FAKE

PART VI: FUTURE

IX: clarissa

When I arrive back home from the airport, I see someone standing with my parents and I automatically flip out. Clarissa is standing there with her boyfriend and I haven't seen them in such a long time. Tears start forming at my eyes and I tun to them with full force. I hug my parents tightly and then hug my sister. Tears pour out of my eyes and run down my entire face. They don't stop and I feel so emotionally uncontrollable with my happiness.

"I love you guys," I say and give them many kisses.

Andrew's mom, Elle, waits for him too and he goes over there to hug him. They wave to us and Andrew kisses me on the head, telling them that he will talk to me later.

I don't let go of my parents and I tell them how much I miss them. I turn to Clarissa and tell her that she was the stupidest person on the planet for leaving me alone. We both laughed and I was just overwhelmingly happy that she was in my presence. I really did think for some time that she wasn't ever going to come back. That she just didn't care bout this family anymore. That always nagged in the back of my head and I can't believe that finally, finally that weight has been dragged off my shoulders. I know she's going to be there for me now. I know she loves our family. She just left to take a break. I understand that. Family is important. You may think that they are boring or unimportant but in reality they are super vital to your life. Especially your mom and dad. Your siblings too, just like Clarissa. I may have tried to push her to the back of my mind and forget about her but she is my sister and that bond connects us. I know her and she knows me. She was my only best friend other than Evelyn when growing up. I shared everything with her but then she left and I never saw her again. It's so overwhelming seeing my sister for the first time in so many years. It feels like a miracle. It really feels unreal to have her here right in front of me. I greet her boyfriend and he's super nice. I never really met him before, I have just seen pictures of him on my sister's account on Twitter. That's the only place where I saw her but I was always too scared of friending her or messaging her in fear that she would block me. That she would want nothing to do with me. Now I know that she loves me and that we're a happy family.

My parents and I head back to the house with Clarissa behind us in her car. At the house, my mom has cooked dinner and my dad makes the table. This is the first time in a long time that my us as a family have sat down to eat. My dad tells me that I can invite Andrew over if I want to, of course I want to. I dial his number and he agrees to come. I silently cheer in my head and come back to the dinner table. Andrew arrives just in time as we are about to sit at the table. I introduce him to my sister and then her boyfriend. My mom cooked us some salmon with herbs on top. I used to always love when she cooked this. I eat the fish bite by bite to savor the delicious herbs. I love it. Andrew tells my mom how much he likes it and I wink at him.

We all go through hard things to find the rainbow after the storm. Once we push past the sadness, the anger, the turmoil, the drama, the confusion, there comes happiness and sunshine.

That is where I am at now, finally.