Nalani and Zephyr sat face-to-face at the dining table, the silence between them punctuated only by the soft clinking of Nalani's teacup as she sipped her tea. Zephyr's gaze was fixed on the table, his mind clearly troubled. Finally, he broke the silence.

"Us coming... it must've surprised you," Zephyr said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nalani didn't respond immediately, her eyes focused on the steam rising from her tea. Zephyr continued, his voice laced with regret, "Aren't you mad? I mean, we only came after all these years and we forced our way in here, wanting to help, knowing that it was too late. And I could tell when you asked me when we first saw each other again. You asked me 'why now?'."

Nalani remained silent, finishing her tea in thoughtful sips. She put down her cup gently, the porcelain making a soft sound against the table. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Zephyr.

"Maybe," Nalani began slowly, "Maybe I was mad. Maybe I am still mad. You're right, Zeph. It was too late. When I saw you and Uncle Henley, I questioned why you came now, after all these years. Why not sooner?"

Zephyr's head hung lower, his voice filled with regret as he murmured, "I'm sorry, Nalani. I really am."

But before he could continue, Nalani held up a hand to stop him. "Yes, I was mad. But now, more than anything, I'm grateful. Grateful that you reached out, even if it was late. Grateful that you didn't forget about us."

"You had your ups and downs too. And looking back, if you asked the 9-year-old me, she might've answered something selfish because I remember that feeling back then and what I could've said to you. I would've threw things at you for choosing to leave," Nalani added, reminiscing her past self that now made her laugh.

"But I didn't. I chose not to speak because of how I was exhausted. And this time, I won't because you're here. I kind of feel bad for what Nana had to go through because of me but even if you probably ask her the same, she would not be mad. She never was to me so don't fret about it, hermano," she said, sipping the last drop of tea in her cup.

Zephyr suddenly burst out laughing. "Hermano? Ah you're getting the gits of it," Zephyr continued to laugh.

"What? I pronounced it right. Are you mocking me?," Nalani snapped at her cousin as she stood up from her chair but Zephyr continued to laugh at her. 

Nalani, embarrassed of her speaking a Spanish word, walked away from the table with her cheeks flushed. "I-I'm going to bed, hmp," she said as she hurriedly went up the stairs, closing her door shut.

"How cute. It's too bad I couldn't be here to watch her as she grows. It would've been nice to see her embarrassed and mad all the time. Just those little different sides of her," Zephyr chuckled to himself. He later went to his room after giving Nalani's door a knock and bidding her goodnight. 

****

Nalani's

That night, after having tea with Zephyr, I retreated to my room, feeling embarrassed.

"How dare he laugh at me. I definitely pronounced it right didn't I? Wait, was I wrong?," I asked myself. I mean how could he laugh at me? Did it sound that bad? But Nana taught me...

 I turned on my lamp, the soft glow illuminating the room. As I was about to settle down, I heard a faint rustling noise. I turned towards the window and saw Lena struggling to get inside, halfway through the opening.

"Hi," she whispered, a sheepish grin on her face. "I'm stuck."

I rolled my eyes, stifling a laugh. "Seriously, Lena?" I whispered back, tiptoeing towards her. But just as I was about to help her, a knock on my door made me freeze in my tracks.

Lena raised an eyebrow and mouthed, "Who is it?" I shushed her, holding my breath.

"Goodnight," came the familiar voice from behind the door. It was none other than Zeph.

I stayed silent, waiting until I heard his footsteps retreating and the soft click of his door closing. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and continued towards Lena.

"You're unbelievable," I muttered, helping her wiggle through the window and into my room.

Lena landed on the floor with a soft thud, grinning up at me. "Surprise! I'm sleeping over."

I couldn't help but smile, shaking my head. "You know, there's a front door."

"Where's the fun in that?" Lena laughed, getting to her feet and dusting herself off. "Besides, I thought you'd appreciate a little adventure."

"Adventure or not, next time, use the door because I'm gonna lock these windows from now on," I said, closing the window and pulling the curtains shut.

Lena flopped onto my bed, stretching out and making herself comfortable. "So, how are things with your uncle and cousin? You doing okay?"

I sat down beside her, feeling a wave of gratitude for her presence. "Yeah, it's been... complicated. But Zeph and I had a good talk earlier. It's nice having family around, even if it took them a while to get here."

Lena reached over and squeezed my hand. "I'm glad to hear that. And hey, no matter what, you've got me too. We're in this together."

"Hey, I'm sorry we couldn't spend that much time with each other. I know I was all caught about myself all of a sudden because of dad and now they were here too. I know you have been waiting and I-," she suddenly tapped my hand that made me look up at her.

"Hey. It's okay. I know you needed that space and I didn't mind. Though I was really waiting. Can't believe it would take you an eternity," she jokingly said and we both laughed.

I smiled, squeezing her hand back. "Thanks, Lena. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You still owe me though," she playfully said as she wrapped herself under the covers. 

We spent the next hour catching up, talking about everything and nothing, until we both drifted off to sleep. For the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of peace, knowing that despite everything, I wasn't alone. Maybe I just didn't notice but Lena, she was always at that same place, the place where I could see and go to her. I was feeling lonely but she was there. She's always been there.