"How did I know I'd find you in here?"

My brother's voice interrupted my train of thought as I finished scribbling a reminder to myself in the journal Dr. Hamilton gave me. I grinned at him from the bay window I was curled into a ball on, my favorite spot in the library Grandpa Roman had built for Grandma Clara when she was pregnant with Uncle Nick.

"Because your sister is a major bookworm and is only truly happy when surrounded by books?" I suggested jokingly, setting my journal down beside me. "What's up, Aidan?"

"I need some big sister advice." He sighed, collapsing into an overstuffed chair nearby as he ran a hand through his hair; an action that reminded me of our dad, who did the same thing whenever he was stressed out about something.

"I'm all ears. Spill," I pointed my pen at Aidan, raising an eyebrow. "What's on your mind, little bro?"

"If you say anything, Ava, I swear to everything that's good I will make your life miserable." Aidan gave me a death glare. "You better not say a word to anyone. Got it?"

"Scout's honor."

"I... want to get Lucy a birthday present, but I don't know what to buy." Aidan threw his head back, staring at the ceiling. "I need some suggestions."

"Okay... can I ask a question? Without you getting upset with me?"

"Sure." Aidan hesitated, turning his head slightly to give me the side eye.

"Do you like Lucy? As in, like her, like her?"

"I'm not having this conversation with you." Aidan shook his head. "Nope, this is too weird."

"Oh, sit down." I laughed as he started to get up from the chair. "You just answered my question by doing that. Besides, I hate to break it to you but it's been obvious to everyone since you two were toddlers."

Aidan groaned as he sat back down, closing his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath.

"So? Got any ideas?"

"I might," I teased lightly. "What do you know that Lucy likes?"

"Um... she likes hanging out at the Rabbit Hole," Aidan said thoughtfully. I grinned at the mention of the nightclub Lucy and I frequently danced at, memories of various girls' nights out flooding my mind.

"So, you could buy her a CD of one of the bands she likes from the Rabbit Hole. Or you could buy her concert tickets." I flipped to a page at the back of my journal, making a list. "What else?"

"I heard her mention to Grandma that her favorite perfume was getting low," Aidan recalled.

"Favorite perfume," I echoed.

"Oh, one of her favorite authors is coming out with a new book next week. I could go to the book signing at the coffee shop."

"Look at you, pulling out romantic gestures," I smirked. "That's actually really perfect, Ace. Do you need more ideas or is this a good start?"

"It's great. Thanks, Sis." Aidan said, a slight blush rising in his face as I handed the ripped-out page to him. "And please just keep this between us."

"My lips are sealed." I pretended to zip my mouth shut and tossed the imaginary key over my shoulder. "If you need a shopping buddy, let me know. I don't have a therapy session until next month, so I have plenty of free time to spend with my little brother."

"I'll let you know." Aidan grinned, waving as he headed out of the room. "See you at dinner."

"Stay out of trouble!" I called after him, earning a chuckle and an "As if!" as Aidan disappeared from the library.

Shaking my head in amusement, I reveled in the silence as I turned my attention back to my journal. Flipping to the last page I was on before Aidan interrupted, I read the last thing written down: Eli, mysterious coffee man. As much as I tried to put the thought out of my head, I couldn't help but think that somehow Mom knew something - anything - about him. I knew her well enough to realize her reaction in the kitchen was definitely a red flag; I just couldn't figure out what that was exactly. Before I could think any more about the mystery surrounding Eli, my cousin Mia wandered into the library, her eyes lighting up when she spotted me.

'There you are, Ava!" She exclaimed happily. "Grandma wanted me to come and get you, it's time for tea in the parlor."

"Crap," I muttered under my breath as I scrambled to my feet. "I completely forgot!"

"It's okay," Mia reassured me as I followed her out of the library. "Grandma said she knew you were probably following Dr. Hamilton's orders on the meditation and journal thing."

"I was," I admitted sheepishly, holding the journal in question up to show her. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. Writing it down seems to be helping, sort of."

"That's a good thing, right?" Mia asked uncertainly, pausing outside the parlor doors. "I know none of us know what really happened that night you were kidnapped, and our parents don't like to talk about it, but I hope you know if you can't talk to Dr. Hamilton about it, you can come to any of us younger kids. We're here for you, Ava. That's what family's for."

"I know, and I appreciate it." I said, squeezing Mia's hand. "And I hope you guys know I'm here for you, too. You can talk to me about anything."

"I found Ava," Mia said as she pushed the parlor doors open, revealing the room's occupants already seated around the space. "She was in the library writing."

"Thank you, Mia." Grandma Clara beamed as she rose from her chair. "Ava, my beautiful girl. Come sit by me."

"I'm sorry I'm late, Grandma." I scurried over to her, kissing her cheek in greeting. "I lost track of time."

"It's okay, dear. Your meditation is important for your sessions. There's no need to apologize." Grandma Clara settled back into the soft cushions of her chair, her eyes assessing the women around her. "Now that everyone's here, let tea time begin."

As Mia handed a teacup to me, I took a moment to observe around me. Aunt Skylar and Lola were seated across from us, both lost in discussion as they went over the final details for the dinner celebration on Lucy's birthday. Next to Mia sat our cousin Isabella and Lucy's younger sister, Camilla; the only two missing were Lucy and my mother.

"Hey Grandma, where's Mom and Lucy?" I asked, taking a sip of tea.

"Lucy is at a pottery class with her grandmother, Cindy. An early birthday present since Cindy is going on a cruise next week. As for your mother... She had some work to attend to with Uncle Leo, dear. She won't be back until dinnertime, I presume."

"Oh," I replied, my curiosity piquing at her words. "I didn't realize she had anything going on today."

"I believe it was a last-minute detail," Grandma Clara said, in a similar offhanded tone Mom had in the kitchen. Something was going on, and I was pretty sure Grandma was in on the secret.

Nodding in acknowledgment, I kept my thoughts to myself, engaging in conversation with the others when necessary. After a half hour passed, the room slowly began to thin out as everyone left to do their own thing before dinner. I excused myself when the time was appropriate to do so, the urge to find the one person who would tell me why Mom and Grandma were acting so weird growing with each passing second: Dad.

Heading for the home gym located in the basement of Centofanti Manor, I smiled to myself when I found Dad in the middle of the boxing ring with his personal trainer, Jerry. As Dad jabbed at his opponent's outstretched palm, I took a seat on a nearby bench, waiting for them to take a break. Five minutes later, Jerry held up his hands in the shape of a "T."

"Okay, time out. Time for a ten-minute break, Paul. Go drink some water."

Dad grinned, pulling his gloves off before facing me.

"Hey, princess. Wanna take a jab at your old man?"

"Are you sure?" I glanced at Jerry. "I don't want to interrupt your workout session."

"It's cool," Jerry nodded. "I could use a break from your father kicking my butt. Go ahead and change, I can help you work on your technique too."

"Okay!" I beamed. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

I hurried into the small changing room at the other end of the gym, heading for the locker with "Ava" scrawled across the front of the door in pink cursive. Spinning the dial on the combination lock, I removed the object and swung the door open, digging through my gym bag for the yellow sports bra and black yoga capris I kept for workouts. Securing my wavy locks into a mermaid braid, I grabbed my gear and made my way back to the ring where Dad and Jerry were waiting, joking with each other to pass the time.

"Ready, Bug?" Dad asked, tapping his gloves together to ensure his hands were all the way inside.

"Ready."

"Remember, Ava - the front toe should be lined with the rear heel," Jerry instructed, helping me into the proper stance. "Good. Now, turn your lead shoulder towards your opponent. Bend your knees slightly. Perfect, just like that. Okay, tuck your chin... yup, like that. Gloves to cheekbones."

"Like this?" I asked, glancing at Jerry for confirmation.

"Yup. Good job." Jerry beamed. "Alright, remember to inhale to prepare for a punch; exhale fast through your mouth with your jaw closed as you throw the punch. If your mouth is open and you get hit in the face, you could risk breaking your jaw... I don't think any of us want that to happen."

"Mom would kill us." I looked at Dad as we broke into a laugh.

"Yeah, your mom wouldn't be too happy if a jaw was broken."

"Now, I'll call out 1, 2, or 3 and you perform the move. 1 is jab, 2 cross, 3 hook. Do you remember how to perform them?" Jerry asked me and I nodded. "Let's see what you got. Paul, are you ready?"

Dad nodded, slipping into the stance as his eyes locked on me warily. Jerry moved to the outside of the ring, glancing between us.

"Okay, Ava. 1!"

With Jerry's guidance, I jabbed my right hand forward, Dad easily blocking the punch. Switching between jabs and crosses, Jerry nodded in approval at how fast I was learning despite not kickboxing in the last three years. Satisfied with my progress, Jerry watched silently as Dad and I moved around the ring.

"You're a natural, Bug." Dad said proudly as I deflected a jab from him. "You can't tell you haven't done this in years."

"It's like riding a bike, right?" I grinned back before I saw my chance to interrogate him. "Hey Dad, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Does the name Eli mean anything to you?"

Dad paused, barely ducking from my hook. His eyes flickered as he tilted his head, contemplating his answer.

"Not in a very long time." He said finally. "Why do you ask?"

"After my session with Dr. Hamilton, I accidentally spilled tea on a man named Eli, and when I told Mom about it, she suddenly closed off from the conversation. And Grandma was acting a little weird when I asked her where Mom was during tea time."

"I'm sure it wasn't what you're thinking," Dad reassured me. "Your mom and grandma have been a bit worried about you going to therapy... they want you to heal from the trauma, but they're scared of the triggers it may cause you to have."

"I understand that." I sighed. "Did Mom tell you about my session?"

"She did," Dad admitted, exiting the ring. "Whatever it is that your subconscious wants you to remember, will come to you. I'm positive about that. Just do your exercises as Dr. Hamilton instructs and it will happen."

Dad reached for my hand, helping me down from the ring, and turned to Jerry to discuss their next session. As I headed for the locker room, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a secret in the family and my memory might be the only thing to help me figure out what it was.

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AN: I don't think Ava is going to let this go any time soon... she's stubborn like her parents (and I guess she takes after me in that aspect too haha!).

Also, shout out to my grandma's partner for being cool with being turned into a side character LOL honestly, if it wasn't for him in the first place, the Cenofantis wouldn't exist as fictional characters. <3