BLOOD PAWN

I love mornings. Especially when the sun comes up, all warm and bright, painting the sky with colors that make me feel like the day is going to be amazing. I always wake up before Ori—well, Orion, but I call him Ori. I like having the room to myself for a bit, just so I can stretch and wiggle around without worrying about waking him up.

Sometimes, I sneak over to his side of the room, tiptoeing as quietly as I can, and I peek at him. He’s always so peaceful, like nothing in the world can bother him. I lean down and whisper, “Still sleeping, sleepyhead,” but he doesn’t budge. It makes me giggle every time.

Most days, Mama—Anara—comes in to wake us up. She has this way of making everything better, even if I’m grumpy or tired. “Rise and shine, my little stars,” she says, pulling back the curtains and letting the sunlight pour in. I love it when she calls us that. It makes me feel like we’re special. I think Ori likes it too, even if he doesn’t say so.

Breakfast is always busy, with Mama moving around the kitchen, making sure we have everything. I’m usually talking a mile a minute about what I want to do that day—like climbing the tallest tree or exploring the garden to find bugs. Ori just listens, nodding and smiling sometimes. It’s like he’s really paying attention, even if I’m just talking nonsense.

“Orion, let’s play hide-and-seek today,” I said one morning, stuffing my cheeks with toast.

Ori looked up from his porridge, swallowed, and nodded. “Okay. But you always hide in the same places,” he said.

I puffed out my cheeks, pretending to be upset. “That’s because they’re good hiding spots!”

He smiled, this tiny, knowing smile that made me want to try harder. “I think you can find better ones if you try,” he said. That’s the thing about Ori—he always knows how to make me feel like I can do something, even when I’m not sure.

Ori is... different. He’s my twin, but sometimes it feels like he’s from another world. I’m loud, I love running and jumping, and I get excited about everything. Ori, though... he’s quiet, and he’s always thinking. Sometimes, I catch him staring out the window, and I have no idea what he’s looking at.

Like, what could be so interesting about the sky? I mean, it’s just blue. But he’ll sit there, and it’s like he’s seeing something I can’t see.

I wish I could see the world the way he does. Maybe then I’d understand why he likes reading those thick, boring books, or why he never gets upset when I’m teasing him. One time, I tried to solve a puzzle Uncle Darius gave us, and I got so frustrated that I almost threw it. But when I handed it to Ori, he just studied it for a bit, moved a few pieces, and solved it like it was nothing.

“How do you do that?” I asked, feeling a mix of awe and annoyance.

He just shrugged and said, “I think about how it’s made. If you understand that, you can figure it out.”

I didn’t really get it, but it sounded cool, so I nodded like I did.

Mama is the best. She makes the yummiest food, tells the most amazing stories, and even when she’s telling us off for something, it never feels mean. I love it when she smiles, and I love it even more when she makes Ori smile.

He doesn’t smile a lot, not like I do, but when Mama ruffles his hair or gives him a hug, I see it—the tiniest little smile, like he can’t help it. It’s like he’s trying to be all serious, but she makes him forget for a second.

One day after breakfast, I saw Mama sitting by the window, looking out, like she was thinking about something important. I ran over and climbed into her lap, snuggling close. “What are you thinking about, Mama?” I asked.

She looked down at me, her eyes soft and warm, and brushed back my hair. “Just about how lucky I am to have you two,” she said. “You and Orion... you’re both so special.”

I beamed at that. Then, I leaned closer and whispered, “Even if Ori is a little strange?”

Mama laughed, a soft, sweet laugh that made me feel all warm inside. “Especially because he’s a little strange,” she said. “He sees things differently, and that makes him unique. Just like you’re unique, my little sunshine.”

I thought about that for a bit, then nodded. I guess she was right. I liked that Ori was different. It meant there was always something new to discover about him, even if it was just how he always knew when I was going to sneak up on him or how he never got mad when I messed up his things.

As the day started to wind down, and the sky turned all orange and purple, Ori and I sat on the porch together. I nudged him, trying to get his attention. “Hey, Ori,” I said. “Do you think we’ll always be together, like this?”

He turned and looked at me with those calm eyes of his, like he was thinking really hard about it. After a moment, he nodded. “Yes, I think so. We’ll always be together.”

I smiled at that. It was all I needed to hear. Even though Ori was quiet and thoughtful, and maybe a little strange, I knew he was always there for me. With the night settled in, and the cool breeze ruffling our hair, I felt like everything was just right.

Mama was inside, Ori was next to me, and the world felt big and exciting, but safe. And I knew, as long as we were together, it would stay that way. And I’d be there for him too, even if it meant dragging him out to play when all he wanted to do was read.