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1
The morning starts with Denny still in bed, tangled in messy sheets, his leg halfway off the bed. Suddenly there’s a bright light hitting his face causing him to arise abruptly from his sweet slumber.
“AH! What the-?!” Denny yells, shielding his eyes from the brightness, hoping to get back to sleep.
“Get up! You have 45 minutes before we leave the house” Karen yells at him hitting his ankle. “Wake your sister up please” she says finally before exiting his room.
Denny groans and pushes himself out of bed, he rubs his face and begins his simple morning routine. Once completed, he makes his way to Mara’s room with a hop in his step, now fully awake.
Not knocking on the door, he makes his way into Mara’s room, steadies himself at the end of her bed by her mattress, and begins to shake as hard as he can.
“IT'S AN EARTHQUAKE! 7.1! MARA RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!” Denny yells, causing his sister to scream and wake up.
“Denny! Knock it off! I’m awake! STOP IT!” She yells giggling while holding onto the mattress for support, shocked at the strength her 13 year old brother can muster up so early.
Denny stands up straight with a huge smile on his face, pleased with the way he woke his sister up.
“Good morning Mara! Mum said breakfast is ready” he says happily as he bounds out of the room and makes his way into the kitchen.
“Why do you always annoy your sister?” Hen asks him as he makes his way to the fridge. Hen is sitting on the breakfast bar, a mug of steaming coffee in her hand.
“It's not annoying Mama, it's how I show my love!” Denny says smiling, as he pours two cups of orange juice.
Once breakfast is complete, Hen is on the school run today as Karen needed to be in the office earlier.
As the two children run out the door, Mara makes her way to the front seat, before she can get the door open, Denny nudges her out the way. The two begin to battle, resulting in the older sibling winning and getting the front seat.
As the journey to school begins, Denny hands a breakfast bar back to Mara, she rolls her eyes fondly and takes it.
2
With Bobby successfully given the all clear to return home from the hospital, Athena puts on a welcome back Bobby party in their new home and backyard.
Mara is sitting in her reading nook comfortably reading one of her books - Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Chris got her into it and she’s become obsessed.
As she’s enjoying the peace her door bursts open, without looking up she knows it's her older brother.
“Mara! How do I look?!” Denny says as he enters the room going straight for her full length mirror to look at himself. Once satisfied, he turns to give his little sister a full view.
Mara sighs to herself and looks up at him. Denny is wearing a simple green polo top, black cargos and a pair of New Balances.
“You left my room 25 minutes ago..and that's the pairing you chose?” Mara asks giggling to herself.
Denny sighs deeply, immediately feeling the jab from his sister, he rolls his eyes and turns back to the mirror to review himself a second time.
“You look like Cap so I guess it fits the party!” Mara yells laughing to herself. This results in a second laugh from Karen as she enters the room.
Denny groans to himself and leaves the room, knocking her perfumes on the shelf down gently and leaving her door open.
“Denny! Shut my door!” Mara says through giggles.
Karen laughs and tells her children that they are leaving in 10 minutes.
3
It takes out Saturday at the Wilson household, and as always Denny and Mara are bickering over whose turn it is to choose the place they order from.
Denny wants Thai food and Mara wants Mac Donalds.
”Why not just rock paper scissors?” Karen suggests feeling a migraine coming on.
‘No! Denny always cheats somehow” Mara says abruptly, she learned her lesson once she was not falling for it again.
”Not my fault you suck at rock paper scissors” Denny jabs back.
The decision is settled on flipping a coin - the coin must be flipped by Hen otherwise Denny would be deemed a cheater.
It lands on Tails - Denny’s choice, he shouts with glee and does a happy dance.
.
Mara huffs to herself accepting defeat and requests her usual order, then asks for gyoza’s.
Denny who is putting the order in, rolls his eyes and says no he wants chilli squid.
He won the coin flip, he chooses the side dish.
Once the delivery arrives and the Wilson family are seated around the table, Denny walks towards his seat.
He spins a small container to Mara as he sits down and starts on his own food.
Mara opens the small item from Denny and notices it's the gyoza she asked for.
She looks at her brother and smiles gently, he rolls his eyes smiling.
The moment’s broken a second later as he takes her can of coke, chugs it and hands it back.
4
Ever since Mara was introduced into the Wilson family, Denny has been making his way through nicknames for his younger sister.
It started off very simple during dinner one night.
“Hey Mar, can you pass the salt?” Denny said not looking up from his food but holding his hand out.
Mara looks up in surprise towards Hen, Hen smiles gently and nods her head in encouragement. Mara reaches out and takes the salt.
“Today would be nice” Denny grumbles, as your usual teenager.
Mara places the salt in his hand and goes back to her meal.
Hen and Karen share a small smile at each other.
“Denny relax on the salt, my cooking is not that bad” Karen snaps snatching the salt grinder out of her son’s hand.
This then created the chaos of many different nicknames assigned to Mara.
Of course, being the older brother he is, Denny would use the most embarrassing ones in public.
Karen had forced a reluctant Denny and Mara to do the weekly grocery shop with her as she thought “It was easier for their school lunches”.
So naturally, when Denny and Mara were in the snack aisle and he was at the other end making his way back to her, he very loudly said “Mara-sarus! Do you want Ruffles or Pringles?!”
This caused a few other teenagers near their age to look around and search for whoever Mara-sarus was.
Mara’s response was to groan and storm off to find their mother as he laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever said.
Another nickname comes up as Mara makes her way out of school putting her bag on her back.
She looks towards the bench her and Denny usually meet, so it's easier for their parents during pick up.
However, this time she can’t seem to find the older Wilson.
As she scans the entrance of the school she hears a familiar and embrassing voice.
“Dramara!!” Denny yells waving his hand excitedly near Karen’s car.
Mara huffs in embarrassment, quickly making her way over to him to get him to stop.
Once she reaches him her hands immediately cover his mouth.
“Denny shut up! You’re so embarrassing sometimes”
As her hands move from his mouth, Denny has the grin of a Cheisure cat on his face, clearly pleased that he’s able to successfully embarrass his sister yet again.
5
It's a Sunday morning, Denny wakes up on his own accord today.
He rolls over and takes his phone and checks the time - 9:31AM, he sighs blinking to adjust his eyes to the new light as he reads his phone.
It's nothing to worry about just a few text messages from Chris about the game they were playing yesterday evening, and a few photos of Miami from Harry.
After about 10 minutes of laying in bed, Denny gets up and makes his way to Mara’s room.
He knocks gently and slowly peaks his head in the small opening of the door.
Mara is still peacefully asleep under the covers with her book and an empty glass on the night stand.
Denny enters the room and fills her glass up with fresh water he grabbed from the kitchen, and sets the small jug down on the bed side table quietly.
He makes his way round to the other side of her bed and gets under the covers - moving his limbs extravagantly on purpose to wake her up.
Mara wakes up abruptly and looks at the movement, she sighs deeply noticing its Denny.
“Really Denny, why are you in here?”
Denny smiles brightly “Morning! Your bed is so much warmer than mine, and your sheets are so soft and they smell so nice! Is that Lavender Marmalade?”
He rambles on not answering her question.
“Denny move your arm!”
Mara yells gently giggling, he puts his arm over her then moves again shifting, continuing his rambling about anything and everything.
Then Denny decides to turn onto his knees and look at the posters above, on her wall.
“Who’s this?” He points to a photo.
“That’s Jee, you know what Jee looks like!”
He continues to look, gasps and points to a book poster
“I remember watching that movie! It uhh-”.
He stops and begins to click to try and jog his memory.
“Narnia, Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe”
Denny joins her in saying wardrobe at the same time, she rolls her eyes for the umpteenth time this morning.
“Why are there no photos of us in your room, I’m offended.”
Mara rolls over onto her side as an attempt to get some more sleep.
+1
As Karen, Hen, Denny and Mara exit the court house after officially and legally announcing Mara as Mara Wilson.
They head to the car with bright smiles on their faces, Denny sprints to get to the front seat.
“SHOT GUN”
Before he can grab the handle, he feels a strong tug on his ear causing him to yell.
”Nope in the back!” Karen yells as she guides him by the ear then lets go and gets in the front next to Hen.
“Let your sister in first!”
Denny sighs and opens the door for Mara, gesturing for her to get in.
Mara smiles and gets in the car as slow as humanly possible.
Denny rolls his eyes and barrels in beside her sitting on her.
“Denny!” Mara yells laughing, moving out from under him.
“Hurry up!”
Laughter fills the car as Hen makes the drive back to the house. As she pulls into the drive way, and puts the car in park, Karen is mentioning dining out for dinner to celebrate Mara’s adoption.
“We could try that Italian place Buck and Eddie mentioned,” Karen finishes.
“For two best friends they really do recommend a lot of food places for us to try” Hen chuckles as she makes her way out the car with the rest of her family.
“But sure I'm in the mood for Italian”
“I could eat some pasta! With garlic bread ooo and with Aranchini!” Denny hums beside Hen as Karen and Mara make their way into the house.
Hen chuckles as her son's new found excitement and then a loud gasp is heard from the house.
Hen’s eyes widen in panic as she quickly makes her way into the house, however, there doesn’t seem to be a threat.
There, sitting on the centre of the breakfast bar, are a large bouquet of pink peonies, sitting in a cream coloured vase with a pink bowl around it.
Karen turns to look at Hen, confused about her phase. Silently asking her wife if she did this, Hen shakes her head gently in response.
Mara gasps and excitedly says “There for me!”
Mara takes the small note, she smiles and barrels towards Denny hugging him tightly.
“What are you hugging me for?!” Denny stumbles laughing.
“Thank you!” Mara hums smiling
“You’re welcome” he mumbles, eventually hugging her back
Hen and Karen smile gently at their children - feeling contentment wash over them.
”Unfortunately, this means you are in for a lifetime of embarrassment, annoyance and my wonderful nicknames Moo Moo’
“UGH you’re done!’ Mara yells moving away from Denny like he burned her