" You're my aunt?" I ask.
" Oh my gosh." In long stride, she comes over to me, surprising me with pulling me in for a big hug.
I can't move or return the hug, my arms remain hanging on my sides.
"Oh sorry." She quickly steps back, blushing in embarrassment.
" It's okay. Um would you like to sit down for a moment?"
" Yes of course." She goes back to where she'd been standing, now settling on the couch and I join her.
A minute's silence passes with us simply staring at each other.
She looks so much like my mom it's creepy.
"I don't know what to say. Hi, I'm Akiandra?" I hold out my hand, biting at my lips, not really knowing what to say.
" Marisa Thompson, your aunt." She shakes my hand, a shy smile on her face.
" I don't know you, oh I'm sorry. What I mean is, my mother never mentioned you."
" That's okay, I understand her reason for not telling you about us."
" Oh?" I arch my brow.
" Yes, unfortunately things didn't end well between the family, you see Alison got pregnant when she was young and my parents, well were pretty much upset. They made a rash decision of giving her no choice, but to either give you up for adoption or do an abortion." I gasp, with my hand covering my mouth.
" She couldn't do that, you see, you captured her heart the minute she heard that heartbeat. She loved you so much, that she chose you over everything and everyone else. You were her world and still would have been, if she were still alive." Her eyes get moist.
" When was the last time you saw her?" I ask.
" Years ago, maybe when you were just one years old, you were the cutest baby I'd seen. I was young back then, didn't know better and chose to stay with my parents. Fear gripped at me at thought of being kicked out like Alison, she even told me to stay and I did, but I should have just gone with her." Her eyes reflect deep regret.
She's beating herself up for a years act.
" You were both young, she was looking out for you and- ," I trail off, when I notice her attention now behind me.
I glance over my shoulder to see Keith standing at the doorway, his eyes moving between Marisa and I in question.
He finally enters and comes over to me, where I rise up to my feet and meet him halfway. His curious eyes quickly narrow, a frown evident on his forehead when his eyes stay on my face.
His hand reaches out to grab at my chin gently. "You're crying, who made you cry?" His eyes snap to Marisa and immediately they harden.
Before he can make a move or say anything, I place my hands on his waist, grabbing ahold of his shirt. " Keith."
He looks down at me, his expression not changed. " It's not what it looks like. Before you is my aunt Marisa, my mother's sister."
An unknown emotion passes through his eyes, the hardness finally disappearing. "How can we trust that you are her aunt?.....Look, I ask this for the safety of my wife, I almost lost my wife many times now and I'd rather we clear things out now."
" You almost lost your life - who- ," She gasps.
" I'd rather not get into it now please, " I say, walking over to the single couch, not looking at them.
I don't want to think about what happened to me, I'm afraid to say that it still haunts me, I can still feel the cold, the loneliness that creeped up when I was locked in that refrigerator. My body might be healed but my mind and soul is still in the process.
My thoughts are interrupted by Marisa speaking up again." I know my showing up here might have come as a surprise, but I mean well, I have no hidden agenda or want anything apart from a relationship with my niece. I want to mend what was broken and have you in my life." She directs the last part to me.
Her brown eyes plead with me to hear her, to at least consider her words.
" If you want proof of what I'm saying- ."
" I believe you, you're my mother's sister, you even look like her." I speak up, giving her a small smile, which she returns.
" Well I'll need proof, everyone has a double in the world and I want to be certain that you aren't a threat."
" Keith." I frown at him, not liking how he's addressing this situation.
" It's okay, I understand your husband's concerns. I have everything you need here." She digs into her bag, taking out a bunch of things from her bag, placing them on the coffee table.
I get off the couch and walk over to kneel in front of the coffee table, reaching out to take a picture of two teen girls, one being my mother and the other, Marisa.
My mom, who I'm sure was the oldest, wore a golden crown while Marisa was in a cheerleading outfit, pom poms in hand.
" That day your mom won a local pageant and I'd just come from cheer practise. Mom wouldn't let us go home without a picture. Your mom was one of the most beautiful people to ever grace the stage, she captured everyone's eyes, including your father." My head picks up at that.
" My father?"
"Yes, they were so much in love."
" How did you find her?" Keith cuts her off and I narrow my eyes at him, not liking his attitude.
What is wrong with him?
" Um when I'd moved away from home and had found my feet, I started looking for you and Alison, but I had no luck. It was as if Alison had vanished at the face of the earth, I never gave up trying to find you and my hope to be reunited again after so many years, was not in vain. A lady came to me not so long ago and informed me about you."
" What lady?" Keith asks.
"A blonde haired lady, she told me that she wanted to make things right, and us being reunited would be a start. She seemed remorseful and I felt bad for her. "
" Did she tell you her name?" Keith asks and looking at him, his jaw is working, one hand clenched.
" Julie, Jill. Yes Jillian, that's it. She even gave me the address and- ," she stops talking when Keith storms out of the living room, leaving us speechless.
"Did I say something wrong?" She asks, earning my attention once again.
" No no." I rise to my feet, walking over to stand in front of her. " He's just a bit stressed especially after what happened with me, so don't worry and about everything, I believe you."
" You do?"
" Yes and I'm glad that you came, it means a lot to know that you want to reunite."
" More then anything. I might have failed Alison but I won't with you. I promise, if you just let me be part of your life."
"I want to get to know you too." I say.
" I can sense that you want to check on him, so I'll leave now. But could we meet for lunch tomorrow? "
" Ofcourse, just send me the details, I'll be there."
" Okay good, well I'll be on my way and you can keep everything else, you have right over it." She gestures to the things on the table.
"Thank you." I smile in appreciation.
I offer to walk her out, leading her to the door and bid her goodbye.
I release a breath, walking around the house in search of Keith, who I find yelling over the phone, at the back porch.
Sliding open the sliding door, I'm able to hear him, and what I hear, doesn't sit well with me.
" What the hell were you thinking - Do you have any idea what the outcome would have been?
I told you time and time again that she's still recovering, she almost died not so long ago and I asked you bloody nicely, to give her some space!" I flinch at the level his voice rises.
" No you weren't thinking, you were being bloody selfish just because of guilt. I should have never let any of you anywhere near her, you took advantage of her innocence and- ," not being able to listen to anymore of this, I storm over to him, snatching the phone away from him, saying my apology to Jill before hanging up.
" What did you bloody do that for?!" He shouts and I don't even flinch this time, because I'm upset at the moment.
" How could you do this, shout at your aunt like that?.....She did something nice for me!"
" She meddled in our business and exposed you!"
" Exposed me to what, my family?!" I ask incredulously.
" How can you be so sure, you can't just assume, out of the basis of a look alike or someone knowing a few things about your mother."
" She's my family this I'm certain about, I can feel it and your aunt did something good for me," I say with my hand against my chest.
" The only thing she did was meddle in our business, she did things out of guilt just to earn forgiveness from you. She knows what kind of person you are and played with that. How could you let her play you like that?!"
" All I know is that she reunited me with my aunt, she gave me a chance with my family, she did an amazing thing for me and you did what?.....Not thank her nor consider my feelings, when you were just being rude to my aunt or Jill, who I wanted to thank!"
" And already you're calling her your aunt, how naive can you be to just accept things just like that. All you do is base things off of feelings, a sob story or even the belief of the whole world being too good, and the next thing we know is that you'll be at near death, saying bloody goodbye when I'm not ready yet!"
I stagger back, gasping.
Silence takes over in the night and we both keep our eyes away from each other.
Looking at him again, I'm more calm now as I speak up again." So I might sound naive, be too forgiving and actually want to hear people out instead of cutting them out of my life, but that's just the way I am, and if you can't accept me, then maybe, " I stop mid sentence, causing his head to snap to me.
"You need to ease up on how you approach our personal matters, this is not business or you before me, I'm involved now, I'm part and parcel. I was silent before but not now, I won't let you ruin things with your mean words, just because you're angry and want your point across, no.
I love you Keith and understand your need to protect me from the world, but I won't stand for your little rebellious boy behaviour towards your family. They love you so much, took a step back when you needed space. You've been hurting, well so were they. But you don't see them lashing out at you even years later, using every mistake as a way to push them at a corner." I start to walk off but then turn to him again.
" Family, it's important to me. We are about to get married, do things the right way as you've said, but how can this happy beginning be so ,when some issues can't be mended, when your heart won't make room to mend them. I can't take anymore tension, it's suffocating and exhausting.
At the end of the aisle, I need you sound in mind with nothing holding you back. I need you happy and you're not completely there yet." I tell him before walking away, leaving him standing there with some food for thought.

" Are you sure this was a good idea, leaving without telling him?" James asks me, as we make our way into the ice cream shop.
" Keith has too much to think about right now as I do too, but I needed air for that. I just want, need a little treat and a different place to be at for a while."
"Okay then my little munchkin, let's get something to sweeten that sour bubble you're in."
" Hey, there's nothing sour here. I'm just feeling a little under the weather."
" Wait, he knocked you up already?
... Damn he's fast."
" James!" I gasp, swatting at his arm. " You have a very extreme mind." I shake my head.
" You're married and it's bound to happen, with the way Keith has been hounding over you lately."
" That's not true." I argue, looking over the many flavours.
" Lil' sis, Keith's a full grown man, who has travelled and much educated in the intimate department. He's not an innocent little bee like you."
I gulp, taking in his words. James has now reminded me of how different Keith and I are, especially with intimacy.
" Two cookies and cream please." James says, leading me to an empty table, right after.
Looking around, I notice the weird stares we've received from a few customers.
" James I know that I'm not experienced when it comes to, you know, but I don't want to disappoint him or not be attractive enough for him." I say, biting at my bottom lip.
"You won't, because everything between you two has love and trust, no need to worry about experience or not being enough. That moment will be about you two."
" James?"
" Mhm?"
" Are you in love?" The minute his cheeks redden a bit, it surely answers my question.
Oh my gosh, who is it?!" I squeal in excitement.
" Shh, calm down munchkin, you've got it all wrong." Before I can argue, the waiter comes over with our ice creams.
" Thank you." I say with a small smile, before turning to James to continue with our conversation.
" You're Akiandra Salvatore right?" The waiter speaks up, having not left our table.
"Um yes?" I look at him, glancing at a frowning James.
"Good, stay here." He says, taking off his apron and rushing off.
I look back at James, confused about what just happened.
" Do you know him?" James asks me.
I shake my head no.
" Oh shit." He cusses, immediately taking off his cap.
"What?"
" Take this and cover your head." I do as I'm told, confused about his sudden behaviour.
"What's going on?" He rises up to his feet, pulling me up and leading me out of the booth, only for us to be blocked by a group of guys, camera and phone flashes blinding me that I stagger back, in surprise.
'Akiandra, Akiandra say hi to the camera!' Someone shouts.
'Give us an update on the wedding preparations! '
'Are you ready to be Mrs Salvatore again!'
' Why did you let him hide you for so long?'
Questions are thrown my way, not giving me a chance to do anything. I'm surrounded, my personal space invaded and I feel suffocated. Then it happens, someone pulls me away from the situation, I can't even see who's taking me away because of the cap that's in my eyes.
I'm suddenly picked up, carried bridal style and placed into a car.
I'm knocked out of my daze when the car drives out of the parking lot, away from the journalists who had followed after us.
I take off James's cap and finally look at my helper.
" London?"
" Hello to you too Buttercup." He steals a glance at me before looking back at the road ahead.
I lean back on the seat, looking at him for a bit, convincing myself that London's here. I then look away from him, staring out the window and letting him take me wherever, with no questions asked.
Yes I'm surprised about London's return but one thing is heavy in my mind, that what just happened back there, might just be the new reality of my life as Akiandra Salvatore, in public.