The Missing Cousin
Chapter 5 - The Missing Cousin
“One hour!” Vaggie shouted.
That shocked Charlie out of her thoughts and she stepped back, accidentally knocking over the candle in the ‘Vaggie’ doily.
“No, no, no!” The blue bow blonde voiced in an urgent, hushed tone, trying to snuff out the flames.
Her grandmother came in and saw what she was doing. So the elderly lady told her, “maybe you should leave the decorations to someone else?”
“No, I actually made these as a surprise for you. Ooh!” The bright-eyed girl saw that the doily was still kind of on fire and worked to snuff it out. Then she sent the Madrigal matriarch a nervous smile.
“Charlie, I know you want to help but tonight must go perfectly. The whole town relies on our family, on our Gifts. So, the best way for some of us to help is to step aside. Let the rest of the family do what they do best.”
With the best ‘I’m-not-depressed-at-all-by-this’ smile she could muster, Charlie nodded and went, “Mm-hmm.”
That seemed to be good enough for Vaggie, although her attention was soon directed elsewhere. “Pentious! You have a cloud!”
“I know, Mama! But I can’t seem to find my little Collin. What do you want from me!?”
Pentious storms off and Charlie and Vaggie depart from each other. Although the elderly lady was stopped by her daughter.
“Mama, be nice to Charlie, okay? You know tonight will be hard for her.”
“If the Gift ceremony doesn’t go well this time, tonight will be hard for us all.”
Charlie decided to head to her room, letting out a tired sigh as she came in. Of course, it was the same one she’s had ever since she was five, the daycare room. And why wouldn't it be the daycare room? The walls are a soothing green color and have the alphabet imprinted on the walls.
The blue bow blonde plopped down on the bed, seeing another bed across from her but bare. After all, her roommate was going to move out, if all goes according to plan. Preferring not to dwell on that, the bright-eyed girl opened a drawer and took a gift, which was crafted by her. She twiddled around with the ribbons and such while she spoke aloud.
“Everyone’s looking for you.” At nothing, Charlie dangles the present by the underside of her bed. “This present will self-destruct if you don’t take it in three, two… one… Oh!”
Just like she had thought, someone from under her bed had taken the present. She crawled under there to see it was Collin, who was enjoying the pictures of animals on the sides of the box. Well, as much as he could in a clearly bummed out mood.
“Nervous?” The blue bow blonde inquired.
However, the little boy didn’t answer. He planted his face into his arms about halfway.
“You have nothing to be worried about,” the bright-eyed girl assured. “You’re gonna get your Gift and open that door and it’s gonna be the coolest ever. I know it.”
The very young blonde whispered out, “what if it doesn’t work?”
“Well, in that impossible scenario, you’d stay here in the nursery with me.” Then in a dramatic whisper, “forever…” Then at tickling her cousin a little, “and I’d get you all to myself.”
Collin giggled but then expressed a wish, getting back to being serious. “I wish you could get a door…”
Charlie looked to the side, feeling bummed out for a second. Then, “you know what? You don’t have to worry about me. Because I have an amazing family and an amazing house and an amazing you.”
She laid a hand on her cousin’s arm, who was seemingly feeling better now. “And seeing you get your special Gift and your door, that’s gonna make me way more happy than anything.”
A sigh as Charlie playfully reaches for the present and tug it in front of Collin. “But, alas, I am gonna miss having the world’s best roomie.”
The little boy decided to open the present, tugging apart the ribbons and lifting up the lid. He gasped in happiness as he took out a plush tiger that has plenty of colorful stitches at the attaching parts.
“I know you’re an animal guy and I made this so, when you move into your cool, new room, you will always have something to snuggle with.”
The pair of cousins take a moment to enjoy lightly bonking heads together, the younger one feeling all better now. Then the house got their attention with the floorboards and quickly after a clock. There may have been plenty of time but, really, everyone’s anxious about tonight going well.
“You wanna stay here until it’s time? Maybe play ‘guess the animal’ with me before then?” Charlie offered.
Collin had a moment of being nervous but pushed through. “Okay…”
The two have spent their time playing that game. The older one felt bad knowing that her uncle was no doubt stressing over not finding his missing child but she thought it was more important to keep her littlest cousin from stressing himself. It kept on until, finally, Vivienne had presented the clock again, showing that it’s about time to go.
Charlie asked, “All right, hombrecito, you ready?”
Collin at least wasn’t as nervous as before and so nodded. He got seized by the blue bow blonde and scooped up in a hug, having gotten surprised but then giggled when realizing what was happening.
“Sorry, I got to get one more squeeze!” The bright-eyed girl exclaimed.
Vivienne didn’t have the patience, though, and so moved the floorboards from underneath their feet.
Charlie giggled as she let her cousin go, voicing, “Okay, okay, we’re going!”