My Family, My Mate, The Age Gap and Me.

Questions, answers and secrets revealed.

Kenneth came bounding into my room a surprisingly short time later. “We can go and see Ava tomorrow.” He said before whispering, “But we are all going. They don’t want to give you an opportunity to sneak off and see him.” I nodded knowing already that it would be like that or I couldn’t go. “You look terrible, Sof.” I smile weakly at my brother, “I feel terrible Kenneth.” “Is there something I can get you that will help?” I start to shake my head and then I say, “Wait, could you stay here with me tonight and cuddle like we used to?” Kenneth smiles and says, “Of course, Sof; let me go and get ready for bed and I’ll come back.” I nod, and close my eyes wishing that it was Drew who would be holding me.

When we got up the next morning, I couldn’t stomach breakfast; and Kenneth had to help me out of the bed. I linked with Drew briefly, and felt the tiniest bit if relief in the pain. ‘I hope that you aren’t hurting to badly, is someone going to be helping you pack, and move?’ ‘Morning Sof, I wish that I could tell you I wasn’t, but I won’t ever lie to you about something important (just surprises and such).’ I giggled, and smiled. I don’t think that I even could lie to Drew, not that I would want to. ‘Lydia and I are packing together and she is taking care of our notice of resignation.’ I was stunned, Lydia was giving up her job and her friends to come back to the family home. ‘Why is Lydia moving home too? Not that I mind, I just thought that she would rather keep her job.’ Drew chuckled, ‘It’s partly a twin thing and partly a: we are the family’s doctors thing. Don’t worry about a thing, Lydia had taken care of most of it, without telling me, before I got home from meeting your family.’ I snorted sarcastically, ‘Yeah, ‘cause that was so worthwhile.’ ‘Sof, I know that you are mad at them right now, hell so am I, but they are still your family; you love them and need them.’ ‘I know, it’s just I am so damn angry about how they treated you.’ ‘Love, it will all work out in the end. One way or another, we will be together.’ ‘I love you, Drew. I gotta go and get dressed properly, they agreed to let us visit Ava and Lupe.’ ‘I love you too Sof. I’ll let Holden know, he can break the news to Ava.’ The link went silent.

I didn’t speak to Mum and Darren, I had nothing to say. It’s not just that I had nothing nice to say, I literally had nothing to say to them. Unsurprisingly, it was a very quiet drive. I know Kenneth wanted to talk to me, but he couldn’t get passed the tension in the car, and he didn’t want to talk with me about Drew in front of our parents. He was also refusing to speak to our parents unless it was actually necessary because he disagrees with their decision to keep Drew and I apart. Poor Austin really felt the tension in between us in the car once we had picked him up.

When we finally pulled up, I could practically hear Mum and Darren’s jaws hit the floor. I did warn them that it was a big house, and I’m a little stunned myself; I hadn’t really had a good look at it the last time I was here, because Ava was having a baby. Then Angie was opening the door and reaching for Kenneth and I. “Oh, how’s my latest daughter-in-law doing?” She asked really loudly. “Angie, he hasn’t proposed yet.” ‘Angie, Mum and Darren are really anti-Drew!’ Angie’s face took on an evil glint, ‘I know, Drew told me.’ I must have looked stunned, because she said, “Come inside everyone, Ava wants you all to meet little Lupe.” As Mum and Darren pass Angie on the way inside she says, “Hi you must be Sofia and Kenneth’s parents, I’m Angie; Drew and Holden’s Mum. I must say how nice it is to have all three of my boys settled down with such lovely young ladies as Julie, Ava and Sofia. I only hope that my Lydia and Maria can find equally nice partners.” I heard Darren ask her quite shortly, “Just how many children do you have?” Angie smiled as she answered. “I have five children, three boys and two girls. You’ve met my Drew haven’t you? And possibly Holden too. Come in, come in; everyone is waiting for you.” I watched Mum and Darren’s faces as she said that everyone is waiting.

Inside I followed after Kenneth in giving Ava a hug, but instead of shaking hands with Holden as Kenneth had with a shy sort of, “Congrats Mr E.” I gave him a hug and said, “How are you guys doing?” Holden chuckled, “I think Lydia is getting clucky because she is driving Ava crazy with trying to take over everything. We had to go home last night and get Mum to lock Lydia in the house just so we could change Lupe’s nappy without Lydia trying to do it for us.” I chuckled slightly. ‘How are you doing today?’ I heard him ask using the pack link, and suddenly all eyes were on me. ‘Not well, I miss him! And I know that he’s hurting, I hate it; I just want them to back off and let us be.’ Suddenly I’m being hugged by Angie and Bryan, and Will and Maria walk in spot us and shout, “Family Hug!” The next thing I know I’ve got every one of the Eastman’s hugging on me, except Drew. My family are sitting there staring at us like we are insane.

Eventually I get all of them pried off of me and I introduce them all, and Julie who is Will’s mate, to my family. Mum and Darren were surprised to hear that Lydia is a doctor as well, of course nobody has mentioned that she is Drew’s twin. They were more surprised when she announced that she has left her job up north, and is looking for a new one. Darren asked her if she was going to go back north at all, Lydia just shook her head. “No, I don’t need to; my super awesome twin is driving up this afternoon to pack up our apartments and deal with the landlords.” Mum looked at her curiously. “You have a twin?” Mum asked. Lydia nodded, “Yup, Drew. He’s the best twin a girl could ask for.” Mum and Darren were really shocked to hear that someone other than me thought that he was awesome, they were also shocked that the Eastman’s seem to have adopted me; and I think it was the fact that they have accepted Drew and I that shocked them the most. None of the Eastman’s seem to see anything wrong with the age gap or anything. Over the course of the morning they heard all about Holden and Ava, how Holden had organised for his mother to teach us separately, so that Ava could stay at school with us, her friends. My parents were also surprised that people as lovely as Angie and Bryan would actually make a betrothal contract for one of their children.

“Where’s my grandbaby?” Was shouted from the front door. “In here Mum!” Ava shouted back. I was getting a sick sort of pleasure watching my Mum’s face as she encountered so many people who were accepting of not only Ava and Holden’s unorthodox relationship, but my own with Drew as well. “Hello everyone! Oh new faces, no, wait, I’ve met you somewhere before.” “Melody, this is my Mum, Jillian, and Kenneth’s Dad, Darren. You met Kenneth and Austin at school.” I introduced. “What have you done with Drew, I see he’s not here?” She asked, and by the look on her face, I would say that she knows better than I do where Drew is. “He’s packing his and Lydia’s apartments, they are apparently moving home.” I said quietly, and Lydia nodded to back me up. Melody settled in on one side of Ava, with Holden on the other. “There’s my grandbaby!” Melody coos in delight as she picks up the tiny infant. Holden chuckles as Lupe promptly vomits a milky substance all over Melody’s shirt. “Who’s a clever girl, did you and your Daddy have that all planned out?” Melody continued to coo, while shooting glares at Holden.

The sweet moment was promptly ruined by Mum asking rather boldly, “How could you put your own daughter into an arranged marriage?” The look of disgust was clear on my mother’s face as she glared at Melody. Melody simply smiled and said, “When Ava was born, Holden was like a little satellite, everything he did revolved around her. Whenever he was near, she would stop crying and fussing. It was a no-brainer, we did what our children needed us to do.” Melody was still smiling when she finished explaining. “And it doesn’t bother you that Holden is so much older than her?” Darren asked incredulously. “Why would it bother me? They were always so in love, but then my fiancé died, and I moved; I just needed to get away from the pain of losing him. When the time came I returned home, and now I am a grandma to the sweetest little baby in the world.” Melody cooed the last part to Lupe. Kenneth and Austin were smiling because it was such a sweet story.

No-one had noticed that Lydia was pressed up against me, I was surprised how much relief from the pain I got from her touch. She smiled at me knowing what I was thinking. ‘It’s because I’m his twin, there is enough of him in me; and enough of me in him, to have an effect on our mates. I can’t wait ‘til I find mine, I just hope that he’s older than you, not that I don’t like you, but because I don’t want him to have to go through what you are suffering.’ I just smiled and hugged her.

Mum and Darren had to drag me out, and it’s only because Austin helped them, that they were able to do so. In the car on the way home Mum said, “Just because Melody is willing to have that improper sort of carry-on in her home doesn’t mean that I will.” That just made me mad. “Mum! You have no right to talk about ‘not allowing improper behaviour’. You and Darren were having an affair after Daddy died, it was two years before Susan found out and left him, and then another year before you actually got married. So I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you had better get down off your high horse real quickly.” The rest of the drive was in uncomfortable silence. When we got home Darren spoke before anyone got out of the car. “You mind your mouth young lady, Kenneth never had a problem with your mother and I.” To which Kenneth shouted, “I stayed for Sofia, not for you. I still can’t believe what you did to Mum! If it wasn’t for Sofia, I never would have stayed; I would have gone to Mum. Mum and Sofia know that, just for the record.” He then stormed up to his room, leaving me to hobble, smiling, up behind him.