The Prices I Pay ((MIKE ZACHARIAS X ERWIN SMITH X OC))

Chapter 33

Silica felt like she was sleepwalking as she followed Dot out of the carriage. There was a loud ringing in her ears that only grew in intensity the closer they got to the house, and Silica had to consciously focus on her breathing as Dot moved to open the door.

She couldn't understand why she was so incredibly nervous, and did her best to choke it down while she forced one foot in front of the other. Upon entering the house, Silica could see a staircase leading into a dim hallway. There were two doorways on the walls adjacent from each other, and the air smelt of firewood. She could hear voices coming from the doorway on their left, and felt weighted as she followed Dot toward the chatter.

Her heart beat loudly in her chest, and when she finally turned the corner into the den, the world felt like it sped up again. There were three people sitting across from each other on the sofas, and a girl sat tucked into a window seat on the wall directly across from where she stood. They locked eyes as Silica entered, and held each others gaze for a moment before the others had noticed Silica's entry.

"I've brought a long awaited visitor." You could hear the grin in Dot's voice as he gestured to Silica, and she found herself struggling on what she should do.

A grey haired woman was the first to stand, and Silica immediately assumed her to be Annalise. She had dark amber eyes and curly hair. Her skin was tan and aged, and she had a shocked look on her face as she hastily approached Silica. She looked startlingly like her mother.

"Silica," her voice was deep and gentle. She looked upon Silica's face with adoration in her eyes, like she was admiring something beautiful. "Look how big you've grown. It's been so long..."

Silica sucked in a breath as she watched Annalise's eyes begin to water, and tensed when she pulled her into a tight embrace. She got a waft of rosy perfume, and felt a comforting heat radiating off of her as she carefully returned her hug.

"You don't know what this means to me," she said as she pulled away. "I'm your grandma, Annalise. I know you don't remember me, but the last time I saw you, you were just a tiny thing."

Annalise had a bit of an accent that Silica couldn't place. Her smile did not falter as she spoke, and she ran her thumbs along Silica's knuckles when she took her hands.

"It's nice to meet you." Silica smiled softly at her, and followed as Annalise pulled her further into the room.

"I'm sure you've been anxious to meet everyone." Annalise continued as she gestured toward her yet-to-be-named relatives. The girl that had been sitting by the window was now standing beside the older man who sat on the sofa to Silica's left. Her expression was hard to place, and her eyes never left Silica's.

"Hi," the boy that had been previously sitting beside Annalise immediately stood with a grin on his face. He was bright and youthful, and his eyes were the same shade as Dot's. His hair was brown and shaggy, and his hands were warm when he took Silica's. "I'm Lake. It's real nice to finally meet you, you've been a hot topic here for a few months now!"

"Is that so?" Silica humored him as he pulled her down to sit beside him.

"Oh yeah," Lake nodded quickly. He turned to the man that sat across from him. "This here is my dad, Moritz, and that's my sister, Fiona."

He gestured to the girl who had been tentatively staring at her since she arrived, and when Silica looked up to her, her stoic expression finally melted into a small, shy smile.

"We're happy to have you, kiddo," Moritz leaned forward in his seat with his hand held out to her. She shook it firmly. "I could tell you were Agnis' kid as soon as I saw you. You look just like her."