Pancakes with a Side of Tickles

                                    

                                          
I wake up to soft snoring coming from Cole, who still sits next to me on the couch, but is now just as cuddled into me as I am him. I slowly get up, successfully not waking him with my movement, and follow the sound of hushed voices into the kitchen. I stand in the doorway for a second, listening to my parents quietly arguing about having to move again so soon.I step into their line of sight, completely discouraged. 
"Already?" is all I mumble as my heart breaks because I know how devastated Kade and the boys will be. I might have just met them, but I am already growing to like them a lot. I can't imagine how he will feel when he finds out - even if we are used to this. 
There have been a couple of times where we have been on the road to a new city when my dad got the call that he was needed in a different city. Those were the worst ones - moving is exhausting, but at least when I can mentally prepare it isn't so bad. The moves that come out of nowhere are the ones that hurt. 
My mom looks up from where she is cooking pancakes. "Don't worry about it, sweetie," she says in a calm voice that makes me worry more. It is the tone she uses when I am poking around in something that she doesn't think I am old enough to understand. I hadn't heard her use it in years and it catches me off guard. Anger rises through my body - I am not a child, and I am definitely old enough to be involved in a conversation about where we live.
"No, Mom. I don't want to leave again. Kade is 18 now and we could stay here while y'all go and travel for work. I want to finish high school here, and I know Kade feels the same way," I say with authority, letting the anger fuel me. I hear someone walk up behind me, and I know even before I turn around to look that it is Kade.
"I could take care of us, Mom. I promise nothing would happen. We would be fine. Please let us stay," Kade begs. I have never heard him beg before, but he usually gets what he wants when it comes to our parents even without the begging. I doubt that it will work this time, but we do have a point. Kade is an adult and if anything does happen, we have the guys' parents.
I see something flicker in my mother's eyes. It gives me hope - it is the flicker that she normally gets before scheming something and eventually getting her way. Maybe, just maybe we have a chance at winning this argument. "Give me some time to think about it, kiddos. Your dad and I will have to agree on what we think is best," she says with a reassuring smile that fuels my hope.
I turn to Kade and grin. Knowing that he has seen mom's smile too and that she will do everything in her power to convince our dad, and mom has never lost an argument before. We make our way back to the living room where most of the boys have woken up. They are still sprawled out on the couches, but a few of them are groggily checking their phones.
"Good Morning, sleepy heads," I say to no one in particular, but I get a grunt out of a few of them which alerts me to the fact that they are not morning people.
"Come on, losers. Get up! We've got training to do!" Kade yells. Most of the guys just groan and roll over and onto their feet, but Cole throws a pillow at him.
"Give me 15 minutes to rest my eyes," Cole retorts before rolling over in hopes of going back to sleep, but that is not the case. Kade jumps over to where he lays on the couch and starts wrestling with him. Soon the other boys join in and I fear that our living room will be destroyed, but just in the nick of time, my mother calls for everyone to come eat and the tornado that is all limbs and laughs stops immediately. Apparently food is more important than destroying our freshly put together living room.
I hear her chuckle from where I am standing in the living room and hear the clink of plates as they all rush to get their food. I shake my head, fighting my own laughter - will this be everyday life from here on out? As I slowly make my way to the kitchen, I hear Kade call my name from the dining room.