THE REWRITE || Mystery Romance

Finding The Real Path

Minutes later...

Everyone was present, but painfully quiet.

We sat on the couch like strangers, pretending we enjoyed being around each other.

Dad and Aunt exchanged glances, like they were passing a secret nobody wanted to say out loud.

My cousins fidgeted, like they were waiting to be scolded for something they hadn't done yet.

Mom kept sighing every few minutes, as if breathing alone could solve whatever this was.

Aunt and Uncle smiled nervously, looking at the floor... then the ceiling... then the clock... and then anywhere except at each other.

What's wrong with them?

And seriously, where's Grandpa? Did he disappear to escape this awkward family summit too?

Then finally. Salvation.

"Ate Ley, who bullied you?"

Annica, the youngest of the bunch, broke the silence like a curious little grenade.

She was Cyra's kid sister, roughly eight years younger, with a face too adorable for sarcasm and a voice too innocent for accusations.

But wait. Bullied?

"Hah?"

That's all I managed to say. Very articulate, I know.

My brain had clearly decided to clock out. Why was I suddenly the lead actress in a mystery drama I didn't sign up for?

"Are you okay, Ate Ley?"

Queenie's voice followed, gentle and soft, like chamomile tea.

Normally it was relaxing, but today it sounded like a lullaby I didn't ask for.

She was the second daughter of my aunt, four years older than Annica and four years more observant.

Her eyes looked worried, which only made me more confused. Why were the girls looking at me like I was a wounded Disney princess?

"She's fine, sisters," Cyra cut in with a calm, rehearsed tone.

"She's just worn out. She spent the whole night practicing a very emotional play."

Oh. So we're going with theatre kid breakdown. I can work with that.

"Yeah! Cyra's right," I jumped in, forcing a very non-awkward laugh.

"I'm just... exhausted from all the rehearsals. The play is super emotional, and I really need to, you know, portray it correctly."

I gave them my best wide smile.

Too wide.

Creepy wide.

"Oh my gosh, stop being creepy," Cyra muttered under her breath, raising a hand to cover her face like I had just embarrassed the whole bloodline.

Queenie and Annica exchanged glances, the universal cousin code for "yep, she's losing it."

I wanted to disappear into the couch.

Hopefully, the adults weren't paying attention. Or maybe they'd all fallen into a silent coma from the shared discomfort.

A brief silence hovered over the room before my aunt finally spoke.

"Ley... we're here today to talk about your grandfather's wish for you."

Wish? What wish? Why is it that every time I'm barely holding myself together, someone decides it's the perfect moment to drop a life-altering revelation? Honestly, can I have just one day where the drama is optional?

"Isn't Ate Ley's birthday still like... five months from now?" Annica asked, her small voice carrying too much weight for a seven-year-old. Her tone was innocent, but her timing was flawless. Fantastic. My family had gathered like it was a surprise party, except instead of balloons and cake, I was being handed emotional landmines.

"Yeah, why would Grandfa have a wish this early?" Queenie chimed in gently, almost in a whisper. Her words floated through the air like a prayer, delicate and careful, as if the living room had turned into some sacred temple and I was the reluctant offering.

The sweetness in her voice only made the unease settle deeper in my chest.

Then it struck me like a quiet blade.

Where is Grandfa?

I scanned every corner of the living room like he might be hiding behind a pillow. My chest tightened. I turned to my mom, she was staring blankly at the floor. Dad looked... sad.

"Mom? Dad? Where's Grandfa? What's going on? What happened to him? Aunt, please don't tell me-" My words tumbled out faster than I could breathe.

"No, no, sweetie. Calm down." Mom finally looked up and reached for my hand.

"Grandfa's okay," Cyra cut in, her tone unusually serious. "Aunt Hermione's with him at the hospital. He just needs more rest, that's why he's not here."

Hospital?

"When did you take him? Why didn't I know?" I blurted out, not sure if it was the right thing to ask, but needing to ask anyway.

"I was going to tell you yesterday," Uncle Felix explained, "but you rushed straight to your room."

Right. Yesterday. f*******:. Heartbreak. Tears. Collapse. I barely remember if I blinked, let alone ate dinner.

"You didn't even eat, Ley," Dad said, his voice laced with concern. "What's going on with you?"

What's going on? Oh, you know, just a little existential heartbreak over a guy I never dated, who's now engaged to someone else while I pursue a dream that isn't mine. Totally chill.

"Nothing, Dad. Everything's... great." I forced a thumbs-up and flashed a grin I knew looked about as real as a plastic apple. I avoided Cyra's gaze like it had laser beams.

"Anyway," I cleared my throat, desperate to redirect, "what was that about Grandfa's wish?"

My aunt nudged my dad with a knowing look. "You're her father. You should be the one to tell her."

Why is everyone passing the mic like we're hosting a game show called 'Who Wants to Emotionally Wreck Leyanne?'

"Honey," Dad said, turning to Mom like they were in a cheesy telenovela, "maybe you should tell her."

Mom just shook her head, wiping a tear. "I can't... how can I say this to my daughter?"

Oh, for the love of... what is this? A family séance?

"Okay, enough!" I snapped. "You didn't even ask if I've had breakfast yet, and now you're talking like someone's getting married or dying. Can someone just say it?!"

"Fine," Uncle Felix sighed, sitting straighter. "I'll tell her."

Everyone turned to him like he was about to reveal a murder suspect.

"If you remember, Dad, your grandfather always said he wanted someone in the family to become a teacher. He's very proud that you're finally about to fulfill that dream."

Oh. That speech again. The honorary 'We're all so proud of you for not chasing your actual dream' bit. Classic.

"Okay..." I blinked, unsure how to respond. "That's nice. Is that all?"

Another beat of silence.

Then Uncle Felix continued, a little slower.

"He also said... he wants to witness his grandchildren get married and start their own families before he passes on. God forbid anything happens soon, but he's getting older, and his health is more fragile now. And since you're the eldest..."

And there it is. The big plot twist. I was literally about to be offered up like a human sacrifice on the altar of Grandfa's dying wishes.

"Wait, wait, wait -so let me get this straight," I said, standing up. "You're all sitting here, in the comfort of this perfectly awkward living room, not offering me pancakes or peace of mind, but asking me to find a husband like I can just grab one from the grocery store's frozen section?"

"Leyanne-" Mom tried.

"Nope. I need food," I muttered, heading to the kitchen. "You're not asking for a career plan or an update on my blood pressure, you're asking for a life partner. On a deadline. Like it's a homework project!"

I dug into a piece of leftover bread and dramatically took a bite. My head was spinning. My heart was still broken. And now, apparently, my uterus was on a timer.

Forget digestion. My brain was the one struggling to process everything.

I took another bite of bread, pretending it was armor against the conversation. Somehow, chewing felt safer than thinking. But thinking I had to, because Grandfa's wish wasn't just a joke on toast.

Cyra rolled her eyes, obviously done with my theatrics. "You're seriously overthinking this," she said, leaning back. "It's just a wish, not a contract with the universe."

"Ah, yes," I muttered, sarcasm laced with actual thought. "Just a wish. Like the kind you whisper to the stars while dodging responsibilities and heartbreak. Totally casual. No pressure."

Queenie's hand found mine on the couch. "Ate Leyanne... do you think Grandfa would really be happy if you just ignored it?" Her voice was soft, almost too gentle for the chaos swirling in my head.

I froze for half a heartbeat. That's exactly what hit me. The thought I'd been brushing aside. Grandfa. Not some abstract idea, not a symbol of family drama, not a distant "expectation." But him, the person I'd loved quietly since I was a kid, who always believed in me even when I didn't.

I swallowed, hard, and tried to disguise the sudden tightness in my chest with a cough. "Well... I mean, it's not like ignoring wishes fixes anything, right?" I said, voice carefully neutral.

Annica's eyes sparkled. "See! That's a good start!"

Cyra groaned. "I'm going to regret asking, but... what exactly are you thinking, Ate Ley?"

I leaned back, looking at everyone, my mask firmly in place, but my mind already spinning. Grandfa wanted me to find a path, a real one, not just the one I'd been wandering blindly. It wasn't a husband he wanted. It wasn't pancakes or peace of mind. It was me, growing, moving forward, making him proud.

And, just maybe... I wanted that too.