Zoe's bangs were covering her eyes. Jon couldn't stand it. Zoe's black-dyed bangs had needed a trim for weeks, but she'd just refused to get a haircut. And it's not like Jon could force her anyway, he was just her brother, but it bothered him as she sat down at the dinner table. He knew he shouldn't. He knew she didn't like it. But something inside of him, some strong urge he could not resist, brought his arm towards her forehead as he entered the kitchen.
"Jon!" Zoe batted her brother's hand away before it could reach her, "You know I hate it when you fuss over me!"
"Okay, fine," Jon sheepishly retreated. But his fixing instinct still needed to be satisfied. It was like an itch that needed to be scratched: he had to fuss over somebody and if it couldn't be Zoe...
Jon circled around to his younger brother, Mikey, and straightened his jacket with two quick tugs before the boy could protest, then sat down in his own chair.
"Zoe," the youngest sibling suddenly asked his sister, "can I braid your hair after dinner?"
Zoe knew how interested Mikey was in fashion and appearance, and reluctantly acquiesced with a pointed "ugh, fine!" as she brushed her pink-dyed bangs away from her eyes.
With the whole family finally sitting around the table, David pulled the Pyrex out of the oven and set it on a trivet. It was nice to have everyone together, like normal.
