She has wavy black hair that falls just past her shoulders. Her pale skin instantly reminds me of Abby’s. I forcefully tear my eyes away from the sleeping angel to the much larger body beside her.
Abby…
The air in my lungs evaporates, as I clutch at my racing heart that threatens to explode from my chest.
Yep, last night really happened.
Why is she here? I think the bigger question is how is she here?
For the past three years, she let me and our parents believe she was dead. Did she even think about how we would feel? I’m sure she had a good reason for doing so, but three years without a word... She could have contacted me somehow; written me a letter or a quick two-second phone call just to quell our fears. The seed of anger begins to grow within me like a poisonous weed spreading through a garden of roses. It’s only been one night, and I’m not sure I can handle this. I have my own issues at the moment. Did she or Blake even think about the effect this might have on me, or Mum and Dad, or even anyone else around us?
Taking a moment to have a good hard look at her, I see she’s the same. The only difference is she’s let her hair grow out like mine, and it’s close to the same length now. She never really liked the natural red colour she was born with; she always died it black or some outrageous colour like purple or blue. It could have been her acting out, which was something she liked to do for a little while, but it worried Mum and Dad something chronic.
Then came along the foul furry spider, Jacob. He crawled his way into her life and sucked the happiness and soul right out of her, leaving an empty shell in its wake.
I wonder what she’s like now. Will I look at her and see my sister from three years ago, or will she be different?
I’m sure she has changed, but how?
She begins to stir, slightly mumbling to herself. She always did mumble in her sleep. The thought brings a small smile to my face, allowing my anger to dissipate a fraction. A part of me just can’t face her at the moment. I feel nervous seeing her again and I’m not sure what I would even say to her right now. I quickly pull myself together, taking a moment to assess the possibility of passing out again, before I begin my silent exit.
I stand at the door and glance back at my sister and that little girl. I’m met with her beautiful emerald eyes staring into mine. She startles and attempts to wake a restful Abby. I immediately stop her whispering, “Hey beautiful, it’s okay, don’t disturb Mummy.” She looks at me and turns to her mum assessing what she should do. I help her make her mind up.
“You hungry?” My tone is soft, so as to not disturb Abby, and gentle so I don’t alarm the green-eyed princess who’s looking at me in confusion. She nods her head before a big smile plants itself across her face. “Do you want to come help me make some pancakes?” Her eyes light up like twinkling stars as she quickly nods and scrambles about trying to escape the sheets she’s tucked tightly under. I hold out my hand and she takes it willingly. As our hands link, it’s like I’m home. I’m complete again. This little girl is another piece I was missing even though I never knew she existed.
Abby is alive! She has this beautiful girl who she’s cared for and nurtured. I have Corban, who makes me feel wonderful. Each time I think about him my heart does a little dance and brings a smile to my face. And now we’re going to be parents! We truly have been blessed in more ways than one.
I silently close the door behind us. Turning around to face the lounge room, my eyes seek out the two male forms spread across my couch. I don’t want to wake them, so I lead the little princess to the kitchen.
“Okay, you gonna be my little chef?” I ask excitedly.
She eagerly nods and responds, “Yes,” as she runs around to the table and quickly drags a chair over to place it beside the island. I race to help her before she makes too much noise and does damage to the floorboards. Once in place, she climbs up ready to be my little helper.
I gather all the required ingredients, measuring and then placing them into the bowl. She assists, then happily takes care of the mixing.
“So what’s your name?” I guess I should find out, but regardless she’ll still be a little princess to me.
In a sweet angelic voice she replies, “Katie. You know, you spell it like, K-A-T-I-E.”
She’s super proud of her spelling effort. I’m so excited for her that I do a little cheer and she joins in clapping and laughing. It takes a moment such as this to give me a glimmer of my future, a moment like this with my own children. Corban and I together cheering our two little ones on with whatever new thing they do. It makes my heart swell with happiness.
“That’s a pretty name, Katie. You’re such a great little speller too. Did Mummy teach you that?”
She keeps mixing, her brow furrowed in full concentration on what’s in the bowl and she replies, “Yes, she’s the bestest Mummy.” She giggles wiping her hair away from her face and smears some batter across her cheek. I grin at her cuteness as I take a cloth and wipe away the batter. She’s such a bright little girl. “Who are you?” she asks, looking up at me with her green eyes shining brightly. I completely forgot that she wouldn’t know me.
I’m a little taken aback because I’m not sure if I should ask her to call me Aunty Mel or just Mel. I open my mouth to reply when I hear that familiar voice. One I thought I never would hear again, not in this lifetime anyway. One voice I’d know anywhere even though it’s been missing from my life for the last three years.
“This is your Aunty Mel, sweetie. She is Mummy’s sister.” Abby smiles reassuring her in a way only a mother can do. My eyes meet Abby’s for the second time. The worry in them crushes me, her voice is familiar yet she sounds like a stranger because I haven’t heard it in such a long time. I honestly don’t know what to say. I’m at a loss for words. As I go to speak, so does she, but a sharp knock at the door stops us both. Her confused look mirrors mine.
She immediately runs over grabbing Katie from her chair. Blake comes racing in from the lounge room, quickly followed by Corban, who’s at my side in an instant. His arm wraps around me pulling me into his side. A wave of security spreads through me. I know he’d do anything for me, and by the looks of things Blake would throw himself in front of a bus for Abby. I see admiration in his eyes as he ushers them both back into the bedroom and then comes back to answer the door. I stay grounded to my spot as my adrenaline spikes and fear washes over me like a cold shower.
Blake thanks whoever is at the door and steps back in with not one, but two arrangements of flowers. My stomach ties itself into a million knots. There’s my usual arrangement of roses that comes daily, only now there are eight brightly coloured roses and the remaining twenty-two are dead and withered. Jacob must be trying to get to me. Sending me these bouquets daily as if counting down to something, but what? Now there are two different bunches and I’m at a loss as to what he’s getting at with them.
Why is he doing this to me? What did I ever do to him?
I hardly knew the guy, and I never gave him the time of day. He didn’t sit well with me because he made me feel uneasy. It’s as though something gnaws away within me when someone isn’t what or who they seem.
Then there’s a new one, it looks like a nice bunch. Taking a closer look I see a sea of coloured carnations and I immediately know who they’re for. Abby was never a lover of carnations. He’s taunting her now that he knows she’s here.
Did he know all along that she wasn’t dead?
I look up meeting the gaze of Blake. He has a hard look on his face that’s unreadable.
I step out of Corban’s grip and head toward the bunch of carnations. I notice a card and grab it. Opening it, I read the card and my stomach drops while my heart clicks into overdrive. I drop it and glance up, seeing the fear in Abby’s eyes as she watches me closely, waiting for my reaction.