Aurora

38

"Oh my, Aurora?!"

Lucy, Aurora's aunt was more than surprised to see her out on her doorstep, it's been almost 5 years since they last saw each other.

"Hi." Aurora smiles.

"Please, do come in." Lucy quickly made way for her to come in, and escorted Aurora into a small living room space, "Make yourself comfortable."

Aurora nodded in appreciation and had a seat, so did Lucy,

"I know this is sudden, I should've called."

"Don't be silly, you know you're always welcome here, this is your home, but my goodness, you've grown so well."

"Thank you, actually." Aurora dug her hands into her purse, "I came to give you this." She passed her a card, "Mia is getting married in a few weeks, and we would love for you to come."

Lucy grinned at the card in her hands,

"Wow, how time flies, I remember when she was just this little girl and now she's starting a family of her own."

She lifted her eyes to Aurora with a proud smile,

"I can't imagine how proud you must be, raising her all by yourself."

"I wasn't alone, I had grandfather."

"Yes, father would have been so proud."

Aurora sniffled and tried to hold back the tears, the house brought back memories.

"I guess it all turned out great at the end."

"Yes, it did." Lucy agreed and there's a brief silence between the two for a while.

"Did she ever call?" Aurora waved in.

Lucy stared in confusion,

"I mean my mother after she left, did she ever call home?"

Lucy sighed deeply before speaking.

"Not once. . Every time the phone rang I prayed to hear her voice on the other end but that call never came."

"Do you know why she left?"

Lucy shook her head depleted,

"All I know is that after your father left, she became obsessed with her research. She quit her job at the university and spent months in her office or at the library studying, and crying most of the time, no one ever understood what she was looking to find. .."

"Have you ever met my father?"

"Don't you remember him?"

Aurora shook her head, she had never thought of him, it was almost like his memory vanished from hers.

"I'm sorry, I don't seem to recall him either."

"It's fine," Aurora muttered.

"Aurora, you must know your mother, Laura was a good person, and I'm not saying this because she was my sister, but because I know how she loved you two, giving you two up like that must have been the most difficult thing she had to do, I'm sure somewhere in her mind she thought it was the best thing to do, she wasn't well, she loved your father so dearly and is absence nearly drove her insane."

"The truth is, I really want to find her."

"That's a very difficult road, Aurora."

"I know but, up until now I never understood her... If it's what I'm thinking that happened, then I don't blame her." Aurora thought of Jack and how she misses him so dearly.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain without sounding crazy. ..I was wondering if I could get access to her office, perhaps I could take a glimpse at her research."

"Oh no, that was a long time ago. I already turned it into a nursery and got rid of everything, I'm sorry."

Aurora was disappointed but she doesn't express it,

"It's fine, aunt, really."

"Although, I did keep something." Lucy got up and went upstairs, she returned a few minutes later with a book in hand, "Laura carried this little thing everywhere, your father gave it to her." She extended it to Aurora, "She wrote down every little detail about everything, even though I never understood most of the things on it, I never summoned up the courage to get rid of it."

"Thank you." Aurora said, and got up to leave, "I should get going before it starts raining again, please do come to the wedding. Mia would be more than happy to have you."

"Of course," Lucy said and reached for a hug. "Be well, Aurora, and take care of yourself."

"I will, Aunt."

The two shared their goodbyes and with that Aurora was on her way home, while at the back of a taxi Aurora pulled out Laura's journal and began to read carefully.

At the end of each sentence, Aurora is left stunned to find out who her father was, John McCain a traveler from Lockwood. She read how her parents had met and lived happily before he began to vanish with time.

Aurora spent the rest of the night reading Laura's journal when a knock came in her room, and just as she got up to answer it the door opened, revealing Mia, she had a paper in one hand, one Aurora didn't pay attention to until later.

"Aurora, are you awake?"

Aurora jumped awake, "Yes, come in."

"What are you doing?"

"Reading."

Mia chuckled,

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Actually, this belonged to mother. She wrote a great deal about our Father, his name was John McCain."

"Yeah, what great parents they were?" Mia sounded sarcastic, she hates that they left, "You should put that away and not get any ideas, they are never coming back."

"Wouldn't you like to know why they left?"

"Yes, when I was 12, now I just don't care anymore."

"Mia!" Aurora reprimand.

"That's not why I'm here. Aurora, I came in here because I needed to talk to you about something much more important."

Aurora sensed the seriousness in her tone and sat properly,

"Is everything okay?"

"I was hoping we could talk about the store, and how it's just sitting there, but wearing away. . I think it's time we sell it and share the profit equally. I have already made all the arrangement, I just need you to sign." Mia pushed the paper in front of Aurora, "Please sign."