Monday evening, Mrs. Marshall and Lily came in the house, laughing. They had gone shopping and had bags on their arms. They made their way into the kitchen.

"Hey boys," Lily said.

"Hey Lil, Hey Mom," Andrew greeted, "How was your outing?"

"Fine, did you boys get yourself some dinner?" Their mother asked.

"Yes mother," Jeff said rolling his eyes. Then, with a smile, he added, "We're not five-year-olds anymore."

"I know, but I'm a mother, I worry."

The front door swung open causing everyone to jumped. Their father stumbled into the kitchen.

"Hannah!" He boomed angrily.

Mrs. Marshall pushed her children behind her, bent over and whispered into Lily's ear, "Go upstairs, now."

The children ran upstairs and locked their bedroom door. Lily joined her brother's in their room. The last time she had seen her father like this was not something she wished to remember.

"I know that sway," Jeff said, "I've seen it, multiple times." Jeff looked at his siblings, "He's drunk."

This wasn't an uncommon occurrence. They had plenty of practice in this subject, but it seemed to be happening more and more lately.

They could hear the angry voices echoing. Lily held the cordless phone in her hand, just incase something went terribly wrong.

Andrew pushed his ear up agaisnt a vent.

"Can you hear anything?" Lily asked.

"Aside from shouts, no. No sounds of shattering glass, no extreme threats, no sounds of slapping." He pulled away from the vent, "Mom should be safe tonight, we all should."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather and the boys roamed the empty streets of town as they thought of something to do. Farmer Lance had excused their work for the day.

"Wanna see a movie?" Jeff suggested.

The others shrugged.

"I take that as a no," He said.

"What's showing tonight?" Heather asked.

"I don't know, we'd have to check."

"Why don't we just get a DVD and watch it at our house?" Craig asked.

"That's good with me," Jeff said and the others agreed.

They went into the movie rental store and searched through the shelves.

"God's Not Dead," Andrew read aloud.

"Hey, Lily's been really wanting to see that," Jeff pointed out.

Andrew scoffed, "Yeah, but I don't."

Heather felt a wave of sadness as he placed it back on the shelf. Wait, why did she feel sad. It's not like she wanted to see it. In her mind either God didn't exist or He didn't really care. But maybe...No, she couldn't think otherwise, maybe He just didn't care.

Heather laid eyes on October Baby, she remember watching it with her family. It was one of the last movies they saw together. Heather had enjoyed the movie and was tempted to pick it up and re-watch it, but she quickly remembered where she stood. It was a movie about God.

"Hey, what about this one?" Andrew asked, picking up a horror film.

"That's rated R, smart one," Jeff said as he took the movie out of Andrew's hands and put it on the shelf.

"Oh! What about Enchanted?" Heather asked. She ran her fingers over the cover, "Oh please! I love this movie."

The boys shrugged, "I don't see why not," Craig stated. And so, Enchanted it was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The smell of freshly buttered popcorn filled the room. Lily, Jeff, Andrew, Craig and Heather, sat on pillows on the floor as they put their undivided attention on the movie and the popcorn.

Mrs. Marshall couldn't resist taking a picture of them, then she joined the fun, except she preferred the couch.

The girl's gasped when a dragon appeared. Jeff, Craig and Andrew exchanged amused smiles and began laughing at their reactions.

"It's not funny." Heather threw a handful of popcorn at Jeff.

"Yes, actually, it kinda is," Andrew said.

Heather opened her mouth but Lily cut her off, "Shhhh!" She exclaimed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff dropped Heather off at her home when the movie ended. She politely thanked him for the day and headed inside. She walked inside to the sound of screaming children and toys flying everywhere.

Six-year-old Albert and Six-year-old Lotia were at it again. Aubrey and Coby were trying to break up the fight. Hard-plastic baby toys were being thrown dangerously close to glass objects. Coby had his arms around Albert's waist and Aubrey had her's around Lotia's.

"Heather! Some help please!" Coby struggled to yell.

Heather dropped her bag and ran to small curio cabinet. It was about the size of a normal end table, and went up to Heather's waist, but it was a curio cabinet nonetheless, and the front was fully glass.

"Jenny!" She hollered as she used her body to block the toys from hitting the table.

Jennifer ran in the room, "Whoa, what happened?" She asked.

"Just come and block the curio cabinet!" Heather demanded.

Jenny took Heather's place at the curio cabinet and Heather went to help stop the kids.

She helped Coby with Albert and was able to move him to the couch.

He was still screaming at Lotia, who was now in tears.

"Al, Al, stop screaming," Heather said, "Now what's wrong?"

"Lotia took my toy!" He sniffed as he pointed to her.

"I did not!" She screamed back through her tears.

"You two just calm down!" Heather snapped, but then regained her calm voice, "You two need to go give each other a hug and say you love each other."

"No!" Al cried.

"I never wanna talk to him again!" Lotia added.

"Oh, Lotia, you don't mean that," Heather said.

She nodded and sniffled, "Yes I do."

"Why do we have to talk anyway?" Al asked.

"Because your brother and sister, and on top of that, you're twins."

"So?" He asked.

"You two are so lucky to have each other, I know you don't see it, you obviously drive each other insane. But you have a long road ahead, trust me. And you're going to need each other," Coby and Aubrey slowly pushed the twins into a hug, "don't make the same mistake I did. Love each other while you have each other, or you'll regret it later."

The two pulled apart, "How do you know that?"

Heather smiled sadly, "Let's just say I've had my share of experience. Now, say you love each other."

"I love you Lotia," Al said.

"I love you, too, even if you did throw toys at me." Lotia replied.

"Aw, good job. Now, it's 10:00, which is much past your bedtime."

"Technically, we should all be in bed," Aubrey pointed out.

"Coby, you take Al, I think I've got Lotia." Heather said. Coby nodded and did as he was told.

"Heather," Jennifer said, "Go ahead and get some sleep, I got her."

"Jen, what's up?" Heather asked.

The fifteen-year-old grinned, "You have work tomorrow."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather crawled into bed, "Night, Aubrey," Heather said from across the room.

"Night, thanks for all you help tonight."

"Piece of cake." Heather smiled and turned out the lamp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hot Tennessee sun seemed to burn holes through the boys t-shirts and they stack square hay bales and drove the tractors. Heather ran back and forth feeding the pigs and the cattle, her arms felt as if they were going to fall off.

Miss Dorothy stood at the front door and called, "Why don't ya'll come in a take a nice long break?"

Nobody hesitated to take up her offer, they ran into the cool, air-conditioned house.

Sweet-tea and sandwiches were already laid out on the table. After saying a prayer they scarfed down their food.

A small locket dangled from Heather's neck. It was an antique gold heart on a gold chain.

"Hon, I just love that necklace," Miss Dorothy said, pointing to the little locket.

Heather wrapped her fingers around it and smiled.

"It is quite pretty, isn't it?" Andrew said. He walked towards Heather, "Which gives me a perfect reason to do this!" He pulled the necklace off and ran out the door.

"Give it back!" Heather screamed after him. Everyone rose from the table and followed Heather and Andrew.

Andrew laughed as he ran.

"Give it back!" Anger flared inside Heather, "Andrew! This isn't funny!"

Andrew stopped, "Gosh Heather, it was just a joke."

She ripped the necklace from his grip, "Well it wasn't very funny."

"What's so special about the necklace?"

"It's a locket, and it just is."

"Okay, sorry I guess."

The rest of the day was spent working and Heather kept to herself. Every time Andrew looked over at her, she had her hand clenched around the locket. He shrugged her off and continued his work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather opened her house door, "I'm back!" She called, "Hello?"

The house was completely quiet. A note was on the table, it read:

Heather,

Went out for ice cream, be back soon.

-Mrs. Laynie and the rest

"Okay then," Heather said, "Looks like I have the house to myself today."

She ran up to her quiet room. An eerie silence filled the air. The kind of silence that seems almost loud. Heather hated loud silence, it was extremely lonely.

She pulled the little box out from under her bed and took off her locket. She opened the box and took out a small satin pouch with her mother's name embroidered on it and slipped the locket in.

"I miss you," She whispered, "You and Dad. I wish all of us kids didn't get split up. Sometimes I wonder where Jane is. At least the boys are together, I guess that's good. Anyway, I love you and miss you." She put the pouch back in the box and slid it under her bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How was your day?" Mrs. Marshall asked.

Andrew rub his temples, "Stressful."

"Well, now you know how all us adults feel," She smiled as she sat down and handed him a glass of milk.

"No, it wasn't the work."

"Hm?"

"It was Heather, she's just acting weird."

"Well, hon, you just need to give her a break, she doesn't have it as well as we do. I'm sure this isn't very easy for her."

"It's not like we have it very good, either," He muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing Mom, I'm going to Gunner's house."

"Alright, have fun."

"I intend too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, how've you been?" Gunner asked as he made a basket.

"Fine, you?"

Gunner passed the ball to Andrew, who also made a basket.

"Good, I haven't seen you in a while, what's up?"

"Service project."

"Oh, it takes up your whole week?"

"It didn't used to, but now it does."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Gunner asked.

"I don't know," Andrew sighed.

"Quitting ain't right, you can't do that."

"I guess I'll just continue, I've got nothing better to do, and I guess it can be fun."

Gunner nodded and the boy's continued their rousing game of basketball. 

Author's Note: Hello! I know I have been absent for awhile, I'm sorry! I have had this written, but I've been trying to get ahead before I update anything, it especially helps when trying to avoid plot holes, which can be difficult sometimes. But I have finally got an idea of where I am taking the story, which is good and that means I will hopefully be writing and updating more! So, to whoever has made it this far, thank you so so much, and if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them. God Bless!