The Brightest Stars

Annabelle

Finally, I can wear my winter clothes...

I pick out my favorite velvet scarf and a dress made for Thanksgiving. Or at least what I think would look nice for dinner.

I walk out of my room and run into my sister with her baby girl. I make my mouth wide in admiration so I can make her smile. "Wow, girly! You look so beautiful!" The small sound of her giggle makes us laugh.

"Gosh. I can't believe she's one already. She grows up so fast!" Hannah kisses her cheek and softly brushes her light brown hair. "I remember when I held you for the first time. You were our little miracle..."

Zack comes out of his room with a suit and tie. Well, half of a tie because he frantically comes over to Hannah so she can fix it. I watch as she tenderly fixes his tie and he gives her a kiss. I start walking down the stairs with my niece in my arms.

"You clean up well, Ana," Zack says as he and my sister step down just behind me.

"I wish I can say the same, Zack," I teasingly say.

Zack scoffs as he takes a chip from the decorated table. "I think I look great. Don't I, honey?" Hannah chuckles and gives him a wink. He returns it with his perfect smile. "But no one is as beautiful as your sister."

A knock on the door stops me from shooting something back at Zack. Hannah opens the door with a smile and greets Ainoha as they give each other a tight hug. From the moment she steps in, we all start speaking Spanish with each other for the rest of the night. Kristen is always confused during our family reunions.

"Ana," Ainoha says with a tender smile as she gives me a warm hug. "How are you?" Her Spanish accent reminds me of Max, and my heart jumps at the thought of my first whole family reunion with him.

"I'm fine," I quietly say.

Her father comes in through the door. With him comes my other step-sister, Valeria, from my mother's side. Her blonde hair shines bright like her wide smile when she sees me. "Ana!" She runs into my arms and I pick her up with a tight hug.

"You're so big! Ricardo, what are you giving this girl to eat?" I say as I watch a man with the same blonde hair come in with his gentle smile. His baby blue eyes have the same tenderness that Ainoha carries in her dark blue eyes.

He gives me a gentle hug as he enters with their Spanish dessert in hand. Ricardo just came about a month ago from sailing over the seas of Spain as captain. So he has a much thicker accent as he says, "Hello, Annabelle. It's a pleasure seeing you again. How's your last year of high school treating you?"

"It has its ups and downs." My eyes keep glancing at the door as I wait for a handsome boy to come in.

Instead, another man about the same age as Hannah walks in. The moment Hannah and Zack see him come in, they excitedly run to greet him.

"You actually made it!" Hannah says giving him a tight hug.

"Surprise!" Zack says as he gives my sister a side hug and does a handshake with the man that just walked in.

He, too, starts speaking in Spanish similar to my normal accent as he hangs his coat on the side of the door. "Well, I just thought that maybe I should stop by for the holidays. It's so nice to get the gang back!"

Ainoha and her family are in the kitchen with my niece. Hannah leads him to introduce each one of us. She picks up her daughter and proudly shows her off to her friend. She then comes to me and I take out a firm hand for him to shake. "This is my little sister, Annabelle."

He shakes my hand and gives me a wide smile that reminds me of Kristen's playful smile. I notice his brown hair carries a golden color to it as he says, "It's a pleasure, Annabelle. I'm Jason." His soft brown eyes match his gentle personality.