Just The Way It Is - Sequel to That's Ma Name (Edited)

Chapter 2

I smiled as I reached the door step. My mum was waiting there with open arms.

"Rowan! We've missed you so much!" Karen shouted as I dropped my bags and embraced my mother.

"I've missed you too mum," I smiled placing a kiss on her cheek.

It wasn't long before I was ushered in off the doorstep. The fire was still roaring. That thing was never out. I always remembered it being lit. During my childhood and my visits back home.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Alexa is at school and Lacey and your dad are at work," mum replied.

"Lace has a job?" I asked, quite shocked.

"Yeah. She's doing well. Her and Peter are looking at places to rent after she turns 18."

"God, when did she get so old?" I smiled.

My mum sat me down at the table and got me a cup of tea and a slice of her famous crumble cake. We talked on and on for hours before I heard the door. It was Lacey.

"Rowan!" She exclaimed upon sight of me.

"Hey you, how's it going?" I asked, embracing my sister.

"Alright, yourself?" She responded.

"Aye I'm not too bad," I smiled.

"How long are you staying for?" Lacey questioned. I seen my mum frown but grow interested simultaneously.

"Only tonight." I revealed to them both.

"Where are you going this time?" She questioned further.

"Back home. To England." I sighed. "To see Taylor, but I'm staying."

"Is that what you're telling yourself?" Lacey asked.

"What?" I questioned.

"Is that what you're telling yourself because you really want to see Jessie again or?"

"Is this 20 questions?" I asked. I knew it had hurt her that I had just up and left but I really didn't need all this interrogation because even being here was hard enough. I understood where Lacey was coming from, she thought that I was going to run off again and I knew that she cared about Jessie - all my family did but there were just some things that I needed to figure out of myself.

"Lacey, come on now," mum interrupted.

"I don't know. Hopefully, but she can't know I'm here," I looked at mum. "I need a little bit of time, yeah?"

My mother gave me her word that she would not tell Jessie that I was here. Lacey sat down and had a cup of tea with me. We now talked about how she got on at school. Which I heard she did very well in her exams and more stories about Peter. Which I was again told how he claims he'd like to meet me. Shortly after that dad came in with Lexi. She went into fits as soon as she seen me. She was just the cutest. The evening was brought in very easily with general chit chat and catching up with my family, obviously there was a huge part of it missing but I did well considering this was our first time spending time together as a family unit without Cameron. It was finally time for bed, so I retreated to my room in the garage. It was only my second time in here. The last time I was with Jessie and it felt so big without her here. I sighed and closed my eyes, wishing I could just magic her here.

"Soon enough young Rowan," I whispered to myself before fixing off to sleep.

----------------------------------------------

"Remember your box of Cameron's keepsakes," my mum reminded me as I loaded all of my bags into the back of the taxi. I say all but there really only were three and Cameron's box.

"Yeah, I know mum," I sighed gratefully. I was nice to be given some things if his. Mum and Dad didn't like the idea if everything sitting up there like a shrine so they packed, sold and donated it where they seen fit, which made sense to me. I seen it more as moving on rather than forgetting him.

"Remember and buy a suitcase in the town. It will help keep your luggage charge down and text me when you land," dad told me as I said goodbye.

"I will dad." I smiled. "Thanks."

"No, thank you Rowan. I'm glad you came back."

I hopped into the taxi and completed the short journey to the town without any hiccups. Once there I squeezed my three holdalls into a suitcase and put the box of Cameron's things into one of them before heading on to the airport. Soon enough I was passing through security and boarding my flight.

Not long now I thought. Until I'm in the cane country as the love of my life.