1 Knock Knock

The pounding on the front door startled Mark Crews from a sound sleep. Groggily looking at the alarm clock next to him it showed it was 7am Saturday morning. Having only slept for 5 hours Mark leaned up on his elbow while ruffling his hair and yawned. He rolled to the side of the bed looking for his slippers, when the pounding on the door stopped. "Maybe it was for the next door neighbor" he thought, while slumping over and sliding back down into his warm sheets.

Just then his phone started ringing. Groaning, he lifted his arm out of the sheets and fumbled for his phone on the night stand. With eyes still shut he answers the phone "Hello?"

" Answer the door!" a high pitched, impatient voice yelled at him.

Mark jerks up in bed and his eyes widen in surprise. "Sis?"

"Just hurry up and come open the door!" she replies, still yelling and hung up the phone.

Hearing the disconnect tone on the phone, Mark stumbles out of bed and rushes to the front door. Being in too much of a hurry and not looking down, his left foot tripped on his sneakers on the floor, and he fell head first into the door, creating a loud noise. "S***!", wincing in pain and rubbing his forehead he felt the vibration of the door being pounded on from the other side and a muffled voice yelling "Get your a** out here!".

Hurriedly unlocking the dead bolt and pulling open the door, in front of him stood his sister, Sally Crews. A beautiful, 5'9" curvaceous woman in six inch stilettos, her platinum blonde hair, made up face and high end clothes made her look like a model out of a magazine, without a hair or eyelash out of place. You would never know by looking at her that she was 36 years old, or that she has the shortest temper imaginable. He was always envious of how well maintained she was always able to keep herself, no frown lines or wrinkles from the scowl that is usually gracing her face. Unlike him, who at only 25 years old looked like a shaggy uncle with long unkempt brown hair, beard and dark bags under his eyes. He was barely able to look her in the eyes with his slim 5'10" frame. The only thing that made them look remotely like siblings were their bright blue eyes that they got from their mom.

"Finally!" she exclaimed while pushing open the door and marching past him. As she moved, Mark was finally able to notice behind her stood an upright, tall, dark haired man in an expensive business suit and brief case. Next to him were two little boys around 4 years old, that were obviously twins with their red hair and blue eyes. They had baggy clothes, and backpacks on and had two new looking suitcases behind them. They were holding each others hand and staring at him. Next to the boys was a small dog on a leash that had hair so matted and dark it was hard to tell what color it was let alone what kind of breed of dog it was.

Mark did a double take, not sure what was going on. The last time he saw his sister was 5 years ago, after their parents fatal car crashed and their funeral. She had left with her half of the inheritance and restitution money and last he saw on Instagram was her getting a boob job and going on a cruise for mister right.

As Mark was glued to the door having a staring contest with the boys, the man coughed into his hand. Startled Mark looked up at him. "My name is Ian Starnes", the suited man stated, reaching out his hand to greet Mark. As Mark was reaching out his hand to shake hands and opened his mouth to introduce himself, his sister interrupted from the living room.

"Enough, you can introduce yourselves later. Mark, get out of the way and let them in."

Mark looked at his sister, then backed away and opened the door wider. "Please", and waved everyone inside to the living room and closed the door.

"You haven't changed a thing in this place since they died, have you?" Sally said, while looking around. She seated herself on a chair facing everyone, and crossing her legs like a queen on her throne.

"A few things are different, but no I haven't." Mark stated.

"Hmmm...well, whatever. Kids go to the kitchen table and do something, this is grown up time. Mr. Starnes please sit down" Sally indicated for Mr. Starnes to sit down on the couch while she shooed the kids away. The kids quietly moved away to the kitchen table, while Mr. Starnes reintroduced himself while seated on the sofa.

"Again, my name is Mr. Starnes and I am an attorney for Mr. Dean and Ms. Crews."

Mark looked confused at Sally. "He's the baby daddy of the kids." Sally stated.

"So those kids are yours and this Mr. Dean's?" Mark looked at Sally for clarification.

"Not for much longer." Sally stared straight at Mark while making that declaration.

It took Mark a minute to try to process that statement before exclaiming "...What does that even mean?!?".

"It means Mark, that they are going to be your kids" Sally said, while Mark look at her dumbfoundedly. He then looked back to the kitchen where the kids had, unknowingly to the adults, walked to the entrance between the kitchen and living room and were staring at the them while silently crying.

avataravatar