History

Chapter 2 - Family

The next morning Lydia slipped quietly out of bed ensuring not to wake Sam. She wanted to enjoy her morning cup of tea alone.

Usually the couple would sit together drinking tea, Sam would ask about her plans for the day ahead. But today the brunette wanted to be alone to collect her thoughts. She hadn't been able to sleep much last night, spending the night tossing and turning.

Closing the bedroom door quietly behind her Lydia padded along the hallway and opened the door to Gabriella's bedroom. The girl lay sleeping peacefully as her mother couldn't help but watch her for a few moments.

Her daughter was her world, Lydia had barely been sixteen when she was born but that day had changed her life in wonderful ways and nothing had made her prouder than to watch the  little girl grow up to become an amazing young woman.

Gabriella was a gentle and compassionate soul but she could be fiery at times especially when it came to standing up for the things she believed in. Her passion and dedication for any project she took on always made Lydia so proud of the teenager.

The young girl stirred in the bed, rolling over onto her side. Lydia smiled softly before closing the door and making her way downstairs to the kitchen.

As the kettle bubbled Lydia looked out of the window at the beautiful garden where they had hosted many family barbecues, the sun was rising, spreading it's yellow orange rays over the decking area. Smiling, the brunette remembered the good times they'd shared in the garden.

On summer nights she'd always be the last one to come inside. The brunette would lay on one of the loungers staring up at the sky as the sun was setting.  The colours amazed her, the sky would go from Orange to pink, all the way to purple until eventually it would be dotted with stars as the last sliver of daylight disappeared.

Sam and Gabriella would urge her to come inside but nothing would budge her, not even the cold, often wrapping a blanket around her shoulders to stay warm.

Looking at that sky allowed her to dream, to drift off inside her own mind where she could feel every emotion, every feeling wash over her. The memories of times she had cherished filling her head, memories only she knew of.

That feeling ignited something in her, Lydia didn't know what, she just knew it felt good and would do anything to make that feeling last. So every night during summer it was the same routine, it soon became a ritual, unable to sleep until she had taken in the night sky.

The brunette couldn't understand why her fiancé and daughter couldn't see or feel what she did but she was happy to sit out there alone. It was better that way she thought.

Lydia was happy with her life, she had everything anyone could ever want: a loving fiancé, beautiful daughter, her own home and business. It was a comfortable life but sometimes just sometimes she would feel like something was missing, that something didn't fit well.

Staring at the sky would occasionally fill that void but only for a short time, as soon as she would come inside the feeling would return. It was unnerving.

Both her parents were dead and she was an only child,  often she wondered if that was what was missing.

Her mother had died when she was a teenager and her dad only a few years ago.

Her only living family was an aunt who lived in London.

Aunt Olivia was pushing 80 but still acted like she was in her twenties, refusing to get old and Lydia loved her carefree spirit, often wishing she could adopt that mindset herself.

The brunette was a definite type A personality. Everything had to be perfect and in order or she would feel in disarray, uneasy. So far she had lived her life to this order, except for getting married. That's the one thing that didn't seem to line up.