made sure his eyes didn’t wander too much away from her. The afternoon came and they left the museum with their stomachs ready to eat. The park was just across the street from the building and they had a little picnic, discussing what they saw.

It was no where near nightfall when they finished and Iris suggested they walk around until the sun set. Neither of them wanted to go home and Mistel felt that it was because of last night. Iris appeared distracted. It was different from when she thought about her stories. When she thought about her stories, she always had a far away look on her face. She had a look that spoke about what she was thinking about, whether it be fairies or romances. This look was nothing like that look. This look made a knot in his stomach and caused him to worry for her.

Mistel dared not mention it, though. If something upset his sister, he didn’t want to be the one to remind her about it. He knew that she would tell him when she was ready. When she was ready, he would always be there for her.

The city was bustling with those who were ready to go home. Some of the stores were getting ready to close, but others dealt with dinner rushes. Or they dealt with those who wanted to do some last minute shopping before heading back. Mistel looked at the stores, taking in the ones he knew were there and those that were almost brand new.

Then he saw it.

Mistel pulled hard on Iris’s hand, making her stop.

“Is something wrong?” she asked but he hardly heard her.

He continued to pull his older sister until he reached the window he was looking in. It was a glorious silver tea set, one he had never seen before. Margery had many tea sets back at their flat and she used one for every different occasion. This one felt special to Mistel, though. There was no way around it; he wanted it.

“Iris, can we please go inside!” he urged, tugging at his sisters arm again.

Iris looked from him, to the tea set, and then to the setting sun. “Mistel, I don’t think we have that much time. Margery and Henry will be waiting for us…” Mistel gave her the biggest pout he could muster. He wanted to go inside; he wanted the tea set. Iris could only withstand his look for only so long. With a defeated sigh, she allowed him to lead her into the shop.

Immediately, Mistel let go of her hand and ran over to the tea set. He dared not touch it, though, paying close attention to the sign that was near the displays. “Can we get it, Iris? Please?” he asked, looking up at his sister as she walked up behind him. His sister looked into her purse and frowned. He knew that look. It was a look that said “we can’t afford it at the moment”. Mistel grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Please…”

Mistel wasn’t sure what made her change her mind. A flash of determination came to her features and she walked over to the shopkeeper. He watched with excitement as Iris handed the money over to him and the shopkeeper set off to box their item. Mistel stepped away as he took a box and started to package the item with care. To Mistel, he couldn’t help but see the act done with love and care. It was amazing.

The shopkeeper placed it in a bag and handed it to Iris. Mistel ran up to her and grabbed her hand. “What would you like to do with it, hm?” she asked as they left the shop. “Should we show it to Margery? Or keep it to ourselves?”

Did she have to ask? “Let’s keep it for ourselves! She doesn’t need to know what you do what your money. It’s yours!” Mistel answered, giving her hand another squeeze. Iris smiled down at him.

It was their little secret that the library was paying her for her work there. She had told Margery and Henry that it was volunteer work. Ever since she started working there, Iris made plans that they would move out from under their roof. They weren’t cruel to the siblings, but their lifestyle wasn’t pleasant. Iris would always tell him that one day, things would be better for them. That one day, she would give him the life he always deserved.

Mistel dreamed of that day coming. He never asked when it would happen, knowing that Iris would tell him when it was time.

They walked home in a dreamy state, the conversation lively between the two of them. When they reached the apartment complex, Iris hid the package in the stairwell. She promised Mistel that she would retrieve it after Henry and Margery were asleep. The walk had exhausted Mistel and he made no complaints when his sister picked him up and made her way up the stairs. They were up there in no time, but Margery and Henry were waiting for them at the door.

He looked at his sister with a scared look, but she cooed softly, assuring him that things were going to be okay.

“Did you have fun?” Henry asked, holding the door open for them.

“We did. Thank you for asking,” Iris said, carting Mistel into the flat.

“Where did you go off to?” Margery asked as she followed them, her husband following suit.

“The Kinetic Museum. It was free today.” These were just typical questions that they always asked when they came home. Mistel would often grow irritated by them and he knew his sister did, too.

Henry stepped up behind him and touched the back of the siblings heads, an almost father like touch. “I’m glad. There is something we need to discuss.” He motioned for them to take a seat on the couch. “Margery was suppose to tell you today, but I suppose she didn’t have the courage.”

Iris sat down on the couch, but she didn’t let go of Mistel. She let him sit on her lap, let him stay close to her so that she could assure him that things were okay. Mistel wasn’t so sure but if his sister believed so, then he would, too.

“We understand that you both enjoy your schools and lessons. We also know you enjoy your jobs,” Henry said as he sat in a chair, “but we’ll be moving next weekend.” Margery stood behind Henry and her grip tightened on the back when he said this.

Mistel looked at his caretakers and then at his sister. She had such a calm and collected look on her face, but her eyes gave it away. He didn’t know that emotion but he didn’t like it. It just didn’t belong on his sister’s face or in her eyes. “We understand,” she said, squeezing Mistel a bit. “I’ll be sure to pack my things and help Mistel with his. If you need my help with your own things, I’ll be happy to give it.”

When Mistel looked back to his caretakers, they looked a bit surprised by Iris’s response. Did they believe that his sister would put up a fight? That she was childish and would do such a thing? “I’m… I’m glad that you understand, Iris. We hope that you will be able to convince Mistel to not put up too much of a fight during the move.”

He couldn’t help but feel offended by this. Did it seem that he would cause such a problem during their move? Why did they insist on treating him like a child? Despite being exactly that, Mistel always thought of himself as mature for his age. Or at least, more mature than the others in his class. He didn’t voice this concern, feeling Iris tighten her arms around him. It was best to keep quiet about it.

Dinner came and went, along with his bath. Mistel lay in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He didn’t mind the idea of moving. He had no attachments to this apartment just like he had no attachment to his birth home. Moving was just… moving and nothing more. So long as he was with Iris, he knew he would always be home.

Hearing the soft knock on his door, he sat up. “Iris?”

Iris peeked her head into the room and smiled at him. As she walked into the room, Mistel smiled at the package in her hands. “I told you I would get it again,” she whispered.

He moved closer to the package and opened it. He did it with care, afraid that it would break if he went faster. The tea set didn’t lose its initial sparkle, even with the situation earlier still fresh in his mind. He picked up a tea cup and ran a finger around the rim. “I’ve never seen a tea set like this before…”

“There are all sorts of antique tea sets in the world. This one in particular just happened to catch your eye,” Iris said, taking the cup from him.

Mistel rocked back and forth. “What are antiques?”

His sister moved closer to him and he followed suit, leaning into her. “Hmm… how can I explain it…” When she looked down at him, Mistel gave her the biggest pleading look he could muster. “They’re like old artifacts from a long time ago. There are many who collect them, putting them on display or even selling them like the shop we went in today.” Iris placed the tea cup on the bed and reached into the parcel to take out the kettle.

Reaching out, he touched its side and stroked it. “… Do you think I’m too young to collect antiques?”

While Iris looked at him with wide eyes, she had a smile on her face and it grew in size the more she stared at him. “I don’t think so. In fact, I think you will be wonderful at collecting antiques.” Just like that, her smile faded into a small one. “Let’s just try not to get so many of them for now. I don’t know how Margery and Henry would mind up carrying so many things with us to a new home.”

This confused Mistel. The way she said it made it sound like there would be a lot of moving for them in the future. That couldn’t be the case now, could it? “I understand, but I would like it if we collected as much of them as we could!”

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Of course. Anything for you, Mistel. Remember, we have a bit of packing to do tomorrow, so rest well.” Iris put the tea set back into its box and brought it over the his desk. She waved goodbye to him as she left his room, the door closing with a quiet click.

Mistel fell back into the bed and stared up at the ceiling. A happy feeling filled and warmed him. The conversation between their caretakers was far in the back of his mind. It made falling asleep easier, his eyelids so heavy that he drifted off within seconds.

The thoughts of moving never entering his dreams.

~*~*~

The week passed faster than they expected. They were always busy with packing away some items so that the big day would be easier for them. Mistel helped Iris with her room and she with his. Quite often, Margery had asked Iris to help her with packing up the kitchen or closets. It left Mistel to continue on his own. Iris didn’t mind it so much, if only it didn’t feel like she was doing it on purpose. Mistel was still a child and she believed Margery had a hard time remembering what children were like.

When Saturday arrived, they had packed their belongings and were ready to say goodbye. The flat was completely bare inside. Margery made sure they were thorough in taking all their possessions and packing them. There were no hiding spots from Margery’s careful eyes. She checked all the spots often to make sure that everyone did their part. It was hard to make sure that she didn’t find the antique tea set Iris had bought for Mistel. The moment the truck came, she hid it in the back.

“I have so many fond memories of this place…” Margery whispered before they got into the car. “It’s such a shame that we have to leave.”

Iris couldn’t feel the same sentiments of this home. She had only lived in it for such a short time. Her real home would always be where her parents had raised her until their deaths. After work, she would sometimes walk past it. She stared at the windows that haven’t seen life since her and Mistel moved out. There was a “for sale” sign on the gate, but no one had bothered to buy it. A part of her was so glad about this fact. Perhaps she would one day be able to buy it with her own money. Oh, Mistel would love this place so much.

Unfortunately, it was such a far off dream. It would take her years to earn that much money.

The car started and they drove away. Iris wasn’t sure how long the drive was, all her attention focused on Mistel. Her little brother seemed fine about the move and didn’t seem at all upset about it. It was a little strange to see, but Iris didn’t think anything of it. Despite what Margery and Henry thought, Mistel was mature for his age. At one point, the two siblings fell asleep against each other. The drive lulled them into a deep slumber. When they finally felt it stop, it was dark outside.

“We’re here,” Henry said. Try as she might, when Iris looked out the car window she couldn’t figure out which one was their new home. By the looks of them, though, they looked small. Iris wasn’t sure if all their stuff would be able to fit in them. Although, knowing Margery, she would do her best to make sure it fit.

Stepping out of the car, Mistel in her arms, Iris followed Henry as he led them to an apartment building. He took a key out of his pocket and opened the entrance doors, then took them to a rickety old elevator. The door lifted upwards by hand instead of opening from the sides automatically. She had only seen elevators like this in books. They only went up two floors out of fifteen and down five doors when they came to their new home.

Henry opened the door and Iris knew that this wasn’t a great place. The walls looked cracked and the hallway was small. She shuddered at the thought of what the rest of the apartment would look like. With the others, she walked further in. It didn’t seem like it was too different from their old flat, with the only exception that it was more enclosed. … Of course, part of the apartment seemed like it was in shambles. Connected to the living area was a kitchen and she could have sworn she saw something crawl on the wall. She didn’t dare say anything. With luck, it was only her imagination.

“This is… nice…” Iris commented. She smiled at Mistel. “Why, it’s a new castle, Mistel. We’ll be able to decorate it and imagine it to be whatever we–”

“Stop that nonsense, you silly girl!” Margery interrupted. She held her nose high in the air, looking completely disgusted. Iris wasn’t sure if it was at her or at their new living environment. “This place is a dump and I won’t have you two ruining it even more so. Goodness, we have so much work to do!”

Margery continued to rant off what they had to do, walking into the kitchen to check the water. Henry touched Iris’s shoulder and led her down the hallway. It was much shorter than their other home and he opened the first door on his right. The room it revealed was small and didn’t look any better than the rest of the apartment. “You two will need to share a room for the time being. That won’t be a problem, will it?” Henry asked as Iris walked further in.

“Not at all. Thank you, Henry,” she answered, setting Mistel down. When she looked back at Henry, he looked a bit uncomfortable. “Is something wrong?”

“Margery and I have been talking,” he started, “we would like for you two to call us 'Aunt’ and 'Uncle’ from now on. You’ve lived with us for a few years now, so it seems fitting.”

She exchanged looks with Mistel. It was a strange to use such terms with their caretakers. While Margery could be too much for them at times, Henry hadn’t done anything wrong to them like she had. It was possible to call him their uncle, wasn’t it? “I’m sure we can do that,” Iris said.

Henry gave her a smile and left the room, leaving the door open. Iris took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. She sat down on the dusty floor, Mistel sitting next to her. “I don’t like this place, Iris…” Mistel muttered as he leaned into her.

She’d be lying if she said she liked it. It looked like a mess and who knows if there were any bugs that were crawling around the place. Iris shuddered at the thought; she hatedbugs. Especially the ones that liked to crawl all over you. From the room, she could hear Margery shout that they had running water. That was a good sign in such a terrible looking place.

“We’ll be okay, Mistel,” Iris assured. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and held him closer. Her lips brushed against the top of his head. “We have each other still and that’s all that matters, okay?” Her brother looked up at her and she could feel exactly what he was thinking: that she was lying. To be truthful, she didn’t know if they will be okay. Yes, they would still have each other, but how could they survive living in a place like this with Margery? Iris didn’t know how and it scared her. Fear wasn’t an option since her parents death.

Deep down, though, she knew that if she didn’t remain strong, then fear would grip Mistel in its inky claws, too. This was one thing she didn’t want to happen. Grabbing Mistel, she stood up and walked out of their new bedroom. “Let’s go and get some of our stuff from the moving van. I’m sure if we spruce things up a bit, the place will look as good as new!”

As they passed the kitchen, they ignored Margery and Henry discussing something important. Whatever negativity they spoke about, Iris ignored it. Only positive thinking was going through her head about their new living arrangements. Once outside, she set Mistel down and he ran over to the truck to try and open it for himself. “Do you think we can display the tea set here, Iris?” he asked, fiddling with the lock mechanism.

Iris reached over and opened it herself, easing the truck door all the way up. “We’ll just have to see. You wouldn’t want Margery to take it away from you, do you?” she asked as she lifted Mistel up into the truck. The look on her brother’s face told her everything she needed to know: of course he didn’t.

Most of their bedroom items were in the front of the truck for easy access if they arrived at their new home too late. Each one was labeled as well from clothes to sheets to desk items. Iris reached up for the smallest box containing her writing equipment and held it out for Mistel. She told him to keep guard of it, for it contained her most precious memories and things that were most important to her. Mistel assured her that he would take good care of it and waited on the side for her. Grabbing various boxes with their names on it, she stepped off the truck.

Henry was stepping out of the apartment building when they passed. “Just take a few of your bed items tonight, you two. We’ll work on the rest in the morning,” he explained to them before they could get any further up the stairs. “I’ll be bringing up the mattresses in a moment.”

“No problem, Uncle Henry.” It was such a weird thing to say to him after all these years. To call him “Uncle” Henry instead of just Henry. It left a strange taste in her mouth and she didn’t believe she would ever be able to get it out.

Iris and Mistel continued upwards until they reached their apartment. Margery was opening the windows to let out the musty air of the apartment. They placed their boxes in the room, pushing them to the wall to leave room for the mattresses. Opening the box labeled Mistel, she pulled out his blankets, sheets, and even a few of his pajamas. Placing them to the side, she opened up one of her own boxes, pulling out the exact same items from her room. It was Margery’s idea that they put their bedding and pajamas in one box. That way it would be easier for them to go to bed when they reached the new apartment. Iris had to admit that she was smart in that aspect.

“Incoming.” Mistel rushed over to Iris as Henry came in with one of the mattresses. He placed it a bit roughly on the floor and left the room again. A few moments later, he pulled in a second one. “We’re going to have an early day tomorrow. We already ordered dinner so after that it’s straight to bed. Alright?”

That was one of the things that separated Henry from his wife. Margery was more demanding and expected things to done without saying anything. Henry at least had the patience for both Mistel and herself; even though it didn’t feel like it at times. “Alright. Thank you.” Henry nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Mistel pouted but he still grabbed his stuff and brought them over to his mattress. Iris took her own sheets and watched Mistel as he made his bed—with some problems. She was only called once to help. With their beds made, Margery walked in with paper plates with pizza on top of them. “I see that you two have already settled in,” she said, an annoyed tone in her voice.

“We are, but we’ll make sure that you’re nice and settled in tomorrow before lunch,” Iris assured. Mistel moved a bit closer to Iris as Margery handed her the plates.

“See that you do. Make sure that Mistel stays out of the way, as well.”

“Yes, Aunt Margery…”

Margery looked a bit annoyed the word “Aunt” but she said nothing. She stuck her nose up into the air and headed out the room. They nibbled at their dinner in silence. They could still hear Margery and Henry talking through the paper thin walls. Whatever they were talking about, it didn’t seem like they were fighting at the moment. Iris hoped that they wouldn’t fight anymore tonight. Mistel didn’t need a night of no sleep from those two, especially if he was going to help.

Mistel finished his food first and put the plate on the floor far away from his bed. “Are you sure we’re going to be happy here, Iris?”

Try as she might, she knew she couldn’t tell him the truth. As his older sister, she was in charge of making sure that he was healthy and happy. While lying to him was nothing she was proud of, she knew that she had to. “Of course we will, Mistel. We have each other, right?”

~*~*~

Two years later and this was still true. Iris was now eighteen and Mistel was now seven. In the two years since that day, they have moved from different apartments and cities. Some were better than the last while some were worse. They never had a place as perfect as their first home but it was better than not having a home at all. He was sure to count his blessings just as Iris has told him to do. Even if that one blessing was his sister, it was enough for him to see the bright side of things. Iris was all he needed to keep on going and all she needed was him.

That was the way they did things and Mistel couldn’t be happier.

Even now as he waited at the corner of the sidewalk for the light to change so he could cross. He was with a group of classmates with their parent and older siblings. None were even aware that he was around, which is how he liked it. Mistel had told Margery and Henry that he would stop by Iris’s job after school. He never said how he would be getting there. They had offered to have a friend drop him off but he always turned it down. He didn’t want to have to deal with their friends as much as he didn’t want to deal with them.

At least he wasn’t alone. It took him a long time to find out which classmate walked past the bookstore but when he did, he made sure to blend in. He told Margery and Henry that he was walking with friends to the store and that was good enough for them. Although, they seemed more relieved that they didn’t have to deal with something else about him. Mistel tried to not let it bother him so much with much difficulty. He suppose with time he would be able to feel numb about their negligence involving him.

The light changed and he was the first one to step off the curb and cross the street. It was a cold day and the snow was threatening to fall at any moment. Everyone was in a rush to get home before it did, but he was still faster. The bookstore was right on the corner and he didn’t hesitate to walk up to it. A lady exited the shop and held the door open for him, which he thanked her for with a smile.

It was nice and warm in the store. The smell of old books, tea, and coffee mingled in the air. The store had many shelves filled with various sections, a counter covering only a small area. There were a few chairs and tables for patrons to sit at and enjoy a book or two to read. Mistel never saw it as a way for a business to strive but he was guilty of doing this, too. The owners and workers never seemed to mind so why should he bother saying anything?

Mistel touched the shelves as he walked towards the back. He knew exactly where he could find his sister. His feet slowed to a full stop as he found her in the back–

With another man.

With haste, he ducked behind a shelf and peeked out around it to spy on his sister. He had never seen his sister stand so close to another man like that. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and he was whispering in her ear. It made Mistel uncomfortable and a feeling stirred within him. It got worse when the two of them kissed and his chest ached. He wanted to run away from his sister, but run to her at the same time. For once, Mistel didn’t know what to do.

He could run off and find a way into the apartment, but he could be more malicious. It whispered in his ear to step forward and confront them on their public display of affection. He wanted to learn about when their relationship started and learn why. Why had Iris never mentioned him? Mistel wouldn’t tell her that she hurt him by her actions. Telling her would be too easy and he wanted her to feel guilty about what she had done.

This is exactly what he would do.

After straightening out his uniform, he walked up to the happy couple. Once Iris saw him, she pushed her companion off her and smiled. It was such a guilty smile. This is just the beginning of it, IrisMistel thought to himself, smiling at the pair. “You two looked close.”

Iris cleared her throat and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I wasn’t expecting you so early, Mistel. It must have been an easier walk here than usual, hm?”

This was a terrible lie. Iris could do better than this and Mistel knew this to be true. So why was she doing it so poorly? “If you paid more attention to that lovely grandfather clock, Iris, you would see that it is the time I arrive. There is no quicker way to the store, unfortunately.” If there was one, he didn’t find it and it meant that none of his classmates went through that way either.

“Oh… Yes, of course,” Iris mumbled, looking down at her hands. After some time, she beamed at him and placed a hand on the man she had just recently been kissing. “Mistel, I would like for you to meet, Arthur. He is a good acquaintance of mine.”

Arthur was a handsome man, not like Mistel would say this out loud. His sandy blonde hair and blue eyes must indeed draw in a few unsuspecting girls; like Iris. Mistel hated him, though. He hated everything about him.

“So this is the famous Mistel, huh,” Arthur said, a nice toothy smile on his face. He held his hand out for Mistel to shake. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Iris has told me much about you and I’ve been looking forward to us finally meeting.”

Is that so, huh? Mistel knew exactly where to push and how hard to do it. With a smile, he took Arthur’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “I’m glad to hear it. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about you. Why, Iris hasn’t told me a single thing about you!”

Arthur looked back at Iris and Mistel enjoyed that look with such deliciousness. “Is that so…” Arthur mumbled, his brow furrowing.

Mistel took his hand away and straightened his clothes, his smile never faltering. Whoever this Arthur was, it was nice knowing him. Something like this will send him away and he would have Iris all to himself. That was how life meant for it to be; Iris told him this herself.

“Mistel!” Iris said it through gritted teeth and such harshness. Mistel had never heard her talk to him like this before. It was strange and it made him uncomfortable. He refused to show it, though. Instead, he still smiled at her. “Why don’t you go to the history section of the store? The owners got quite a few new books about antiques that I think you would just love.”

That stung more than Mistel was expecting. He turned on his heel, not once losing his smile, and made his way to the history section. It was close enough that he could see them from between the shelves, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying. Instead, he delved into the books ordered just for him to read. He kept one eye trained on the couple, trying to determine their exchanging words. Soon, but not soon enough, Arthur stormed away from Iris and down the aisle. He could hear the door open and close behind him.

Good riddance.

Mistel returned his attention to the book, finding the antiques he saw interesting. He could see Iris moving towards him. Then she stood right before him. He made a show of just now realizing her presence, slowly tearing his gaze away from his book to smile up at her. Iris looked down at him with such a stern look that it almost made him feel bad about what he did. Almost. Instead, he looked down at his book, a pout on his face. The whole point was to make a show of feeling bad even though he didn’t feel bad about it at all.

“I can’t believe you did that, Mistel. Arthur was so excited to meet you!” Iris scolded, putting her hands on her hips. “Why, he even bought us tickets to a museum just an hour drive away. He thought it would be educational for us and insisted that we go so that he may meet you. Yet here I see that this is how you treat him! What do you have to say for yourself?”

He wasn’t going to take this.

Mistel smiled up at his sister. “Well, if it was so important for him to meet me, how come this is the first I’ve ever heard of him, hm?” He snapped his book shut and laid it in his lap, his eyes never leaving her. “Of course, why would you tell me? It’s not like I’m your only blood relative that means the world to you. Perhaps you do not care about me as much as you say that you do.” Still smiling, he looked past her and to nothing in particular. “Perhaps your promise of always being there for me was nothing but a little white lie to help me go to sleep at night. It wouldn’t surprise me.”

Oh, the look on Iris’s face. She looked so hurt and upset but now it wasn’t at him; it was at herself and he enjoyed it. He wanted her to feel as hurt as he did and then some. Mistel wasn’t going to be the one who hurt here: she would.

Iris ran her fingers through her hair and made her way over to the other armchair. She sat down in it with a soft sound and buried her face in her hands. They were quiet for a while, the sounds of other customers whispering and pages filling the air. Whatever occurred outside their little bubble wasn’t important at the moment. Mistel wasn’t going to let anything interfere with his guilt trip for Iris.

“I’m sorry, Mistel… I just… I just lost track of what was important…”

Perfect.

Mistel looked over at his sister and found her to be shaking. That’s when he started to feel guilty. He wanted Iris to feel bad about what she did, but he didn’t want to make her cry. Putting his book on the table, he stood up and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her head and shoulders. “It’s okay, Iris. I know that you’re feeling lonely at the moment.” He buried his nose in her hair and sighed. “I can’t always be there and I understand that. I suppose…”

Iris placed her hand on his chest and pushed him away from her. “I’m sorry, Mistel. I never meant to hurt you… Not like that…”

He smiled at her. “I know you didn’t. Let’s just put this chapter to a close! I have a wonderful book to get to and I believe you’re needed back at work.” His sister smiled at him and stood up, placing a kiss to his forehead. As she went back to work, he sat down in his previous seat and started the book over again.

The hours passed by while Mistel read and Iris worked. Before he knew it, he had gone through two sections of the history area by the time they were ready to leave. They walked through the fresh shoveled snow and to their next destination: home. If you could call it that. Home was wherever Iris was and that’s how he liked it.

He reached up, took her hand in his and squeezed it, like he did many times when they were walking. Iris smiled back at him then trained her eyes back to the path they were walking. How odd. Usually she would squeeze back. Was she still upset over what happened? Mistel pouted. What was the big deal, anyway? Iris didn’t needArthur when she had him. He pushed the thought from his mind. Iris would come around when she was ready to come around.

She always did.

Walking home took them only half an hour, but each step towards the place made their feet heavier. The neighborhood wasn’t the best. There were many rundown apartment buildings and a tree wasn’t seen for another mile or so. Even their apartment building looked miserable. They entered it and Iris checked the mail before they ascended the stairs to the second floor. Three doors down and they stopped to open up the door to their tiny apartment. The white furniture looked so strange in it.

Mistel stepped inside first and plopped his book bag on the pristine white couch. If Margery were here, she would chew his ear off. Luckily, she wasn’t. With their constant moves and debt, Margery herself had to get a job of her own. She changed jobs often, never liking to learn a craft for too long. It caused many fights between her and her husband, but Iris and Mistel have learned to tune them out.

He followed Iris into the kitchen and sat down at the table. He watched her as she started to prepare dinner. With Margery gone, it was her job to take over many of the chores such as cooking and cleaning. Her food wasn’t the best, but at least it was edible. It took quite a few lessons from Margery for Iris to get it right and even then it wasn’t that great. Mistel liked her cooking, though, and found it to be much better than their aunt’s (if only because Iris never made him eat his vegetables.)

As he watched her, he decided about what to do with their situation. Other than with him, when had he ever see Iris really happy? Yes, she was happy when they conversed with one another and talked, but what about after that? If he wasn’t around, who made her happy? Well, that had an obvious answer.

It was him, of course!

… Right?

Then why did she look like this? Why was she so sad that he sent Arthur packing? Did he really make her happy while he wasn’t around? The thought of such a thing unsettled him. How much longer before he wasn’t the number one importance in Iris’s life? Questions popped into his head and he didn’t like any one of them. They made him uncomfortable and he wanted nothing more than to just ignore it and get back to his life.

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t stand to see Iris sad like that.

Mistel took a deep breath and stood up from his seat. Walking up behind Iris, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. “I want to give Arthur a chance… for you…” He could fill Iris stiffen up and then relax. Just like that, she was back to her ordinary self.

Iris put down her cooking utensils and turned towards him to wrap her arms around his shoulders. “Thank you, Mistel. You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.” She pulled them apart and knelt in front of him. She was smiling so big now. To think that Mistel was the cause of part of her sadness just a few moments ago. “Arthur said you’ll enjoy it. If he knows you as well as I do, I believe you will, too.”

Mistel smiled at his sister. It took all his willpower to not say something smart; to not say something that could hurt her and make her cry. “Maybe I will, but we’ll just have to see.”

~*~*~

The day finally came for the trip to the museum. Margery and Henry would be working late tonight which meant that they were in the clear. Iris didn’t want them asking too many questions about where they were going and who with. Mistel didn’t want to, either. Margery wasn’t kind on punishments when she found out about any lying.

They sat and waited for Arthur to arrive in his car. Iris seemed fine, writing away in one of her many books and humming to herself. Mistel wasn’t too sure about this day and what it could entail. So many bad things could happen, even in a museum. Of course, they would all be because of him and because he just couldn’t find it in him to like Arthur. He still couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried to think about it. A horn sounded from the front.

Mistel pulled back the curtain. There was a fancy looking car down below. In a place like this, it was only likely who it might be. He turned his head and found Iris packing away her things into her satchel. “Are you ready, Mistel?” Iris asked, smiling her brightest at him.

He was doing this for her. This is what he told himself and he chanted it in his mind as he followed Iris all the way downstairs. Arthur was waiting for them outside the car. It didn’t look like the events that happened a few days ago bothered him anymore. What a shame. Mistel wanted him to suffer for a little while longer. Perhaps he should—No! He would behave. For Iris.

“Nice to meet you again, Mistel,” Arthur said, smiling brightly. “Maybe we can start over today? I would like that if we could.”

Mistel couldn’t help but feel like he was talking down to him. No, that wouldn’t be it, right? If Iris talked to him as much as Arthur said she did, then he had nothing to worry. Mistel held his hand out and Arthur shook it. “I would like that very much, too.” At least, to an extent. He could see Iris out from the corner of his eye, beaming at the exchange between the two of them. “What museum are we going to, exactly?”

“Oh, you’ll love it, Mistel.” Arthur opened the passenger door and the door to the backseat. He closed them both once the two siblings got in and rushed over to his side. “It took many months of research for when they would arrive, but I was finally able to pinpoint when and where. It’s a shame they don’t come any closer to the city. Oh well. There’s nothing we can do about that.”

They? What in the world was he talking about? “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me, hm?” Mistel asked as Arthur started the car and they drove off.

Arthur chuckled, looking at him from the rear view mirror. “I can’t. It’s a surprise.”

Iris turned in her seat and smiled at him from the front. “It’s a surprise meant for you, Mistel.”

Mistel raised an eyebrow at this. He didn’t know what they were planning… but he already knew he wasn’t going to like it. The scenery and time just slipped by. Mistel didn’t even try to think of something else to pass the time. He dreaded this day, unsure of what will happen as events played out. Before he knew it, they were pulling in to a parking lot. There were more people then expected and it took them a bit of time to find an empty spot. As they looked, Mistel could see a big white tent behind the museum. Why such a thing was there, he didn’t know and he didn’t want to find out what it was.

Iris helped him out of the car while Arthur waited for them on the curb, smiling that smile of his. Mistel wanted nothing more than to wipe it off. He calmed down, though, when Iris took his hand and led him to the museum. It bothered him when Arthur took her free hand, but he told himself to stay strong. It was only for one day and he could handle sharing Iris for today. Right? Right.

Getting into the museum was easy but inside was a chaos of so many people. It made him uncomfortable. When he looked up at Iris, even she could see that it wasn’t such a great idea to be in there. When he peaked around her to look at Arthur, even he looked a bit uncomfortable. Still, he took a deep breath then smiled at him and his sister. “Iris, perhaps it would be better to show Mistel his surprise first,” he suggested with a smile. “We can kill some time there and be able to come back in when its far less crowded.”

“Yes, that’s an excellent idea, Arthur!” Iris agreed, leaning in to him. “Come, Mistel. Arthur believes you will like this.”

Mistel didn’t bother covering up his rolling eyes. He didn’t really believe that Arthur knew him as well as Iris said he did. What could he know just by Iris telling him? … A lot, actually. But Mistel wasn’t falling for it. Arthur did not know him as well as he thought he did.

He squeezed Iris’s hand as they walked out of the museum, joy filling him as Iris squeezed back. They walked along the sidewalk surrounding the museum and towards the back. Mistel frowned as they headed for the big white tent. What could be so important in there? There were most likely animals or some sort of zoo behind those white flaps.

Arthur let go of Iris’s hand and walked over to be on Mistel’s other side. This was preferable, but he didn’t like him being so close to him. “When Iris told me that you enjoyed this, I knew I had to looked for a place so that you may view them.”

What was he talkingabout?

They continued walking towards the tent and dread continued to fill him. Arthur waited by the open flap, letting Mistel and Iris in first.

Mistel had never seen such a splendor before in one place.

The banner hanging from the ceiling said it was an antique show and it was amazing. So many different vendors from all corners of the world. Mistel let Iris’s hand go and she allowed him to slip away to one of the nearby crowds. The vendor talked about how the particular clock he was looking at was over two hundred years old.

Mistel was completely awestruck. To think that such an exhibit was behind the museum. He grabbed on to Iris, who was standing right behind him. “Can we please look every where? Please!”

Iris chuckled and kissed the top of his head. “Of course we can. We brought you here just for you, Mistel. It was Arthur’s idea, after all.”

He looked up at Arthur, who was smiling down at him. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was glad that he knew that much about him. Perhaps there was hope for him after all. Mistel managed to smile at him before he ran off to enjoy the various antiques.

Two and a half hours passed with the trio stopping to look at every antique that Mistel wanted to see. Mistel pulled them in different directions, leading them all around the tent. When he found an antique, he added in his own facts when a vendor talked. He was always one step ahead of them and he was happy too share his knowledge with Iris. As much as he didn’t like him, he also enjoyed sharing his knowledge with Arthur. Even if it was only so he could one-up him; to prove to Iris that he was a much better choice for company than Arthur was.

Yes, he told himself that he would be on his best behavior and he was. He would one-up Arthur about something and then smile when it seemed that he was too vicious. He didn’t want to make either of them feel toobad. If he covered it up, he could still make Arthur feel terrible while still making it seem like he was innocent. In his book, that wasn’t a bad thing to do at all.

Before they knew it, the exhibit was ready to close. Arthur looked at his watch and chuckled. “It looks like we won’t be able to go into the museum now. They’re getting ready to close up, too.”

“Aw, what a shame. It would have been fun,” Iris commented as she hooked their arms together.

“Are you kidding? This was better than the museum!” Mistel grabbed Iris’s free hand, restraining from making a comment about their arms. “I enjoyed it so much. Thank you, Iris.” His sister gave him a look and glanced at Arthur. He knew what she wanted her to do. But to thank Arthur? Mistel wasn’t sure that he could do it. Then he thought about how sad Iris was when he didn’t accept him and how cruel he was the first time. Any other time, Mistel would have been happy to make her feel terrible about something she’s done. Today, he would be kind for her. So, he smiled at Arthur, straining so much to do so. “Thank you, Arthur. I’m glad that you took me here.”

Arthur laughed. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m always happy to make someone so important to Iris happy.”

At least he had his priorities straight there. If he cared for Iris, then he definitely had to be ready to care about him. Did this cure everything between them? Mistel thought about it on the drive home. He was silent, which seemed to concern Iris but she never questioned it. If she knew her brother, she knew that he would tell her when it was time.

They drove up to their crummy apartment building, finding that the lights were still off in their part of the building. It was a good sign that neither Henry or Margery left work early.

Iris handed the keys to Mistel and he hopped out of the car. It bothered him, but after today, he would allow his sister to have some alone time with Arthur. She was out there for almost an hour when she finally came in. Mistel watched Arthur’s care drive away. Looking back at his sister, she looked to be in heaven after today’s events.

She danced over to him and held him close. “Thank you for today…” she whispered. “How do you think of him now?”

This made it difficult to say. Iris had such a great time and he did, too. But… “I still don’t like him.”

Iris pulled away from him. The hurt was so evident in her face that he didn’t want to continue speaking. He knew that he had to, though.

“I can’t lie, Iris. I don’t like that he’s taking your attention away from me…” Mistel muttered, looking down at the floor. He pulled himself close to Iris and buried his face into her stomach. “If you promise to keep paying attention to me everyday, I won’t care if you keep dating him. Just don’t forget about me.”

He could feel his sister laughing at his words. She pulled them apart from one another and knelt before him. “Mistel… No one, not even Arthur, can stop me from paying attention to you.” She reached up and fussed over his unruly hair. “You’re my little brother; the only family I have left. To ignore you is ignoring a part of me and I cannot allow that.”

Mistel smiled at her. “Promise?” he asked, resting his forehead against hers.

“I promise. I always say that we’ll always be together. No matter what comes our way, right?”

“Right!”

~*~*~

It looked beautiful in the box it came in.

It looked beautiful in her hands.

It looked beautiful in Mistel’s hands and in his eyes. They sparkled with such admiration and hope for the future.

No matter where she put it, it looked beautiful.

More importantly, it looked beautiful on the table between their caretakers and them.

Iris had worked so hard writing the book. Years spent working and researching to make it perfect. When it was complete, it took her time to find someone to be her agent. She was so young so she understood why they wouldn’t risk it. If her current one hadn’t given her a chance, she was sure that they would still be living here.

Tonight, it would change. Tonight, they would be free.

“I… I don’t know what to say…” Margery whispered, staring at the book with its beautiful purple cover. Iris didn’t want them to see the title or what it was. She removed the dust jacket before she presented it to them (even if it hurt her to do so.)

“I don’t expect you to say anything,” Iris commented. She had her hands folded in her lap, doing her best to hide that she was shaking. “I’m going to write a check to you for all the expenses you have spent on me and Mistel. Not everything, of course, like food. Things like school clothes and supplies; doctor visits and such.”

Henry ran a hand down his face. “Are you even aware of how much that will be? Iris, many of the things you are talking about have happened years–”

“I have been keeping a record.” Iris looked over at Mistel. He nodded his head and placed the binder he had under his arm on the table. Iris leaned over and opened the book. The pages held receipts inside file covers. They looked as new as when they were first printed out, even if it was years ago. “I made sure to keep a record. I knew that I would one day get Mistel and myself out from under your roof. I did not want to leave with any bad blood between us and money seemed like a good place to start.

To start . She didn’t appreciate the way Margery treated Mistel, but she didn’t want to hold any grudges. She wanted to square away her debts to the couple and be gone from them.

Margery picked up the book and leafed through it. Every so often she opened her mouth to say something but closed it up right away. Iris figured she was trying to point out something she missed, but she wouldn’t find it. Iris was thorough on making sure she got each receipt spent on her and Mistel.

Henry took his tea cup up and sipped it. “Now, you understand that living on your own is a hard thing to do, yes?”

“I understand.”

“And you’re sure that this is what you want to do?”

Iris nodded her head. She didn’t miss a beat at answering his questions. One moment of stalling could show that she doubted herself. Even if the feeling inside of her was small, she didn’t want to show it to them. Mistel believed in her and she believed in herself. She was going to be brave.

Henry reached over for the binder and took it from Margery’s hands. He closed it and slid it back to the siblings. “Then I support your decision.”

“Really?”

“Henry!”

He took a sip of his drink again. “Iris is grownup now. I’m sure she’ll be able to handle taking care of herself and Mistel. After all, she’s a published writer now. They’ll be fine.”

Iris never expected this. She thought that they both would put up a fight to let them go. Another part of her told her that they wouldn’t care if she stayed or went. Now to see that Henry was alright with them leaving while Margery fought to keep her claws in them was surreal. She layered her hands on top of one another and bowed her head. “Thank you so much. You two have taken cared of us for so long. We appreciate it.”

Standing up, she hurried off to the room she shared with Mistel. Mistel followed shortly behind, not wanting to be alone with Margery and Henry for long. In the room, their beds were already stripped bare and their bags packed. Once the book came in the mail, they packed their bags so that they could leave.

They did a quick check on their belongings. After the check finished, they grabbed them and walked out to the hall. Margery waited for them, her fingers intertwined and a vicious look on her face. Iris made sure she stepped in front of Mistel. If Margery was going to lay a hand on any of them, she would have to go through her to get to Mistel.

“Aren’t you off to a perfect little life, hm? Just you and your brother, yes?” Margery asked. Venom dripped from every word she spoke. It was frightening but Iris wasn’t going to flinch or back down from her task. After a few seconds of just glaring at one another, the elderly woman huffed and opened her bedroom door. “Don’t come back if you end up failing!” She slammed the door shut behind her.

Iris let out the breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. Mistel took hold of her arm and gave it a comforting squeeze. It was all the reassurance she needed to continue walking down the hallway. Henry was no where in sight, something that Iris was glad for. She opened the door, letting Mistel walk out before her. They had changed apartments once again and they were on the top floor. The elevator was a rickety old thing, but it brought them down to the lobby without a problem.

The night was cool when they left the apartment building. There was no one outside and only a few cars parked. The streets light were just starting to come on.

To think that they were finally free from their caretakers.

Mistel reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Iris, where will we go now?”

What a fantastic question. Even Iris didn’t know the answer to that. She prepared everything else but where they would go after they left. She smiled at him, squeezing his hand back. “Anywhere we want, Mistel. We’re free.”

When he smiled at her, Iris felt amazing. She didn’t know where they would go tomorrow, but for today, she wanted to appreciate being free with her brother. This would be a feeling that she knew she would always remember even into her old age.

~*~*~

Antiques were so difficult to clean. Some where so delicate that he was too afraid to use nothing more than a dry cloth. Others could have their paint chipped away from a cleaner. He had to store a variant of knowledge in his mind to be sure that he was doing things right. With so many antiques, it was difficult, but there was nothing he enjoyed more than cleaning them. In such a small apartment in such a strange city, it was better than going out and exploring. Of course, he did this but only when he was with his sister.

Speaking of his sister, Mistel was unaware of where she was at the moment. She told him that she was going for a walk, but that was a few hours ago. It was just like Iris to go for a walk and get lost in what was around her. That didn’t ease his worries about her whereabouts. Anything could happen to a lovely lady like her.

More importantly, he knew that she would want to listen to the answering machine.

Almost all day the phone had been going off. Mistel knew the calls were never for him so he allowed the answering machine to pick it up. As always, it was her agent and editor. They were asking her about any future story ideas that she was willing to tell them about. As if they didn’t know the answer.

The years since they left their caretakers have been well. Mistel was able to collect as many antiques as he would like and Iris was able to collect her books. The riches from Iris’s first book even helped them move from place to place. Unfortunately, since then Iris hadn’t written a single story. She would write poetry and ideas for future novels, but none of them stuck. Mistel would often find them in or around the wastebasket.

It was sad to see his sister like this. Mistel had hoped he would find ways to help her, but there wasn’t much he could do. He could only be there for her when she needed him.

Right on cue, his sister walked into their apartment. She looked tired. Perhaps she was walking around this whole time.

“Hello, Iris,” he greeted her, smiling from behind an ornate screen.

She smiled back at him as she made her way to the answering machine. “Hello, Mistel. I hope your day was well.” She pressed the small blue button.

“Yes it was. Thank you for asking, “Mistel responded. The answer machine told her how many messages there were.

“ Iris! It’s your agent. I haven’t heard from you in weeks! What’s going on, sweetie? Do you have anything juicy to tell me? A nice story that you’ve taken under those glorious wings of yours? Call me!”

“ Iris, I know you’re going through some things, but you can’t keep not writing! You became one of the best selling authors of your time! You can’t just squander this time and become invisible to the world. You need to write! Call me!”

“Iris! I’m tired of–”

Iris deleted all the messages. Even she knew what they were all going to say. Mistel watched her as she sat down on one of their box furniture creations. Between their antiques and books, there was no room in their apartment for furniture. There were only two beds and a table while everything else was just created with the boxes. Mistel would often find Iris asleep on a long stretch of boxes, having done so after trying to write the night before. They moved so often that it didn’t make any sense to unpack things then pack them up.

So, they left them in boxes. It was much easier like that.

After some time, Mistel walked over to sit down next to his sister and rest his head on her shoulder. “Do you want to move again?” he asked. That’s what they did. If one place had no good antique shops or did nothing for Iris’s creative flow, they moved. They could still do it for a few more turns until they needed to get a job or two. That was a time in their lives they would handle when it comes to them.

Iris smiled. Oh, he knew her well. No one could know Iris as well as he did. She had had many boyfriends since Arthur. Some were good and some preferred their hobby than paying her any attention (they dared not speak about her former love that to fish.) They tried to understand her, but Mistel knew the truth: they never will. Mistel had always been with Iris and no one will ever reach his level of understanding her.

“Yes… Yes I would like to move again,” Iris answered. She leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Mistel waited patiently for her to say something. “Perhaps we’ll move to another city. A nice big one.”

“Maybe we’ll move to the country!” Mistel commented, laughing.

Iris laughed with him. “Perhaps we should move to the country. A nice remote place where its hard for anyone to come and see us.” Iris took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That would be wonderful, Mistel…”

Mistel took her hand. “Then let’s do it. It’s not like there’s anything here for you and me.” What a true fact it was. Mistel had already graduated high school and found no interest to go to college at the moment. He was smart, well beyond his years, and saw no need for it. Perhaps in the far future, but he would much rather live in the now.

His sister continued to stare up at the ceiling, but Mistel knew. He knew that she was jumbling the idea around in her head. She was weighing things around, wondering if it would be much better for them then staying in the city. Iris finally looked down at him smiled. “Let’s do it.”

Mistel knew that this would be the best thing for them. Even if it was only temporary, he was glad that they would be moving someplace new for them. Perhaps it would be a much bigger place where they could buy more books and antiques. The hope for it thrilled him with such a force of greatness.

Over the next few weeks, the two of them researched places they could go to. One was always better than the other or worse, but there weren’t any that was perfect for them. All their research led to dead ends and made them restart their search. An ad in the paper caught their eye. They were asking for traders and vendors to come to their little town and bring it to life.

What was the worse that could happen?

With their boxes packed in a truck, they made their way to the country. The journey there was long and tiring. They pushed on, hoping that this place would help them in ways that their previous homes couldn’t.

They arrived at Oak Tree Town during the afternoon. The plaza was very empty and only one lonely vendor stood at the far end of it. A woman approached them, smiling. “You must be Iris and Mistel. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she greeted, shaking both of their hands. “I’m glad to see that you have an interest in our little town.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet us,” Iris responded.

Mistel looked around the plaza and found a round man siting in a booth. He didn’t look entertained.

“My name is Veronica and it was a pleasure. I think you will enjoy our little community. Allow me to bring you two to your new home.”

The siblings followed Veronica across Oak Tree Town. They found the town was much bigger then they expected but it was so quiet. It seemed like not a single soul besides Veronica and the man in the plaza lived there. Mistel found this to be quite comfortable. He never liked how busy the city was. Moving to a different environment that was quiet would be wonderful for him. He looked over to his sister. Of course, it was important for his sister to be comfortable in this town as well.

At the moment, he couldn’t figure out what was going through her mind. It was rare that he couldn’t read her. It was so strange that this moment was when it was happening.

Veronica took them to an abandoned house and unlocked the door. The minute it was open, a cloud of dust hit them, sending them in to a coughing fit. “I’m sorry. It’s been some time since someone has lived in here. Please, come in.”

She led the way inside. Everything had a layer of dust covering it. Mistel sneered at it in hopes it would disappear from his look alone. “This looks nice, right, Mistel?” Iris asked. He glared at his sister. Surely she was jesting with him, yes?

“It use to be a store, but when the owners moved away, they ripped out the counter.” Veronica put her hands on her hips. “Gunther’s our local lumberjack and he said he’ll be happy to help you with anything you needed. Let’s go upstairs.”

Mistel wasn’t sure if he wanted to see any more of their new living quarters. If the upstairs was as dusty as the downstairs, then he wanted to stay somewhere else until they were clean. They ascended the stairs, finding it much bigger than their previous flat. If they used their space wisely, it would be livable for the two of them. To Mistel’s amazement, the upstairs wasn’t as dusty. Perhaps someone cleaned it up a bit in hopes that someone would move in.Then why couldn’t they do that for the first floor, as well? Mistel thought to himself.

“Is it too small for you two?” Veronica asked. She was standing at attention, something that Mistel admired. She clearly enjoyed her job and wanted to do it right the first time. Traits like that were difficult to find, sometimes.

“It’s perfect. We’re use to living in such close quarters,” Iris answered.

Mistel walked up to the kitchen counters and rubbed a finger on it. He sneered at the dust. “Are we going to have cleaning supplies? I must say, it wouldn’t be wise for us to live in such conditions…” he said. Then he smiled up at her. “Of course, I’m sure we can find a way around it. With hope, we won’t get sick or suffer from anything.”

“Mistel!” Iris hissed, placing her hands on her hips.

Veronica chuckled. “It’s fine, Iris. We do have many cleaning supplies that I’m going to bring over to you if you are willing to clean today. Would you prefer that, Mistel?”

“Yes, I would.” Mistel walked over to the window and opened it. He took a deep breath of the clean air. “I think we will take it, don’t you agree, Iris?”

Her stern look melted away and she nodded in return. “Yes, we will. Thank you very much, Veronica.”

“You’re welcome and we’re happy to have you part of this community,” she replied, shaking Iris’s hand. “Allow me to ask Gunther and the other men to help bring your things over. I shall bring over some cleaning supplies and some food for the both of you. If you’ll excuse me.”

Veronica swept past the siblings and made her way down the stairs. The sound of the door closing downstairs reached their ears. Iris walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her chin on his forehead. “Do you like it so far, Mistel?”

He leered at the dust that seemed to already accumulate on the place that he had wiped. “Well, its dusty and quite… big for the two of us. It’s a bit too early to tell.” Mistel squirmed beneath his sister. Her motherly tendencies usually got on his nerves. She often did it at the most inconspicuous times. It didn’t bode well for it to happen to someone trying to assert their independence. “Maybe I will once its clean.”

She fixed his messy hair, chuckling. “Then we should get started.”

It didn’t take long for Gunther, someone named Fritz, and a man named Maurice to bring all their items over. Fritz already made a bad impression on Mistel after he broke one of his favorite antiques. He quickly shooed him out, telling him to never return to the building (or near him) again. Veronica gathered up the cleaning supplies she promised, bringing along food and her daughter Angela.

Everyone left them alone to clean, which is how Mistel preferred it. Between him and his sister, Mistel was the one who did all the cleaning. Iris could clean, but she wasn’t too good at it. Mistel knew how to get into every nook and cranny to make sure it was clean. Out of anything he learned while living with Margery, she taught him how to clean well.

The two of them worked well into the night. Mistel focused himself on cleaning while Iris brought up their boxes and furniture. Their grandfather clock struck twelve and they collapsed onto Mistel’s mattress. Considering how late they started, Mistel was quite happy with how he cleaned the flat. The bathroom and kitchen were clean as well as the places where they would put their beds. He swept and the walls looked clean enough. All and all, a job well done. He wasn’t sure how long it would take him to clean downstairs, but he was going to tackle that in the morning.

“I like the people here, Mistel.”

He smiled at his sister, turning on his side to face her. “I’m glad you do. I’m not sure about that… Fritz fellow. He is quite annoying.”

Iris laughed. “Oh, the child is quite the character, though. Everyone here is…”

Mistel was glad to hear this. Whenever they moved, Iris never seemed to get involved with any of their new neighbors. He never did, either, but Iris always enveloped herself with those she met. It seemed to inspire her to write and gave her ideas. The last few times they moved, she wasn’t inspired at all. It was why she walked around so often; all in hopes that something would inspire her. Seeing her like this was a relief.

“I’m glad that you like it then.” He yawned and rolled onto his back. “I think I’m too tired to eat…”

Iris sat up then crawled off the bed. She took up his blanket and covered him with it. “Get some sleep, Mistel. Thank you so much for everything you do to help.”

Mistel smiled at her. He did indeed love her attention. He yawned as she kissed his forehead and walked away. “Night, Iris…” Before he closed his eyes, he saw Iris sit at the table, a pen in her hand as she scribbled away at whatever was before her.

~*~*~

Iris had never been more motivated then tonight. Meeting part of Oak Tree Town inspired her so much that her fingers just moved on their own. Her story just unfolded, beautifully imprinting on the page. The words looked up at her as she wrote them. They felt so grateful to her for writing them and they wanted her to do more. They wanted her to write it all out for fear that she may explode if she didn’t.

She didn’t hesitate to listen to the words calling.

She wrote well into the night and into the morning. When Mistel woke up, she was still writing, unable to stop. Mistel didn’t bother her for the rest of the day, deciding to clean up downstairs while she wrote. At lunch time, he tapped her shoulder and invited her to join him for lunch. Iris gave him a pout, looking down at the words she had written. She wasn’t sure where she was at the point in the story but she didn’t want to stop.

Her brother insisted, though.

After putting her book away, she followed him through the town and to the restaurant on the other side. Those who hadn’t met them greeted them with open arms and promises to come by with food for them later. It was strange to Mistel to find how warm everyone in town was. In the city, just as much as they didn’t interact with their neighbors, their neighbors did the same. To be so welcomed when not even twenty four hours of joining it was strange; they welcomed it, though.

“I really like this town, Mistel.”

Mistel took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m glad you do. You seem to have already made yourself home here, hm?”

“I have. They just offer so much inspiration and I can’t stop,” Iris answered. Even the far off look had returned to her eyes. That was a good sign. Now, her agent and editor wouldn’t have to always contact her in hopes that she had something new for them. Iris would write a new book and they would enjoy it. Mistel looked forward to the day where their jaws would drop from what amazing story they had just read.

“I hope you keep going then.”

At the restaurant, they met another one of the residents, a man named Raeger who gave them a delicious meal. He refused to charge them just this one time to welcome them into the town. After their lunch, they disappeared back to their home so that they could continue their work. There wasn’t much that he had left to clean. All he had left to do was to dust one more section downstairs. After that, he would be able to unpack his antiques and display them.

But when Mistel looked at the various boxes of antiques, he couldn’t imagine where he would put them all. Upstairs would only hold half of their collected treasures. It was only logical that he store and display them downstairs so that anyone could admire them.

The idea popped into his head before he opened the first box.

They already had so many antiques in their possession and they didn’t need this many. Why not sell them? This was a nice spot to set one up and perhaps someone here would appreciate antiques as much as he did.

What better time then now to show his independence?

Mistel quickly made sure that Iris wouldn’t be aware that he was going to be gone. It wouldn’t be hard. She was writing away in her notebook. If Mistel looked a little bit closer, he was sure that he would see smoke rising from the pen and paper.

Confident that she would remain that way for the next few hours, Mistel left the house quietly. He made his way to the carpentry shop and talked to Gunther about his idea. At first, the carpenter was hesitant to take on such a task due to the money required for it. Mistel assured him that it wouldn’t be a problem and that he would be able to pay him for his job. It took some time to haggle and to explain what he would like to have done, but he they found some terms they agreed on.

They shook hands to make it official and Mistel hurried off home. Just as he entered the home, his sister descended from the stairs.

“Now where did you run of to?” she asked, smiling.

How could he not tell his sister his genius idea? He ushered his sister up the stairs and sat her down. He explained his idea and saw her confused expression. Mistel was surprised by this look. She even looked hurt that he would sell the antiques that they had collected. A moment passed and she smiled again at him.

“If this is what you want to do, Mistel,” Iris started, reaching for his hand, “then I support you on this. I know you’ll be wonderful at this. Why, I can see it now. Various antique collectors coming from all around the world to see the antiques you have. You won’t stop doing so, will you?”

“I could never dream of stopping, Iris,” Mistel retorted, turning his nose up into the air. “To stop collecting antiques is like you no longer writing; it simply does not work.”

She chuckled and rest her head against his. “I’m glad to hear this.”

This would be their life now. So much had happened to them from the time they had left Margery and Henry’s home. They moved from place to place, using it as a chance to get far away from the previous guardians.

Iris was once again motivated to write. She would continue to write all sorts of stories and send them to her agent and editor to publish.

Mistel would continue to collect antiques and sell them to anyone who showed interest in them. Perhaps one day the town would become active enough for him to gain more business.

Perhaps one day, they would move away from Oak Tree Town. It was in their blood; they would pack up and move to another place to see how it would fit them. As perfect as the town was for them, sometimes one could never resist the urge to travel. But since these two siblings lived in the now, Iris and Mistel would enjoy their time in their new residence.

Who knows? Perhaps someone would convince them to make it a forever home.

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