Chapter 1.15

[End of Volume 1]

When both Lucas and Isabelle entered the house hand-in-hand, there was a strange mood inside. Felix was already in dreamland, snoring for everybody to hear. The strangeness came from Ethan and Joseph, who seemed to have been waiting for them. There was no time to ask what happened when Joseph pulled Lucas out of the house and Ethan approached Isabelle with a smile on his face.

What was with that situation?

"Come 're, I'll apply the medicine." Ethan spoke and signaled her to stand by the table where the lit candle was placed. On it, the box that held medicine and bandages were ready to be used.

"Thank you." She softly said, afraid of waking up the sleeping Felix.

"Felix always sleeps early and deeply when he helps waterin' the crops. His body's a bit weak as he missed a lot of meals while growin' up." Ethan explained as he checked her wound. There was a hint of self-blame in his voice, as if it was his fault his youngest brother could not grow like any normal child. "He doesn't get sick often anymore, but we three do our best to give 'im more food to make up for when he was a baby and didn't eat well. We barely fed ourselves back then."

"What happened?" Isabelle finally gathered the courage to ask about their past. Things were evolving between her and the brothers, so knowing a bit more about them was fair, was it not?

Ethan finished bandaging her head, and led her to her bed. They sat there in silence. His face was the epitome of steadiness, but the fact he was kneading her hand betrayed the fact he was nervous and hesitant. Isabelle guessed she was still a stranger in this big brother's mind and regretted having asked. It was not her right to know despite her willingness to stay with them.

Just as she was about to change the topic, he sighed and looked at her with gentle eyes. "Mom got sick right after havin' Felix. We didn't have money, so we couldn't call fer a good doctor. We had to borrow a few coins and sell many things, but when we finally got the money, Mom couldn't hold any longer. We used that money to bury 'er in the mass grave on the other side of the village."

Isabelle's heart constricted. How traumatic would have been for the young Ethan to see his mother wilt away after giving birth to his baby brother? Had he been present through the whole ordeal? Did he ever blame Felix for it?

"Dad always liked drinkin'. After Mom died, it got worse. One day, after gettin' paid for the random job he got, he used the money ta get completely wasted. Next day, someone came to tell us there was someone who looked like our Dad dead on the road, that I needed ta go identify the body. He was run over by a horse in the middle o' the night. The rider never stopped to help."

"I am sorry." That was all she could say after hearing the story.

"It's fine. It's only me who remembers them. Lucas and Joseph have no more impressions left, much less Felix." He really looked fine, as if he was talking about some stranger's parents, but was it really fine? "Lucas got Dad's frame, you know." Her heart skipped a beat. Why was he suddenly mentioning that? "Dad was so big, so robust, that it seemed laughable that a horse actually killed him. For so long, I hoped to hear a horse died or somethin' like that; that'd be the only justice we'd get."

He was not that fine in the end. He had been the only one who completely understood what was happening, and what would happen to them in the future. What he had to sacrifice to raise his brothers; especially the very small Felix.

Ethan sighed to let go any tumultuous thought he had of his past. It was over. It happened. He could not change the fact that they ended up as orphans from a very young age. He could not erase the hardships they endured. He just smiled at Isabelle, intertwined his fingers with hers and continued recounting what he thought was safe to share with her for the time being.

"The rest of us looks like our Mom; skinny and delicate." Ethan chuckled. Memories of his mother were a bit hazy after so long, but he could still remember the fairy-like person that was his mother; with her sweet smile, her bird-like voice and her tinkling laugh. "Though, when it comes to our faces, only Joseph looks like Dad." He grinned. Ah, the irony of knowing that the shortest brother had the meanest face among them.

His words painted a rather impressive picture for Isabelle: their father as a huge man with a frightening face like a bandit. Isabelle quite respected their mother to fall in love with such a man. On the other hand, she could also imagine how beautiful their mother was. If Ethan and Felix resembled her – as she did not know how Lucas actually looked under his beard – then it was no wonder their father fell victim to alcohol after her death.

It must have been a rather hard hit for the man. Which clearly showed how much he loved her. Though, it was unfortunate that the man could not prioritize his family, his children, above his own grief. What example did he give the brothers being a drunkard? To drown everything under alcohol and to put aside those who most needed him?

Isabelle hoped that none of them had inherited that bad habit.

On another note, for Ethan to be telling her about his parents meant he was serious about her, about the idea of her staying. It was a step closer to them becoming a family. Or at least, close friends who had the hots for the other.

Happy, Isabelle leaned on his chest as her arms hugged his middle. "You did well in place of your parents." She comforted him, patting his back. He hummed, maybe a bit skeptical, but still accepted her hug and even pulled her closer to him.

She thought being in Lucas' arms was comfortable and safe; however, being in Ethan's arms was a whole different experience. What was it? She burrowed herself even deeper into his embrace as she mulled the feeling.

Ah! This is the taste of an adult and mature man! Even though I am consoling him, he also soothes my heart, my worries.

It was the aura of worldly experience.

After a while, they separated but remained very close to each other. "Thank you, Isabelle." Ethan murmured, gazing between her eyes and her lips.

Isabelle blushed, aware of his intentions. "It is nothing." She softly replied, not wanting to break the intimacy that had formed.

As they struggled between trying to keep eye contact and gazing at each other's lips, their heads got closer and closer. Just when their breaths mingled, their noses brushed and their foreheads pressed together, the door opened, giving way to a hissing Joseph.

"I can't believe ya didn't go all the way! Ouch! Hittin' me won't make me think better of you, Lucas!" The hooligan complained as he rubbed his slapped head. He looked at Ethan and Isabelle, at their close position, at her blushing face and his annoyed one. "Look! Ethan knows it's best to directly let 'er know what we want." He pointed at them to better illustrate his words to Lucas, guessing what had happened between the two.

Isabelle was dismayed. Not at being caught, but at the fact that Joseph was wrong. If only he would have waited a bit more, then he would have been right in his assumption. Sadly…

"Joseph," Ethan lowly called out, earning the third brother's attention. "Shut up and go to sleep." The softly spoken words hid a danger that sent a shiver down her spine. He was really irked at his brother's bad timing. Joseph visibly stiffened, sensing Ethan's bad mood. But he did not want to back down so easily.

The two stared at each other in a battle of wits that ended as soon as it began.

"Fine." Joseph finally huffed, not daring to provoke his oldest brother in the end. He walked towards the couple sat at her bed, and ignoring Ethan, grabbed Isabelle's chin and deposited a loud kiss on her lips. "'Night, Isabelle." He grinned, unabashed of his clear act of exhibitionism in front of his brothers.

This hooligan!

She fumed. But all that anger disappeared with the soft peck Lucas left on her lips, "Good night, Belle." He rumbled before heading to bed.

Wait, what is with this new development?

Her brain ceased its functions as she faced this new reality presented to her. Were they not hiding their advances anymore? It all seemed like a hush-hush matter among them, to do wicked things with her where the others could not look. Had they already gotten to the phase where it was a free for all, or had they skipped the order? Was there even an order?

It made sense. First, Lucas, then Joseph, the next one should have been… a last kiss was pressed on the corner of her lips.

"Night, Belle." Ethan's voice echoed in her ear.

And, the light was snuffed out.