Sandcastles

Nora glanced over the scaffolding as her brother toiled away beside her. Lean and skinny, he tinkered with the metal pipes as his mousy brown hair became more windswept every minute there as he crouched down. Nora sighed and fiddled with a screw, her pigtails swaying in the wind.
"When are we getting home, Henry?" She sighed.
Henry looked up at the innocent seven year old.
"Eventually, Nora, eventually."
She sighed once more and looked out into the bustling city.

After a few hours, Henry stood up and rubbed his aching leg. Nora sprung up abruptly.
"Are we going now?" She said.
Henry, who was trying to buy a little more time before he could tell Nora, decided to bribe her.
"Let's go to the park first." He responded, grabbing her unwashed hand and leading her down the building. If his shift was done and he had done it well, he could afford the both of them some shelter and rest for a bit.

Nora skipped into the park as Henry immediately fell onto a bench, cursing his painful calluses.
As her feet sank in the crunchy autumn leaves, she peered at a little blond girl swathed in flamboyant clothing who was playing in the sandpit.

The girl looked up to see Nora towering over her. She brushed her immaculate blond curls out of her face and stared at her expectantly.
"C-can I play with you?" Nora murmured, kicking at the ground.

The girl looked her up and down, taking extra time to scoff at Nora's dirty bare feet and her scruffy nightdress. "I guess so," she sneered as Nora sat down in front of her. "The name's Julia, by the way."
Julia stuck a hand out and Nora shyly shook it.
"Nora." She whispered.

They awkwardly played with the sand for a few minutes, Julia sneaking glances at the disheveled appearance of the girl opposite her. Finding the silence unbearable, Nora eventually tried to start a conversation.
"What are you doing here this early?" She asked.
"I'm allowed to play outside before my parents," Julia motioned carelessly towards a well-dressed couple, "take me to our early family photo session and then I go to my dad's company for a Bring Your Kid To Work day."
Nora nodded mindlessly.
"Are you doing anything?" Julia said.
Nora shuffled clumsily, glancing down at a lump of sand.
"I don't know about today, I've been outside with my brother for... about a week and I hope we get to go home today. He seems very upset about getting to be outside, though and he recently got a job which is kind of cool."
Julia nodded.
"I have a brother too." She replied, fiddling with a golden lock of hair behind her ear.
"Really? Is he as cool as Henry?"
Julia, assuming Nora's brother was named Henry, answered with a solemn,
"Yeah, he does exist but he doesn't play or do anything with me. Really he wastes my mum's money and goes out so much I don't remember the last time I saw him."
Nora's face showed an expression of concern and she picked up a fallen leaf and placed it on top of her sandcastle.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Then, after a moment of silence, she suddenly squealed, "Maybe we can both play with Henry!"
Julia smiled sweetly, baring her pearly white teeth. "I would like that."
Nora grinned back "Well then does that mean I can see the place where your dad works?"
"Oh sure! Can I see where yours works, then?"
Nora's face fell. She looked down at her sandcastle, trying not to blink.
"He's dead."
"Oh." Julia said, never having experienced this situation. She awkwardly patted Nora's back, unsure of what to do. "I'm sorry about tha-"
There was a yell and Julia whipped her head back to see her mother yelling at her to get to the car. Julia stood up and two girls mumbled their quiet goodbyes. The blonde gave one final look of pity over her shoulder as she hurried into the car, leaving a little, grubby and quiet girl behind in the sandpit.