Hand to Hold

Chapter 3

I wish I wasn’t as obedient to follow everything you said. Maybe then, one of two would have been with me.

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The car moved forward at the steady pace and in order to avoid Aunt May’s questions my attention tactically remained outside the window. Aunt May is a diligent lady with the business skill of reading negative emotions surrounding a person, not to mention she never stopped worrying for her troublesome niece.

Aunt May came to know about my parents’ demise through the news and by the time I reached her she was frantically searching for her missing niece and nephew.

Not over what happened a year ago till now, try guessing my state at that time. Enter Ms Case who used to be her therapist at that time following Uncle Richard’s decease; two easily concluded there was more to my grief.

On my insistence, Aunt May forged her wards’ identities. So for the world, we were her sister’s children who after their parents’ death in a tragic car accident resided with their Aunt.

The reason I ran to Aunt May was the latent relation between Mom and her which gratefully survived even after they were brought up in different families.

Mom was never in touch with her adoptive family for as long as I remember and Aunt May’s family severed ties with her after her adoptive parents’ passed, since, they wanted all the descending property to themselves.

Although Mom and Aunt somehow managed to stay in touch and except for Uncle Richard and our family this relationship wasn’t known by everyone giving me a secure place to hide.

The car halted and my body lent forwards due to inertia, parking the car in the garage Aunt May turned to me once again, she had checked up on me the whole ride.

This time her eyes gave away her anxiousness, “You took your medicines, right?”

I nodded, knowing there was no stopping her now. She didn’t even send the driver rather rescheduling her day to fetch me from the school.

In quite an expected manner she frowned, “If you want I can connect you to Case on a video call. She did say we can always do that knowing it is Flora and Blaze’s first death anniversary today.”

I shook my head, “Not necessary, I don’t want to talk about Mom and Dad. I just want to be alone and miss them in the solace that’s all.”

Opening the car door, I collected my bag and got off the car maintaining a fast pace to the front door for I refused to meet her eyes after the blatant lie. And I couldn’t for she would have seen the moisture in my eyes.

Entering the mansion I walked to my room and closing the door opened the dam of emotions crushing me.

I missed Mom who used to be so busy still she never once forgot spending my birthday with me.

I missed Dad who always made time for me during weekends so that we could bond over nature’s walk.

I missed all those moments I spent with them.

I missed their surprises.

I missed their protective gestures.

I missed our small happy family.

They trusted me so much... They put so much faith in me to leave Sab under my care, they trusted me to make sure no harm reached him.

Keeping the bag on the study table with a loud thud, I walked over to the bed and threw myself on it. The flashes of the past continuously reminded me of them.

These memories hurt since if my life was a story then I was someone who always lived under someone’s wings, pampered to her parents to no ends, never taking any serious decision without their opinion.

Closing my eyes I cried myself to sleep as the headache slowly subsided with unconsciousness taking over.