Chapter 17
7 months
"Echo! What are you-- oh my gosh. Jaster! Come here! Look! Look at Echo! Look at you, big boy! Yes, you're such a big boy now! Yes, yes, yes. Jaster!"
Echo held on to the edge of the couch, one set of chubby fingers clinging to the fabric as he stood for the first time. His mommy jumped and squealed around him in delight, so of course he followed suit. His grin widened to reveal one budding tooth, front and center. He giggled and moved his feet to mimic her dance.
Unfortunately, the movement caused him to lose his balance. His fingers couldn't hold on as he wobbled backward and landed on a diapered bum.
"What is it? What's going on?"
His daddy's voice came around the corner while his mommy wailed.
"Ohhh you missed it! Are you okay, baby? You okay?"
She rushed over to him, rubbing his back and putting her face next to his. Echo wasn't going to cry, but his mommy didn't have her smile anymore. He stopped smiling, too.
"Arla, don't hover," his daddy said.
"I'm not, she said, but still moved away. Just a little bit. She dropped her hand from his back.
Echo looked from his mommy to his daddy, both watching him intently. He wanted to see them smile again. He reached his hand out toward the couch.
"That's it, little buddy," said Daddy.
"Yes! Yes!" said Mommy.
Echo scooted himself closer until his hand grasped at the couch. He was slow, but he finally pushed himself up again.
"You did it, Echo!"
"Look at you! My big boy! Ahead of your milestones!"
"Arla..."
"What? He is!"
Echo was delighted they were smiling again. He laughed and flung his head on the couch, giggling while his mommy and daddy tickled and cooed and rubbed at his back.
Eventually he fell back on his bottom again but he kept on smiling.
5 years old
"Okay, who remembers the plan?"
Echo joined his brothers on the front stoop and looked back at Mom. Tech and Hunter raised their hands eagerly so he did, too.
"Hunter. What's the first step?"
"We wipe our feet!" He demonstrated the action, quickly rubbing his shoes on the doormat. The others crowded around him to do the same, elbowing and knocking against each other's backpacks in a frantic, whining mess. But Echo stepped back. He knew that was not the first step.
"Nuh-uh-uh," Mom patiently chastised them. "You're forgetting the most important part. Echo?"
"We have to line up!" he said, beaming when Mom nodded in affirmation.
The pushing and shoving from the others continued as they fought for their place in line.
"I got here first!"
"No I did!"
"Move!"
"Mom, he stepped on foot!"
Echo looked between them and Mom, waiting for something to be done, but she only folded her arms and watched them tussle. He folded his arms, too. Or rather, he wrapped his full arm around his middle and rested his stubby arm on top.
Eventually the chaos settled down as Hunter stood his ground on the mat and the others fell back behind him. Mom stepped in and put a gentle hand on Echo's shoulder and guided him forward, right behind Hunter.
"Hey, no cut-sies!" Wrecker began to whine but Mom silenced him with a look.
"There's no such thing as cut-sies with your brothers," she said evenly. "It doesn't matter who's first. This is all your home, you will all get inside no matter the order."
Echo nodded while the others didn't seem to be listening. Wrecker was still bumping into Tech playfully while Crosshair seemed to be eating a booger. Hunter wiped his shoes again.
"And now we wipe our feet!"
"That's right," Mom agreed. "One-by-one, wipe your shoes on the mat and go inside. And then what happens. Wrecker?"
Wrecker stopped messing with Tech and looked sheepishly back at Mom. "Okay, I'll stop."
"What's happens when you go inside?" she repeated.
Wrecker, never one to keep still, shuffled around in a circle. "We... we... we have to... um..."
"Shoes," Tech whispered next to him.
"We... we... we put our shoes... we put our shoes away...." He spun in a circle again.
"Away where? Tech?"
Tech pulled himself up to his full height, like an army man standing at attention. "In our cubbies."
"That's right. The cubbies you decorated yesterday. And what else goes in there, Crosshair?"
Echo peered down the line at his quiet brother, who seemed to just be chewing on his whole finger now.
"Pak-pak," he slurred around his finger.
"Backpacks, yes. Okay." Mom clapped her hands together. "Are we ready?"
Everyone shouted yes, though they weren't quite in sync.
"Okay..." Mom leaned over Hunter to unlock the door. "Go!"
Hunter wiped his feet and marched into the house. Echo followed just behind. He found his cubby tucked in the new bench Mom had gotten, between Hunter's and Tech's. He sat on the part of the bench right over his cubby so he could take off his shoes. Crosshair was the only other one who did it that way; the rest of his brothers sat on the floor and tugged them off.
Once Echo had gotten his shoes off, he crouched down and pulled out his cubby. Mom had written each of their names in Sharpie, but they'd been able to add whatever decorations they wanted to the clear plastic bins. He had chosen the spaceship stickers for his and had stuck them in a neat line right across the top. And even though it had been sticky and gross, he had painted his one hand blue and left a handprint just to the side of his name.
"I did it! I finished first!" Hunter jumped up and down.
"It's not a contest..." Mom sighed while rubbing his hair. "But good job."
Echo shimmied off his backpack and plopped it into the bin next to his shoes. He pushed it back under the bench and skipped to stand next to Hunter.
"I'm done, too!"
The others joined shortly and Mom pulled out a book of stickers from her purse.
"Well done, boys! As promised, you each get a new sticker for following the plan today. And if you can follow the plan every day for the rest of this week, you'll get another sticker."
There was some more scuffle as they crowded around and picked out their new stickers, and then hurried over to find the perfect spot to stick them on their cubbies. Echo, though, held on to his.
"I like mine just the way it is," he said.
Mom pulled him into her side and gave him a kiss on top of his head. "And I like you just the way you are, my darling. Never stop being a good boy, okay?"
Echo nodded and nestled into her side as they watched his silly brothers.
Ten years old
"Alright, who's next?"
Coach Gregor helped Tech as he dismounted from the rope and turned around for the next kid in his class to try the climb. His smile faltered upon seeing only two left, and the discomfort did not escape Echo's notice.
"Uh, Riyo, your turn," said Coach as he held out his hand for her.
The girl rushed over in excitement and Echo hung his head in embarrassment. The rest of the P.E. class, who had all had their turns at the long-awaited rope climb, were now milling about on the other side of the gym. His brothers were playing some sort of freeze-tag game. He knew he should've joined them long ago, but for some reason he stayed rooted to his spot in the line, watching every one of his classmates try their hands at it.
Riyo was able to pull herself up a few times, past where Coach's arms waited in case of a fall. She squealed in delight and then gently lowered herself back until he could help her down.
"Good job!" he praised and offered a high-five. Her ponytail bobbed as she skipped off to join the others.
Coach looked over at Echo with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry, kid," he chuckled nervously, running a hand behind his neck as he walked over. "I didn't realize how many arm-heavy activities I'd planned for the semester."
True, Echo had been sitting out of a few P.E. exercises lately. Dodgeball, crab soccer, their field trip to the tennis courts. But he hadn't cared as much about those. Coach had let him be his assistant referee and blow on his whistle, was was pretty cool. But the rope climb... that was a big deal. It was only allowed once a semester and everyone in school talked about it. He'd even practiced with his brothers at home, on a rope they'd tied to a low-hanging branch in the backyard. Well, he'd held on with his one arm and dangled for a bit, which Hunter had assured him still counted, so he basically had practiced just like them.
"But next week I was thinking we'd play kickball, weather's supposed to be nice..."
"I want to try, Coach," Echo interrupted him. He was scared to speak up but did it anyway. "I want to try to climb the rope."
Coach looked surprised and gave out another squeaky chuckle. He looked over at the rest of the class, all caught up in their own games, and then back at Echo, who was trying his very best to look brave. Coach then looked back at the rope for a moment and seemed to have an idea.
"Okay, bud. Let's do it."
Echo let out a breath. "Really?"
"Yeah. I got a plan for you. Come on up."
Echo gave a quick grin full of equal parts relief and excitement. Then he got serious and rushed over to where Coach was kneeling by the dangling rope.
"Okay, take hold of the rope up here and stick your foot out right here."
Echo did as instructed, grasping the rope just above his head and dangling his foot next to his teacher's bent leg. Coach wrapped the bottom part of the rope around his foot and then gently pushed his knee downward.
"See how the rope becomes taught with pressure? That'll help you stabilize. Once you kick off the ground, you'll put your other foot below it. Then you'll be able to push up on the rope until your arm bends. Here, I'll help you get started."
Coach stood behind him and held onto his sides. After a three-second count, Echo jumped up. Coach held him so he could maneuver his feet and push himself up, just like he'd been told.
"See, now you can reach up on the rope. Let your legs do the work for you."
Echo gulped as he looked upward. The rope jiggled whenever he moved; it didn't feel all that sturdy. But he trusted Coach and gave it a shot. With his breath held, he let go of the rope and quickly reached up to grasp it again.
"Yeah, just like that! You okay?"
Echo let out a breathy laugh. "Yes. I want to keep going."
"Okay. I'm going to let go of you a little bit. See if you can take your own weight."
Echo felt the hands at his sides relax. They still hovered nearby, but he definitely had to hold on tighter and use his own muscles now. The rope twisted and jiggled some more, but with Coach right behind him he didn't panic.
"Good. Good. Now, move your legs up. Keep the rope wrapped around your foot."
Echo sucked in another breath and went for it. He pulled up his legs, really feeling the strain in his arm as he held on tight. The rope came out from under his foot and then he got scared again.
"It's okay. Use your feet. Get it back."
Echo dangled from the rope as he fought to get it between his feet again. He finally did and was able to rest as the tension took some of the weight off.
"Now, push yourself up again."
He pushed. He was so much higher now. His stomach was facing Coach's head.
"Hey look! Echo's climbing the rope!" He heard one of his brother's voices calling out from behind him, then came the sound of pounding feet as everyone ran over to watch.
"Whoa, look at Echo!"
"He can do it!"
"Go Echo!"
"You got this!"
"That's my brother!"
With his classmates cheering him on, Echo swallowed another lump of nerves and looked upward with more determination this time. He was no longer trying to climb the rope; he was doing it.
"Push and reach," Coach reminded.
Echo moved his legs up, keeping the rope between his feet this time, pushed, and reached above. The crowd roared their approval.
"I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" he said with a grin as he looked down at everyone. His brothers gave him extra loud cheers.
He nodded and tried it again. Legs up, push, reach. Legs up, push, reach. He was now past Coach's hovering hands, further than a lot of his other classmates had made it. Hunter and a few others had gone all the way to the top, of course. He didn't think he could go that far. But he wanted to push just a liiitle bit more.
"You doing okay, bud?" Coach called up to him. "You'll need to come down the same way you went up, so don't wait until you're tired."
"I'm okay," he said quickly. "I can do one more."
"One more," Coach agreed.
Echo took a few breaths. Legs up... uh oh. The rope slipped away again. He whimpered a bit as his arm took all of his weight. Gasps and cries came from the audience, making him feel even more alarmed. He wiggled along with the rope, flailing his feet desperately.
"Don't panic." Thankfully Coach's voice reached him through the hollering of his class and the blood pounding in his ears. "Stay calm. You can do it. Just like you did before."
Right. Just like before. He could do it again. He flicked his feet a few times and managed to catch the rope just as his hand started to slip. He quickly wrapped it around his foot and heaved a sigh of relief when he could finally rest on it.
The crowd started cheering again and even Coach joined them with an atta boy! Echo decided he'd proven enough. He had done it. He had climbed the rope, with one arm, all by himself. It was time to get down now.
"Slowly push your legs down and lower your hand," Coach guided him down. Echo followed the directions a few times until he was back in reach of Coach's waiting arms. He let the man take hold of his sides once more and carry him back down, safe on the ground.
All of his classmates rushed toward him, but of course his brothers got there first. Wrecker covered him in a massive hug, lifting him up and jumping a little. Hunter and Tech and Crosshair all grasped various parts of him and jumped for joy as well.
Echo didn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.
Fifteen years old
"So... you like anyone?"
Rex bounced the basketball over and Echo scooped it up. He dribbled it a few times before twisting it in his hand and sending it toward the hoop. It bounced against the backboard and fell through the net.
"Not really," he confessed as his friend grabbed the ball and looked for a new spot to throw from. "You?"
"Amber's kinda cute. From home room."
Echo nodded and watched as Rex went for a layup.
"I think Riyo likes you," Rex grinned as he dribbled the ball back.
Echo's eyes went wide. "Really?"
"Yeah. She always says hi to you."
"She's just being nice."
"No, she likes you."
Echo shook his head as he took the ball and lined up another shot.
"What, you don't like her back? She's kinda cute."
"Are you going to say that about every girl?"
Rex shrugged. "Just the cute ones."
"You mean the kinda cute ones?"
Rex rolled his eyes and chased after the ball. Echo hadn't made the shot, it had bounced off the rim and out into the street. Rex caught it and jogged back over.
"Speaking of... does your sister still like Hunter?"
Rex sighed dramatically. "No, there's some new boy at her school she likes now. Thank god. That was getting old."
Echo laughed. "Yeah. Hunter was worried she'd start stalking him once she got to high school next year."
"Oh hey, I almost forgot!" Rex had been aiming but brought the ball back down as he remembered. "You know my friend Anakin? He invited some friends to go camping with him and his dad once summer break starts. He said I could bring someone. A lot of his friends are older than me so I won't know a lot of people. You wanna come?"
Echo lit up at the idea. He'd never gone camping before. "Yeah! That'd be so cool. I'll have to ask my mom of course."
"Of course." Rex hesitated as he seemed to think of something else. "Um... I mean, I guess I could ask if it'd be okay for your brothers to come, too."
Echo felt his face heating up. He knew it would be rude for Rex to intrude on Anakin's trip with five extra friends, not just one. And besides, Echo knew Rex wasn't really friends with all of them. He mainly just hung out with him. And sometimes Hunter would join, but they never did anything just the two of them.
But Echo also knew that his brothers, Hunter especially, would freak out if he went on a trip like this without them. They had a few different things after-school, like his debate team and all of Tech's random hobbies. But they all played soccer. They spent their lunches together and their weekends and their summers. Everything they did, they did together. This would be the first time Echo did anything without them. And honestly? He kinda liked the idea.
"No, it's okay," he reassured Rex. "They don't have come."
"You sure?" Rex looked skeptical.
"Yeah. They'll be fine without me."
He wasn't really sure if that'd be true, but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to this. His own thing. With his own friend. Maybe Mom could help the others find their own things...
Twenty years old
"Hey, Hunter."
Echo gave an apologetic smile to his friends as he excused himself to take his brother's call.
"I want a dog."
Echo frowned while he looked for a quiet place outside the cafe to talk. "What?"
"A dog."
"No I heard that part. What do you mean you want a dog?"
"I mean I think it'd be really cool to have a dog."
Echo moved the phone away so he could sigh privately.
"And... why are you calling me about this?"
"What do you think? Should I do it?"
Echo scoffed. "I think you should do whatever you want and stop interrupting my day with pointless phone calls."
He cringed at his own scolding tone but it was hard not to get sassy with Hunter these days. His brother seemed to be getting needier the further into their adult lives they got.
"I just wanted your opinion, sheesh." He could tell Hunter was trying to play it off but was likely stung by his words.
"You could've texted," Echo tried to keep his tone more even.
"Yeah, well, I miss talking to you." Silence. Echo didn't have anything to say to that. "It's been a while."
This time Echo let his sigh be heard in the phone. "You could've gone on that cabin trip Mom put together in February. You all canceled last minute."
"Is she upset?" Hunter sounded ashamed.
Echo shrugged even though he knew Hunter couldn't see. "Hard to tell with her. You know how it is. Maybe you should call her... I'm sure she'd love to talk to you about dogs."
"I just, I feel bad..."
"Hunter. Call Mom. Get the dog. I'll... talk to you later. I promise."
They tied off the call and Echo returned inside. He felt annoyed by Hunter's call, which then made him feel guilty, which then made him annoyed again.
But then he caught sight of his table of friends... Rex at the head, listening so respectfully to what everyone had to say. Fives, with his arm comfortably slung over the back of Ahsoka's seat, their combined laughter heard across the cafe. Howzer, Fireball, and Nemec, newer friends that felt like they'd been in his life forever. And Riyo, who felt like someone he was just getting to know despite actually having been around for a while, with all the unexpectedly pleasant ways she could make him blush.
He let go of those conflicting feelings about his family, his shoulders lowering as the tension released. He wasn't sure what his future held; that was actually what they were all trying to figure out today. Jobs, internships, post-grad plans. The Peace Corps was the leading idea but they were researching a few others, seeing what they could collectively do to make the world a better place. And that was what made him smile now. The future, and his family, would take care of themselves. Right now, he and his friends would take care of everything else.