Rekindling Tradition

Chapter Nine: A Blacked Out Reunion

Disclaimer: All characters and settings are purely fictional. If there are any similarities to real people or places, it is merely coincidental. The plot is written by me and not copied from any other writer.

Author's Note: Happy Holidays! I'm sorry for the late updates. I'm currently visiting family for the holidays, so it's a bit difficult updating. I'll try my best. I'm still dealing with my writer's block. Hopefully, I can get past it before I run out of chapters. Anyways, enjoy the chapters!

********** Chapter Nine *********

Ding. Dong. My index finger made contact with the warm button. Grabbing Ty's hand, I exhale loudly, shuffling my feet to calm the jitters. This was it. After a long flight and a quick stop to Nattie's, I built up enough courage to walk up to the doorstep. The house looked the same. It seemed as if nothing had changed, and yet, everything seemed different. The last time I saw the place, it was through the eyes of a lovesick teenager. Now, I was a woman, so my eyes didn't miss the overdue paint job. Or the desperate cried for proper landscaping or the cracks in the window. The house needed to be renovated. I exhaled. 

The sound of shuffling feet came quickly. The door swung open to reveal a little girl about Ty's height. She was a mocha color with big bright eyes. From the look on her face, it wasn't hard to figure out who she was. She looked like her father, having his nose, eyes, and mouth. Everything else seemed to be traits she got from India. 

"Who are you?" the little girl asked, holding tightly to the door. I smiled at her, appreciating her sassiness. She obviously got more than just her beauty from India. I had a niece. She was pregnant with a little girl.

"Ryla, who's at the door?" a voice called. My heart sped up. Tyrus hid behind my leg, his instincts picking up on my fear. The little girl named Ryla turns around to her father. Ryland looked so much older. He was still muscular. Ryle must have kept working out over the years. He had a beard. His eyes had not met mines yet. He was focused on the beautiful little girl in front of me. She pointed to me. 

The moment Ryland's eyes met mines, I gasped. I held tightly onto my son, watching the waves of emotions flash across his face. 

"Lele?" He said finally, his face locked in utter disbelief. The dam in my eyes broke. The tears came flooding. I nodded. Ryland ran up to me and pulled me into a hug. The familiar scents of home returned to me. I sobbed uncontrollably. "I missed you," he whispered in my ears. Tyrus was still holding my leg, and I knew it was only a moment before he realized he was there. 

"I missed you too, Ryle," I replied between sobs. 

"Daddy, who is that?" Ryla asked, pointing at me. Ryland breaks away from me and picks her up. He wipes away the tears he shed and kisses her. 

"This is your Aunty Rylee. Remember, daddy told you about her?" He told her. Ryla nodded, getting shy. 

I waved at her, "Hi, Ryla. Oh, my gosh, I have a niece." I wiped my face, chuckling slightly at the reality of it all. Ryla's head tilted, noticing the little boy behind me. Ryland's eyes followed his daughters. He froze when he realized there was a little boy. I placed my hand on Ty's head. 

"It's ok, Ty," I assured him. He poked his head from behind me, not loosening his grip. I looked up back at Ryland. He knew. How could he not? One look at Tyrus was all anyone needed to know. 

Ryland closed his eyes, "Rylee, please tell me that isn't?"

"He is," I confirmed, my voice trembling. Ryland placed Ryla on the ground. She clung to her father, much like Tyrus was doing to me. Ryland scratched behind his ears and huffed.