Personal Narrative Fiction

"So the night wasn't horrible?"
"No, we had all kinds of fun. Let's see, we colored, danced, read some books, played with all the toys Karen sent along...all in the first ten minutes. Then an empty cardboard box caught his attention and we played with that for a the rest of the evening."
"That sounds about right. Sometimes I wonder why we have piles of toys. The kid would just as soon play with a box as with the fancy train set or the dozens of other things we've managed to accumulate. Weird, really."
"Maybe I'll have to rethink a Christmas present for him."
Joe grinned, but then his eyes narrowed, he studied Shauna, and his expression turned serious. "How are you doing, sis? We didn't talk long earlier. Are you all right?"
Shauna had managed

to forget about her pathetic life for a few hours. Wrangling a toddler had demanded all of her brain power. Now her depressing reality walloped her again.
"I'm all right."
"I don't believe you."
Shauna rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Maybe I've been better, but I'll survive."
"I don't doubt you'll survive, but there's more to life than just surviving. I like to see you happy."
She'd like that too. Shauna took a step toward Joe, buried her face in his shoulder, and squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to let another of her brothers see her cry.
"Not that it helps, but I'm sorry this turned out like it did. All I can say is oftentimes things happen for a reason and while it doesn't seem like it now, something good will come of this. I'm sure of it."
Shauna took a deep breath and moved away from Joe. "That's what I'm trying to tell myself. I suppose you've heard I've been applying for jobs."
"I've heard." Joe paused and looked down, his foot tracing lines in the freshly vacuumed carpet. "The thought of you leaving Misty Lake is, well, it's hard, to say the least, but I understand. Or at least I'm trying to. A fresh start might be a good thing. You know I'd miss you like crazy, and Dylan, he…"
"I know, Joe, I know. The thought of leaving all of you is the only thing keeping me from getting on a plane right now and taking my chances. It's something I need to try. I can't be here to see the old Chapman place turned into a yoga studio by someone

else."
"But maybe-"
"No. I can't work for him."
Joe nodded.
Shauna lifted a hand and swiped it through the air between herself and Joe. "Enough depressing talk. I had a blast tonight with Dylan. I'm going to focus on that and think about when we can do it again. Tell Karen I hope she enjoyed her evening." Shauna turned for the door.
"I'll tell her. Thanks for tonight. Even though our evening may not have seemed like much to you, it meant a lot to Karen and me."
"I'm glad. Love you, big brother."
After grabbing Joe for a quick, one-armed hug, Shauna was out the door before Joe could say anything more.