Serendipity

The Reunion

"Mom, please... Let's go look for Lily." Mia pleaded Sandra while tugging her mom's lilac dress. Looking at her mom expectantly, the short hair brunette bit her lips, trying to fight back hot tears from falling again.

Sandra gently caressed her daughter's back. "Yes, baby. We will do that." Sandra moved beside Mia. Bending her knees a little, she snaked her hand around her daughter's waist to give her enough support to stand properly. Sandra was more than ready to escort Mia back to her room,  but the younger brunette broke free from the hold.

"I-" Mia started as tears escaped her eyes "-couldn't protect her. I thought I was holding her hand but when I turned around, she's gone!" She squeezed her sodden shorts into her palms, causing droplets of water to fell onto her freshly treated wounds. Mia winced in pain. "I saw a lady in a black dress. Lily must have thought, I'm holding her hand but I'm not. It's the skinny lady. I-I panic! I'm scared. I run away. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" As Mia begged for forgiveness, more tears formed at the corners of her eyes. Her lips trembled as she cried.

Sandra said nothing. Her daughter only wanted a listening ear. Nonetheless, she wanted to let Mia know her sincere compassion and gave her light shoulder taps.

In response, Mia let out a cry of horror and pain. Her cry resounded throughout the house as bullets of rain thrashed the windows loudly. Outside, the raging wind was pounding the trees on the ground. Even the flower garden, Sandra had worked hard to arrange and to beautify, suffered the same fate. Amidst the rampaging wind and rain, streaks of lightning lit the dark forest covered in fog.

It was impossible to step outside. The weather could have been more inviting. On the contrary, it kept getting sour.

Sandra could not bring herself to tell Mia. Instead, Sandra smiled at Mia and assured her, "Baby, listen. Your father will do everything he could to find your sister, and we'll help him, okay?" Her brown locks fell between her face as she hugged her daughter. After wiping Mia's remaining tears, she said, "But first, let's get you changed." Mia nodded her head.

Sandra ushered Mia inside their family home, wrapping her arms around her daughter's shoulder. The house of the Vortex yelled a balance of love for the gifts of nature and of bravery and heroism. Most furniture was made of oak wood. The table coated in varnish, placed near the doorway, held a white flower vase with a lovely sunflower inserted perfectly in it. Surrounding the table, wooden sofas with pillows of flower-patterns of brown, white, and yellow were placed against cornered walls. Family pictures, the 13 knights in their armor, the castle garden photo frames hang on one wall. On the other side, a giant mirror with golden crawling vines separated the real swords on display and some stale medicine plants.

At the far-right end of the living room, a lit fireplace invited Mia to move close to it. Grandolf stood next to the fireplace holding a telephone to his ear.

"Listen, one of my daughters needs help. Can you direct me to one of the 13 knights?"

Grandolf asked politely but with evident eagerness in his voice. His back arched towards the telephone stand.

The soldier, at the other end of the line, sweatdropped. Grandolf heard the young soldier gulp before speaking, "I-I'm sorry sir, but the 13 knights were sleeping. It's 11 in the evening."

"I don't think they all are. One of them should be awake!" Grandolf shouted at the phone. Veins started to pop on his forehead. His piercing eyes became even sharper. His thick eyebrows connected. Sandra instantly noticed the growing irritation from his husband and started rubbing his shoulder.

"Calm down, honey. Anger is never a solution." Sandra softly whispered to Grandolf's ear. Mia looked at her mother and father with expecting eyes. Deep in her heart, she wished for their family to be together forever.

The brunette wife sighed and hugged her muscular husband from behind, burying her face on his back.

"W-w-what are you doing?" Grandolf asked all flustered from the sudden loving gesture. 

"I know you had been through a lot. I accepted you wholeheartedly before I marry you."

Sandra pushed herself away from her husband and snatched the phone from his hand. The brunette with long and slightly curly hair dropped the phone back to its place. Twisting her body to face her husband, she had her back against the phone stand. She bitted her lips, tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.

"I love you."

Shocked, surprised, and astounded, Grandolf could not hide his emotion before the woman he truly loved. Mia watched closely, smiling to herself. She wanted to tell Lily about the TV Drama later. After all, Lily believed that every girl deserved a prince charming. Yikes! Too cheezy! But, that makes Lily, well... Lily. Mia sighed, suddenly missing her annoying, clumsy, and hopeless romantic, sister.

"I know how your mind works, Grandolf. You have tough love for me, for our children. When Mia was born, you innocently asked me if you can hold your daughter." Sandra slightly laughed at the memory.

Grandolf held Mia for the first time, very afraid to drop her. He never wanted to be an irresponsible father. That was one of the rare few times Sandra saw Grandolf smiled from ear to ear, grinning idiotically then looking back at her for reassurance that he could sway her daughter to make her sleep.

"S-shut u-up," Grandolf uttered in a soft voice with evident embarrassment. "Mia is listening. Don't suddenly bring that up." Grandolf massaged the back of his neck. He hid his embarrassed face with his growing bangs. "Let's now go look for Lily. We don't have time for this." Grandolf declared, changing the subject.

"Not yet, you're not responding. I said I love you, didn't I?" Sandra stated, somewhat infuriated. Grandolf knew her wife wanted a response. So, he cupped her chin and kissed her gently. Mia burned the beautiful memory in her brain.

"What an annoying couple. How old are you? Let's go look for my younger sister now." Mia commented at the satisfying reunion while looking at the fire.

"See, we got reprimanded. And, Mia I don't like your tone." Grandolf stated.

Mia bit her lips. "I'm sorry, Papa. I won't do it again. I'm really glad you make up. I don't want to see you fighting.

Sandra stole one last peck on Grandolf's cheek and hurried beside Mia. "Sorry about that, baby. Let me help you get changed."

The pile of woods in the fireplace continuously burn. Satisfied smiles crossed over Sandra and Grandolf's faces. A blush crept on Grandolf's cheeks as he remembered how Sandra's strawberry lips taste like. The tall, muscular man shook his head frantically.

"Right, I should make another call." Grandolf dialed the Kingdom's hotline number. RING. RING. RING. No one picked up.

Sandra and Mia stepped outside of the room. Mia now wore a blue jumper and an inner white shirt. They could leave anytime.

"You don't have to call them. We can head straight for the castle. And, we can also ask around the town." Sandra confidently proclaimed. Sandra changed into a mint green dress and a bulky white lace top. A headband with flower Lilies designed on her head.

"It will waste our time if no 13 knights to meet us in the castle."

"There is. The symbol of peace must be awake around this time." Sandra looked sure of herself and that made him curious. He always perceived her wife knew about the 13 knights' schedule. Could she be having an affair with the 13 knights behind my back? Grandolf's eyes began to dilate.

"Don't get any ideas. I'm not having an affair. You're the only 13 knight member I'm going to sleep with. I mean former 13 knight member." Sandra winked at her husband.

"H-h-how can you say something embarrassing all the time?" Flustered, Grandolf marched toward the room and procured an umbrella. "Let's just get Lily back."

The trio walked through the foul weather. Sandra and Grandolf held Mia's hands.

They wore protective gear against the storm. Plastic made raincoats of blue, yellow and green, and with the addition of rain boats. The water splashed underneath their boats as they walked. Fallen branches swimming in the water creaked at every step. Grandolf shielded Sandra and Mia from the brutal wind and rain slashing their faces and bodies, forcibly pushing them backward. Whenever the lightning strike, Grandolf covered Mia's ears. Just like that, they kept moving forward until they reached the town.

"Just a little bit more and we are in town..." Sandra assured the trembling Mia. She rubbed her daughter's shoulders as they walked a few more steps, before emerging from the forest.

The town no longer looked like the lively town they once knew. In the couple's memories, stalls of fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, cooked fried noodles, mouth-watering baked loaves of bread welcomed them every morning and sometimes even during the nighttime. Bright lights illuminated the stalls and street corners. Some young lads would mischievously run around with light sticks on both hands.

It was very different now. Howling wind disturbed the night. They found no lights in the streets, except for some house lights. Grandolf, Sandra, and Mia's umbrellas started to get carried by the wind. Mia gritted her teeth, unwilling to let go of the umbrella she had been holding. Her father helped her use the umbrella to shield her fragile body. It had been raining like forever but that did not stop the family from looking for a specific house.

Sandra scanned the area for a familiar pink and cream painted house. She had a bad sense of direction. Nevertheless, she at least knew how the house looked like. When she spotted it, she immediately pushed her daughter and husband toward it. They hurriedly dashed towards it as water splashed on their clothes.

The brunette in her mint green dress knocked on the door. After a few minutes, a golden hair girl with a lotus hair clip and cerulean blue eyes peeked through the door. Her eyebrows arched as if questioning the group's sudden visit.

"Lila! Thank goodness!" Sandra clasped her friend's hands, smiling from ear to ear. When the blonde girl recognized Sandra, she returned the gesture, by shaking her hands.

"It's been a while, Ms. Sandra. But, why visit during this storm?" Her gentle eyes were full of concern and her mind filled with questions. But, before she started her interrogation, she pulled the door toward her giving the family enough space to fully enter her house. Sandra smiled at her, whispering a "thank you."

The family of three settled on a welcoming sofa almost filled with pastel-colored pillows. Lilah loved light colors a lot, and she projected it in every corner of her house. Her house wallpapers full of diamond and flower pattern colors of mint green and light pink. Displays at her house such as artificial flowers, lucky charms, and picture frames were all in soft colors, with a few contrast of strong yellow and cerulean blue.

Returning from the kitchen, Lilah carried a tray with three cups. She placed the tray on the table before the trio.

"I think you should drink these coffees. I won't take no for an answer." Lilah smiled at the family. Grandolf gladly took one cup and gulped the liquid without a second thought. His wife menacingly eyed him.

"I'm sorry about my husband's rude attitude. He doesn't know how to be modest." Sandra bowed her head.

"Hahaha. It's totally okay. It's no big deal and I'm glad to see Mia." Lilah suddenly remembered Sandra and Grandolf had two daughters. "Wait, where's Lily?"

Sandra and Grandolf looked at each other. Sandra bit her lips, trying her best to hold back her tears.

"She had been taken away. That's why we are here." Sandra buried her face on her hands. "Didn't you say before, your little brother had been spirited away?" The brunette asked with concern.

Lilah heavily sighed. She sat down on the sofa next to the family. "Yes, that was two months ago. It was a rainy night... just like this one... If the rumors were true, then Lily would be taken to hell."