In Another Lifetime

Changes

'Eri-chan, you're going to be late if you don't get up right now!' Emika, Ellie's sister, shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

Ellie grunted and sat up on her bed. I can fake being sick. I don't have to attend my own graduation. She laid back and covered her head with a pillow. A few minutes later her door burst open and her sister pulled on the blanket.

'Eri-chan, you are not going to miss your own graduation.' Emika pulled her by the arm.

'But I don't want to go. I don't want to walk. There's going to be a lot of people there.' Ellie complained. 'And dad's not even going to be there.' She whispered and bowed her head. This pulled on Emika's heart and she sat beside her sister.

'Okay. We can stay home.' Emika smiled.

'Really?' Ellie looked up at her puzzled.

'Yeah. I understand why you don't want to go.' Emika hugged her sister and they both cried.

'Thank you, Emika.' Ellie smiled as she pulled away.

'So, what do you want to do today then?' Emika asked as she got up.

'Can we visit grandma?' She asked.

'Yes. Come on, go get ready. Be down in thirty.' Emika smiled and walked out of Ellie's room.

Elli got up and grabbed some clothes from her closet and shoved it inside a small backpack. She got ready and head downstairs. The sisters got in the car and left, and make their way to their grandma's house.

Eight hours of driving later, they got to their grandma's house.

'Eri, Emika... what are you two doing here?' Faye asked as she got up from behind the rose bush she was tending to.

'Obasan!' Ellie ran to Faye and hugged her. 'I missed you so much.'

'Eri, I missed you too. Come here Emika and give your old grandma a hug.' Faye smiled and the three of the hugged. 'Come, let's go inside.' The three walked inside and Ellie went straight to her childhood room.

'Emika, I thought today is Eri's graduation.' Faye said as she poured coffee in mugs.

'It is but she was really feeling down this morning.' Emika sat on the dining table.

'What's going on at home?' Faye asked as she set the mug in front of Emika.

'Dad's been gone for a while now, he was supposed to come home last week but he said something came up.' Emika sipped on her coffee.

'Your dad.' Faye shook her head. 'I understand your sister though. Your great grandpa wasn't there much because of work but at least he made sure that he's there for big milestones.'

'I wish I have met him, Amma.' Ellie said as she walked in the kitchen and sat beside Emika.

'I wish you both have met them.' Faye smiled, 'Your great grandpa Sebastian was the best dad I could ever asked for. He really took good care of me even though I wasn't his biological child.'

'Amma, what happened to your biological dad?' Emika asked.

'Mom and dad passed away when I was still young. They finally had their together forever.' Faye wiped a tear, Ellie saw this and got up to hug her grandma.

'It's okay, amma. You have us now. And I know that great grandma and great grandpas are watching you right now and thinking... wow, we raised a really good child.' Ellie smiled and went back to her seat.

'Amma, is that why you didn't leave this house?' Emika asked.

'Well, I did leave for a little bit. Papa moved us to the east coast, I finished high school there but we decided to move back here when I got to college. We used to live in a condo unit down by the old Incore studio. But when Uncle Nikko passed, I moved back to his house to be with aunt Samantha.' Faye smiled as memories flooded back. 'Your room,' she looked at Ellie, 'was my old room. And your room,' she looked at Emika, 'was my mom and dad's room.'