It's been a good year of NYC goodness full of solo cups filled with vodka, frankfurters, yellow taxi cabs and college life. The past semester has been great and all but nothing felt as good as home. Amir sighed heaving with his lean 19-year-old, almost 20-year-old, arms to place his baggages into the Ford's trunk. He loaded the last of his luggages into the trunk and slammed the door down onto the lock. The young adult clapped his hands together and let out a small smile.

"Hey, bud, better hurry up. Your siblings are waiting," Ruru hollers from the driver's seat and honks jokingly at his firstborn.

Amir chuckles and jogs to the shotgun.

--

"Silas, stop licking the spatula and wash the dishes properly. Noelle, check on the brownies. You know kuya likes them crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside," Kylie yells over the sizzle of the pan against the stir fry she was cooking up.

"I'm not licking the spatula!"

"Are too," replies the teasing sister.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am-"

"I'm gonna whack you both straight to Timbucktoo if you don't stop arguing," came a now deeper and manlier voice from the threshold.

All three heads present in the kitchen whipped towards the direction of the voice and there stood a lean, tall, raven-haired, doe-eyed young man with a thin and growing mustache and the brightest, dimpled smile plastered on his face.

"Hello, whackos," he smiled.

Whilst Silas basically projectile himself onto his big brother, Noelle took one good look at her brother best friend and bit back a smug smile.

"You're two hours late for lunch."

Amir gasped dramatically, "Seriously? No 'Oh, Kuya, I haven't seen you in ages! I missed you so much! I'm so glad to see you!'? Nothing?"

She stuck her tongue out to him before giving her brother a tight hug.

"Missed you, kuya," she mumbled against him.

"Of course you did."

"Shut the fuck up, loser," she playfully smacked his arm as she pulled away.

"Mom, Ate said a bad word!" Silas tattled.

"Noelle," Kylie warns, giving her daughter a look.

Noelle smiled innocently, "I'm a big girl, Mommy. Shouldn't I be able to use any word I want?"

Ruru crept behind his children and playfully shuffled his only daughter's hair.

"Not under this roof, sweet."

"Yeah, Ate. Not under this roof," Silas mocks.

"Don't talk to your ate like that, bud," Amir chortles, rubbing his knuckles against his brother's head.
-
Amir stashed his bags in his now roomy closet. Then, he remembered one of those bags contained a few small presents for his family. He pulled the green trolley bag out and carefully unzipped it, revealing all the knickknacks he bought with the money he earned writing essays and doing homework for other people. Inside were the vinyl records for his mom's collection, a few perfume bottles for his father, Broadway playbills, and the new ps5 controller he promised Silas, among other things. The one thing that he was most excited to give was the Early the robin beanie baby he found for Noelle.

He smiled at the memory of him having to deal with her three-year-old self's tantrum when Dadda couldn't find the only thing she EVER will want forever and ever.

The young man picked up the stuffed toy along with the many Broadway playbills and headed to his sister's room. He twisted the door and opened it.

"Hey, loser, I got you- WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING HERE?!" he exclaims at the sight of his 16-year-old baby sister cuddling up to a boy in her day bed.

The teenagers in the room jolted as the older child's voice boomed. Noelle quickly regained her composure and stood up.

"Uh, hey! What's up?" she smiles innocently.

"What's up?! What's up?! Noelle, who the hell is this jerk and why is he in your room with the door closed?! Do Mom and Dad know about this?!" he says.

"This is Adam, dude from school...and my boyfriend," she pauses, "Momma and Daddy know."

With all the noise, Silas got curious and decided to join in. He crept into the room with mischievous eyes.

"Why are you all so loud? Mom and Dad- oh, hey, Adam!" the young boy waves.

"Hi," Adam awkwardly waves.

"Buddy, stay out of this and go get Mom and Dad," Amir gently but firmly orders his little brother, patting his head in the process.

"But-"

"Now, please, Silas."

The 12-year-old huffed a sigh, "Fine. You guys never let me in on anything."

As soon as their youngest sibling walked out of the room, Amir shut the door and placed the beanie baby and playbills on Noelle's study table.

An awkward silence filled the room and Adam felt his palms become damper than usual.

"Hi, I'm Adam. Nice to meet you po, kuya," he reached his hand out to try to shake Amir's hand.

"I wish I could say the same, bro. And do not call me kuya because I am not your brother," he spits, surprising everyone in the room at his uncharacteristic behavior.

"I thought you said he was nice," Adam whispers.

"Oh, he was. I don't know what's up with him." She glares at her brother, "Kuya, what's wrong with you today?"

"Oh my God, Noelle! Are you hearing yourself right now?!"

"Duh," she replies sarcastically whilst rolling her eyes.

"Noelle, I walk into your room to find you all snugged up on some rando-"

"Kuya, he's my boyfriend, not just some rando."

"Boyfriend I never knew about, rando, SAME THING!"

"Please don't be mad at him, kuya," she exasperatedly groaned.

"Mad at him? Hell, I don't know who this is. Why would I be mad?"

"Oh, good," she smiles.

"The one I'm mad at is you!"

Her smile drops.

"You're mad at me for getting a love life? Kuya, you're being so irrational."

"I have all the right to be mad at you, Noelle! You're my baby sister!"

"Well, I'm not a baby anymore if you don't already know that!"

"Everybody shut up or so help me, God!" their mother's voice echoed from the door they didn't even realize opened until now. Their father stood right behind her with a wide-eyed Silas awkwardly pursed his lips in between his parents.

"Mom-"

"SHUSH!" she cut off her second child, "Amir got back from college like an hour ago and you guys are already fighting?! And in front of poor Adam too!"

Adam blushed in embarrassment. He looked down, his dark brown curls falling onto his forehead.

"Adam, why don't you go play video games with Silas in the game room?" Ruru gently suggests, trying to get them both out of the area.

"But Dad-" Silas protests.

"Silas would really like that, I'm sure," Kylie smiles, lightly nudges her youngest.

Silas relented, "Alright. Let's go, Adam."

Adam looked at Noelle for a second as if asking for permission to go. The teenage girl let out a small smile and nodded.

"I'll see you later," she whispers.

As soon as the two boys left the room, Kylie's demeanor went from sweet and loving mother to disciplinarian, making everyone in the room shift from foot to foot.

"If you two are gonna fight, at least have the decency not to do it in front of a guest."

"You guys know so much better than to do that. This isn't how we raised you two to be," Ruru chimed in.

"I'm sorry," they chorused.

"Okay," Ruru nodded. "Mom and I won't intervene now. You two talk. Talk not scream."

The elder couple turned their backs on their children, heading out the door but not before Kylie turns and says, "You two work this out before dinner or you're not eating in the table."

The door made a soft clicking sound as it closed. It was then silent. The tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Amir huffed a frustrated sigh and Noelle plopped down on her bed, looking down at her lap.

"Kuya..." she whispers loud enough for him to hear.

"Hmm?" he hums just as softly.

"Do you think less of me now?"

"Stop being stupid. I could never think less of you."

"Do you hate me?"

"Noelle, stop asking dumb questions," he breathed.

"So you do hate me then," her voice cracks and she looks up at him with watery eyes.

"No, I don't and you know that," he softens and sits beside her on the edge of her bed. "You should have told me, Nowh."

"I know," she sniffs. "You shouldn't have screamed at me."

"I know."

"But you still did it anyways," she pouted.

"Well, you knew you shouldn't have kept your little boyfriend a secret from me but you still did, didn't you?"

She replies with a simple nod.

"You shouldn't keep secrets from Kuya, Noelle. You shouldn't have to and you know that. I'd support you no matter what," he looks at her.

"Yeah, but I just wanted to tell you face to face. You didn't have to react so violently," she wiped away the single tear that escaped her eyes. "You were so mean."

Amir sighs again and stands up to collect the gifts he had for her in her study table. He sits back down and lays the playbills on her lap and made the little robin fly on top of them.

"You got me Early," she cracked a smile. "You never forgot."

"You wouldn't shut up about it for like two years. I couldn't forget if I tried."

She chortles.

Again, a silence filled the room as Noelle pet the little robin's head.

"Look, Noelle, I'm sorry for overreacting earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you in front of your b-boy...friend like that or at all," he gags at the word boyfriend.

"Even Dad didn't react like that when I told him. He cried and all but at least he didn't scream my ears off," she sulked.

"It's just hard, y'know. I leave for a year and suddenly you're all grown up and you've got a boyfriend. You outgrew so many of your clothes. You outgrew the damsel-in-distress phase. You outgrew so many things. I don't even know if I can call you my little sister anymore," he breathed out a small laugh. "I guess I was just afraid I was away too long and you outgrew me."

She lightly punched his arm, "I could never outgrow you, you sap. You're my big brother."

"It's silly, I know."

"It's not silly at all," she placed the knickknacks on her bed and snuggled up to her big brother. "You're still my big brother best friend, Kuya. I'll always need you around."

"Good to know," he smiles and wraps one arm around her shoulders. "That Adam better not try anything funny with you."

"After a while ago, I don't think he ever will," she laughs. "Thank you for the gifts, Kuya. I really like them."

"Those playbills were hella expensive. You better have liked them," he says playfully, rubbing his stubble against her forehead.

"Stop being ugly!" she exclaims as she tried to move away.

"You're the ugliest, loser. Silas and I are amazing," he jokes.

"I'm Daddy's favorite daughter though," she sticks her tongue out.

"You're the only daughter, idiot. Don't flatter yourself," he snorts.

"Whatever," she snickers and lies down on her soft sheets.

"Hey, no. Get up and come with me to apologize to your little boy toy," Amir tugs on her skinny arms.

"I wasn't the one screaming my lungs out, you go by yourself."

"I will strangle you," he playfully threatens.

"After picking a fight with me? Kuya, Mom and Dad wouldn't be too happy to hear that," she smirks smugly.

"Noelle, I'm trying to be nice here," he huffed and pulled her legs until they reached the floor.

"FIIINE!"
-
Adam and Silas quietly played a video game in the game room. Both their bodies sagging against as a love sac.

"Hey, Adam," Silas says.

"Yeah, sport?" the older boy replies with eyes still stuck on the screen.

"You should know Kuya's not actually that mean. He's really cool. I guess he just wasn't expecting what he saw, you know."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Silas grinned, "Kuya Amir's really nice trust me. I peaked in his luggages a while ago and he bought me a new controller."

"Silas, you little snoop," Amir's voice says from the door.

"I just wanted to make sure you kept your promise," the youngest shrugged.

"When has he ever broken a promise, doofus?" the only girl rolled her eyes.

"Kuya, Ate's always so mean to me," he tattled.

"Yeah, I'll tell her off later. You gotta leave the room for now though. Grownups gotta talk," he ruffles the kid's hair.

"Ate and Adam are 16, kuya," Silas comments sheepishly.

"Okay, smart ass, you got me there but you still have to leave," the older brother laughed.

"No, I'm ugly Ate's brother too and you guys are always leaving me out of the cool stuff," he pouts.

"Hey, shorty, why don't you go get your new controller in Kuya's room?" Noelle tried.

"I'm not five," he crosses his arms across his chest heaving with preteen angst.

"Certainly are as tall as one," she bit back a grin.

"Kuya, are you hearing this?" he tattles.

"Shut up, you two, or watch me actually book a ticket to New York for tonight."

Noelle chuckles, "Bye, I guess."

"Alright, cut the bullshit. I have an apology to give," the eldest steps closer to the boyfriend.

"Mental note to self: Kuya swore and I have to tell Mom and Dad," Silas mutters quietly to himself but loud enough for Noelle to hear it and elbow him.

Adam stood from the love sac and paled at the sight of Amir. The teenage boy could practically feel his knees quiver.

"Look, Adam, is it?"

Adam nods.

"We got off on the wrong foot and I'm really sorry if I scared you a while ago. I was being a total jerk back there," he pursed his lips.

"I understand. We should have told you...and we shouldn't have closed the door. I promise you, we never do anything more than hugging and-and I have so much respect for your sister and-"

"Dude, calm down. You're as red as a beet," Silas chuckles.

"The kid's right and I really am sorry," he held out his hand for the other to shake.

Adam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and shook Amir's hand.

"Yay for bromance! Can I have my boyfriend back now?" Noelle sarcastically states.

"Ew, she said the b word. Gross!" Silas dramatically exclaims.

"Twerp!"

"You love me and you know it," Silas grins teasingly at his older sister.

"Kuya is my only brother. I don't even know who you are," she kids.

"Kuya! Did you hear that?! She's so mean!"

Amir chuckles at his younger siblings bickering and grabbed his brother's kneck in his arms.

"You're my favorite brother, bud. Don't you worry."

Silas furrowed his eyebrows, "I'm your only brother."

"Exactly why I didn't have a choice but to love you."

The three continued bickering whilst Adam wrapped his arms around Noelle's waist and observed them happily. He was just glad there was no tension anymore.

Little did they all know, Kylie and Ruru were listening to them not too far away.

"See? Nothing to worry about. We raised some pretty good kids," Ruru flashed a smile at his wife as he gently kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, yeah. I wasn't that worried anyways," she leaned against his chest, refusing to let her pride down.

"Sure, you weren't," he snidely comments.

She replied with nothing but a soft elbow to his ribs.

"Ouch! My fragile elderly bones!"

"Stop exaggerating. You're not that old," she giggles. "And I didn't hit you too hard."

"Not too hard but pretty darn hard nevertheless."

Kylie turned around and planted a soft kiss upon his cheek.

"Shut up because I love you."

"I love you too," he says amusedly before brushing his lips against hers.

They were thinner than before due to aging and a little bit chapped but there was nothing sweeter in this world.
______
I don't even know what that was...