A & A

[04]: the arrival

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04

the arrival

"Greet me with a smile

for I will do the same,

except when you tell me

how this isn't insane."

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Today just doesn't seem to be Aurora's day.

In less than four hours, the tire to her car unexpectedly turned flat, it took longer than usual to attach her spare tire, the half past two meeting suddenly turned to twelve noon, Sally and Frank's departure was extended to two days, and her father asked her to buy the lacking ingredients Sally needed to bake one of her top-sellers—the black forest cake.

Her mood was completely ruined to put it simply. Her morning started great—until Alexander decided it was a great idea to ruin it. After that incident, bad luck just followed her all the way to her father's house, which was a tiring four-hour and a half drive, by the way. She couldn't help but blame it all on him. What could she do anyway? And besides, she strongly believes that the guy needs it after all the things he's done. Not to mention that his role in her life as being a mere thorn was just given justification through her journey to her father’s house. It could have all just been a coincidence, but Aurora refuses to acknowledge it as one.

The rage she felt the whole car ride only grew when she thought about what a pompous ass Alexander seems to be (and how he hasn’t really changed all that much these past few years)  but tried composing herself and calming herself down due to the fact that she's already parked outside her father's house. With the way she is now, taking some time to herself would be the best choice. After all, it would not be a great idea to storm in there with all her pent up rage lest she actually explodes and redirects all of that to the people in front of her accidentally--specifically to her stepmother. So, in order to release all of it, she picked up the pillow she always puts in her car and pressed it against her face, releasing a scream right after.

Even when she was little, that's what she always did whenever she was angry about something and can't let it out in the open. It was her father who taught her that since he knows that Aurora has quite a temper and a very thin patience, much more than the temper her mother has. At first, she thought it was completely ridiculous and she didn’t really see the relevance of that certain action no matter how much her father told her that it’s pretty effective. However, when she finally got to try it, she actually felt really good right after; great even.

The smugness that was plastered on her father’s face right after her reluctant agreement to his claim was definitely one of the moments she shared with him that she would never forget--as well as the annoyance that came with it.

When she finally let out all the scream building up inside her, she removed the pillow from her face and released a sigh with her eyes closed, her right hand holding the steering wheel lightly. By the time she opened her eyes, her eyes were instantly gifted with the sight of her father, her stepmother, and her brother all looking at her with mirth—except for Theo, who just looked thoroughly confused, his head c*****g to the side as he tried to assess what her sister is doing.

Oh God, she thought. Sending them a sheepish and forced smile, she hesitantly lifted her right hand from the steering wheel and gave them a small wave. The family of three returned it in an instant, Theo being the most enthusiastic of them all. 

The mirth, as well as the questioning look that her father sent her, didn’t escape her attention at all. Even when she’s still inside the car, the never-ending flow of queries that would no doubt greet her as soon as she stands in front of Frank already filled her ears. It’s crazy how she already seems to have everything memorized. Well, it does happen quite often, so it didn’t really come as surprise--more like a natural reflex of some sort.

With a sigh, she gestured to her father that she’ll tell him later, to which he responded with a nod of his own. Sally merely gazed at the two of them with a questioning look on her face as well, probably trying to understand the silent conversation that just occurred between father and daughter.

Aurora pretended not to notice.

When Aurora’s gaze landed on her grinning brother, all the negative feelings she felt dissipated; it was like it wasn't even there. With a grin plastered on her face, she thought nothing of all the feelings she felt hours ago and called out all her positive ones to focus it on her brother, who excitedly waited for her to get out of the car. She took a fleeting glance at the passenger's seat to look at the gift she prepared to give Theo, quickly grabbed the paper bag filled with two boxes of Lego and got out of the car to finally greet the one person she has been wanting to see for the past few days.

Theo let go of the hold he had on his mother and ran directly towards his sister, intent to greet her with one of his hugs--something that he’s been waiting to do for quite some time now. To help her brother give her a proper hug, she crouched down and put the paper bag on the ground before she opened her arms wide, ready to catch Theo when he threw himself on her arms.

Just as expected, Aurora was ready for the hug that her brother always gives her whenever he sees her, grinning as she returned the hug just as happily. Theo nuzzled his head against her neck and said, "I missed you, Aury."

Aurora let out a chuckle. "That's what you also said when we talked on the phone."

The young boy pulled away from the older woman, the grin still on his face as he replied to her comment, "But it's different when you say it on the phone and when you say it face to face."

"I guess it is." She said. "So to apologize for the times you kept on missing me, I brought you a gift." Unwrapping her one arm away from the little boy, she reached for the paper bag she put on the ground and handed it to the boy whose eyes were twinkling with excitement and delight as he excitedly waited for the bag to be handed to him.

The sun's light shone down on the little boy and the older woman, the wind swishing around them but the pair paid it no heed; turned a blind eye on the current happenings as they interacted, the rustling of the leaves underneath the tree a few feet away from them being one of those. Both parents watched the interaction between sister and brother with gentle smiles on their faces as they assessed the genuine love and care Aurora and Theo hold for one another.

Marveling at the instantaneous bond her son and her stepdaughter have formed and the fast paced progress they have made, Sally pondered quietly if there was ever a chance that she and Aurora could have a bond like that. Of course, she's not expecting much or expecting it to be a bond that is as close as the bond Aurora has with her mother, but just a... bond.

Frank took a hold of his wife's hand and gave it a small squeeze. He never thought that Aurora and Theo's relationship as siblings would be as unbreakable and precious as the bond he had with his siblings, but everything seemed to have worked out on its own. The moment he introduced Aurora to the five-month old Theo six years ago, his nerves were eating him alive. All he felt was nervousness and uncertainty; the kind of feeling that comes with a certain amount of dread that just won't go away. It also didn't help that Aurora had a completely blank look on her face when she gazed down at her brother with a stare that was as cold as ice. He knew deep down that it would be a bad idea to let his daughter meet his new family after leaving them just seven months prior, but he was a selfish man; he wanted to keep both his daughter and his new family.

The idea of Aurora being away and being ripped away from him just didn't sit right with him. He wasn't willing to lose his only daughter just like how he lost the woman he loved with his entire heart because of the mistake he made. His heart hurt just thinking about how much he made her cry and broke her heart when she found out the truth but he loved Sally too.

However, after moments of Aurora just staring blankly at Theo, the latter released a laugh, making the former blink her eyes in surprise. Theo's bright, sea blue eyes stared jovially at his sister then, eventually making the corner of Aurora's lips lift up in a smile. In that moment, when he witnessed that very scene with his own eyes, he knew he had nothing to worry about; they were going to get along just fine. But when Aurora offered her forefinger to Theo for him to hold, he was absolutely certain that everything was going to be alright.

And he wasn’t wrong.

Snapped out of the reverie he was in by the presence he sensed coming from his children, he let go of Sally's hand to give his daughter a hug.

"I'm so glad you're here, princess." He said, his arms still wrapped around her. "I thought you weren't going to come here."

Aurora snorted as she pulled away from her father's hug. "Don't be ridiculous. It was very tempting, but I just don't have it in me to disappoint Theo like that." She stated matter-of-factly.

He chuckled, mirth dancing in his eyes as he looked at her daughter in the eye. "Maybe I should use your brother as a bargaining chip every time I ask you to come and visit."

"Don't you dare." She gave him a glare. "And you still owe me for all the errands you made me do. Do you know what a shitty—"

"Language!" Frank chastised.

"Oh come on. I've been saying those words in front of you for a very long time and you only decide to reprimand me for it now?" Aurora retaliated.

"I know that but your brother is present and you know how fast he can pick up words he's not used to hearing." Frank glanced fleetingly at Theo, who looked at the interaction with big, curious eyes. “You don’t want to deal with that now, do you?”

Before Aurora could even utter a reply, she felt someone tug her shirt. Her gaze instantly zeroed on her brother. With a gentle smile on her face, she said, "Yes, bud?"

Theo pursed his lips for a moment, contemplating whether he should sate his curiosity or just let it be—the former eventually prevailed. After all, leaving things half-baked just isn’t what he does; what he was taught to do--by his sister no less. He looked back up at his sister with determination burning in his eyes. "Aury, what's shitty?" He asked, the curiosity in his voice too palpable for the three adults to not notice..

Frank looked at her daughter with an 'I-told-you-so' expression on his face, the latter rolling her eyes before turning back to her brother and shook her head. "You shouldn't say such a word, Theo. It's bad." She said.

The little boy's curiosity only heightened. His eyebrows furrowed together even further as he held his sister’s gaze. "If it's bad, then why do you say it?"

Aurora released a breath through her nose, thinking the whole time that she shouldn't have just said the damn word from the very beginning. It was going to be very difficult explaining it to him without making him ask any more questions. Why does she just have to choose that exact moment to utter a curse word? Sometimes, she really thinks that Theo's curiosity for everything is a curse.

"It's different." She finally answered. "When you're a grown person, you tend to learn stuff that can only be learned by interacting with others and through the help of the internet and saying such words like the one you mentioned before is one of those things that you learn. However, those words are still not good. It's insulting and bad and I happen to fall in that category, so don't follow me."

Theo's eyebrows remained furrowed together in thought, a gesture Aurora and Frank knows all too well—he's not done asking yet. Aurora readied herself for the definite onslaught of questions about to be thrown her way. She just hopes she can get out of it faster because there is just no way she would be able to properly and comprehensively explain the meaning of such word to her precious little brother. "But—"

Still, her preparation proved to be futile.

She covered Theo's mouth with her hand. "Okay, look. I know you still have a lot of questions, but I'm not sure I can answer your next question with a subtleness that I deeply need so I'm just going to write you a list of all the words you shouldn't say or use to curse another person and ask you to listen to me and not say them, alright?"

In the past years he has come to know his sister, he knows for a fact that just following what she says would be the best choice. It would save him from a lot of arguments and rants, much more both his and her time. But when it came to situations like this one, when Theo was forced to choose between his curiosity and his sister's wrath, he thinks it through very carefully. Not because he enjoys seeing his sister angry, but because sating his curiosity is very important to him. And that alone is a flaw that he obviously needs to work on--not that he’s keenly aware of it now but he’s getting there. His family has always told him that being curious is not a bad thing, and that it could actually help in the future but they have also reminded him that he must put and use his curiosity in the right time; read the atmosphere and decide whether it's curiosity worthy or not.

This moment is not any different. He looked at Aurora's tired face, the similar sea blue eyes she possesses twinkling with unvoiced exasperation and irritation, mouth curled up slightly in a scowl, forehead creased in a frown, and an expression that shows complete and utter annoyance. If it was for him, he wasn't sure.

And so, with great reluctance, he slowly nodded his head to grant his sister's wishes. The relief he saw in her face was almost immediate. With the scowl now replaced with a bright smile, Aurora removed her hand from against his mouth and put his arm around him, eyes looking up at their father's amused ones.

"There, problem solved." She said. "Now, to get back at our topic at hand, you owe me for all the things you made me do that only seemed to have made my day worse."

Sally listened intently to the conversation between the three as she stood beside her husband with a small smile on her face. Throughout the whole conversation, she found out that Aurora is a lot like Frank; at least in the way she acts and the way she presents her ideas. She speaks what's on her mind just like how Frank speaks his--the one trait that she absolutely likes above anything else. But despite all that, she knows that Aurora is important to her father, and vice versa.

Just like how her bakery is important to her. It's her pride and joy, second to her family, so she would do anything to keep it going. Starting by baking all the cakes and pastries she can do and has pleased her customers for the past years.

Upon hearing the comment Aurora said to her father, she immediately stepped in. "Oh, no, don't blame your father. I was the one who told him that I lacked ingredients so he said that he should just tell you to buy it since you're on your way here anyway."

Aurora looked at her stepmother with a raised eyebrow before plastering a blank look on her face. "I wasn't talking to you."

Aurora knows that she's being extremely rude, but it's not like anyone could blame her. How can anyone expect her to be nice to the woman that ruined her family? It's absolutely petulant of her to act like a spoiled brat--she even knows that herself, along with the fact that six years is a very long time to give Sally the forgiveness she keeps on asking from her. However, she finds it extremely difficult to do so, especially since she only sees her no more than six times in a year.

It also doesn't help that every time she sees her, she's reminded of all the pain she felt when her father finally left her and her mother. Frank keeps on asking her to at least try, and she did once upon a time, but the bitterness present in her heart kept her from giving it her all. Eventually, her father just let her be and just kept on reminding her that Sally is also a human being that has feelings. She kept that in mind, of course, but not always.

Aurora instantly noticed the conflicted and strained smile that graced her stepmother's lips, and the guilt she felt was almost immediate. She didn't let her guilt get to her however. She knows that the guilt would eventually be overrun by anger and pain any moment. She's had a long time to realize that.

"Aurora!" She heard her father say, the reprimand clear in his voice.

She released a sigh, resigning to the scolding that is about to come. With the blank look still plastered on her face, she told Sally, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, don't worry." Sally replied.

The guilt Aurora felt came crashing down on her once again. Why does this woman have to be so kind and gentle? It would have made things a lot easier if she was the kind of woman she can hate and talk back to without remorse but that's not the case, now is it? No wonder her father has come to like her in the first place.

Not willing to let her feelings weigh her down, she grabbed her brother's hand and said, "Come on Theo. Let's go inside and play with your new toy."

Theo was quick to agree to her suggestion, nodding his head in enthusiasm as he dragged her inside the house, totally unaware of the growing tension between his parents and his sister. Aurora looked at her brother briefly and silently let out a sigh of relief when she noticed that Theo was completely taken in by his new toy. If this were any other time, he would have definitely picked up on the weird atmosphere and question it, leaving Aurora yet again in a bind that she just can’t seem to break out of that easily.

Theo looked up at her. “What should we build first, Aury?”

“Anything you want.” She replied, giving the little boy the smile that he always deserves. “Just tell me and I’ll help you build it.”

The little boy pursed his lips in thought, thinking about all the different and unique options he could choose from. From cars, to houses, to ships, the possibility is just endless. Suddenly, his eyes twinkled in excitement as he said, “How about that ship I told you about?”

Aurora racked her brain for anything that her brother could have mentioned to her, but she just can’t seem to find any. Maybe he mentioned too long ago and now she can’t remember? It has been a while after all, so it’s only natural that she would eventually hit a wall like that.

She offered her brother an apologetic smile. “Sorry buddy, I can’t remember you telling me anything about a ship.”

“But I just told you last night that I want a ship.”

Recognition immediately flooded Aurora’s senses. Dang it, so that’s what he meant when he said those words. She genuinely thought that he was just saying one of his usual daydreams about the shows he watches and the games he plays, but he was literally referring to a ship. Chuckling, she replied, “Ah, so that’s what it was?”

Peering at her sister curiously, he asked, “What did you think it was, Aury?”

The older sibling shook her head. “Nothing much. Now, let’s hurry up so we can build that ship of yours already.”

In response, the little boy merely dragged her more ferociously towards the front door with his toy held tightly in his other hand.

When both siblings were finally nearing that front door, Frank turned to his wife, an apologetic look plastered on his face. "I'm so sorry about Aurora. She's just very—"

Sally put a hand on her husband's arm, effectively cutting him off from whatever he was going to say. "It's fine, really. Don't worry about it. She just needs time to get used to me."

"Time? It's been six years. She has had enough time to get used to you." came Frank's frustrated reply.

"You can't really expect her to get used to me despite the time being long enough. I was the woman who broke her family. She's bound to hate me." Sally said, ignoring the irritation gracing upon Frank's face. In situations like this, she’s really grateful for the fact that she can remain calm and cool-headed--especially when her husband is acting up the way he is right now.

"But she can at least try." Frank replied.

"Frank, just leave it be. Aurora just needs more time. It's not exactly easy, you know." Sally told him.

Noticing that she has somehow eased her husband's mind, she released a subtle sigh and can't help but hope that Aurora would really get used to her, just like how she got used to Theo.

One can hope, can't they?