With Love, Silvia. [✔️]

Chapter 35: Sing it Out

"Our flight got cancelled for tomorrow." Dad says at breakfast the next morning. 

Emma, Erica, Dad, and I all sit around the large circular table with a heaping plate of pancakes in the middle. Owen and Emily are playing in the family room. 

I can see Emma smile softly, and I'm glad too. I wasn't quite ready to say farewell yet. 

"What about your schoolwork?" Erica asks intently, since this would be my fourth day away from school. 

"I can catch up. I have some friends in my classes and I can just borrow their notes." I say. 

Dad and Erica seem satisfied with my answer, and I turn to Emma. 

"Iris invited me to go shopping, do you want to tag along?" I ask. 

She glances at Erica, who gives her a tired smile. "You should go, it'll be good to get out of the house." 

Dad finishes off his orange juice. "I'm catching up with an old friend, again. So, I guess we'll see you later." 

Emma and I run up to our room and get dressed. I'm sliding a red halter top over my head when Emma asks me something from across the room. 

"So, how was your chat with Wes?" she asks. 

"Uh, refreshing I guess." I say, and adjust my black skinny jeans so not too much of my midriff is showing. 

"So you're back to normal?" she asks. I can see her cleaning off her glasses with the hem of her shirt. 

"Pretty much." I say. I'm not sure if I should tell her of the kiss or not. 

The topic fizzles out before she can ask anymore questions. I put my hair in a bun, apply some lipstick, then put on Mom's jacket and a pair of boots. 

"Ready?" I ask. 

Emma nods. I grab my purse, double checking that my journal was in there, then we go downstairs. Erica is washing up the dishes and Dad is on the phone. 

"I wanna go shopping!" cries Emily. 

Emma looks at her sweetly. "Maybe next time. Just big girls today." 

"But I am a big girl!" she screams. 

Eric comes into the room. 

"Enough." she yells, cutting through Emily's cries. "You girls, go. I can take care of this." she says and scoops Emily into her arms. 

We rush out the door and cross the street, kicking up the freshly fallen snow in the road. 

I knock on the door, and Wes answers. Great. 

"Hey guys." he smiles. 

"Hi there." I say, and smile back, but give him a warning with my eyes not to speak of anything that happened yesterday. I didn't want to tell anyone just yet. 

"Iris is upstairs." he says, and moves to the side so we can get through. 

Once he's out of earshot, Emma whispers to me. 

"You two still seem a bit awkward if you ask me." 

I shrug it off and we go upstairs. Iris is in her room, listening to music I've never heard, and reading a book. She gently places it down when she notices us. 

"Geez, I thought you two would never show up!" she laughs then reaches for the volume button on her stereo, silencing the strange music. 

"Oh, and Emma. What a surprise!" She says and pulls her into a hug. "Are you doing all right?" she asks, with real concern in her voice. 

I loved the way Iris really cared about everyone, she was so selfless, something I wish I could obtain someday. 

"Yes, getting better." Emma says with a weak smile. 

"Good." Iris says. 

She grabs her purse and keys, flipping them in the air. 

"I cannot wait until I get my license. It's hard to find a person to accompany me in the car with only a permit." she says, groaning.

"When do you turn sixteen?" I ask and we step out into the cold again. 

"February 1st." she says and unlocks her car. 

"No way! That's my birthday!" I exclaim. 

"Seriously?" she asks, her eyes wide with excitement. 

"We have to celebrate together!"  I say, clapping my hands. "With Wes too, since he's your twin." I add. 

I get into the passenger door, and Emma gripes about having to sit in the back, but does it anyway. 

Iris turns on the radio, and we all sing along, all the way to the store. 

This was one of the happier times. A time when I felt I was completely repaired, and my brittle rubber bands were replaced with new ones. 

But deep down in my heart, I knew that tomorrow, nothing would ever feel the same.