No author notes today! Lol jk jk. This is one. I've published 2 chapters in 2 days!!! Let's hope this continues. 😉
xox
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We ordered our food and started talking about usual stuff. Jamie and Alex went on ranting about how homework should be banned and my dad tried to give them a talk on how homework was actually important for academic success. He obviously failed to get any piece of information into my two dumb brothers' brain.
"Your order will be here soon!" The same chirpy blonde waitress announced as she flashed me another million-dollar smile with her blinding teeth. I smiled back. My mom and aunt were talking about something I couldn't quite make out. "She does not need to know yet Courtney!" I heard her mumble out loud to my aunt. "I wonder what my mom is having an outburst for." I said to Casey who was still busy typing her fingers away.
"Okay people! Let's get the gifts over with before the food arrives!" My dad announced. He clearly noticed that I was getting bored and flashed me a smile. "Ooh ooh! I'll go first!" Jaime excitedly said as he slipped out a photograph from his pocket.
Nonetheless, it was a picture of me falling off the cycle and making a horribly funny face as Jamie swirled by in his toy car. Ah! The joy of having abnormal brothers.
"Wow! This is a gift that I want to ignite into a fire. My fireplace would surely cherish it though." I laughed as the others joined me. "Well, this one is a real and actual gift from both of us, Ray." Alex said as he handed me a small black box. I opened it and found a beautiful golden necklace inside. Engraved on it, were my initials, RCH. "Oh my god! Thank you so much guys!" I yelled as I pulled them into a hug. "Anything for our baby sis." Jaime winked back at me.
"My turn!" Casey screeched as she pulled us out of our moment. She quickly handed me an envelope. I knew it and papers inside since it was very bulky. "It's from mom and dad as well." She added as I tore open the seal. To my astonishment, there were flight tickets to Morocco and London. I stared at it in shock. I remembered Casey joking about us going on a foreign trip when we were kids. I never thought she'd take it seriously.
"Really!?" I almost screamed. "Yes!" She replied as she grinned from ear to ear. "I'd love to go!" I squealed. She squealed with me.
"So I assume that you like your gift?" My uncle Mark teases. "I absolutely love it! Thank you!" "Alright folks! Our turn." Dad says as he takes out something wrapped in white gift paper from his pocket. I almost snatch it from his hands and open it. A phone case. With departments for holding cards and a pastel pink passport holder. "Aww! Thanks." I chuckle. "Come on Theo! She obviously wants her real gift." Mom takes out a fancy looking box from her gigantic purse.
The box looks old, yet it is absolutely beautiful and adorned with carved flowers. I gently open the latch and look inside to find a beautiful silver ring with a big green emerald centre. A piece of silver in the shape of a vine extended down towards the middle of the emerald and on observing further, I noticed that the silver part actually did look like a vine with small flowers on it. It wasn't very girly and also could be worn by men by the looks of it. It was a stunning ring which was probably pretty expensive and antique. Collectors would probably die for it.
"Wow mom! This is absolutely stunning! Are you sure you want me to have it! I wouldn't want to lose it for you..." "Yes I want you to have it." My mom cut me short as she looked me in the eyes. Her tone was very serious and I knew that I had to listen. "Listen Rayne, this ring has been in our family for a very very long time. It is indeed precious. I got it from my mother when I was sixteen. I promised that I would protect it with my life and keep it safe so that I could pass it on to my firstborn child. You. Now I'm passing it on and I hope you keep it near and dear." She told me. This was indeed serious talk.
My mom usually never talked about her past or her family. She would only back talk to the time she and dad got married or had me but never before that. Her mother, Loretta Smaragd, was still a mystery to me. So was the rest of her family. She had once briefly mentioned her mother. "She was a very strong lady. Fearless and fierce. Almost like you." She had said. My mom claimed to be half German and half Dutch. That part I believed since she could speak both languages fluently.
I slid the ring onto my finger. Expecting it to not fit me. It fit perfectly.
Almost as if it was made for me.
