Saving and Secrets

[MaskedMyth]

Saturday

Caleb had picked up Annabelle at her foster parents. It was finally his weekend again and he was excited to spend the day with her. He was sad that he couldnt see her more often, but every second he had with her he treated like a treasure. He knew why she wasnt with him, he couldnt take good care of her, not provide her with things a normal family had like a house and a swing in the backyard.. Annabelle was the most important person in his life, so if someone could take better care of her than him, then so be it. Didnt mean he liked it, but what was best for her, that was most important. It's the only reason he hadnt fought for her in court, he didnt have the money yet, but one day he would! He would have a nice house, be able to pay bills and for her school. He would be able to have her in his arms every day and never have to lose her again.

"Big Brother, lets go to the park!" Annabelle beamed excitingly as she swung on his arm with a big smile on her face. For the both of them, these Saturdays meant the world. They always tried to do something special. They had until dinner before Annabelle had to be back, which was around 6 PM. They had already had lunch together and they shared a big strawberry Milkshake which was Annabelle's favourite.

"Okay, okay." Caleb chuckled. "Let's go." Only Anna could make him smile. Unlike Anna who lived in a house, he lived on the streets, doing anything from selling drugs to escorting to gather money and pay for the shitty trailer he lived in. Caleb smiled and swung Anna on his arm as they headed to the park around the corner, his troubled forgotten for just a day.

They reached the park and Annabelle let go of her brother's arm before running off. "Catch me if you can!" She yelled and ran as fast as she could. Caleb chuckled and gave Anna a head start before he ran after her. Annabelle looked over her shoulder and screamed happily, running even faster, but fell to the ground when she bumped into someone. "Ow..." She whimpered.

"Anna!" Caleb called and ran faster to his sister. Her foster parents would take away one of his days if she got back hurt like a few days ago when she had his her head really badly and got back with a giant bump. He hadnt been allowed to see her on her 6th birthday that year.

 

[Levy]

It had been a bit of a rough day for April. Artists' block had just about actually chucked a block at her head and her current client was being extremely frustrating. So she'd decided to take a little walk around the park. Stretch her joints as get some fresh air (inhale anything other than paint fumes, really). Sounded like a nice plan.

April had been leisurely strolling through high grass when she noticed a small figure sprinting right towards her. She hadn't had the chance to get out of the way before the little thing crashed right into her, effectively knocking even April down. The poor thing looked like she'd just ran into a brick wall.

"Woah there, bud. You alright?" She peered, dusting herself off as she stood. April offered the girl a hand and stood her up, gently brushing away debris off her coat, as if she would shatter if April touched too hard.

"Now, do you know where your parents are?" April asked, completely oblivious to the girl's situation. She looked around, scanning the area for any frantic parents, but instead found a frantic, kind of really shady looking character. April pulled the girl closer, worried about her safety.

"Oh dear," She mumbled.

 

[MaskedMyth]

Annabelle rubbed her nose and held in her tears, she was nine after all and big girls didnt cry anymore according to her family. She accepted the pretty woman's hand and let her brush off the first from the coat. She looked up when the nice lady asked where his parents were, but she didnt get to answer when the nice lady pulled her close. Anna moved in the lady's arms and saw her brother running over towards them, looking pretty worried. She wiggled out of the lady's grip and smiled up at her brother as he came near. "I'm okay, big brother. I'm not hurt." She said with a small smile.

Caleb knelt down in front of her and looked his sister over, which made her giggle. "I'm okay, big brother, really." Annabelle smiled which made Caleb sigh in relief and stand back up, ruffling his sister's hair with his large hand. "Dont run into people, you know what your foster parents will do when if you get hurt." Caleb scolded lightly and breathed. He looked up at the girl who his sister had run into and gave her a bit of an awkward smile. "Sorry about Anna. I guess our game of tag went wrong." He apologised and nudged his sister. "Yeah, sorry for running into you." Anna said and grabbed her brother's hand again with a shy smile.

The two siblings didnt really look much a like, they had two different father's after all and the same mother. According to his mom, his dad had been a gang leader, but he doubted it honestly. Their mom had been on drugs so she must've been hallucinating, but according to her, his dad had been a gang leader and Annabelle's father was an attorney who's wife didnt please him enough so went to his mother and became a regular client for a while. And obviously there was a big age gap since Caleb looked like he could be Anna's father.

 

[Levy]

Big brother. Foster parents. Big brother?? Foster parents??? April had to take a moment to allow everything to settle in, and her mind to calm down. The man looked like he could murder without a single trace of regret, even the mothers in the park hushed their daughters and stayed from the aura he gave off. April didn't exactly peg him to be a doting brother, and she almost felt guilty for assuming he was some sort of mafia boss. It didn't take her long to figure out the big picture. She did, however, wonder of them. They didn't look the slightest bit alike, but upon further inspection, the pair did seem to have the same mesmerizing eyes.

"Oh! Don't worry about it, I'm just glad this little munchkin is okay. Ah, excuse my manners! I'm April." She said, straightening herself to hold her hand out. A handshake. It was a little late for formal introductions, but she was taught to be polite and polite she shall be.

Manners or not, April still couldn't help but be curious. She was always a nosy little thing. It was midday, around lunch time. One measly meal couldn't hurt, right?

"Ah, hey. This might seem really out of the blue, you know, stranger danger," April laughed. "But, would you like to have lunch? On me, of course, consider it an apology." She smiled.

 

[MaskedMyth]

Caleb took April's hand in his and shook it gently, he didnt want to break her hand. "I'm Caleb." He said and pulled his hand back. "I'm Annabelle, but you can call me Anna." Anna had quickly grabbed April's hand before she could pull it away and shook it excitingly before grabbing her brother's hand again. She rarely saw him and liked holding onto him as much as possible.

When April offered lunch, Caleb scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, but no thank you. We already had lunch today and we wouldnt want you waisting our money on us if we dont finish our plates." He apologised and declined her offer. "We also had a huge strawberry milkshake and we drank from it with two straws like you see in the movies." Annabelle informed the pretty lady with a bright smile. "You can play with us!" She beamed with the idea. Caleb supposed that was alright if that's what Anna wanted. He wasnt too worried about stranger danger, if anyone was the danger it would be him. He was a nice guy until you crossed the line, or unless you were Annabelle. He could never truly get angry at his baby sister. Their time was too precious for that.

"Brother is going to take me to Build-A-Bear before he takes me home, you wanna come with us to that too?"

Caleb patted Annabelle's head and smirked as he shook his head. "I'm sure Miss April has better things to do than to spend the rest of the day with us, Anna." He reminded her.

 

[Levy]

"Oh, it's lovely to meet you, Anna." April was a little surprised by her enthusiastic shake, but chuckled all the same. The two were such an offbeat pair, it was almost to laughable. Anna's beaming smile was enough to make April's day, she had already won her heart.

Upon Caleb's polite decline, April sighed. Darn it. She lost her chance. But she was damned if she were to give up that easily; it was in her blood to be stubbornly persistent.

"Actually," April interjected, "I'm taking today off. So I have all the time in the world." She smiled, knowing well and good that that was Caleb was likely slightly opposed to the idea. Once April set her sights on something, she would kick down the fiery gates of hell and trudge through the fields of punishment if need be. She gave Caleb a crafty smile.

"Anna, tell me about your favorite foods. Do you like strawberry milkshake the best? I know I do," April started, making small talk.

 

[MaskedMyth]

Caleb shrugged. If April had the day off that meant he couldnt get out from under it so if Anna wanted to have another person join them today he supposed he was fine with that. It would just be this one time, in two weeks he would have her all to himself again. It would be a tough, long wait like always, but he had become an expert at waiting over the last five years. Anna grabbed April's hand with her free hand and walked hand in hand with the stranger of today and her big brother.

"I love strawberries milkshakes the best because I can share them with my brother. We always get one when we go out." Anna happy said and looked up at the pretty lady. "I like pancakes too and baby carrots." She said, her eyes suddenly going wide when she saw a pond with a bunch of ducks. "Ooh big brother, can we go feed the ducklings, pleeeease!" She pleaded.
Caleb was a sucker for Annabelle's eyes and smirked, ruffling her hair. "Sure. I'll go by some breadcrumbs okay? If April drags you away, just yell." He teased though was completely serious at the same time. Just because April was a woman didnt mean he would give her any slack or treat her differently.

As Caleb went to get a bag of crumbs, Anna pulled April to the pond with the different ducks. A few minutes later, Caleb returned and handed Anna the paper bag with breadcrumbs. "Dont make them fat, okay?" Caleb joked and got a glare from Annabelle. "They're already fat. Like your head." She said and stuck her tongue out.

Caleb laughed and went to go sit on a bench, watching his sister enjoy herself. Just in a few hours he would ahem to drop her off again. The day went by so fast. He only had like 8 hours with her. From 10 AM to 6 PMit was away too short.

 

[Levy]

April chuckled at their antics. "Better keep an eye out. If you're not looking, I just might steal her." She teased, leading Anna to the pond. The two made jubilant small talk, and even compared and contrasted the different fallen leaves. Anna was a bright kid, April observed. She knew the word "vascular," but didn't quite know in what context to use it in.

As Caleb left the bag of crumbs to Anna and sat at a bench, April, positioned herself on a nearby rock. It was a pretty scene, April thought. She couldn't help but pull out a pocket-sized sketch pad from her bag and start doodling, looking back and forth from Anna to the paper. It had been a while since she'd drawn a child. Doing the light in her eyes justice proved to be a difficult task.

Just as April was wrapping up her rough sketch, she looked up to see Anna stumbling. A crowd of ducks had flocked to her feet, quacking at her like mad. It only took a moment for her to lose her footing, letting out a yelp. April was quick to react. She threw her pad and pencil to the grass and leaped for the girl. Unfortunately, April was also reckless to react. She ended up drenched, sitting neck deep in the pond, holding a perfectly dry Anna by the waist.

"Oh dear," she mumbled.

 

[MaskedMyth]

Caleb saw it all happen and quickly got to his feet, grabbing Annabelle first since she was still dry and then held his hand out for April, helping her up. "Are you okay?" He asked her. "You're completely soaked!" He said as he helped her out. Caleb was grateful for what she did, Anna was a bit of a clumsy child and he probably would have had to drop her off early if she had gotten wet which probably wouldnt have made the foster parents very happy. Annabelle came running up. "I'm so sorry Miss April, it's all my fault." The child said slightly panicking.

Caleb shrugged off his letter jacket and wrapped it around April's shoulders. They should probably go to a store to get her some new clothes or at least take her home if she lived in the neighbourhood, she would get a cold if she stayed out like this!

"Do you live nearby?" Caleb asked her. "We can walk you home if you want or like get you to a store or something so you can get something new to wear before you get sick." He felt kind of bad, he should have told Anna no to drag April along and this wouldnt have happened. He didnt really know what to do in this situation since they were complete strangers. They didnt know anything about each other besides each others names.

 

[Levy]

April got to her feet and pulled the newly clad garment closer to her. It was rather comical, a giant jacket cloaking a girl who could barely surpassed a mushroom. She appreciated the kind gesture, even so.

It took her a moment of processing, but she started laughing at the siblings' concerns, to the point where she was downright chuckling.

"Oh geez, you don't have to go that far. I can be pretty clumsy myself sometimes, so don't worry about it. I'm just worried about Anna. It's pretty startling to nearly fall into a pond." She bent down to the little girl, patting her on the head. "I'm fine, just uh, a little wet. You're okay, don't worry about it too much, okay?" She said, nudging her.

She stood up and sneezed suddenly, the sheer force of her own sneeze making her stumble a little. "Oh dear. I best be getting home. Don't worry, it's right next to the park, those buildings over there." April pointed to the apartment complex east of them. It wasn't a rich neighborhood, but it was certainly nice. Gated and secure, kind neighbors. It was enough to accommodate her, and she was content with it.

 

[MaskedMyth]

Caleb looked at the buildings April pointed at and sighed softly, at least she lived close. "Can you take yourself or do you want us to come with you?" He asked her. "Dont worry about the jacket though, it wouldnt surprise me if I saw you around again. You need it more than I do." He said with a bit of a charming smirk. He went to the park pretty often when he was alone. He had a dog back in his crappy trailer and took the dog here pretty often.

"You're going to be okay, right?" Annabelle asked a little bit worried. She liked April, she was her new friend. "Will you come play again next week?"

Caleb smiled softly at his sister. If that's what she wanted. Annabelle seemed to really like April and when she was around, he had something nice to look at. He was going to be honest, April was really cute but probably a little too innocent for him. Some people ran by the sight of him, he knew he could look a bit intimidating, and he was basically homeless. He had some jobs here and there, but it didnt give him much.

The jacket April was now wearing he got from the salvation army, so it didnt have any meaning for him. It was a nice jacket though, but he didnt really need it.

 

[Levy]

April pondered her options for a moment and saw an opportunity to strike! She was still entirely too curious about the two siblings, though she still knew her boundaries and decided that it was best tread cautiously. She was walking on eggshells after all.

"Ah, actually, would you mind coming with me? I promise it'll be a quick trip. I don't get out much often, which is funny considering I'm right next to this beautiful park. I couldn't possibly just take it," She told him. And she did. Her art took up so much of her time that she hardly got time to herself anymore, and she really didn't want to to steal the man's jacket right after they had met. He really was a sweet person, despite his outwardly appearance.

She turned and smiled at Annabelle. "Of course I'll come next week. I'll come any time you'd like." April turned and picked up her scattered paper and pencil, slipping them into her bag. "Good thing this is waterproof." She patted the bag slung around her waist.

 

[MaskedMyth]

"Well... Not next week." Annabelle said a little sadly and took her brother's hand. She didnt like the fact that she didnt get to see her brother much, but her foster parents didnt like him for some reason.. Maybe because he didnt have much of a home. "But the week after that, right, big brother?" She asked Caleb with sparkling eyes. Caleb smiled a bit sadly and nodded. "Right." He said and and ruffled her hair. He still had to talk to the foster parents about Easter because he really wanted her for a weekend, of course that was only possible if they allowed it.

Caleb turned to April with a small smile. "We should get you to your apartment before you catch a cold." He said and slowly started heading to the direction of the buildings. Two more hours and he had to take her home. Life sucked. He really wanted to keep her with him always. One day that would become a reality, he just knew it. Seeing Annabelle still a little down caleb tickled her, which made her giggle. She screamed when she was swung in the air and placed in his neck. Her brother was really strong. She was getting bigger, but Caleb always put her in his neck like he had always done since she was born. No matter what her foster parents said, Annabelle loved her brother and knew he had a heart of gold even if he could look scary sometimes.

 

[Levy]

April paused, taking in the slight melancholy gloom looming over the two siblings. She supposed this was a bi-weekly thing. He did mention foster parents earlier, and it seemed like he was in a bit of a hurry, keeping his sister safe and close and all. She had to wonder what kind of people these foster parents were.

The three of them started their (rather short) trudge to April's home. She stole a glance behind her as the two continued their playful antics, chuckling at their affection. It didn't take long to reach April's flat, simply a gate and an elevator ride to the 4th floor. April rummaged through her bag for her keys and promptly dropped them, before finally making it inside.

"Oh dear, I haven't had guests over in a while." She mumbled as she pushed open the door. Inside was a typical layout of an artist. They were immediately bombarded with the scent of oil paints and ink, papers scattered the hardwood floor, canvases sprawled all over the walls with a few easels pinned to the walls. Paints and colors were absolutely everywhere. She had converted her "living room" into a chaotic studio, which took up the majority of her flat.

"Just try not to step on anything." She laughed as she pushed through, showing them to a round dining table next to the kitchen. "I'll only be a moment, wait right there. Ah, wait! Where are my manners? Would you some tea? Apple juice?" April asked, already readying a pot of tea.

"Now, give me a moment," And with that, she took off. The woman was so quick on her feet, she didn't give either Caleb or Anna a chance to interject.

 

[MaskedMyth]

Caleb had put Annabelle down as they reached the apartment. Caleb didnt really worry about April's mess, his crap shack was worse than her studio. At least she had a reason to be messy, he didnt. They went to sit down as April put on some tea and rushed to get changed. Caleb smiled at Anna as she looked around the apartment from her seat, she eventually faced him though and smiled softly before moving over to sit on his lap.

Some might think she was being clingy, but Caleb didnt really care. Every other saturday was the only day he had with her. Two days a month unless her birthday and holidays if the foster parents allowed her to be with him. The two siblings always tried to stay as close as possible if they could when they saw each other. Caleb kissed Annabelle's head and ran his hand through her hair as she just leaned against him and listened to his heartbeat. "I dont want to go home." She said softly.

Caleb let out a breath and closed his eyes for a second as he rested his head against her's. "I know.. But you have to." He said. "One day we'll be together every day and I'll take care of you. I promise." One day, if he only ever would be able to save up the money. He needed 30.000 dollars, a full-time job and a house. It might seem easy, but he literally had nothing on his name. Whatever he had made this month had gone out to rent, his days with Anna and what he gave to the foster parents to help take care of her. He didnt want her worrying about him being poor and basically homeless and without a proper job, so he always pretended things were okay. He didnt need to pay the foster parents, but this way he felt like he at least had a helping hand in raising her when he couldnt do it alone. It was basically child support that he paid.

 

[Levy]

April was, indeed, light on her feet. She zipped through her apartment, drying herself off before switching to a new set of comfortable, fresh clothes. She aired off and folded Caleb's jacket, about to step out. It was only until she heard Anna's soft, hushed protest that she slowed down and pressed her back against the doorway, listening quietly.

Her heart hurt for them, and she couldn't help but steal a glance at the picture frame of her baby brother, rosy cheeked and gushing. She wish she hadn't. God, you never really get over these things.

"Whoops! Don't want to burn the tea!" April chirped, swinging back out with a fully refreshed grin. She'd be damned if she let another family fall to ruin. The least she could do was keep her guests happy and cheerful, and to do that, she had to reflect it in herself. "Wait, you can't really burn tea, can you?" She said, turning off the flame and getting out two cups.

"Oh, and Caleb, catch!" She said, tossing his cardigan over to him. "Anna, do you drink tea? I have apple juice and orange juice if you'd like," April told her, bouncing through the kitchen. In the dining hall, there was a gigantic picture frame positioned on a great big wall, and it quite peculiarly out of place, on account of a jute cloth being draped over it, covering it entirely.

 

[MaskedMyth]

Anna looked up when April came rushing back in, saying she couldnt let the tea burn. She giggled softly when April said you couldnt burn tea. "You can't, silly." She chuckled before smiling up at Caleb, hugging his broad chest for a second. "Can I have apple juice?" She asked as she stayed in her brother's lap.

Caleb had seen the big fancy canvas but decided not to ask about it since it probably was covered for a reason so he just patiently waited for his team. "Thanks." He said when April brought out a cup of tea for him. He wasnt much of a tea drinker, but it was nicely offered and once in a while was good for him. He had caught his jacket and was now draping over the back of the chair. "You got a nice place April, how much do you pay for this if I may ask or did you buy it?" There was a big difference there. This place wasnt too big but not too small either. Maybe he could find out a way to get an apartment like this for April and him. They would have a place to live if he found a way than he could check that off his list. Maybe if he had a decent place to stay Anna's foster parents might let him see her more often as well.

Annabelle thanked April for the juice and smiled brightly before taking a sip of the sweet liquid.

 

[Levy]

"Sure thing, sweet pea." April smiled, setting down a juice box in front of Anna. She, herself, indulged in juice boxes, rather too often for a grown woman, but she loved them all the same. Mostly to get through an art piece.

"Ah, let's see," April sighed as she sat down, propping her legs up in her seat. "Thank you very much. I pay around $800 a month for this little place. It would have been $1000, but I'm good friends with the landlord and she understands the life of an artist well, so she cuts me some slack here and there." She said, before taking a sip of tea.

"Oh! But I heard buying a place would cost anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000 from a neighbor." She mentioned. It wasn't exactly dirt cheap, but there were certainly more expensive alternatives. She'd lost contact with her family ever since she'd graduated from college, and she didn't care too much to turn back. A phone call here and there would be administered, but nothing too long or too serious. She knew if she lingered too long, either her or her mother would break.

 

[MaskedMyth]

Oh fuck no, there was no way he could pay for that! He didnt make that much at all! While he sold drugs for maybe $1,000 a month he got a very low precentage of that from the gang he sold it for. He got like $100 out of that a month, than maybe another $400 - $500 dollars for escorting. His rent was like $300 dollars for the shitty trailer, $50 for utilities, $100$ to the foster parents and the rest went into a safe that he had or used for the days he had with her... But even that money really lasted for that. There were things that Anna didnt know like addictions and such. He had $200 dollars in the safe now which was the most it had been in a long time.

Caleb knew he wasnt a very good brother, even if Annabelle thought differently. If he wasnt such a lowlife they would have been living happily by now. He couldnt hold a job, secretly was a drug addict and whored himself out to people just so he could make a little bit of money.. She would be ashamed if she knew the truth. "That's a lot of money." Caleb said a bit awkwardly and scratched his head before quickly taking another sip of his tea. "I'm sure this place is worth the money though." He said with a small smile.

Caleb sighed mentally. Just 30 minutes left before he had to walk to Annabelle's place. He didnt have a vehicle or the money for a cab so they had to walk an hour to get to her house. Saturdays were the best days, but also the most painful ones.

 

[Levy]

"Yes, I do love this place dearly. I've been meaning to clean it, though, it would take too much time to get all of it spotless and actually get work done. But I do love my job, don't get me wrong!" April said, pyre in her eyes. She really did love her work. It was what had gotten her through all of high school and what she'd devoted her life to, of course she had to have passion for it.

"Oh! Anna, before you leave, do you want to try and paint with fancy professional paints? You can even take it home if you'd like." She tempted, her face suddenly lighting up. "Oh, don't worry about getting dirty. I have an abundance of aprons that are sure to keep you spotless." She mentioned, before standing up. April had taken a mental note of Caleb's caution when it came to keeping Anna prim and perfect and safe, so she was sure to be careful when approaching.

April went to sift through a cardboard box stuffed with splattered aprons and gigantic shirts, before finding one small enough for Anna. "There you are." She smiled. "Caleb, would you like to join in? Painting is quite a bit of fun."