Lilly & Julian

Chapter 4: 'You're having sex with someone while talking to me?'

"Lilly, I miss you!"

"Hey, aunt Jenna! I miss you too," an instant smile spread on my face once I heard her voice on the other end of the call and I quickly turned the tv's volume down.

"You never call anymore, Lil. It feels so lonely here," my aunt fake sobbed.

"We literally had lunch last week, J-J."

"Damn girl, let me at least pretend to be the mom whose children abandoned her," she scoffed.

I chuckled at her antics and she asked, "So what's up?"

I made myself comfortable and lied down on my beige colored couch in the living room of my apartment.

"Nothing, just Netflix and chill." As soon as I said those words, I mentally cursed myself.

"Lilly Evangeline West! You're having sex with someone while talking to me?"

I flinched, "No J! I swear I meant what I said! I was watching Netflix before you called me."

She replied, "And you expect me to believe you? I'm going to facetime just you wait."

"J no- ", but she already ended the call.

I sighed and not even two minutes later aunt Jenna's facetime request appeared on my mobile with her picture in which she had stuck her tongue out.

The call connected and I walked around my apartment pouting, "See! I was telling you I'm actually watching Netflix but you won't believe me, will you?"

Aunt J smoothed down her brown hair and gave me a fake smile, showcasing her wrinkles around the edges of her mouth and eyes, "You know damn well why I didn't believe you. Anyways, did you visit her?"

And just like that the atmosphere became tense.

"No, I haven't visited her since more than a week. I know it makes me a horrible daughter but ten years later and I still am not used to it. It's not easy." I avoided eye contact with her so that she didn't see my glossy eyes.

"Hey I know that feeling, okay? You can and should share everything with me. I'm your rock and you're mine. We've always been. She was my sister too and we were practically joined at hip. So, it's okay if you are not used to it yet because so am I not."

I finally looked at her and was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

"I love you, J-J."

"Love you too, kiddo. Have you thought about the other thing?"

I pressed my lips in a thin line and replied emotionlessly, "My decision is final. I saw what happens and I don't want that."

She nodded her head exasperatedly, "Okay . . . just remember you still have time to change your mind."

I nodded in return.

We talked more for a while before finally calling it a day.

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I placed the bouquet of lilies under my mom's tombstone and sat before it.

"Hey, mom."

Of course, I got no reply but a breeze greeted me as though it was my mom saying, "Lilly baby, you're back!" Just as she used to when she was alive.

"Blake and Hannah are getting married! You remember how those two used to be so shy in high school towards each other? Yeah, now they're finally going be husband and wife. It's bizarre honestly, I mean-"

I couldn't continue though, my feelings overwhelmed me and I choked on a sob, wishing my mom was still present with me to see all this herself.

I cried and cried and cried.

"It's been ten years, mom. A whole decade yet, I still can't accept and live with it. I miss you so fucking much, mom. Why did cancer had to take you away from me?! Why you?!"

My mom was diagnosed with leukemia when I was sixteen. I remember that night distinctively when she told me; I cried in her lap all night.

She got chemo therapy for two full years and when I turned eighteen, she became so weak and fragile that God had to take her away. She couldn't even breath without pain. It didn't help that this happened just a day after I got graduated.

"I'm proud of you Lilly, always remember that." Were her last words to me.

Aunt Jenna was the cool aunt who was single with a cat and her bank balance almost similar to a millionaire. To this day I never understood what she really did as a job.

She was the only sister my mom had and we three were our each other's everything. My dad walked out on my mom as soon as he found out my mom was pregnant.

No, she was neither poor nor kicked out. Instead, she had a really good job as a chef at a restaurant and a two-room apartment in Paris which she bought all by herself.

So yes, she raised me pretty well. The only problem my dad had was that he didn't want a burden of child that's why he left. And honestly, fuck him.

Aunt J helped me after mom died and even sent me to ISC Paris Business School for college even though I told her to not spend so much money for me. But she was one stubborn woman to convince.

Once I graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing, I got an internship at Influitive advertising agency for six months. I don't know if it was luck or fate, but thankfully I soon got a permanent job there and eventually a promotion making me the Art Director of the Art Department in our agency.

I soon got a three-bedroom apartment at rent with one of the best views in Paris because well, not to brag but my salary was very good. Especially, after the promotion.

One thing which I still hoped for was for my mom to be with me all this time and see her daughter accomplishing all these things by herself.

Life can be so cruel at times.

And on a side note; fuck you, cancer.

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so this was sad....her aunt is just *chef's kiss* I won't be updating on weekend so there ya go w the double update 💀

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