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Maddie refilled Buck’s wineglass before sitting back against the sofa cushions, getting comfortable again as she glanced at Buck before looking around. The apartment was getting dark, the sun had set a few hours ago and they hadn’t turned on much of the lights inside cause they’d been watching a CSI marathon.
Their parents had left just after sunset, Albert not long after that. Chimney had gone to the bedroom after kissing Maddie good night and whispering “I love you” to both her and the baby. They’d shared a look and when Buck had tried to leave, they both insisted he stay a while longer.
Dinner with their parents had been eventful. And not the good kind of eventful.
Glancing over at Buck once more, Maddie noticed that Buck had nearly finished his wine again already. Grabbing one of the couch cushions, she plopped it in her lap before patting it.
“Lie down,” She said while giving him a smile.
Buck turned to her, looked at the pillow, and then back at her face.
“You’re kidding, right?” Buck chuckled, raising the wineglass to his lips and swallowing down the last of the wine.
“Absolutely not, come on. You really going to deny your pregnant sister what she wants?” Maddie asked as she patted the pillow on her lap again. She smiled as she saw Buck roll his eyes before putting his glass back on the table before lying down on his side, resting his head on the pillow.
“This is ridiculous, I’m too big for this,” Buck muttered as he bent his legs, trying to fit them on the couch. It took a few tries but he finally got comfortable, and Maddie started running her fingers through Buck’s hair when he had finally settled.
“This is nice,” She commented as squeezed Buck’s arm while stroking his hair with the other. They must have ended up in this position so many times as kids. Whenever there was a thunderstorm or Buck had had a bad dream or a bad day at school. Buck would always come running to Maddie.
A fact that Maddie used to wear like a badge of honor. Being the one her little brother came to for comfort.
It had been painful to leave. Heartbreaking actually. But she needed to do it, or that’s what she believed at the time. That she needed to find herself, grow up, and get a family on her own.
Looking down at Buck, Maddie felt her eyes well up with tears thinking of all the years they had lost. All the little and small moments. How different would their lives have been if she had just stayed? Would they be here now? On this sofa, in the position they had been in so many times before?
“Stop thinking and start playing with my hair again,” Buck spoke up. Maddie grinned and chuckled as she could hear the tiredness, the almost childlike whine in his voice as he did.
“Sorry,” She replied and started stroking his hair again. Maddie almost wished Chim would come back out so he could snap a photo of them, capture this moment forever.
“You know I love you right?” Maddie asked softly, looking down at him. Buck hummed and nodded just slightly. “Good,” she smiled, using her free hand to stroke his cheek gently with her fingers a few times before resting it on his shoulder as she let out a deep breath.
“Hey, Maddie?” Buck said quietly after a few minutes of comfortable silence, his eyes closed, too heavy to keep open anymore.
“Yeah, Buck?” Maddie replied as she kept running her fingers through Buck’s hair.
“You don’t have to worry so much. You’re going to be a great mom. You raised me, and I wasn’t even yours to raise,” Buck muttered sleepily. “Baby is so lucky to have you as its mom,”
Maddie clenched her eyes tightly together as she tried to control her breathing, trying her best to not let her emotions overtake her so she’d wake up Buck. She sat in silence as tears ran down her cheeks, her heart filling over with love at his words. Resting one hand on Buck’s head, she rested the other on her bump.
“I’m lucky too,” she whispered softly while smiling.