Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 1~

~Raelyn~

~March 20th, 2004~

My earliest memory is etched in my mind like a scene from an old movie. I was just 5 years old, wearing my sparkly purple dress and matching shoes that glittered like stars, a perfect match for my silver eyes.

~

I was upstairs in my room, engrossed in a tea party with my dolls, Becky and Charlotte which had become part daily ritual for me at age 5. The room was filled with the soft murmurs of our imaginary conversations, the clinking of tiny porcelain cups, and the rustle of my dress as I moved.

"Raelyn, dinner's ready darling!" Mom's voice floated up the stairs, breaking the spell of my little world. I carefully placed Becky and Charlotte on their chairs, promising them I'd be back soon, and made my way downstairs.

The aroma of crumpets and the sight of a glass of milk greeted me as I entered the dining room. Mom, was heavily pregnant, her belly round and full with my soon-to-be baby sister, Isa. She moved slowly, her face a mix of exhaustion and a hint of something else—worry, perhaps.

Dad, sat at the head of the table, his eyes distant and his shoulders slumped. The usual chatter that filled our dinners was absent, replaced by an uncomfortable silence. It was strange, unsettling. I couldn't understand why everything felt so different.

Mom cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "How was your day, Raelyn?"

"It was good," I replied, taking a bite of my crumpet. "I played with Becky and Charlotte all day."

Dad's eyes flickered with a brief spark of interest. "Was it Becky's turn to win the tea party, or was it Charlotte's?" he asked, his voice soft but strained.

"Charlotte, of course," I said, smiling. "She always has the best biscuits."

There was a fleeting smile on Dad's face, but it didn't reach his eyes. The tension in the room was palpable, like a thick fog that made it hard to breathe. Mom and Dad exchanged looks—Mom's filled with concern, Dad's with a sort of resigned sadness.

Sensing the heaviness in the air, I quickly finished my dinner. "May I be excused?" I asked, my voice small.

"Of course, sweetie," Mom said, her voice gentle but tinged with an emotion I couldn't quite place.

I scampered back upstairs, eager to return to the comfort of my dolls and the world we created together.

~Brielle~

As soon as the sound of Raelyn's footsteps faded away, I turned my gaze back to Everette, my eyes narrowing. "What is it, Everette? You're hiding something from me." The urgency in my voice was clear, demanding the truth that had been kept from me.

"It's nothing brie," "No, it's not nothing, you've been silent all night long." Everette sighed, the weight of his secret pressing down on him.

"Brielle, there's something you need to know. It's about the war..." His words trailed off, but my heart raced, fear gripping me as I braced for the worst. Everett's gaze was heavy with a weight I recognized but wished not to acknowledge.

"I have to go away for a while," Everett's voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed a storm of emotions.

"The council called. We are on the brink of war darling. They need me to defend our country."

I stared at him, my mind refusing to piece together his words. "You're jesting, right love?" I laughed, the sound hollow.

Everett's face was a mask of solemn duty. "I wish I were, Brie. But the vampires and werewolves are on the brink of war. I must stand with my kind. Our... kind."

My heart plummeted. "are you fucking serious!" I pushed back my chair, my voice rising in disbelief. "Why are you doing this to me, to us?"

"I have no choice Brielle," Everette insisted, his voice growing louder to match mine.

"This is your idea of a joke Everette, you think this is funny!?" "of course, I don't! but-"

My frustration boiled over, and with a cry, I hurled my glass with water in it at the wall, watching it shatter.

~Raelyn~

I sat cross-legged on my bedroom floor, my doll Charlotte's plastic hand clasped gently in my own.

"Teatime is over, Charlotte," I whispered, pretending to sip from an invisible cup. The quiet hum of my imagination filled the room, a stark contrast to the silence that enveloped the rest of the house.

Suddenly, a sharp crash echoed through the walls, shattering the tranquility. My heart skipped a beat. Lacey, my loyal St Bernard perked up from her spot on the soft white rug, her ears twitching.

"What was that?" I murmured, my eyes wide with concern. I set Charlotte aside and crept to the door, Lacey close behind.

Peeking through the banister, my small hands gripped the wooden bars tightly. Below, my parents stood in the kitchen, their figures tense. My mother was clutching her belly, where little Isa was growing. My father had his back to the staircase, his shoulders rigid.

"How could you be so selfish?" dad leapt to his feet, anger flaring in his eyes as they turned crimson. "Selfish? I'm trying to protect our bloody family, Brielle!"

"You can't just leave us, Everett!" moms voice was shrill, laced with fear and anger.

Dad's voice was low and strained. "I have to do this, Brielle. It's bigger than us—bigger than anything. Our people our counting on me and the men."

"But your family is counting on you too!" Tears glistened in moms' eyes. "How can you choose them over your own children?" She sobbed out.

"Raelyn needs her father, Isa needs her father, and I need my husband!"

I felt a lump form in my throat. I didn't understand everything they were saying, but the weight of their words was heavy in my chest. Lacey nuzzled my hand, offering silent comfort. I crept closer, my heart pounding with the fear and confusion.

What is going on?

"I'm doing this for our daughters. This is for their future, for our future too, I'm sorry Brie I have to go!" dad said, his voice breaking with emotion. "I need you to be strong, for Raelyn and Isa. They'll understand one day."

Mom sobbed, and I felt my own tears spill over. I wished my dad didn't have to go. With Lacey by my side, I watched, my heart aching, as my world began to crumble.

"but Why now, Everette? With Isa on the way, don't they know I'm expecting?" My mom's voice cracked, raw with the fear of a mother and the vulnerability of a woman whose world was slipping through her fingers.

"I have to ensure the future is safe for all of us, especially for Isa and Raelyn." Dad replied, his voice strained with the pain of leaving us behind.

"don't guilt trip me you selfish bastard!"

"I'm trying to protect us!" he shouted angrily.

I clutched the banister, peering through the gaps, my young eyes wide with the innocence of 5 years. I couldn't understand the words, but the emotions were clear as day. My mother's anguish, my father's torn expression, it was a tableau of heartbreak.

The dim light of the ceiling cast long shadows as I clutched Lacey's fur, the tension in the air prickling my skin. My small heart raced with each raised voice that echoed from the kitchen where my parents stood, locked in a battle of words.

"Everette, you're not hearing me, you can't just leave us!" My mom's voice trembled, a mix of fear and anger. "Especially now, with Isa on the way. How can you think of war at a time like this?"

"It's not a matter of choice, Brielle," dad's voice was firm, yet I could hear the underlying pain.

"I must protect our family and village. It's my duty, and I must fulfill it."

"Duty!? What about your duty to me, to Raelyn, to Isabella?" Mom sobbed, her voice breaking as she spoke. "Isn't our life here worth fighting for?"

"Every moment away from you is torture, but if I don't go, it could mean danger for Raelyn, for all of us." His voice cracked, the weight of the bond they shared hanging between them.

"You know what she is, what that means. If anything were to happen to her because of her being a—"

"Don't!" Mom cut him off, her voice sharp as the glass shattered on the tile floors.

"Don't use our daughter's kind as an excuse for this. You think I don't know the risks?! That I don't lie awake at night fearing for her safety because of what she is?!"

My eyes welled with tears, my tiny hands gripping Lacey tighter. I didn't fully understand the words, but the sorrow my parents carried was unmistakable.

"I wish I never—" Everett's voice halted abruptly, the words unspoken yet hanging heavily in the air.

Mom gasped, the sound piercing my heart. "You wish you never what, Everette? Married me? Had Raelyn?"

"No, Brielle, no," Dad's voice softened as he walked over to her. "I regret nothing of our life together. But Raelyn's kind, if something happens to her or you while I'm away-" he said as mom put her hand on his cheek.

"No, you listen to me, I love you, nothing is going to happen," Mom interjected, her voice hollow.

"But to speak such things Everette...you can't leave us, Isa will grow up without a father, do you really want that?" mom said, her voice cracking.

"of course, I don't brie, you know that!"

Dads' footsteps thudded across the wooden floor as he moved away from mom. "but the council has made its decision. It's out of our hands."

"That's just political bullshit Everette, it's tearing our family apart!" moms retort was a slap of defiance as she walked over to him again.

"We should be working toward peace, not perpetuating this endless cycle of fear and hatred!" she said putting her arms up to the sides.

Dad sighed, the sound heavy with a burden too great to bear. "I was born a vampire, Brielle. This conflict is in my blood, whether I like it or not." He said putting his hand through his hair.

"And what about Raelyn?" moms voice softened but held a steely edge.

"She'll discover what she is sooner or later, and then what? Will you have her believe it's her fate to be part of this war?" dad said getting up and moving closer to mom.

"They're my children too, and I'll be damned if I let the council dictate how I protect them!" moms maternal ferocity echoed through the house. Dad sighed as he sat back down at the table. "I'm going in the morning."

Moms' eyes got wide as tears ran down her face. "YOU'RE WHAT?!" she paced around the room and then threw another glass into the wall. As glass scattered across the floor.

"Everette please don't do this!" she said as she fell to the ground and cried.

I couldn't bear it anymore. With Lacey in tow, I scampered back to my room, the argument a muffled storm behind my closed door. I whispered to Lacey, the only comfort in the chaos.

"Lacey, I don't want Daddy to go," I sniffled, burying my face in Lacey's fur. The voices rose again, a relentless wave crashing against the fragile walls of my sanctuary. My small form trembled in the darkness, the soft whimpers from Lacey matching the rhythm of my shaky breaths.

~March 21st 2004~

The morning air was heavy with a silence that contrasted starkly with the previous night's chaos. I stood at the doorway, my small hand gripping the frame, my eyes swollen from tears. Lacey, sensing my sorrow, nestled closer, offering the only comfort she could.

Dad knelt, his bags by the door, ready for the inevitable departure. "What's this sad face for, my brave little girl?" he asked, his voice a tender whisper.

"I want to go with you," I mumbled, my voice barely audible as I clutched my bear even tighter to my chest.

Scooping me up in his arms, my dad held me close, "I need you here, Raelyn. You're the strongest person I know, and your mom and Isa... they're going to need you now more than ever. Can you be my brave soldier and take care of them?"

I nodded, my face buried in his shoulder, my tears soaking through his shirt. Setting me down gently, he turned to my mom, who stood, a silent sentinel of strength, despite the pain etched on her face.

He pulled her into a deep embrace, kissing her goodbye, and then, with a tenderness that belied the warrior in him, he knelt to kiss Mom's belly. "Take care of your mom and sister," he whispered.

With a final hug, he shouldered his burden and joined the other men, each carrying the weight of their own silent battles. As the car pulled away, I watched through a veil of tears, my small hand raised in a farewell I didn't want to give. The car disappeared, leaving behind a trail of dust and a silence that echoed with the words left unsaid.

~

Inside the quiet kitchen, Mom poured cereal into two bowls, the clinking sound feeling too loud in the stillness of the morning. I sat at the table, my eyes distant.

"Mommy will Daddy be, okay?" my voice was small, almost lost amidst the mundane sounds of breakfast being prepared.

Mom forced a smile, though her heart felt like it was shattering with each word she spoke. "He's going to be just fine, sweetheart. Your dad is the bravest man I know."

"But what if he's not?" my question hung in the air, heavy and fearful.

Mom sat down beside me, taking my hand. "Then we will be brave for him. We'll hold onto hope and each other. That's what families do."

My kind? what is it?

"Mommy?" I asked, "what is it love?" "what am I? heard you and daddy talking about it last night." Her face went white. "It's nothing love, don't worry about it."

We ate in silence, the unspoken fears and what-ifs weaving a sorrowful tapestry around us. Tears mingled with our meal, each drop a testament to the love and pain of our shared uncertainty.

~
That memory will forever be etched into my heart as the worst day of my life.
~

~Brielle~

~April 23rd 2004~

As the London sky painted itself in hues of dusky pink and orange, I sat at our modest kitchen table, the emptiness of Everett's absence still lingering like a silent melody. Elder Alice, with her timeless grace, had filled the void with her presence, a comforting shadow in our little home.

Raelyn, with her four-year-old curiosity, was chattering away between bites of grilled chicken and rice. "Mommy, when will the baby come? Will she like chicken too?"

I couldn't help but smile at her innocence. "Soon, Raelyn, and I think she'll love chicken if she's anything like her big sister." I glanced at Alice, who was observing us with a soft, knowing smile.

Alice's voice, always so calm and collected, broke the comfortable silence. "And have you thought of a name for this little one, Brielle?"

I nodded, feeling the baby stir within me as if she too was eager to know. "Yes, I've decided on Isabella Grace."

"A beautiful choice," Alice replied, her ancient eyes sparkling with approval. "It carries strength and elegance."

Raelyn clapped her hands, rice grains sticking to her tiny palms. "Isa! I can teach her to count and to sing!"

I laughed, the sound mingling with the warmth of our small gathering. "You'll be the best big sister, Raelyn."

As dinner came to an end, Alice took Raelyn's hand, leading her to the bath. "Come, little one, let's get you ready for bed."

I listened to their laughter and splashes, a symphony of family life that eased the ache in my heart.

Later, as I tucked Raelyn in, her eyelids heavy with sleep, she whispered, "I love you, Mom. Tell Isa too."

"I will, darling. Sweet dreams."

The house settled into quiet as I retreated to my room, exhaustion pulling me into sleep's embrace. Alice, the keeper of our kind's history and politics, now a gentle guardian in our home, found rest in the guest room. And though our family was incomplete, the love that filled our home was as vast and enduring as the night sky that Elder Alice had watched over for centuries.

~

The stillness of the London night was abruptly shattered by my sharp cry of pain. My hands clutching the sheets, I gasped, "It's time," my voice laced with both excitement and a tinge of fear.

Elder Alice, who had been staying with us, was immediately by my side. "Breathe, Brielle. Just breathe. I'll get Raelyn," Alice said, her voice steady and calm, a stark contrast to my labored breathing.

Alice quickly went up the stairs to get Raelyn as I clutched my lower stomach. I sighed heavily. "Wow, you're gonna be a feisty little one."

After a few minutes, Alice descended the stairs with Raelyn who was asleep on her shoulder, between breaths, I managed to say, "Thank you, Alice. I don't know what I'd do without you here."

Alice, helping me into the car, replied, "You're never alone. Remember that."

The drive to the hospital was a blur of streetlights and whispered encouragements.

"You're doing great, Brielle. Just hold on," Alice reassured me as we sped through the deserted streets.

Raelyn groggily spoke, "What's going on mom?"

I smiled and said as I clutched her hand, "Your little sister is ready to meet you."

Raelyn sleepily smiled, "I can't wait to meet her!"

~

Upon arrival, a flurry of nurses whisked me away. In the chaos, I heard someone say, "You're going to meet your baby soon, Brielle. You're doing wonderfully."

~Raelyn~

Hours later, with the dawn creeping into the sky, I clung to Elder Alice's hand, waited anxiously. A nurse, with a smile as warm as the morning sun, announced, "Isabella is here, and she's perfect."

As we entered the room, my eyes were wide with wonder. mom, exhausted yet elated, beckoned me closer. "Look, Raelyn, your sister has Daddy's eyes," she whispered, her voice filled with love.

With tears brimming in my eyes, I looked down at the tiny bundle. "Hi, Isabella. I'm your big sister, Raelyn," I said softly, my small hand gently touching Isabella's cheek.

Mom's heart swelled with joy. Despite the absence of dads, the love in the room was palpable, a testament to the new life mom and dad had welcomed into the world.

The room was awash with the gentle light of dawn as I tentatively cradled little Isabella in my arms. "She's so small," I whispered, my eyes locked on the sleeping infant.

Mom watched, her heart full, as I adjusted to the weight of my new sister in my arms.

"You're a natural," mom encouraged, her voice soft with pride.

Turning to Elder Alice, moms' eyes conveyed a depth of gratitude words could scarcely capture. "Alice, I can't thank you enough for being here," she said earnestly.

"Having you here throughout the remainder of my pregnancy... it's meant the world to me, especially with everything else that's been going on."

Alice simply nodded, her wise eyes reflecting the bond they'd forged. "It's been my honor, Brielle. This family... you're very special," Alice replied, her hand resting reassuringly on my shoulder.

As I continued to hold Isabella, mom felt a sense of peace settle over her. We were a family adapting to change and challenge, but moments like these, filled with love and new beginnings, were the threads that held us together.

~September 3rd 2007~

~Raelyn~

I was on the living room floor, playing with my dolls charlotte and Becky, when Mom called out to me. "Raelyn, can you go check the mail, please darling?" she asked, her voice soft but tired. I looked up from my dolls and nodded quickly, setting them down gently before getting up. Isa, who was now 3, was napping on the couch, her tiny fingers clutching her favorite stuffed bunny.

I ran to the front door, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and dread. Checking the mail had become a daily ritual, one filled with hope but often ending in disappointment. Ever since Dad left for the war three years ago, every day felt like an eternity.

The war between the vampires and werewolves had reached a breaking point, and every man in our village had been called to fight. Dad left just a month before Isa was born. She's three now, and she's never met him.

I opened the mailbox and saw a single letter inside. My breath caught in my throat when I saw the familiar handwriting. It was Dad's. My hands trembled as I carefully opened the envelope, my eyes scanning the words quickly.

"Dear Brielle, and my beloved Raelyn and Isa," it began. "I know it's been a long time, and I miss you all terribly. The war has been difficult and dark, but I have hope that I will be returning home soon. Please stay strong for a little longer. I love you all so much. -Everett"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read the letter again, just to make sure I hadn't imagined it.

Dad was coming home.

I clutched the letter to my chest and ran back into the house.

"Mom! Mommy! It's a letter from Dad!" I shouted, my voice breaking with emotion.

Mom looked up from the kitchen table, her eyes wide with surprise and hope. "What does it say, Raelyn?" she asked, her voice trembling.

I handed her the letter, and she read it aloud, her voice cracking with emotion. Isa woke up and toddled over to us, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Is Daddy coming home?" Isa asked, her big eyes filled with curiosity.

"Yes, sweetie," Mom said, scooping Isa up into her arms. "Daddy's coming home."

We all hugged tightly, tears streaming down our faces. It had been so hard without Dad. Mom tried her best to keep things normal, but there was always something going on in the back of her mind, she knew something was wrong.