#vv!isabel

And so, Daniel, with the help of Michael and two very eager six year olds, spent the next few weeks gathering wood and supplies, and constructing a treehouse out of it.

It didn’t take long for the adults to become just as invested in the project. It was fun teaching the kids how to hammer in nails, how to sand, how to put in the little windows they had ordered online and how to roof it with tarp.

To make sure the treehouse really was magic, Lando helped Riley paint it, purple with little stars on it. Sophie got the pups small furniture, a little sofa to sit on, an old, colorful rug, a kid-sized table, some blankets.

When it was done, they all felt very accomplished.

“Daddy, I love it!” Isabel wrapped her arms around Daniel’s leg, looking up at him with a big, big smile and shining brown eyes. “It’s so cool!”

“It really is,” Daniel agreed, giving her a grin, rubbing her back. “And the paint job is what really pulls it together.”

On Michael’s arm, Riley beamed. There was still some purple paint on his cheek.

That night, the twins celebrated by inviting Leah and having juice and cookies in their new treehouse.

-

For a while, Riley and Isabel got to enjoy the treehouse for themselves.

The triplets and Luna were too small to climb up the ladder on their own for a while, but that only made them want to get up there even more. When the triplets got too much for them, it was easy for the twins to escape into their sacred little space, rolling up the ladder and ignoring the wailing downstairs.

However, this was the best motivator for the younger kids to learn how to climb, and soon, the treehouse war was on.

Eventually, via the means of a packling tribunal, they decided on fair rules for everyone to use the tree house.

“No pushing people off” was priority number one, thankfully.

-

The years passed, and the treehouse saw many additions: a rope swing, new curtains, a radio, flower pots, and a new paint job, courtesy of Luna and Lucía.

Jasper was born, and being the baby of the family, he got the privilege of being lifted up there before he could ever climb by himself, always just wanting to be included.

Eventually, the twins grew out of wanting to play-pretend with their siblings.

“Isa, will you play superheroes with us in the treehouse?” Evie tugged on her older sister’s sleeve. “Pleeeease?” She put all of her force into that please to convince Isabel. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, because Isabel’s eyes were stuck on her phone screen.

“No, I’m calling Leah in a minute.”

“Ughhhh,” Evie exclaimed, slinking off, not even in a mood to make kissy noises at her sister for mentioning Leah. “Riley?” she asked hopefully, even though she knew it was no use. Riley sometimes still played dolls with them, but not superheroes.

“No, Evie,” Riley told her, looking at least somewhat sorry, “I need to finish my homework.”

“You’re always spending way too much time on your homework,” Evie grumbled, leaving her two boring older siblings alone in the living room, but not without a “You’re both stupid!”

She found Michael in the kitchen, reading a recipe off his iPad, cracking open eggs.

“Papa,” she whined, climbing one of the stools, “Isa and Riley never wanna play with us anymore!”

He looked up from his cooking, giving her a half-smile that usually meant he was about to say something wise. “That’s just how it is when you get older, bug. They’re proper teenagers now, they’re interested in other things.”

“Ugh,” Evie grumbled again, laying her arms flat on the countertop and her head on top of them. “Being a teenager must suck then, if they don’t want to play cool games in the cool treehouse with us anymore.”

Michael chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “You have no idea.”

Later that night, Evie snuck her way in between Riley and Isabel in the pup nest.

“Sorry I said you were stupid.”

She watched her older siblings exchange an amused glance over her head, which kind of made her want to pinch them both, but she controlled herself. “I talked to Papa and he said being a teenager sucks ass.” She paused, then added, “Well, he didn’t say it like that but it’s what he meant. So I forgive you.”

“Wow, thank you for your apology,” Riley said, clearly trying not to laugh.

“It does suck ass sometimes,” Isa shrugged, wrapping her arms around Evie to tickle her, but Evie quickly kicked her (lightly). She had one more thing to say. “Wait! Will you- …will you still do the sleepover with us?”

The treehouse sleepover was a tradition. Once a year, on the last day of school before summer break, all of them slept outside in the treehouse. It was a tight fit, but Evie desperately wanted her big brother and sister there, even if they were stinky boring teenagers now.

“Of course!” Isa gasped, shocked by the assumption, “Why not?!”

“It’s the law,” Riley said, matter-of-factly, “Treehouse sleepover on the last day of school is required.”

“Okay.” Evie let out a breath. “...you can tickle me now.”

-

The treehouse changed over time, got bigger, a little more crooked, saw different paint jobs and ladders and furniture.

It always stayed a place for the kids to have their own space, away from the parents and sometimes, the world. Even as they got older, it still saw use, albeit not as much as it used to.

It was good for hiding after a bad day, for reading undisturbed, for sleepovers with friends, for games that were otherwise deemed “too childish”, for secret phone calls nobody else was supposed to hear, and for many other things.

“I can’t believe we used to be able to stand up in here,” Leah laughed, reaching over her head to touch the ceiling with her palms.

Isabel tried to look anywhere but at her. “Yeah, crazy, right?”

“Do you remember when we played princess and knight?” Leah smiled. Her teeth were so white, and Isabel couldn’t believe how long it had taken her to notice that. She was noticing a lot of new things about Leah lately.

“Yeah, I remember. You stole one of your mom’s dresses for it.” Isa had to duck her head to even sit up in here; she was leaning forward at an awkward angle.

“I did!” Leah giggled, “He was sooooo mad at me for it.” She paused, and Isabel watched her run her fingers over the edge of the ratty little carpet Lucía had weaved for the treehouse a few years ago.

“Do you remember when I said the princess should give the knight a kiss?”

Isabel snorted, “You mean when I said that princesses kiss princes, not knights?”

“Yeah,” Leah giggled.

Silence fell over them for a moment. It was a new, heavy, exhilarating kind of silence as the enclosed space of the treehouse filled with a warm, sweet scent.

“...do you want to kiss the princess now?” Leah asked into the silence, her voice soft and pretty. Her fingertips were inching towards Isabel’s on the wood floor.

“...I… would like that, yeah,” Isa said, barely managing a whisper.

-

“Lunie?”

Lucía peeked over the edge of the treehouse, her eyes wide and still a little wet.

Luna wanted her to leave, but she couldn’t get herself to actually say it.

“Are you gonna come down for dinner?” Lucía asked hopefully.

Luna sat up, wiping her eyes dry. Her throat hurt from crying. “Is Papá still angry at me?”

Lucía scrunched up her nose as she pulled herself all the way up onto the platform with Luna. “A little bit I think. But he’s not yelling anymore. He’s just looking around all grumpy, you know how.” Her imitation of their Dad made Luna laugh.

Lucía leaned into Luna, putting her head on her sister’s shoulder. “...they’re just worried about you, I think.”

Luna hummed quietly, her throat filling up again. “They can’t get mad at me everytime I have a boyfriend!” she mumbled, “That’s not fair!”

Lucía said nothing for a second, and then carefully looked up at her. “...no offense, Lunie, but I think it’s the kind of boys you date.” Luna couldn’t really argue with that, to be honest. “You knew he does drugs. Everyone knew he does drugs.” Sometimes, Lucía sounded more mature than Luna even felt, even though she was the older sister.

“Maybe you’ll get it when you’re older, love makes you blind,” Luna shrugged, feeling silly and defensive.

“...I don’t think I will,” Lucía said, putting her head back on Luna’s shoulder.

“...it’s over with him now, anyway.”

“Sorry.”

They sat in silence for a minute or two before Lucía said, “...come down for dinner, Lunie, please. I think maybe we’ll have ice cream for dessert.”

Luna sighed deeply.

“...yeah, okay.”

-

On the last night of school, thirteen years after the treehouse was built, they had their last summer sleepover.

All of them felt the finality.

Riley was going away for college, and Isabel was having a baby with Leah, and nothing would ever be the same after tonight.

Together, they had spent the last few days expanding the treehouse, adding more flooring to the platform. Flynn built stilts to hold it up until the treehouse had a massive front porch.

It was a total overkill for this one night, but nobody questioned it.

They squeezed up there together, a mess of sleeping bags and blankets and cookie crumbs. Jasper insisted on sleeping right next to Riley, holding on to him all night as if he could keep him from leaving if he just tried hard enough.

Wrapped in his sleeping bag and his little brother’s arms, Riley couldn’t fall asleep, staring at the stars above them instead. He could tell through their bond that Isa wasn’t asleep either. When he turned his head to look at her, he saw a slow tear run down from the corner of her eye into her blond hair.

In silence, he reached over, grabbing her hand, squeezing it three times. I love you. She squeezed back thankfully, looking at him with a wobbly smile.

A lot was about to change now, and both of them were scared.

“I’m so glad you convinced Dad that this was your favorite tree,” Riley whispered.

“Me too,” Isa whispered back. Next to her, Evie stirred, snuggling into her side.

For a moment, the twins just smiled at each other. Riley felt tears well up as well; just seeing her cry was enough.

“Being a teenager sucks ass,” Isa whispered, and then they both had to clutch their hands over their mouths to stop themselves from waking up their packlings with their laughter, making their tears less salty.

Eventually, they calmed down and Riley reached for Isa’s hand again.