wild ↣ p. lahote

i. we are family

NEW BEGINNINGS ARE HARD for most people. Generally, no one likes leaving their past behind, starting over completely fresh, and having to get themselves adjusted in their new life.

Well... most people. Aurora Ausín was not one of those people, and it was evident on her awestruck face as she stared out of the plane window and down upon the city of Seattle. She was excited, and it was obvious. She was leaving her old life behind and was starting completely over, starting completely fresh in Washington. She was no longer a city girl. She was no longer Rory, queen of Miami. Aurora didn't know who she was anymore, and that excited her. She was excited to find out who she would become.

A few minutes after the plane landed, the passengers slowly started shuffling off the plane. Aurora claimed her ginormous suitcase and made her way through the airport. She arrived to the exit and walked out into the sunny day, a huge smile on her face as she searched for her aunt.

Aurora's gaze fell upon her aunt, who was standing near a post holding a giant "Welcome to WA" sign. Aurora squealed and ran at her aunt, surprising her in a bear hug.

"Rory!" The beautiful young woman exclaimed happily, hugging her niece back. "I'm so glad to see you!"

Aurora pulled away, a huge smile on her face. "Same here, Parker. It's been too long!"

Parker smiled a sad smile. "I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

Aurora nodded her head sadly. "Well, life happens. We just have to try to stay positive despite whatever gets in our way." She said with bravado, miming marching forward.

"I'm going to miss them," Parker sighed, a wistful smile on her face. Aurora nodded, but deep down, she wasn't going to miss her parents. She could count on one hand the number of times she'd ever even seen them—they were more like strangers. They didn't deserve her grief. "Well, enough of that. This is a happy moment! We're happy! Let's go get a move on. How was your flight?" Parker asked as she and Aurora started heading towards the parking lot.

Parker's car was parked far away, but they decided to walk instead of take the shuttle since Aurora wanted to stretch her legs from the six hour flight. The two women talked and laughed and got caught up on current affairs during their ride back to Forks, Washington. Aurora had always loved her aunt, and they were more like sisters than aunt and niece. Parker was only 10 years older than Aurora, and the two had a close bond and had spent a lot of time together until Parker moved to Washington eight months prior to stay with Aurora's grandmother who died soon after. They still kept in touch, and after Aurora's parents death, it was obvious she went to live with her aunt.

A few hours — and two ice cream cones — later, the two rolled into Parker's driveway. It was raining, which, according to Parker, was the norm in that town. It was a lot different than Miami. It was also very green here, which was another stark contrast to Aurora's home city.

Aurora looked up through the windshield and at Parker's house, her eyes widening as she saw it. It was a small, two-story stone cottage with a short stone wall going around its perimeter. Vines grew up the exterior of it, with flowers sprouting out of the walls. It had a sloping roof and a two-stories high bay window. A small greenhouse was attached to the side, and Aurora could see it was filled with plants and flowers. There was a small yard enclosed within the stone wall, and the property was overgrown with beautiful plants and flowers. Right outside of the stone wall was a dense old-growth forest that was certain to hold a lot of wildlife. Aurora was in love.

"I literally love this house." Aurora deadpanned, her eyes never leaving it. "It looks like a fairytale home."

Parker laughed. "Thank you, I've put a lot of hard work into it. Your grandma left it in a tragic state."