Page 60 of Jhon
She turned back to Jhon, but he was smiling.
“Ella?” a familiar voice called to her.
It can’t be…
She spun back to see a large group of people stepping off the chute, looking exhausted and dirty, but smiling so hard…
“Ma,” she cried, running for her family, tears already burning in her eyes.
“Ella,” her mother murmured into her hair as they embraced. “We missed you so much. I can’t believe we’re all together again.”
“Ella,” a small voice said, as a little hand tugged at her dress.
“Taria,” Ella breathed, letting go of her mother to lift her littlest sister in her arms and spin with her.
Taria’s laughter rang out, sweet and soft like the tiny birds that sang over the lichen fields at night. She was almost five now, but hardly heavier than Bo, and Ella held her close, breathing her in.
By the time she looked up from her sister, the others were talking with Jhon, Charl, and Abbra, and exclaiming over little Bo.
“I missed you,” Taria said accusingly. “You left.”
“I’m sorry I had to leave,” Ella told her. “We talked about it though, right?”
“You had to go so we could have food,” Taria said flatly.
“That’s right,” Ella said. “And did you have food after I left?”
Taria nodded.
“I’m glad,” Ella told her sincerely. “Then it was worth it for you to be able to grow.”
“You have a new baby,” Taria suddenly said. Her tone was the tiniest bit plaintive.
She was used to being her big sister’s only baby.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Ella whispered to her with a mischievous smile. “But you will always be my first one.”
“I will?” Taria asked, eyes widening.
“Of course you will,” Ella told her. “You were the first baby I got to take care of and love. And you always will be.”
“Okay,” Taria said, looking pleased.
“And now you get to be Bo’s aunt,” Ella said lightly.
“I’m his aunt?” Taria asked, sounding fascinated.
“Oh yes,” Ella told her. “You’re his mother’s sister, so you’re very important to him.”
“I’ll have a look at him,” Taria decided.
“Okay,” Ella said, trying to hide her smile. “Make way, important aunt coming through.”
Taria wiggled out of Ella’s arms to get to her nephew.
The others made a path straight to the baby for her.
Her expression lit up when Bo reached for her with his chubby fists and crowed out a string of happy nonsense.