𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑎ℎ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ꜰᴏᴜʀ: ᴍᴀɢɪᴄɪᴀɴ

🪐 Annaleah 🪐

"Annaleah? Is that really you?" My aunt Daliah asks with wide eyes.

I really wish I weren't Annaleah right now, but sadly, this is really me.

I give her a slight laugh as I embrace her in a hug. She hugs me tightly and I wiggle my way out of her grasp. She turns her head to her side and rolls her eyes at her kids. "Forgive my kids, ever since these phones came out they have turned into robots and have forgotten how to communicate face to face." She argues and I nod awkwardly.

"Tobias, Diane, say hello to your cousin for heaven sakes! She's right in front of you!" Aunt Daliah tells her kids and they raise their heads up for a split second, wave at me, and dive right into their phones.

Aunt Daliah groans and snatches their phones making them react. "Mom!" Tobias yells while Diane lets out a dramatic gasp. "No more phones. We're at a family gathering, you will socialize with your family! Starting with Annaleah." She tells them and points at me with her eyes.

My eyes widen and I pray for a way out of this.

God, if you're listening. I'll be such a good daughter to my mother if you help me out here. Please, get me out of here!

As i'm done praying theirs a knock on the front door. I give myself a bright smile and thank god. "I should probably get that. The other kids are in the living room either playing video games or drawing, you guys should go in there." I point Tobias and Diane to the living room and they nod shyly walking away. My aunt Daliah smiles at me and kisses my cheeks before leaving me to open the front door.

I turn the doorknob all the way and pull the door open and find myself with my favorite cousin. "Yo Anna! I didn't know you were coming!" Micah hugs me tightly as he picks me up and twirls us around with me in the air. I laugh as he puts me down on my feet and shrug. "I didn't even know there was a family gathering today, I only came over cause I had no other place to stay at." I tell him truthfully.

Micah, other than Kinsley, is the only family member here who knows how difficult my relationship with my mother is. Although we don't talk very much over the phone, the moment we see each other in real life I tell him every detail about what's been going on in my life, me and my mom's relationship, my dad, school, ect..

"Oh, so you were staying around here in San Francisco?" He asks and I nod. "Why?"

I let out a breath and tap on his shoulders. "Come on in and i'll tell you the whole story." I tell him and he comes right in giving me a kiss on the forehead.

"Annie! Look at you, wow. You have grown so much since the last time I saw you. I swear each year you look more and more like your mother." My uncle Atticus greets me and I give him a thankful smile and hug. "Thanks uncle Atticus, how's Aunt Jodie?" I ask and he shrugs. "You know how she is, never missing a day of work. Can't even bother to miss a day for a family gathering." He scoffs and I giggle. "I'll head off then, it's very nice to see you here Annie." He tells me and I nod as he walks inside towards his other brothers and sisters.

"You planning on coming in or are you going to stay out there the entire night?" I ask Ethan dryly holding the door ready to slam it shut at any moment.

"Haven't decided yet. I was going to come in but now that I know that you're here maybe i'm better off staying outside." Ethan responds back and I shrug and smile.