Meant To Be

Chapter 1 ~ June

1730 hours

July 11

TODAY IS MY 35TH BIRTHDAY. IT'S BEEN
eight years since I turned 27 and became an older and younger sister to Metias, my brother who died 22 years ago at the age of 27. My life was completely different eight years ago.

I didn't have Day eight years ago...

I hear a giggle and look up. Kaede and John, the twins, and Metias, the youngest, are all standing in front of me. I'm sitting on a bench out at the Drake Track, watching the three children run and play together. All three have silly grins on their faces and have their hands tucked carefully behind their backs, obviously hiding something.

I raise one eyebrow suspiciously and smile. "What are you guys up to?" I question. "Something..." I pause, tapping one finger to my chin, pretending to be clueless. "Something, mischievous?"

They all giggle even more. Metias, who hates keeping secrets from me, can't hold in the secret anymore. "Daddy told us to give you your pwesents!" He says excitedly. Being only 4 years old, he still can't talk right. But his name fits him nearly perfectly. He has darker hair, just like my brother, and his eyes are a gorgeous mix between brown and blue.

"Metias!" Kaede whispers forcefully. "Dad said we weren't supposed to tell her!" Being the oldest of the 3, Kaede thought that she should always be in charge of her younger brothers. Being 6, she had quite an I'm the Princess attitude, extremely similar to her father's sassiness. While Metias has dark hair and mixed eyes, Kaede and gorgeous dirty blond hair and brilliant blue eyes with tiny gold specks scatterd across them.

"Gosh, Kaede," interrupts John, the middle child. John has his father's purely blond hair, just like the John I knew years ago, but has my brown eyes. Speaking of his father...

"Okay, okay," I say, standing up. "I'm sure that Daddy won't mind that you told me." I say as I reach up and ruffle Metias' hair. "Speaking of which, where is your father?"

As the last words leave my mouth, someone suddenly wraps their arms around me, picks me up, and begins to spin me around in their arms. I start shrieking and laughing uncontrollably. When the spinning stops, I close my eyes and laugh as the kids and my attacker start to laugh too.

"Happy Birthday, June." the man whispers in my ear as he holds me close to his chest.

I open my eyes and I see him. It's the only person I would ever expect to see. Day. His beautiful blue eyes stare back at me, the two oceans I've always loved, one with a tiny ripple. "You little-" I begin, smiling brightly.

"Trot?" Day finishes, smiling back. "Cause, I guess I kinda am one, sneaking up on you like that."

"Yes," I say with a laugh. "You have been quite a trot lately." I say, trying out the Lake Sector term. As soon as I finish, I can't help but lift my head up and brush my lips against his. He returns my kiss and I can feel him smiling. All three of the kids moan in disgust in the background. I can't help but laugh a little.

Day sets me down carefully on the bench then comes to sit next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "So," he begins look past me at the kids. "You guys ready to show mom your presents for her?"

"Yeah!" They all shout in unison.

Kaede comes up to me first. "I'll go first," she starts, then stares back at her brothers. "Because mine is the absolute best present ever!" She hands me a small, neatly wrapped package. "I hope you love it, love it, love it, Mommy."

"Thank you, Kaede." I say as I begin to carefully tear the wrapping off. Inside the tiny box sits a necklace made of plastic. Tied to the end of it hangs a pendant just like the one Day told me about years ago. Along with it, a beautifully hand-made paperclip ring, similar to the one that sits on my finger now. I can't help but gasp in surprise. "Oh, Kaede," I whisper. "Did you make this yourself?"

"Yes!" She says proudly. "Daddy taught me how."

I look up at Day. "Really?" I ask.

"Really." He confirms, smiling.

I hold back tears. "Thank you." I whisper. I turn back to Kaede and hug her. "I love you so, so much."

"I'm next!" announces John. He walks up and hands me a package similar to Kaede's.

"Thank you, John." I say. Inside the new box is a neatly folded piece of paper. I unfold it, and see a drawing of a sunset with a poem written under it. I almost immediately recognize the words.

Each day means a new 24 hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment. You take it all one day at a time. You try to walk in the light.

"Did you draw this?" I ask John.

"Yeah," He says shyly. While being twins, John and Kaede are complete opposites in more ways than I can count. "Dad taught me that poem."

I look again at Day, and he nods in confirmation.

"Don't forget about me!" says a small voice. I look towards the voice and see Metias standing there. He clumsily runs up to me on his little four-year-old legs. I can't help but smile. I don't know what my brother used to look like when he ran as a child, but little Metias' run somehow reminds me of my brother. He hands me a small, folded piece of paper. "Here you go, Mommy!" He says cheerfully.

"Aw, thank you, Metias." I reply. I carefully unfold the paper. On the inside is a somewhat drawing of what looks like two people and possibly a dog.

"It's a pituwer of you, and youwr-" he cuts off abruptly when Kaede comes up and puts her hand over his mouth, picks him up off the ground, and spins him around, causing him to laugh, and then protest in surprise.

"Okay!" Kaede says, as she slowly backs up with Metias still struggling in her arms. "I think it's Dad's turn."

Day turns around and picks up a package that I hadn't seen before. "Happy Birthday, June." He whispers as he hands me the package.

I smile as I reply with a small "Thank you, Day." I slowly tear the wrapping on the package. Inside, I see a picture frame, and the picture itself takes me by surprise. It's a picture of me, Metias (my brother), and Ollie. It's an old picture that I forgot even existed. Printed across the bottom in a beautiful font, a quote reads, "Forever and Ever." Carefully tucked in the corner of the picture is another picture of two adults. At first I'm confused, but then I realize who the two people are. "My parents." I whisper, too softly for even Day to probably hear. I choke back tears, hoping that my children won't have to see their mother cry. "Day," I whisper, failing at my attempt to not cry. "It's beautiful."

"That's what I drawed!" says Metais. By this point, he had settled down and Kaede had released him. "I drawed your broder!"

My face falls completely as I give Metias a smile. "Oh, Metias." I say. "Come here you guys." I say, gesturing to all three children. "Family Hug."

As I'm surrounded by my family's arms, I can't help but thank the Someone that I prayed to years ago, begging that He let Day live, and that I would sacrifice anything for it. I thank Him for giving me hope.