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Monday, May 24

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     It felt like the closer he got to being done with the school year, the more tired Reese got from waking up each morning. Like his body was already practicing how it would feel getting to sleep in every day over summer, but then his alarm would remind him that there were still a few weeks left. As he began his routine on Monday morning, he felt like even his thoughts were tired or slow. He made coffee for his sister. Then he made breakfast. Olivia will probably just ask me to make breakfast again so mind as well make extra for her. It’ll be nice to eat something instead of cereal in the mornings anyways and with that in mind, it probably won’t take any longer for me to just double the portion size. He loaded up Olivia’s serving onto a plate, chorizo scrambled in some eggs. As she arose from lying down on the couch in waiting, he glanced at her strong, imposing figure like he always did. Actually I might need to triple the portion size tomorrow. 

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     Reese was watching Parks and Rec when Olivia came downstairs to join him, sitting across from him on the couch. He sighed as she hoisted her socked feet onto his lap. So this is just routine now? She just gets to use my lap whenever she wants. She probably isn’t even trying to bother me by doing it, she just does it cuz… she can. “Hey, my feet are kinda sore,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. 

     Reese just grimaced. “That… sucks.”

     “It doesn’t have to though,” she sang back, prodding his arm a few times. “You could rub my feet for me.” Reese took a deep breath and sighed. He could kinda see this one coming, and he looked at his sister, biting his tongue. She’s really been pushing her luck lately. But I haven’t exactly helped to dissuade her considering I’ve pretty much committed to being a yes-man ever since she came home. She gave him pouty eyes. “Pleeeeeease.” Reese bit his lips, visibly irritated, but Olivia didn’t back down. If he said no, she wouldn’t keep pressing him, and that was that. But if he said yes, then her feet would feel some kind of sweet relief, and she’ll have been glad she asked. 

     She inched her feet closer. “Fine,” he concluded, and grabbed her feet as she smiled gratefully. They were big in his hands, but he was glad that she took good care of them and they weren't dirty or sweaty. Somehow, that would've been way worse even though it'd just be my hands touching it. He wondered if he was even doing a good job. Or if she'd start to complain that he wasn't doing it right. Knowing her, she wouldn't complain, she'd just casually mention it and then guilt trip me into doing better. But what did that matter, she hadn't mentioned anything yet. If it ever came to that, maybe then he'd speak up. But for now, he was just going to focus on watching TV, while Olivia seemingly couldn't decide between watching TV and watching him. 

     I don’t think I’ve ever held a foot before, he realized, his thumbs too short to even reach across her soles as he held her big feet in his lap. Why would I have? Even if he weren’t several feet smaller than his sister, her feet would’ve still been big. At 6’6, she obviously had large feet, and occasionally had had to buy men’s shoes in case she liked a certain shoe design but couldn’t find one that would fit her. Luckily, as someone whose career revolved around exercise and working out, she was more than OK having mostly tennis shoes, and Adidas normally had things in her size. But for the times when she wanted to wear heels, sandals, or something else, she would often walk away disappointed, internally debating whether it was worth it to purchase another pricey custom pair. Often times, the answer was no. But if there was one thing she was convinced her feet did feel good in, it was her brother’s small, attentive hands.