Pinky Promise

TWO

NATE

When you spend a whole year in another country, you quickly get used to the people and the environment. Culture and language. It becomes another home.
That's exactly what happened to me with London. London had grown close to my heart over the past year. Although I had spent most of my time in boarding school, I had fallen in love with the city. It was completely different from Brooklyn, like another world. But a wonderful, great world. And yet, as great as my love for London was, it couldn't surpass New York and my Brooklyn.
I finally felt like I was in the right place where I belonged. When I got off the plane and stood on New York ground, I felt at home again.
The way from the airport to my home seemed like an eternity. I could hardly wait to see my family and especially Ana again. There wasn't a day when Ana and I hadn't heard from each other, but it was something completely different to finally see her again.

"Mr. Shepherd! I wasn't expecting you until next week," greeted our porter, Joseph. I had missed him too. I had known him for almost 13 years; he had been here ever since we lived in that apartment.
"It was supposed to be a surprise. Is my family home?" I asked him and put my suitcases down.
" Your mother has not appeared yet. Your sister and Mister Michaels are at home.
"Great! Mom must still be working," I said. "I'm going upstairs. Please don't tell them anything, I want to surprise them!"
"Of course, I won't say a word! I hope the surprise will be successful!"
"Me too! Bye", I said goodbye and went to the elevator together with my suitcases and my backpack. When the door opened, a guy stepped out of the elevator. I didn't know him, either he was some guest or he was new here. He was wearing a loose bun and a white shirt. He was attractive, I couldn't deny that. Ana liked long hair on guys.
The stranger smiled politely and passed me by. I returned his smile and finally got into the elevator. When it finally stopped on my floor I could feel the familiar warm feeling in my heart which was missing for a year. Just when I had parked my two suitcases and wanted to knock on the door, it was torn open.
"Nate", she shouted and jumped into my arms.
"Hi," I replied, embracing her and pulling her closer to me.
"I missed you so much," she murmured against my chest.
"I missed you too!"
"She was right! I can't believe it," I heard Luke say, standing behind Ana and shaking his head in surprise. Ana detached herself from me and looked at me with a grin. I pressed a kiss on her head and passed her afterward.
"Good to see you," Luke said and hugged me. "Your mom will be incredibly happy to see you again."
"Is she working?" I asked him while Ana pushed in my suitcases.
"Yes, she should be here in an hour."
"Cool," I replied and Luke disappeared into the kitchen, probably to make something to eat. When Ana took my suitcases and tried to push them into my room, I stopped her.
"Leave them there, I'll do it all in a minute. You shouldn't overexert yourself."
"You're not even here two minutes and you're telling me what I can and can't do," she said and rolled her eyes.
"I will always tell you that. Even if we are old and wrinkly," I replied with a grin and put down my backpack.
"I am all right! Really," she assured me.
"I don't want to risk anything. You know, I just want nothing to happen to you".
"I missed you so much," she sighed and fell into my arms again. I put my arms around her and kissed her on the crown.
"I missed you being a pain in the ass, too!", I said and got a boxer against my arm.
"Nate, are you hungry?" Luke shouted from the kitchen.
"Yes, I'm starving," I replied and went to the kitchen with Ana.

"What had she been right about?" I asked Luke when he put the plate with lasagna in front of my nose. Ana and Luke sat opposite me at the table. While I was eating, they were drinking tea. Or rather, Luke drank tea; Ana stared at me and smiled. She hadn't changed at all last year, she was still the same.
"About 30 seconds before you came, she knew you were there," he told me.
"Really?"
"I felt it. I felt that you were there," she added.
"Yeah, me too," I confessed and remembered the warm feeling in my heart as I stood at the door.
"I've known you almost all your lives, but I still don't quite understand your twin telepathy thing," Luke said confused, whereupon Ana and I both laughed.

About half an hour after I ate, we got a call from Joseph that Mom was on her way up. I was hiding in my room. When I heard that she had come in and disappeared into her bedroom, I waited for Ana's sign that I could come out.
After a few minutes, Ana opened the door to my room and made me understand that I could come out.
"She's in the kitchen," she whispered. Ana went ahead and took an apple from the fruit bowl next to Mom. I stopped behind the wall and watched her.
"Hi.", Ana greeted Mom.
"Hello, darling.", she replied.
"Are you hungry? Luke made lasagna."
"No, thank you. I just ate a salad at the hospital. Can you check if we still have a yogurt in the fridge?", she asked Ana as she was washing her hands.
But instead of Ana, I went to the fridge.
"Do you want chocolate or strawberry?", I asked her.
"Chocolate.", she replied at first, unconcerned. But then she froze for a moment and suddenly turned around. I closed the fridge door and grinned as she looked at me in shock and surprise.
"Nate!", she screamed all of a sudden and ran towards me. "My baby boy!" Baby? I was almost two heads taller than her!
"Hi, Mom!" I mumbled into her hair.
"How dare you scare me like that!", she shouted after coming out of her embrace. She hit me on the arm, just like Ana did before. Luke and Ana laughed and I agreed.
"What are you doing here?", she asked and hugged me again. "Did you know?" she now turned to Ana and Luke.
"I am not even here an hour. Sit down and I'll tell you everything.", I suggested.

In the boarding school, the program ended a week earlier, for this reason, I had changed my flight. I wanted to surprise my family and enjoy another week of holidays before school would start again. Actually, it was planned that I should stay a week longer in London and my family would pick me up at the airport, but since the plans had changed and I loved to make surprises, I was here now.
"I am so happy that you are back! This year has been so dragging on without you!", Mom said, kissing me on my temple for probably the hundredth time.
"I am happy to be here again", I replied and looked at my family.

It was about 10 pm when I went to my mom and asked her for the car key. I had taken a shower and a little nap before and felt like I was being born again. With the key in my hand, I went to Ana's room and knocked before entering.
She was lying on her bed reading a book.
"Hey," I said. She put her book away and sat up. "Up for a little ride?", I asked her, waving her car key and her eyes began to glow.

I hope you like it!