The Hanson household was a ruckus. There were gleeful cries of 'Ikes! Tay! Zaccy!' from 3 children.
I was led to the door by Isaac and was left to stand awkwardly in the foyer of the house. Zac raced up and grabbed my hand.
"Avie, this is Kris. Kris, Avie." he introduced me to his sister.
I smiled and began to talk to the curious girl, but then Zac drug me over to another. Mackie.
He just stared at me suspiciously.
Zac turned me around and I faced another young girl. The resemblance was amazing. Not only did they share the same name, but Jessica Browning and Jessica Hanson had the same build, length and color of hair and facial features.
She looked at me curiously.
"Kristen." I introduced myself, seeming to have lost my guide.
"Jessie." she grinned.
"Cool."
"So you're the one Tay gets all soppy about?" she asked in the way only siblings can.
"Jessie!" Taylor called embarrassed.
"No. That's another Kris." I joked and she furrowed her brows.
Zac came up from behind and was holding a baby. "This is my daughter, Zoe." he joked.
I laughed and peered into her face. A big slobbery mouth opened and started wailing.
"Oh. Sorry." I bit my lip and he just jiggled her.
"She's cranky." he said, taking her back to her mother.
A cry came up. "Zachary Walker Hanson! What did you wake that baby up for?!"
I looked at Jessica and Avery and laughed.
Avery giggled. "Zac's in trouble." she announced in a sing song voice.
Isaac rushed by, hauling suitcases.
Taylor came up and grabbed me from the midst of the Hanson sibs. He steered me outside where it was much quieter.
"Sorry." he said breathlessly. "That's a madhouse."
I nodded. "I noticed." I sat down on the patio steps, angling my leg out. When we arrived in Tulsa, the first thing Mr. Hanson did was drop by Tulsa Memorial Hospital and they had cut off my last leg brace. The doctor had given me one below the knee, deciding my knee was strong enough to support me. I could walk slowly and carefully without crutches.
"So."
"So." I echoed.
He grinned. "I still can't believe you told to physiotherapist to go hang herself."
I grinned. "I didn't have time for physiotherapy."
He raised an eyebrow. "I noticed. So how's the new brace feel?"
I grimaced. "Itchy."
"Ike drive like a freak?" Tay asked.
I chuckled. "No. He was like some granny who couldn't stand to go over 30mph. It drove me nuts."
"Dad would have picked you up, but it was mad here. He nearly killed me with all the unpacking to do."
I rolled my eyes. "I could imagine that."
"Yeh."
"Mmhmm." I nodded absently, feeling the silver necklace lay against my skin. Taylor had convinced me to wear it again.
He kicked the dirt. "Want to see ... I dunno ... the treehouse?"
I smiled. "Where is it?"
"Out back." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
I shook my head. "I can't limp back there."
He grinned and grabbed my cast, dragging me a bit. "I'll just drag you there, then."
"Taylor!" I shrieked, nearly falling off the step. I stood clumsily and nearly whacked him over the head. "Don't do that."
Isaac stuck his head out. "Tay, come help. Sorry Kris. he'll only be a few hours."
Taylor made sarcastic 'ha ha' noises and Isaac rolled his eyes.
I grinned. "You can have him."
"No thanks." came the reply. "We've already packed away the stuff from when we dropped you off, but there's still stuff to take care of."
Taylor made silly faces, mimicking his brother.
"Taylor, you're such a buttmunch." Ike said in a Butthead impersonation.
I followed. "He, he, hehe. Yeah! Buttmunch." I answered in Beavis.
He laughed and went back inside.
Tay shrugged. "Oh well, won't be long." He leaped up the steps and walked back inside.