Nothing is... Wrong

Legaxy

“Hailey!”

“Flower!”

Both Howard and Axel yell upon seeing me.

Then, without another word, they started racing towards me.

Frozen on my seat, I just watched them boys compete their way towards me. Until, it was Howard Martin Dyme, the big and muscular brother of mine, that got to me first.

He quickly picked me up from the chair I was sitting in with one swift of his broad, firm arms and started spinning me around.

“Oh my goodness! I have missed you so much, Hailey bear.”

He shrieked gleefully, still spinning us around.

“I miss you too, Howie,” I muttered, a giggle came out of my throat.

As he put me down and was about to greet me, Axel David Dyme — my tall and lean brother — popped in front of me and engulfed me into a long, bone-crushing hug.

“Hey! I was here first!”

I heard Howard complain but Axel ignored him as he tightened his embrace around me.

“I miss you, my little Flower. Haven't you bloom so well and,” he sniffed my hair, making me blush on his arms, “you still smell sweet… very, very sweet.”

He continued in a gentle, quiet tone.

Why the nickname now?

Since Axel sees me as a fragile and delicate sister, apart from the reason Mum calling me Lily, he thought it would be suitable to nickname me as ‘Flower’.

I know, too cute... Let those eyes roll.

“I mi — miss you too Ax — Axel,” I stuttered, trying to cool down my burning cheeks.

Though, it wasn't fast enough.

Axel, after freeing himself from the embrace, chuckled when he caught sight of it.

“Still hating the compliments, Flower?”

He asked while gently caressing my redden cheeks.

I swatted his hand away from my face.

“No. Ju-just the sniffing,” I replied shyly, my eyes averting his delicate stare.

“Oh, just old habits.”

He chuckled again.

“My apologies though.”

He's now scratching the back of his neck.

I smile upon seeing that.

“Just don't do it again, please.”

He smirked.

“I'll try, Flower, I'll try.”

He promised and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead.

And there goes my blushing again.

“Dude, stop! She's getting red again.”

Howard laughed while grabbing Axel on his collar, pulling him away from me. Then, in Axel's place, Howard stand and gave me a formal hug.

“So, how's my Hailey be — oh wow, you look cute in pigtails. Did Mum do this?” He asked, feeling him touching the braid.

“Nope, I did,” I respond casually.

“Oh, and where did you learn that?” He inquired after releasing me from the hug.

His eyes currently studying my face.

The question, for some reason, caught me off guard, making my forehead wrinkle in question.

“Actually, I don't know. I just… well, I felt like I could do it. So, I did it and here it is.”

I slowly explained while touching my braided head.

Listening to this, I noticed Howard giving Axel a bothered look which Axel returned with a concerned gaze.

Then, both of them, at the exact same time, stared at me weirdly.

“What?”

“Hailey, don't you think that unconscious act is part of your memory?”

Howard cautiously spoke the words and when my silver-gray eyes landed on his cyan ones, I saw he was uncomfortable.

“I'm” — I licked my lips — “unsure... I only felt it. Does that count?”

I sounded uneasy now and my brothers quickly noticed that.

Axel, with one swift motion, pulled me into another hug.

“Yes Flower, but don't think too much about it,” Axel whispered softly.

“We just wanted to know if it's still happening… the flashbacks. Any episodes this past few days?” He then asks, feeling his lips move on top of my head.

“Only one… happened today actually. But it's the ‘normal’ case.”

“What about the not-so-normal ones?” I heard Howard queried from behind me.

I lift my head from Axel's chest to glance at Howard. He looks far more serious at the second, that if you took one look at him, you may think he was angry.

“Nothing, for this month,” I quietly replied.

“The last one transpired a month ago, with the same voice, the same scene in the woods... The same” — I gulped — “screams of pain.” I added.

They didn't respond after that, increasing the tension I was feeling.

Apart from the ‘episode’ I had undergone a moment ago, there are others that I have no idea about. Others that I, honestly, don't like recollecting.

Not that it hurts to remember, it's just unfamiliar memories to me.

I can't even tell if it's mine or not...

To make matters worse, I don't even recall the time on how or the reason why I have this amnesia in the first place.

I just woke up one day and it's there; I just have it.

Odd?

Very…

“We are very sorry, Flower.”

Axel cooed, his blue-green eyes were apologetic.

“We were just a bit… disturbed, that's all. We didn't mean you no harm.” He added while tightening the hug.

I only nodded my response and from there, Mum called the boys for help in setting the table.

I didn't miss Mum's wink once the boys came to her side. As if saying she tricked them into doing the job and that I needed a break.

Finally.

I let out a sigh, feeling relieved since I didn't just get away from the blushing and last-minute table set up, but also from the serious atmosphere, my brothers created from interviewing me about my unnerving flashbacks.

Mum knew how I felt for those recalls and as quickly as she can, she tries to avoid me from any conversation that pertains to that.

Thank Goddess for that.

All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Seth with Dad — both having a serious conversation while standing on the threshold of the room.

Then from serious, Dad became upset while Seth became wary, which made my mind suspect something was wrong.

Though, what is WRONG?