• Maxene got to warm and wiggled away with some tears in her eyes. Her mom looked up at her and got to her feet. Mom went on her knees on the floor infront of Maxene. "You know no matter how depressed me and your dad are, and no matter how much we may be ignoring you, I want you to know now, it's just because we are not used to this and that you are still our little angel, and Erik is still our wonder and Robert is our little prince. Nothing will ever change that, nothing at all." The words warmed her as Maxene hugged her mom. Her mom folded her arms around Maxene and cried. "I'm home" Erik called opening the front door. Maxene jumped up and threw her hands on her brother. She hugged him and squeezed him. Tears of joy that she had her brother filled her eyes. Maxene sniffled and hugged tighter. Erik tried to get her off and said, "Why are you hugging me" wiggling. Maxene let go and looked at him with her eyes big. Erik was confused, then he saw his mom not surprised just standing there wiping tears from her cheeks. "We need to talk" she said sitting on the couch. Erik sat next to her, "Ya" he asked. "Mary is gone" she said. Erik said, "So I'm in charge?" he asked. "Your now the oldest" Mom said bursting to tears. "What?" Erik asked getting teary. "She's gone, and drowned" Maxene whispered to him. Erik sat down and muttered and sort of whispered to himself 'Dont cry, don't cry'. Maxene seemed to sad and dad didn't come to welcome him. Mom was crying and now Erik felt like he had too, he didn't feel pleasent at all. His belly swirled and swirled. Erik ran up to his room to cry so nobody could see him. Mom went in the car and turned it on going to get Robert, her little prince.