Unforgettable | Kai Cenat

3:5

February 28, 2023

Atlanta, GA

Tori's POV

I was sitting in the restaurant booth, hands folded tightly in my lap, staring at the tablecloth like it could offer me some answers. I had been here for about twenty minutes already, waiting for her to arrive. The nerves in my stomach were only getting worse, and no amount of deep breaths was going to calm them down.

It had taken me a week just to work up the courage to reach out to her. A week of second-guessing myself, wondering if I was doing the right thing, wondering if she would even want to see me after all this time. And now that she was actually on her way, I was questioning every decision I'd ever made.

I glanced at my phone. No new messages. Kai was busy, as usual, with work and AMP stuff. It wasn't like I wanted him here, though. I just needed to do this alone, to face my mom and whatever came with that.

A few minutes later, I looked up from my phone when I heard the door open. My heart skipped when I saw her walk in.

She looked the same. Her hair was a little shorter now, but her smile was still warm, just like I remembered. Her eyes were wide with excitement, and when she spotted me, she waved and made her way over.

"Hi Toriana...can we hug?" She asked, opening her arms to me.

I nodded hesitantly and couldn't help but be tense as she embraced me.

"I'm so glad you reached out," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

There was so much I wanted to say, but it wasn't the right time. Instead, I pulled away and gestured to the seat across from me.

"Sit," I said, trying to keep it light.

She did, and there was this moment of silence where I could feel the weight of everything. I didn't know where to begin.

"So how is everything? How's your friend Dani?" She asked innocently, just trying to break the ice.

"We're not cool anymore," I admitted, which seemed to catch her a bit off guard, but she nodded anyway.

"Sorry to hear that."

"It's for the best..." I replied, quieter than I intended to..

"Well how are you doing? You look so much better than the last time I saw you." She continued, her smile returning.

I'm really good, actually. Better than ever," I said, still trying to shake my nerves.

"I'm so proud of you, Tori. I know it hasn't been easy, but you've really come a long way."

I gave a soft smile in response. It was a lot to hear those words come out of her mouth, especially since I'd never heard them.

Then she shifted in her seat, clearly gathering her thoughts. "And what about your relationship?"

I took a deep breath before answering. "Kai and I are... we're better than ever," I said. "We've been through a lot, but we're good."

Her eyes softened with a mixture of relief and hope. "I'm glad to hear that. That's really good."

But then, her expression changed again, like she was preparing to share something important. "Tori, I think if we're going to repair things, we have to be honest with each other. So, I want to tell you something."

I sat up straighter, my heart pounding in my chest. "What is it?"

She hesitated for a moment before pulling out her phone. "I had another child," she said quietly.

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean? A child...?"

She swiped through her photos and then turned the screen toward me. "This is your sister, Tori," she said, a small, bittersweet smile on her face.

I stared at the photo on the screen for what felt like an eternity-a little girl, around five years old, with dark eyes and messy curls. She looked so much like I had when I was younger.

"I wanted to be a mother again," my mom continued softly. "I had her through a sperm donor. I just... I wanted another chance. I never expected it to happen, but here she is. Her name is Kodi."

My mind was racing, processing the words, the picture, the fact that I had a little sister I didn't even know existed. It was too much. Too overwhelming. I couldn't even begin to wrap my mind around it.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I didn't want to break down in front of her-not here, not now. I quickly wiped them away and forced a smile. "She's cute," I said, my voice tight.

My mom seemed to sense my discomfort, but she pushed through anyway. "I know this is a lot, but if you ever wanted to meet her I'd happily let you. I'd love to have both of you in my life and one another's."

I nodded slowly, but I didn't have the words. Everything felt too heavy, like the air was starting to suffocate me.

The conversation started to dwindle after that. My mom talked about how happy she was that I'd reached out, how grateful she was that we could reconnect, but my mind was elsewhere. I could hardly focus on her words.

Eventually, she stood up to leave, giving me one last hug. "I really hope we can keep building on this," she said with a hopeful smile.

I nodded again, forcing a smile. "Yeah, me too."

After she left, I stayed in the restaurant for a little longer, just sitting there, trying to absorb everything. But nothing was really sinking in.

When I got home, I went straight to my journal. I needed to get my thoughts out, even if I didn't fully understand them yet. I wrote for a while, then made myself some food, watched a movie, and picked up my knitting. It was small comfort, but it helped.

Kai came home later, and I could see he was in his usual upbeat mood, talking about his day. But when he saw my face, he stopped, his smile faltering.

"What's wrong ma?" he asked, walking over to me.

I shook my head, not ready to talk about it just yet. "Can we talk about it some other time?"

He nodded, pulling me into a hug. We didn't need to say much after that. We just spent the evening together, curled up on the couch. And I allowed myself to find the much needed solace in his presence.