The Shadows of Memory Lane (Book 2) [Gxg]

Chapter 24

It was the weekend after she joined the new university. Hints of the previous night's drunk state lay under her eyes in the form of bags. Her head was pounding. But she'd taken medicine to stop it. She'd met Jimena, but everything was a blur. She was going home. She'd promised her that she'd come back every weekend. She staggered onto the train, half asleep. She clung onto the handhold, ignoring the free seat. She leaned on the pole, trying to catch a few minutes of sleep. It seemed too soon when the train stopped. She got off, rubbing her eyes, splashing water from her bottle on her face. She clutched her bag, and walked out of the station. She breathed in the familiar beach air and flinched. She felt the sun burning her skin. Yet she shivered. The salt in the air was like thorns on her bare skin. She shrugged on the jacket of responsibility that she'd shed for the night.

She managed a brilliant smile. She fixed her hair. She shook her plastic bag, making sure it was still there. She straightened out her clothes, and bounced on her feet, perking her energy. Her hand shook a bit, revealing her true feelings, as she reach out for the doorbell. It opened before she could take her hand off the switch.

"Mummyyyyy. I missed you so much!!" 

She felt little arms go around her legs, squeezing them. She gazed at the puddle of curl brown hair, that she could see, lovingly. She felt a little tiny hand grasp onto her little finger and drag her instead. 

"Amia, glad to see you honey," her dad said, coming out of the living room. He pulled his daughter into an embrace. Her mom came out of the kitchen, nodding her head to some random eighties song. Amia could hear it, as the speakers pounded loudly in the kitchen. When the kitchen door opened, the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafted out of it.

"Heyy sweetie."

"Mummy, mummy, please have a cookie!"

"Aww I will. Why did you make them?"

"No grandma won't let me touch them until you've had one." 

Amia laughed, looking at her daughter pout. She ruffled her hair, feeling the soft curls between her fingers. 

"Hmm maybe later then..."

"Mummy pleaseeeee."

"Aww okay."

She walked into the kitchen. She looked at the trays and trays of cookies, she was surprised by the sheer amount of cookies that her mother had made. 

"Mum, why did you make so much?"

Her mom smiled, "You'll see."

And she did. She got her answer as five kids burst through the kitchen door. 

"Mummy, meet my friends."

The wild laughter and loud voices were silenced as the kids looked, intrigued, at the stranger.

"We got new neighbours, they have a girl your age and these quadruplets."

"Mummy, meet Julian, Melody, Timmy and," she looked shyly at the last one, Amia smirked knowingly, "Nicole."

"Hmm, nice to meet all of you," she said, shooting them a dashing smile.

They all giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just... you are sooo pretty," Nicole said.

Amia liked this one already. "Aww cutie thank you."

They all had pools of straight red hair sprouting from their heads. They all had green eyes except Nicole who had magnificent blue eyes that seemed other-worldly. They had sharpness in them, Amia could tell that she was smart for her age.