FULL CIRCLE

The comical ways to use banana's

After a few minutes of Lauren's break down, she noticed how tight her daughter was holding her and realized she was probably worrying everyone. Normally she was allowed to take the time she needed to gather herself, but Leah didn't have that time. Brad was coming for her, and when she looked up wiping her eyes, she got a good look at her daughter, and while it usually filled her with pride that her daughter looked like her carbon copy as a teen, now it scared the shit out of her. She pushed aside the mixed feelings she had regarding her father, and steeled herself to bring herself pack to reality. She saw the worried gazes of her family, and chuckled despite the tension in the room.

"What's so funny?" Leah asked calming as she released her mother from the tight embrace she had around her to see what was going on. When she saw everyone's equally confused expressions on their faces, she started to wonder if her mother was losing her mind.

Shaking her head as she stood, Lauren cleared her throat from laughing and looked into her worried daughters eyes and said,"I just wasn't expecting this to be the way we all ended up in the same room together."

Once Leah had looked around the room confused, she realized there were three faces she had never met before, and blushed as her sudden shy nature surfaced.

Camila seeing this giggled with Lauren as she laughed, the others shooting them looks of disapproval. Properly chastised when Sofie elbowed her from where they stood in the room, Camila mumbled defensively as she rubbed her stomach, "It was kind of funny."

"Lauren if you're alright how about you introduce us to Leah hmm? The three of us have waited many years to be able to finally meet her." Clara clucked, shooting her daughter a reproachful, yet sympathetic look.

Sighing, Lauren stood up and motioned Leah to do the same. The teen scrambled to her side, grabbing her hand nervously as Lauren led her towards her three members of her original family.

"This is my birth mother Clara Morgado, and my siblings Taylor and Chris Jauregui." Lauren said, motioning to them slowly so Leah could remember them.

The teen stood in shock until she blurted out, "You have siblings? I didn't know that! I have aunts and uncles? I mean Sofie is kind of my aunt but she's always been more a sister than an aunt...." The teen rambled on nervously, shooting Camila and Sofie a glare for not informing her of this.

Taylor stepped forward and laid her hands gently on Leah's shoulders, making her stop talking as she turned to look at her Aunt nervously.

She was surprised to see tears forming in the young woman's eyes, and was touched with the words that fell from her lips, that she instantly relaxed.

"I'm Your aunt Taylor. The last time I saw you was when Lauren had given birth. You looked so much like her it was amazing, but to see you now, looking just like she did at your age is astonishing. You have grown up so beautifully, and we can't wait to get to know you." Taylor mumbled emotionally as she pulled the teen into a tight embrace.

An affectionate smile grew on the teens lips, and she allowed her aunt to pull her into warm hug. Once she was released, Taylor stepped aside as Chris took her place, tears of his own present.

"I'm your uncle Chris. I can't wait to hear stories about you and see if you were as bad as your mom as a kid. You've got her looks but do you have her sass?" He asked her jokingly as he hugged her to him.

"She has plenty of that, I've got her on video torturing the neighbors, I'll make you guys a copy." Camila boasted, sending her daughter a wink as the room filled with laughter, the tension finally easing.

Chris patted his niece on the back lightly as he released her, moving away so his mother could greet her.

Clara had a difficult time removing her eyes from the teen since the second she entered the room. Like Mike, she was transported to a different time, a different girl, and it made her continuously swallow the lump in her throat.