Always you

Chapter 1

The house is exactly as I remembered it, not a single thing has changed. From the flowers Alex and I planted, to the tyre swing me and Daniel put up, everything is the same, even after 13 years. Breathing in the air I missed so much, I can't help but wonder about how different my life would've been if I suddenly hadn't moved across the world.
I break away from my thoughts as I hear the trunk being slammed closed and the rolling of wheels on the pavement, followed by my uncle Sean. "Just as you remember it?," he asks me, a soft smile on his face as he comes up next to me and takes my hand in his, a million thoughts engulfed into a tiny gesture. I guess it's always been that way with uncle Sean, he knows me inside out.
"Just as I remember it." I reply and give his hand a small squeeze, before stealing away my luggage from him. He tries to protest but I clamp him down before he can say anything, walking ahead towards the front door of the house, with him on my heels. Slowly climbing up the steps all the memories come back rushing to me, flooding my head with a million smiles, tons of laughs and most of all, a very heavy goodbye.
My hands tremble as I reach out for the door knob, but mustering all my courage, I twist the metal in my hands, the cool sensation of it helping me calm down. As soon as I take in my surrounding I'm hit with a fierce wave of nostalgia. A smile erupts on my face just as Uncle Sean whispers "Welcome home, Sasha."
~
After calling my parents and finally tackling the dreading task of unloading my luggage, I'm sitting on my bed as I hear a voice laced with honey, like no other. "Is that who I think it is?" My head swivels in the direction of the door, and there she stands, in all her glory, Aunty Marie. Without a second thought, I leap into her arms, finally feeling the comfort of being wrapped around her after the longest time. We stay like that for a while, as she rubs her hands against my back, making me feel at home immediately.
I finally pull away, giving her space to breathe, as she plants her hands on my face. "It's so good to have you back sash," she says in a hushed voice, as she continues, " we've missed you."
"I've missed you too, a little too much," I reply as she silently laughs. It's always felt like this with her. Like I could tell her anything. She was always a second mother to me.
She tells me the boys are out, but they're going to be so surprised that I'm here. Oh my god, I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they get to know I'm here. They're going to be so surprised. After all, spending 13 years apart after being stuck at the hip since birth wasn't easy at all.
Even though I loved New York with all my heart, and was proud of what my family had accomplished there, my heart was always going to be in the outer banks. It never left this place. This was my home. Where I belonged. A place where I could be my true self, and hold no regrets.
Marie leaves me to get some rest, reminding me of the dinner party she's throwing in honour of my arrival. Always too fancy, isn't she? I change into a thin t-shirt and some shorts, and throw myself onto the bed, hoping I could get an hour of sleep before I see my two favourite people in the world.