She stopped in her tracks and started to tap her foot, folding her arms, sassily enough for me to know that she was aware that her favourite person in the whole world was here to annoy her again. I ran towards her and she rolled her eyes as she saw me. I stuck out my tongue at her and said, 'So? Can we talk? I have loads to tell you.'

'Yes, I just got free, not anymore I see,' she said and I whined, 'hey!' She laughed and I began walking to our usual place, my therapy room, where Sophia would talk to me for hours, at first mentally torturing me, but then it turned to soothing conversational brain therapies, like they were supposed to be. 'So what is it?' she said as we took our seats.

'I am going to Hanselane, to live with my so called grandma, my mom's aunt, who has this huge business of something of my interest I have heard,' I told her and she, as usual said nothing, just bent down to show her interest waiting for me to complete. 'Now for the last year of my high school, I am going to be join the school there which I don't want to by the way, and Aunt July told me that Lady Josephine, my grandmother lives alone in a mansion, and the whole town knows her. So my first mission after I reach there is to hide any information of me being related to her or living in her house, because I don't want to be treated special, also my second mission is to never take off my wig, ever. I am okay with my black hair and eyes. And my third mission is to not come into any kind of romantic relationship because I don't trust anyone.' I took a deep breath.

'Okay the first thing, why don't you want to join the school?' she asked.

'Umm, well, because school is unusual and you know how my previous experience in school have been, I cannot bear to bear all of that again.'

'Wanda, no, how can you never give thing chances, I think you should be open and inviting for such an opportunity. You never went to school, and now you're getting a chance to,' she said. 'But....' she cut me off, 'My turn to speak,' she said and continued, 'If she lives alone, and has a big business, she would seldom be in her house, which means you have a big space for yourself most of the time. It will be fun, you can start ballet again,' I looked down at this, I never thought about ballet again, 'Also, you cannot hide that you're related to Lady Josephine for long you know, you're going to live there right?' she said as a matter of fact.

'And lastly, trust isn't just given blindly, some people just earn it blindly, and while obviously you don't want to give it to anybody at all, but when you see someone worthy of it, and someone who is willing to have it, willing to come into your life as light, you should never shut down the windows, it's called restricting happiness on yourself and shutting everyone out. Don't you think it's time to step into the sun, into the spotlight?'

'Whoa, whoa, whoa,' I said, 'Philosophical much?' I chuckled but when she did not respond and stared at me, I knew she was serious. I cleared my throat, 'You're serious?'

'Yes, yes I am serious, look how bubbly you are with me, why don't you show this attitude to the world, why do you keep yourself in the darkness? I think it is time to give thing chances, and more than anything, I think it's time to give yourself another chance, Wanda.'

I opened my mouth to say something but she got up, and said, 'Time up, my duty starts in five, think about this, goodbye.'

'Hey, wait,' I stood up, 'Picture?' she looked at me and raise an eye brow, 'Okhayyy,' I opened the DSLR and clicked a back photo of us both, I looked at the picture and smiled. She was about to walk off again but I stopped her again, 'Sophia!' I walked to her. I looked at her face, smiled and then engulfed her into a hug, 'I am going to miss you.' She patted my back and said, 'me too, Wanda. I will miss you more.' She went away and I wandered around the hospital, clicking pictures with the hospital staff, the receptionist and then finally took off for home.

I got home to greet both my aunt and uncle and we sat down for a game. It was basically a game about our favourite memories about each other. As Uncle Harvey's turn came first, I heard this amazingly romantic story of Uncle Harvey and Aunt July meeting for the first time. Uncle Harvey in awe because he thought she looked like and angel and Aunt July walking spaced out on the road, unaware that a bus was going to hit her. And Uncle Harvey saved her. And then they started dating few days later.

'Favourite memory about Wanda let's see,' Uncle Harvey said, 'As she is leaving just two days later and ....' I cut him off. 'Wait, two days? TWO DAYS? No I am not.'

That was what they wanted to tell me, Uncle Harvey finally said it. 'I just agreed to this, I am not leaving so soon,' I said my eyes wide.

Aunt July looked down, 'I don't want you to go too Wanda but you need to start school in Hanselane and Lady Josephine does not want you to be late, let's spend this time we have together in making good memories,' she suggested but I was boiling with this Lady Jo crap. How was I going to manage living with someone so controlling?

'Well, I think I should tell Lady Josephine to fudge off! She does not decide when I start school, what does she even think she is, fudging Billionaire?' I said and stood up and stormed off into my room while I heard Uncle Harvey, 'She is a billionaire though.' I heard them both outside my room, 'Poor baby, it's not so easy to let her go like that, I love her so so much,' Aunt July said.

'It is hard for her, she just got mad because of that, she will be alright till the evening, let us give her space,' Uncle Harvey said and I sat behind the door, my fit of rage disappearing like their words just splashed water over the fire now emitting the smoke of sorrow into my eyes forming tears, 'Oh Manhattan, I am going to miss you and everything about you so much,' I thought, 'I am such a brat, look at them trying to make me feel better, and me just ruining the mood, because I could not contain my anger. Wanda, be like Aunt July, not like your dad.'

And that is how I let slumber take over me and slipped over to dreamland. 

When I woke up, it was already eight and I washed my face getting out of my room. Uncle Harvey was watching television and Aunt July was clearing the kitchen. As soon as she saw me, she flashed her smile and I smiled back and went over to her. 'I am sorry, Aunt July, I did not mean to yell like that, I was just angry, and I should not have stormed off like the brat I am. I am truly sorry.'

'Awn, I know Magic Wand, it is alright, we did not mind, we know it's hard for you,' she said hugging me, and Uncle Harvey joined in too from the back. Aunt July wiped off tears and Uncle Harvey sighed, 'Hey, hey now. No crying, I know what can make you guys feel better. Wanda, should we get that tattoo?' he raised an eye brow and I jumped in excitement. 'Harvey, no way, we talked about this,' Aunt July argued and I started pleading immediately.

'We will get ice cream for all of us at the way back, please, please, please...'

After so much of pleading, she finally gave in and I let out a fist in the air, in victory. I had dinner quickly and off we went.

Uncle Harvey and I walked down the streets of the dark side of Manhattan, and a bunch of guys at the corner came into view, pulling ribald jokes that my mind was dirty enough to understand. We walked in silence as the guys whistled seeing me, and Uncle Harvey took a defensive step towards me. But we stayed quiet because you don't just bark back at dogs, right?

Aunt July gets really angry at people like these, but she is just one pure soul in a dirty society. God bless my Uncle and Aunt, they are one of the most helpful and humble people I have seen around.

As we came into the safe edges of the main city while walking, I breathed a sigh, and Uncle Harvey started to talk.

He told me his favourite memory of me was when I mocked Aunt July while she wept watching Cinderella, I called her a baby. We had a good laugh, and I asked him if I was always like this. Because I remembered myself to be very sweet. I don't think I was sweet now.

'Yes, you have always been like this, sarcastic, smart, tough, and the sensible sally all the time, but very strong naturally. You really inspire me, Magic Wand, because you are so strong, and know how to deal with it. I believe you are going to go to great places, making dreams come true and the stuff you know, I think you will inspire so many people and make happiness.'

'That is the best thing someone has even said to me, thank you so much Uncle Harvey, YOU inspire me because you are so steadfast and tolerant, and so kind and cool despite of what life brings to you. I really wish to see you guys getting old and bent, but still the most buoyant couple ever seen,' I laughed.

'No problem at all, by the way, have you thought about your tattoo?' he asked.

'Yes I have, you will see when we get there,' I smiled and he nodded, genuinely excited to see my choice.

We took a few more turns and came to an eerily dark and suspicious alley, well duh, we were going to a cheap illegal tattoo parlour, it had to be suspicious. Uncle Harvey didn't tell me it is illegal, I know that by myself because I am not eighteen yet. Still one year to go.

Entering the dimly red lit parlour, I saw these big burly guys with and without beards sitting, like they owned the place, gulping down shots of beer and getting their tattoo done while a half sized guy worked on their bulky hanging skin concentrated, not a single sweat leaving his brow unpermitted.

I sighed in satisfaction as I settled in to rely on these people for giving authority of the back of my neck. I had my black hair already in a messy high bun, and Uncle Harvey led me to the main desk where a Chinese attenuated guy sat with a hardened look on his face, and he suddenly chuckled humorlessly at his peers in vain try of a sardonic joke. I snickered at the man, and his face toughened causing me to stand firm, while Uncle Harvey stood there in ease, like he TOO owned the place.

'This is my niece and she needs a tattoo,' he said and I corrected, 'Two.'

I obviously felt pain, and was kind of flabbergasted that it did not hurt me that much and I did not even utter a yelp, but I should have expected that. I have been poked in with so many injections throughout the years of darkness that I had got used to the pinching pain. Uncle Harvey's eye brows shot up as I sat there emotionless as he did his art and the Chinese guy which I was guessing was named Eric, smirked.

I paid him the amount from my own money even though Uncle Harvey insisted he paid but I said, 'Let the Magic Wand grow up, for Goodness Sake.'

We went to the ice cream parlour and bought our favorites, my hair still in a lousy bun now, and my fringes that covered my forehead coming down to my eyes swept back as the wind blew hard. I hugged myself and Uncle Harvey rubbed his hands together and we rushed home to find Aunt July asleep on the couch.

'We don't want to wake her up,' he said and I chuckled, 'Yeah we don't.'

'She will just eat it in the morning,' he said and I nodded. 'I can't believe you are actually leaving day after tomorrow.'

'I cannot believe it either. I don't want to,' I said flatly pulling a face and he pinched my cheek.

'You were very brave there by the way, AND I know you have probably hear this a thousand times from Sophia, I know she speaks like this but I would also advise you to give things and yourself more chances. I know life has something better for you out there, and you can go get it. Just believe in yourself and don't shut people out, make friends, study good, you can join ballet, have a love life, get married, have kids,' he said teasingly at the end and I put my head in my hand.

'I am not dating, not getting married and definitely not having kids because I don't want to ruin lives with my own hands,' I said.

'Wanda I KNOW that you are nothing like your parents, and I KNOW that you will be a better mom, and you will give your kids a wonderful life, and your life is not ruined, I repeat.'

'Right, how can my life ever be ruined, I have you guys, 'I said smilingly and he smiled back.

'Think about that later,' he said, 'Focus on the ice cream.'

I laughed, 'Yes please.'

I went off to bed after the ice cream treat and savoured it in my mouth instead of brushing my teeth. Uncle Harvey gave me a slight shove in the arm and I laughed and did it anyways. He carried Aunt July to their bed and went to sleep almost immediately I guess, because I could hear him snoring. And I laid in my bed thinking about how Lady Jo was going to be. I did not like the sound of her, neither did I like how she WANTED me to go to school without delay. I mean, excuse me? I am turning eighteen next year around July. I can make my own decisions. I took a deep breath and tried to suppress my anger, I had got that from my aunt again. I got angry pretty quick, choleric, as I said. But there were hell lot of things I got from my mom, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts which never become actions because I have Sophie. Sometimes I pity my parents, which is strange because I don't pity anyone, not even myself. But them, I pity them.

The next day was going to be remembered, Uncle Harvey especially called in sick, and took an off from school for making my last day special and we talked, played games, and watched Cinderella again. Also, Harry Potter.

I got to know Aunt July's favourite memory of me when I gifted her a cheap old sword with the label "Kindness" an year back on her thirtieth birthday which I purchased with my money that I collected from my three month Starbucks wage. She loved it and we had taken so many pictures with it. She freaked out after she saw my tattoos and she loved the one on the back of my neck. It was actually a quote with little birds around it, it read, 'Not all who wander are lost,' I related to it so I decided to have it. She saw the one on my hand and counted the big stars in the galaxy on my arm. 'What are these?' she asked, 'Looks meaningful.'

And I explained, 'This one is you, and this one is Uncle Harvey, this one is River, and this one is Emily, this is Sophia and this is Henry.'

'This is so thoughtful Wanda, where are you, baby?' she inquired and I said, 'the planet that is getting the light from all these stars, I am the planet.'

'Oh,' she muttered and felt the tattoo and we shared a long hug, all three of us, we had dinner and talked again until it was night again and my heart sank as I thought about leaving. I was not going to cry in front of them. So I laid in my bed and did my share of tear shedding, while quietly falling asleep.