Till we meet again

Chapter 1: A not so Happy Birthday

I live in the small town of Eretria, working at my family's bakery. I love my family although they can get a bit much, like today. Today I turn 18 and on your 18th birthday you get the first words your soulmate will say to you on your wrist. Although I think mine are wrong because 'phone' is not a word. Maybe I just saw it wrong. I look back down at my wrist for the hundredth time, yet the same 5 words stare back up at me. 'Hey you dropped your phone'. I look up from my wrist to the ceiling, closing my eyes and sighing. Looks like I'm taking a trip to the hall today. I hate going there, it brings back bad memories. Memories which still haunt my dreams. But I need get these words corrected because there is no way these are right. Unless my soulmate is a crazy. Please can I not have a crazy soulmate. "Ada, stop day dreaming, breakfast is ready." The voice whispers in my ear, I yelp, falling off my chair. I open my eyes and I'm immediately meet with amused hazel ones. Anastasia, my older sister. Her olive skin compliments her dirty blonde hair, which is currently up in a messy bun, two strands frame her face. She always looks more like Papá. As did Iris, my younger sister. Although she has blue eyes like me.

"Happy Birthday Rose." Ana laughs at my glares before helping me me up. "Thanks Sofia" I reply, pulling her into a hug. "ANASTASIA, ADARA" Yaya shouts up the stairs. "COMING. We better go before she comes and fetches us." Ana whispers, the amusement evident in her voice. I giggle at our inside joke about our Yaya. Ana releases me from her hold, quickly walking towards my door. "Ana" I call over my shoulder while sitting down on my chair in front of my mirror. "Yes?" Ana questions, stopping in my doorway "Please tell everyone I'll be down in a second, I just need to finish my hair." I reply pulling my hair back, starting a lose braid. The small 'mhm' sound the only reply I get, before hearing the footsteps slowly fading down the hall. I take one final look in the mirror, checking that everything was perfect. My sisters say I look like goddess because of my golden blonde —which reaches my waist when I wear it down—which compliments my ocean blue eyes and olive skin. I'm 5'6 with — according to them — curves in all the right places. I don't look much like my sisters, I look more like my Mamá. "ADARA" Yaya shouts from the stairs again."Coming" I reply getting up from my chair and rushing to get down stairs.

"Happy Birthday" a unison of voices shout as I walk through the bakery doors. I smile, being engulfed in a hug by my Yaya and Popo which I quickly returned. They soon release me and I walk over to Iris and Ana pulling them into a hug. "My little girl is all grown up" Mamá says with tears streaming down her face as I pull away from my sisters. I giggle, starting to tear up myself as I walk over to her. "No matter how old you get you'll always be my little goddess" Mamá whispers, while I lean into her hand that caresses my cheek. I wish I could stay in this peaceful bubble forever. "Can we eat now I'm starving" I giggle at my little sister's dramatics. "Of course" I reply picking her up and spinning us around. I stop placing Iris carefully on the ground, I smile down at my sister whose face is now red from laughing. "Let's eat" I say walking us over to the table.

"Yaya I've eaten enough, I promise" I reassure her. Breakfast was amazing, I got the biggest piece of bougatsa. I smile looking around at my family, Iris is giggling and running from Yaya who is now covered in flour, Ana is helping Popo with kneading the bread dough. I wouldn't trade them for the world. A hand on my shoulder pulls me from my thoughts I look up and see Mamá smiling down at me before sitting down next to me. "You know you don't have to stay here Méli, I know that you want to see your friends. We're having your lunch later with the whole family." She says her hand tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I look down and sigh remembering my words.
They are wrong.
You're soulmate isn't a nut job.
I look back up towards Mamá and force a smile. "Thanks Mamá, I'll see you later" I reply, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before I stand up and walk to the door. Their laugher and chatter becomes a distant memory as I close the door and walk down the road.