You and Me, Always.

5 Years

Ana's POV

Hi. I'm Ana. Well, my full name is Giana Cecilja Manrara. This is my diary, which you shouldn't be reading 'cos it's private but I like you so you can.

I have a twin sister called Eva. It's pronouned 'Eeeee-va' in case you didn't know. He name is Evalina and her middle name is Joanne, like mummy's friend. Mummy tells us about her sometimes. She always tells us she isn't crying but I know she is. Mummy is strong like that. She's the strongest mummy I know.

She always tells stories about our life in London. We used to live there years ago, when Eeeeeva and I were just babies. We don't live there anymore though.

It always rains in London. Aunt Karen and Uncle Kevin and their son and daughter Kody and Katrina always videochat and tell us. Kody is 9. He is really cool and I think Eva secretly likes him. They'll get married one day, and me and Karina are going to be the bridesmaids.

We live in California. It's lovely and warm here and Eva and I always swim in our pool. Oh, we have a pool - did I say that? We live in a place called Los Angeles. I like it because it sounds like Angels. It's always sunny too. Mummy tells us that her nickname used to be Morena because she was always tanned. She is always tanned now, but Morena is tricky to say so we just call her mummy. She likes that.

Our dad is called Allyash. I don't know how to spell his name because I've never been taught. He lives in London with his new wife Faye. He hasn't visited us once. I think he doesn't love us. Or mummy. How could anyone not love mummy? She's the sweetest person in the world, even if she makes me do chores. He isn't a part of our lives.

I have to go now 'cos mummy is calling me and Eva down for lunch.

***

"I wrote in my diary mummy, do you want to hear?" Ana gushed, sprinting into the kitchen where Janette was busily preparing pasta. "Go on then, chica." She smiled at her daughter while she read. As the words filled the otherwise silent kitchen, she slipped off into a daydream.

*Flashback*

-5 years ago-

"Well, my sweet daughters, this is your new home!" Janette shouted as she pushed open the door to an unfurnished house. It was collecting dust having been empty for a fair amount of time but was bathed in the sunlight of that afternoon.

She stepped into the house and the twins toddled after her.
"Wos dis mumm-mumm?" Eva babbled as she pointed to the door leading to the garden. Janette strode over and unlocked it, holding it so the girls could see.
"Woweeeee, is a swim pool!" Ana exclaimed, raising her eyebrows like she saw her mum do. Eva stood with her little hands covering her mouth, awestruck at the sight. The house was perched on a hillside and the view over the valley was stunning. Janette smiled, feeling at peace for the first time in a long while.

*End Of Flashback*

"Ana-boo, what did you just say?" Janette snapped back into it just as Ana had reached her paragraph of Aljaz. "I was jus' saying about Dad and stuff." She looked up at her mum, her eyes as wide as pools. Janette looked down into them, before giving her a reassuring smile.

Ana, however, saw right through this. "Why are you doing your sad-eyes smile?" She enquired, just as her sister ambled in with her shorts on inside out. "Oh, Evie-weevie, your shorts are wrong again, come here baby bear!" She mock tackled the child, swinging her into the air and sorting out her clothing. "Why sad mummy?" Ana tugged at her leg, insistent on getting an answer.

"Sweetie, come with me." Janette walked over to the couch in the lounge with Eva in her arms and Ana shortly behind. She olaced Eva on the couch and Ana climbed up beside her, both watching her scramble around a cupboard in the corner. She pulled out three albums - photo albums.

"Scooch!" She smiled, before placing herself in the middle of the twins. She opened the first album, marked 'August 2015 - August 2016'

"Loook! Thas' mummy!" Eva exclaimed, pointing her small sausage fingers at the tiny face on the page. "You got it!" Janette replied. "And this is your Dad," she said, pointing at the man beside her. Her eyes steamed over at the sight of Aljaz. "Donut cry!" Ana exclaimed, tapping her mother's cheek with her sticky hands. Janette smiled at her daughter, whose little cherub face became clear again as she wiped her eyes.
"Daddy and I were married before. We used to live together, here -" She paused, pointing to a photo of the pair of them in Christmas jumpers in a house. "We were in love. And then you two arrived and our little family was perfect." She flicked through the next few pages and into the next album. "But slowly, as the months went by, he became more and more distant. I had to look after you two all day, not that I didn't like ut, but he would go out and not come back until late, until we were asleep." She paused, trying to hold it together. This time, Eva gently rubbed her arm as much needed encouragement. "That's why a lot of these photos are just of us three." She showed the girls, who looked on in awe at the pages and pages of matching outfits. "One day, I decided enough was enough. And he agreed. We had a terrible fight that day. I saw a side to him I didn't know existed. And it broke my heart." She was once more on the verge of tears, but her daughters both grabbed her hands. Ana whispered, "You have us mummy." Eva nodded in agreement, before adding "Always."

Tears rolled down Janette's face; she tried to speak . "I-I-I don't kn-know wh-wh-why I told y-you this. You're o-only five y-years o-old."
"But we wanted to know, and we are glad we know now." Eva explained, squeezing Janette's hand. "Yes, and we can always look after you, after each other. The three muskateers.' Ana added. She wiped her mum's tear-stained cheeks and kneeled to reach her ears to whisper - " There, there mummy." Her breath tickling Janette's ear. She smiled and pulled Ana and Eva into her lap simply sat, face buried in their strawberry-shampoo scented heads as they squirmed and squealed with joy, happy that she had two daughters who meant the whole world and more to her. It may not have been perfection, but it was perfect for her.