Ribbon of hopes and fears

Chapter 4: settling in

It wasn't long before Julian had finished unpacking Rachel's bag. There wasn't much inside, just a few outfits, a blanket, and a small bag with her toiletries. He also fished out a bag full of her prescription med which he frowned upon seeing. He had seen her in and out of the hospital numerous times since they first met, and he felt so sorry for the kid.

As soon as Julian hung the last outfit, he closed the door and turned to Rachel. "How about we go downstairs and see what they guys made for dinner?"

Rachel shrugged and held onto her cat as she got up from the bed. She sighed as Julian took hold of her hand and led her downstairs. He led her to the dining room where David and Mark were talking. The dining room was a dark orange color with a round gray table. They had added an extra chair for Rachel, putting a booster on top of it so she could reach the table. Julian lifted her up and sat her on it before pushing her in.

The table itself was set with paper plates and glass cups. Some of them were empty, others filled with water. Rachel had a plastic one in front of her filled with apple juice. She eyes it for a moment before David grabs her attention by speaking to her.

"How do you like your room, Rachel?" David questioned. Rachel shrugged again, looking down at her empty plate. Her stomach growled, but she didn't feel hungry.

Mark chuckled a little "I see you're hungry. Don't worry, Brian and Phill went to pick something up."

"What did you guys even decide on?" Julian questioned, taking a seat next to Rachel.

"Brothers classic Italian, order us some pizza," David responded.

Rachel looked up at them upon hearing the word pizza. She hadn't had any in a while. Then again she hadn't had much food since starting chemotherapy. Even though her stomach screamed for food, she found that her appetite had vanished.

"Is there a particular pizza you like Rachel?" Julian questioned.

"Cheese." she whispered.

"You and I both," David said with a smile. Just then Steven walked in and took a seat on the other side of Rachel. "You and me what?" he questioned as he entered the conversation.

"We were just talking about toppings," David said, turning to his brother.

"Well I do love a good veggie pizza," he said with a grin as his stomach grumbled. "Those kids sure do work up an appetite for one." he grinned.

"Well I can't wait for the pepperoni," Julian spoke, taking a sip of his glass of water.

Rachel watched as he chugged it down. Her mouth began to water, she was thirsty. So she reached for her cup and picked it up. She lifted it to her lips and began to drink it, only for some of it to miss her mouth and splash onto her shirt. She took the cup away from her lips, placing it on the table. She frowned at the cold droplets that seeped through her shirt.

"It's alright," Steven said as he grabbed a napkin from the holder in the center of the table. He then began to pat Rachel's shirt dry. Though it didn't collect everything, it should last them through dinner.

Just as Steven finished drying her shirt, Phil and Brian walked in carrying 4 pizza boxes and two liter bottles of some liquid Rachel had never seen before. One was a clear liquid that sparkled with bubbles. The other was a dark blackish-brown liquid that fizzed toward the cap. Everyone smiled as the bottles of liquid and pizza boxes were placed on the table. All at once the brothers scrambled to grab a slice. Rachel watched for a moment and suddenly became overwhelmed. She grabbed Kitty-Can-Do's arm in her left hand, holding them both up to her ears, waiting for the noise to calm down.

Julian had grabbed a slice of pepperoni and was about to sit when he noticed Rachel's reaction. "Hold on guys," Julian said, gathering the table's attention. He laid his plate down and placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder. Rachel jumped for a moment as she looked up at Julian. "You ok, Rachel?"

Rachel looked at him with a blank face, then around the room. She noticed the noise had stopped and the brothers were either grabbing a slice calmly or sitting in their chairs. She lowered her hands and slowly nodded her head.

"What type do you want, Rachel?" Steven questioned, picking up her plate to grab her a slice.

"Cheese," she mumbled. Steven nodded and the brother quietly grabbed their pizzas before sitting down. When Steven placed the slice in front of her, she just stared at it. Even though her body wanted the food, she just didn't feel that hungry. So she took one bite and placed it back onto her plate.

Mark glanced over at her when he was halfway done with his own pizza. "You alright Rachel?" he asked after swallowing what was in his mouth. Rachel shrugged and mumbled "Not hungry." as she pulled Kitty-Can-Do close to her chest.

David looked up from his slice. He knew why she wasn't hungry, but she needed something in her stomach. "Rachel, you need to eat something." He said.

Rachel looked back at the pizza. She didn't want it, she wasn't in the mood to eat. Her hand reached for the plate and pushed it towards the center of the table. The brothers frowned at this, the poor kid didn't have an appetite.

"Rachel please, just three more bites," Mark begged. But still, Rachel shook her head.

"Well, then I guess no Ice Cream for you," Julian said as he took another bite of his Pizza. Rachel immediately looked up at him. She desperately wanted more of the ice-cold treat. So she grabbed her plate and took three small bites at the brother's request. When she was done, she put the half-eaten slice back on her plate.

"Good job Rachel." David smiled as he got up with his empty plate. He walked around the table and picked up her plate as he headed for the kitchen. He soon came back with a bowl of chocolate ice cream and presented it in front of Rachel. She smiled and dug into the delicious dessert.

The rest of the meal was peaceful. Some of the brothers had conversations with one another, but mostly it was quiet. When they were all finished Rachel let out a loud yawn as chocolate slid down her face.

"Getting sleepy Rachel?" Phill asked with a smile.

"No," she said with another yawn. Her small hand rubbed her eyes.

"I think that's a yes," Julian said as he picked up a napkin and began cleaning her face. She squirmed in the chair at how hard Julain was rubbing her face clean. When he was done, her chair was pulled out and she was picked up by Mark. "Let's get you ready for bed." he said, placing her on his hip as they headed up to her bedroom.

Once they entered her room, Mark crossed over to the bed and sat Rachel on it. He then opened her closet to find it barely filled. Her clothing took up four hangers. Three outfits and a purple nightgown. He took the nightgown down and laid it next to Rachel. "Can you change yourself or do you need my help?"

"I can do it," she said as she pulled off her shirt. Mark turned around as she changed into the nightgown. When she was finished, Mark turned around to see her lying down, clutching her stuffed cat. He smiled as he pulled the princess comforter over her tiny body.

"Would you like a story?" he questioned. Rachel nodded as Mark walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book. He walked back over to the bed and sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. He showed her the cover "Good Night Moon" and he read the title before proceeding to the first page.

As he read Rachel felt her eyes growing heavy. She yawned a few times, trying to stay up for the story but soon found herself fast asleep in Mark's arms. When Mark noticed, he stood up carefully and quietly. He crossed over to the bookshelf, placing the book back before heading to the bedroom door. He switched the lights off and whispered "goodnight" before closing it behind him.

(hey guys, I'm back. sorry for the long wait, currently trying to finish senior year and move at the same time. I should be back to my normal schedule at the end of July. so till then, you get the sporadic updates. as always, comments and recommendations are always welcomed! we also go the discord if you're interested in writing chapters for any of my books. alright: Goober out!)