SPARE PARTS

"Okay kids, Dad and I are leaving!" Miranda Owens announced as she rolled the last suitcase to the door. "Byron, you take good care of Vanessa. Don't forget the check for her yearbook."

"I won't forget, Mom. You and Dad have a great time and don't worry about anything. I got this." Byron flashed a good boy smile to his mother.

Miranda grabbed her son's face and kissed his cheek, "I know you do." she pinched his cheek. "Vanessa!"

Vanessa came bounding down the stairs. Her hair was brown, shoulder length, with highlighted beach waves. Her eyes were blue with shades of green. Miranda always said they reminded her of when fresh water meets ocean water. Her skin fair, cheeks flushed. She was only fifteen years old. Byron was in his first year of college at Virginia University and came home for winter break.

Miranda grabbed Vanessa and squeezed her. "Okay Mom, you're crushing me."

"Sorry, it's just that I'm going to miss you so much!"

"I'll miss you too!"

A car horn beeped from the driveway and out stepped Daniel Owens. Much like a retired superhero, Daniel was a dashing older man. Byron took after his height of 6'2, luscious dark brown hair, ice blue eyes, and a smile that could drop the panties off any woman. Aside from good looks, Daniel was a well to do lawyer. One of the top five most requested in Alexandria, Virginia. He was taking his wife Miranda of 25 years on a cruise for a winter getaway. He walked up to the house and greeted Miranda. The family hugged one another and Vanessa and Byron watched their parents drive down the street. Two days before Christmas, they learned they would be burying their parents.

Byron had to drop out of college to take care of Vanessa or she would go into the foster system. Vanessa had gotten used to being alone. Byron worked two jobs, during the day he worked at the local bank as a teller, and after picking up Vanessa from school, he worked as a bus boy at the local diner. It was a long three years of frozen dinners, late night television, and just being alone. Vanessa relied on Byron a lot, and as she got older, she wondered if it had become too much.

After she graduated high school and got accepted into James Madison University, she encouraged Byron to get back into school. Vanessa wasn't close with anyone in high school, and she especially grew distant after losing her parents. However, Rylie Summers was the extrovert who took the introvert under her wing when they met as roommates in the college dorms. Her and Rylie had grown close, and Vanessa had found a real friend who became her rock.

The smell of burgers and fries wafted as Vanessa stepped out of Ballentine Burgers after a long weekend shift. The sharp winter air stung her cheeks as she walked through the parking lot to her old Nissan Altima. Her phone buzzed in her purse and she pulled it out to see Byron calling. She opened the car, started it, then grabbed her phone and hit the answer button, "Hey!"

"What's up, Little V?" Byron asked.

"I just got out of work, what are you up to?"

"Just finished studying for an exam I'll have before winter break."

"Haha! I took mine yesterday!" she taunted.

"Way to rub it in." Byron chuckled.