Legacy

Chapter Twelve: Aunt Niani

Yue's POV
"Welcome, Jaya. Come in, come in," Mom said to my cousin as she walked in the house with suitcases in hand.

"Thanks again for letting me stay here, Aunt Niani. I just had to get away from everyone for awhile, you know?"

"Of course. I mean, after everything that you've been through these past few months, you deserve the break," Mom told her during a hug.

"You realize you're still in the same city, right?" Akai said, earning him an elbow to the gut, courtesy of me.

"Please, ignore him," I said to Jaya. "Come on, I'll show you to your room."

Jaya grabbed her bags and followed me up the stairs, leading her to the guest room.

"Thanks," she said once I opened the door to the room. "I'm sorry if you feel like I'm intruding or anything. I know we're not that close-"

"Jaya, stop. We're family, right? You're my cousin. You're not intruding."

She smiled. "Thanks, Yue. I appreciate it." We stood in silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "So, where's your dad and sisters? I didn't see them downstairs."

"Dad and Tara are at the studio. Dad's teaching classes and Tara's there to practice and spend time with her 'dreamy' boyfriend. Hakura's at her waterbending lesson. She has waterbending every single day. I guess that's how prodigies work, right?"

Jaya chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well, I'll leave you to unpack. Dinner should be ready soon. Fair warning: dinner in a household of six people tends to get pretty crazy."

Jaya nodded. "Thanks for the warning."

"No problem."

                                     _____

Tara's POV
I opened the door to my house and Hakura bolted inside, bumping into me and making me stumble.

"Watch where you're going, you idiot!" I yelled as she ran up the stairs.

"Tara, don't call your sister an idiot," Dad sighed.

"It's not my fault if she is one!"

Dad pinched the bridge of his nose as he shut the door, looking disappointed. "Your sister is fifteen. You're twenty four. Shouldn't you be mature enough not to fight with your sister over petty things?"

"Age has nothing to do with it, Dad. I'll be sixty years old still fighting with Hakura because she's an idiot!" I yelled the last part, making sure she could hear me from upstairs.

Dad sighed. "Go upstairs and get washed up before dinner. Please don't fight at dinner and make Jaya uncomfortable. You know she's not used to having siblings around."

"Jaya? Why is she coming over for dinner?"

"She's already here, Tara," Yue told me as she came down the stairs.

"Where?"

"The guest room."

"Why?"

Yue rolled her eyes, annoying me. "She's staying here for a few months. Did you not listen to anything Mom had to say at dinner a few nights ago?"

My brother walked past me to go into the kitchen. "That was the night Hemu was over for dinner. Tara was only focused on her boyfriend."

Yue smiled. "Oh yeah, you're totally right."