Never Ending

| ANNIVERSARY |

"Hey, you good Em?" Lyla asks me when I walk over to their spot on the sand, looking frazzled. 

Her comment brings Tom's attention from a conversation he was having with Jay over to me. 

"What's wrong Love?" He pulls me into his lap on a towel. 

I laugh, trying to make it sound super believable. "I'm fine, the nachos took longer than expected." I put the tray of food down and gave Tom the big bag of Jolly Ranchers I had bought. 

The excuse fools everyone but Harley, and she sends me a look.  

"You really are the best." Tom tells me. 

I flip my hair, "I know."

"Come on, get your dumb asses up and let's go swimming!" Maddie screams at us. 

"I'm gonna sit out for a bit, my sunscreen is still setting in." I tell them. 

"I'll stay with you Cuz, water grosses me out." Harley scrunches her nose in disgust. 

I smile at her calling me her cousin, "Right?! Like who wants to go in a bacteria infected liquid filled with slimy creatures?!" I ask. The others roll their eyes at us but we're laughing. 

"Suit yourselves, don't eat too much of my candy." Tom jokes. 

When they're outside of hearing distance, Harley turns to me. "So what happened?"

I sigh, "Not much, I saw a man that had files and a picture of me when I was younger. He knew my parents apparently. Kind of a coincidence seeing as tomorrow is the 13 year anniversary from when I was taken, and when they died." 

"If you wanted to know about them, you could've asked me." She says softly, smiling sadly at me. 

"You remember them?" I whisper. 

"A little bit, I don't remember them telling my parents that they had a niece though." I nodded to her to continue, "Your mom was the best. I don't know why I didn't make the connection earlier, you look just like her, same lying face too." I laugh at that. "You have your dad's smile though. And his personality. Always wanting to do something for others, while also not caring what people say about you. Your mom made the best cookies, but your dad was better at cooking meat dishes. They were so sweet, and always bought me the best gifts on my birthday and holidays. I am so glad that I met you. You're one of the kindest people I know Meg, don't let anyone change that."

I was in tears by the end of her speech, and so was she. We hugged and cried into each other. 

*MEANWHILE WITH THE OTHERS* (Tom's POV)

"I wonder what Meg and Harley are talking about." I wonder, looking over to where Megan and Harley were smiling sadly to one and other.

"Really man? Didn't you see the look Har gave her? She was looking straight into her soul or something." Justin throws the beachball to me. 

We continue playing catch but I freeze when I see Megan start to cry. 

"Leave her be Tom, Harley can do a better job at comforting her through this than anyone can. Even if her parents were still here." Maddie tells me, following my worried gaze. 

Lyla nods too, "Yeah, do you not know what tomorrow is?" She rolls her eyes when she sees me looking confused, "It's the 13th year anniversary from when her parents died and when she was taken."

I gape at them. I should've known this, I've known her since she was 2! Of course she 'moved away' when she was 3 and 'moved back' with 'new parents', but I didn't think anything of it at the time. 

"I have an idea, why don't we take her for a mani-pedi & spa day after school tomorrow Ly? And then we can all meet up at the mall to go shopping and have a bit of food?" Maddie suggests. I smile gratefully at her, and she returns it. 

"Yay! Mine needed a refresh anyway, I haven't had them done since Christmas!" Lyla exclaims.