The steady patter of rain against the window lulled me out of the trance, threatening to engulf me whole; blinking slowly, I tilted my head back to face the woman sitting across from me. Her eyes watched me curiously, a look of pure understanding stretching into her features as she scribbled something down on the legal pad propped against her leg.

"Where did you go just now?" She asked, her eyes glancing up to read my face before returning to her notes.

"I..." my voice trailed off as I tore my gaze away from her, back to the ceiling above me.

"Ava, you've been coming to see me for the last five years at the request of your uncle. We've talked about everything and anything under the sun. This is what I'm here for. This is why your family encouraged you to see me, and still encourages you to keep seeing me."

She has a point, the voice in my head agreed. I sighed in defeat, closing my eyes to steady my beating heart. Of course, she was right. At Grandma Clara's insistence, Uncle Leo had hired the best psychologist in town: Dr. Alexandra Hamilton.

"It's the same nightmare," I said quietly, not looking at her; I fought the urge to pick at the skin around my nails as I pushed myself to answer Dr. Hamilton. "Only, it's not a nightmare. It's the day I was kidnapped when I was four years old. I try so hard to block out that day, but it keeps attempting to push its way to the front of my mind. Like it's telling me I need to remember something important."

"Do you think there's something important you need to remember?" Dr. Hamilton asked me, pausing from writing down her latest note.

"That's just it, I don't know." I groaned. "I was four years old! My memory is a little fuzzy now, it's been twenty-two years."

"Are you open to the idea of wanting to remember that day? It may not only be you need to remember something important but also to face your demons."

"I guess so... I see your point there."

Dr. Hamilton smiled warmly at me, nodding her head thoughtfully. She glanced at the diamond-encrusted watch on her wrist and wrote down another note before speaking.

"Our time's up for this session, but I want to give you an assignment that might be helpful. Since I'm going on vacation starting next week, I won't see you in person for a month; however, if you absolutely need to, you can call me." Dr. Hamilton waited until I nodded in acknowledgment. "While I'm gone, I want you to do a couple of things. One, I want you to meditate for a minimum of 30 minutes every day. Find a quiet place, away from your family, and just breathe. Don't overthink, clear your mind, and relax."

"What's the second thing?" I asked curiously as I sat up from the chaise I was lounging on.

"The second thing is to write down everything in a journal for the next month. Don't pressure yourself into writing, though; just let it come out, wild and free, no strings attached. Bring it with you to our next session, and we'll discuss your emotions versus thought process. Okay?"

"Got it."

Dr. Hamilton handed me a blank journal from her desk, and I started to head for the door, only turning around when she called my name.

"Ava, remember that your past doesn't define who you are, but in order to move past the demons, you have to face the trauma eventually. These last five years have been a great improvement for you, but I do think there's something holding you back... if you let me, I'll help you move forward. I'm always here for you."

"Thank you, Dr. Hamilton. It really does mean a lot to me." I smiled weakly at my therapist before leaving, welcoming the cool rain on my face as I exited the brick building.

The smell of coffee mixed with the fresh rain filled my nostrils, and I took a deep breath, savoring the scents briefly. Taking a quick detour, I turned left and walked a few feet down to the local coffee shop, mentally promising myself a second workout later in exchange for the hot beverage I was about to devour. The bell above the door jingled as I walked in, and a girl with blonde hair and large-framed glasses looked up from the counter, a dazzling smile on her face as she greeted me.

"Hi there, welcome to the Bluebird Café! What can I get for you today?"

"Um..." I scanned the menus on the wall behind her, my eyes quickly drawn to an option listed near the bottom. "I'll have an apple cider and chai tea to go, please."

"That'll be $4.77." The girl said brightly, accepting the $5 bill from my hand. "I'll have that right out."

"Thank you," I read her name tag, "Holly."

"You're welcome."

Noticing the small group of people wandering into the café, I made my way to the end of the counter, making sure I was out of the way. As I surveyed the crowd of men and women, I didn't notice the man who walked in after them. Holly handed me my drink with another dazzling smile before scurrying off to help her co-worker ring up orders. Checking to make sure the lid was secure, I turned around and bumped into a hard wall of a person.

Instantly, the beverage in my hand dropped to the ground, splashing the mysterious man and myself in the process. My eyes widened in horror as I reached for the napkins dispenser on the counter behind me.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, kneeling to wipe up the spilled liquid. More napkins appeared beside me, and I glanced over to see the man helping. "Oh no, please. You don't have to help. I should have been paying better attention."

"It's alright," the voice reassured me, its tone smooth like honey and a hint of an accent I couldn't quite place.

I stopped wiping the floor and looked at the stranger in front of me, my breath nearly catching in my throat. His eyes were a warm chocolate brown, lighting up his face as his smile widened. His dark brown hair swooped across his forehead, causing him to reach up and brush it out of his eyes as he met my gaze. A blush crept into my cheeks as I realized I was staring a little too long for comfort. Clearing my throat, I shook my head and refocused on cleaning the mess at our feet.

"Are you okay? The tea didn't burn you, did it?" The mysterious man asked, reaching his hand out to pull me to my feet. I shook my head, assessing the damage to my yellow cardigan and cream top.

"I think it mostly got my jeans," I gestured to the darkened material near my knees. "What about you?"

"This shirt has seen worse," he joked, dabbing at the gray t-shirt under his black leather jacket. "Good thing I have a spare in my car."

"Again, I am so sorry."

"It's really okay. I'm Eli, by the way." Eli outstretched his hand. I took it, shaking it firmly like the men in my family taught me.

"Ava."

"Excuse me, Miss." Holly tapped on my shoulder, an apologetic smile tugging on her lips. "I saw the whole thing... here's a new tea on the house."

"Thank you, Holly. I guess I should get going before this one ends up on the floor, too." I laughed, heading for the door. "It was nice to meet you, Eli. Sorry about your shirt."

With a half wave, I pushed the door open and headed out into the rain, praying to the sky that my day got better from that point on.

"How was your session with Dr. Hamilton?" Mom asked when I walked into the kitchen a half hour later, plopping into one of the chairs at the island.

"It was fine," I replied halfheartedly, laying my head on top of my crossed arms.

"Did something happen?"

"Just the usual. The day I was kidnapped keeps replaying in my mind, but I can't remember anything significant about it."

"What did she say?"

"That I need to meditate for at least thirty minutes a day for the next month. If my mind is clear, then it might come to me."

"That's good advice. I think your sessions with her have been really good for you, baby girl. Do you think so?" Mom set a mug of steaming hot chocolate down in front of me, a matching mug in her hands as she watched me with motherly concern.

"Yeah, I do. Thanks for supporting my decision on this." I smiled at Mom, reaching for the mug. "Um, there was something else that happened. After my therapy session."

"What's that?"

"I went to that coffee shop a few buildings down from the office. The Bluebird Café... and accidentally spilled my tea on a guy."

"Oh no!" Mom's eyes widened in humorous shock as she tried to bite back a chuckle. "What happened?"

"I apologized and cleaned the mess up. Holly, the barista, gave me a new drink. The guy was totally fine, except for his shirt."

"Was he fine, or was he fine fine?"

"Mom!"

"What?" Mom laughed at my embarrassment. "It's not every day I get to talk to my oldest about boys."

"Oh my gosh." I laughed with her, tears forming in my eyes.

"So? Was he cute?"

"Yeah, actually he was," I admitted a little sheepishly before sipping on my hot chocolate. "And his name is Eli, in case you were wondering."

"That's a nice name." Mom said, her tone slightly offhanded as she took an interest in wiping down the counter with a dish rag, a clear sign she knew something but didn't want to talk about it.

Taking the hint not to push further, I made a mental note to ask Dad or Aunt Sky about Mom's sudden change at the mention of the name "Eli" and moved on to my next question.

"Where's Dad?"

"He's out with Alpo and your brother." Mom sat down next to me. "They're on some mission for Lola."

"Probably something for Lucy's birthday, no doubt." I glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall by the phone that Grandma Clara insisted on keeping. "Her birthday's in two weeks."

"And your grandma has a big party planned, I'm sure. That woman always has an excuse for throwing a party."

"Hey, she throws the best ones, though!" I grinned, shifting my eyes back to Mom. "Remember Uncle Nick and Aunt Skylar's engagement party?"

"She made Skylar's dreams come true with that masquerade party." Mom sighed dreamily, thinking back to the night her best friend got engaged to a man who truly loved her unconditionally. "I've never seen her so happy."

"Me neither. Uncle Nick has been really good for Aunt Sky."

"That he has, indeed." Mom tapped her mug against mine before taking a sip, both of us lost in thought in comfortable silence.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"I love you."

Mom turned to face me, her eyes searching my face for something. I gave her a small smile before leaning my head against her shoulder.

"I love you too, Ava. Is something on your mind?"

"No... yeah. I guess with all the reminiscing on the past, I realized - I really miss Grandma Sofia."

"I miss her too. Every day..." Mom kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry, baby. The doctors say I'm clear... there isn't a speck of cancer in me."

"I know. I just worry about you, that's all."

"That's my job, to worry about you and your brother."

Mom wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a reassuring squeeze. I closed my eyes, ignoring the lone tear rolling down my cheek, and breathed in the familiar scent of vanilla and lilac, the faint smell of the perfume her mother used to wear around the holidays.

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AN: I don't think I've said this yet, but sorry, not sorry for the emotional roller-coaster this book may put you through lol it wrecked me, and I wrote it! XD