With my mother leaving for Hawaii in two days, it only left a small amount of time for my sister and I to actually see her before she leaves. Which wasn't really helpful with how busy our schedules can get. Especially my sisters work diary, she always worked flexible hours that suited her... but ended up working more than she had bargained for. We ended up trying to clear a whole evening out just to see mom. Having to squeeze in time after work one evening, resorting in getting takeaway instead of making our own dinner when we get to moms.

Our mother, despite was other people think, is rather protective. She always has been. Ever since our father died, she's wrapped us up in more cotton wool than you could ever imagine. With our father dying of unknown circumstances, no one knowing how or why he died, our mother's protective instincts kicked into overdrive. She wouldn't even let us walk to school on our own. That's how worried she was about us. It scared her to think that the same could happen to us too.

She's especially protective over me...

Coming home crying every day after school didn't exactly scream great childhood. Being harassed every day for no apparent reason wasn't exactly anyone's idea of a great life in high school. My mother refused to let me live everyday like that, finally nipping it in the bud when my bracelet was stolen. Finally moving me to U.A. where I met Yu and Rumi and made friends that I knew were genuine. Mom and I have always been close, I think it's to do with my wings, how they remind her of dad...

Being the only one out of the two of us that can actually drive, I gently drive down the roads leading to my mothers home. Trying to ignore the constant distraction that is my older sister. Trying not to stare at funny pictures that we took when we were, god knows, how old. The squeals of laughter leaving her lips often drawing my attention from the road...

Almost hitting someone with my car!

Muttering under my breath, I send a small apologetic smile toward the pedestrian before driving onward toward my mother's home. My sister squealing with laughter at the nervous confrontation before going back to her phone. I couldn't help but groan as she laughs at another photo on her timeline.

"Amai, I'm trying to concentrate, can you please tone it down?" I briefly looking toward her before back toward the road, "I don't want to run someone over because you can't contain your laughter!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry," she says with a big grin, turning her phone off after pressing a song to play on the aux cord, humming to the tune, "You handed your designs in?"

"Yeah... it's a waiting game now," I explain, stopping at a red light, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, taking a nervous deep breath, trying to ease my nerves, "The model gets a say in what designs are their favourite this time... whoever it is must be very high profile,"

"They're letting interns apply to be a personal makeup artist to someone high profile?" She asks gawking at me, almost incredulously, "But you're all inexperienced aren't you?"

"Wow, thanks Amai, really appreciate the support," I hum sarcastically, going when the light turns green before heading toward my moms home and manoeuvring into the spot, "We're not inexperienced, I've done many designs on models... sure they're not as big as what Mrs Juniper does but it helps me up the ladder,"

"So what happens if you get the job?" Amai asks interested, taking her phone off the dashboard as I switch the engine off and grab my bag, "Do you get a raise?"

"Yeah, and I get to work with the model one to one and be their personal makeup artist," I reply as I get out the car, shutting the door behind me before being tackled to the ground by my mothers big German Shepherd, a squeal leaving my lips as I fall into the grass, "Hey Frankie! Hello baby! Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?"

"Frankie! Get off her," My mother calls out, whistling toward the dog who dutifully barks and gallops back into the house. She giggles gently as she pulls me to my feet and kisses my forehead before engulfing me into a huge hug, "Look at you, my big girl!"

"Mom! I'm twenty two," I whine, pouting up at her as she cups my cheeks in her hands and pinches them slightly making me groan, rolling my eyes as she pulls away so I can rub the slight pain from my cheeks, "How are you?"

"Oh I couldn't be better," she says hugging Amai close with a smile, kissing her cheek before beckoning us in, "How are you two girls?"

"We're good, ma," Amai replies, heading through the door before trying to shut it on my face, biting back a laugh as she grins toward my unamused face, "Couldn't be better,"

Humming gently, I push the door open to enter my mother's home. As per usual, like every parents home, it was full to the brim of baby pictures from my sister and I's childhood. As soon as I walk in, I'm greeted with a picture of my sister starting her first day of elementary school, standing there in her uniform, with a big bright grin. There's another, hung on the wall, of me when I was around seven years old, dressed in some denim overalls covered in mud.

Of course all my baby pictures were embarrassing!

I set my bag down on the kitchen counter and smile toward mom as she opens the oven and pulls out a batch of freshly baked cookies, my tastebuds singing at the delicious smell. The woman wouldn't not bake cookies whenever we came over. I think she's subtly hinting at us to give her grandchildren... Mom always knew how to spoil us, after all. She just wanted more people to spoil.

"Thought I heard voices," A male voice hums softly.

My mother's boyfriend, Damien, walks into the kitchen with a smile. Wrapping his arms around our mother before kissing her nose making her giggle with a bright red face. His chocolate brown eyes looking toward my mom with so much love and affection, it was almost like a fairytale. Damien adored mom with every ounce of his being. He made her happier than she's ever been. Even with his bright pink hair styled into a messy man bun.

"Hey girls, how have you both been?" Damien asks with a smile, stealing a cookie from the tray and chuckles when mom hits his hand playfully, "Found yourself a lucky guy or gal yet, (Y/n)?"

"Pfft, yeah right," Amai butts in before I could get a word in edgeways, grabbing a cookie for herself before biting into it with a moan of delight, "God mom! These are so good!"

"Thank you sweetie," Mom says with a smile before looking toward me, almost expectantly, hoping and praying that I manage to land myself a partner, "So? Anyone you have your eye on? A guy perhaps? Maybe a girl? Hm?"

"No, mom, I haven't looked at anyone like that," I reply softly as I take a small bite out a cookie, trying not to let the small groan that leaves my mother's lips get to me, "I can't just magically fall in love with someone, you know that... I have trust issues..."

"And you won't fix that unless you try out relationships," My mother tries to convince me, rolling her eyes as I arch a brow unimpressed, "Sweetie, you haven't had a relationship ever,"

"So? Why is that a bad thing?" I ask looking toward her with a frustrated groan, glaring toward my sister who's having the time of her life listening to us bicker, "I don't want a boyfriend or a girlfriend right now. I want to focus on my work. I want to have my own place. There are things I want to do before I even consider having a love life,"

"But sweetie, you're twenty two and you haven't even had a relationship. I want grandchildren," she says looking toward me, sighing as I roll my eyes, playing with the frayed handle of my handbag, "I'm just looking out for you,"

"Mom, I don't need to have children so young, I'm my own person, I can have children whenever I want," I tell her shaking my head as I run my fingers through my hair, "Harass Amai about grandkids! Not me! She has a boyfriend! Stop pressuring me into finding someone, I want to find someone when I want to not when you want,"

"Right... uh... anyway! Amai, how's Rumi?" Mom asks, changing the subject before she gets even more upset from me, smiling brightly toward my older sister who grins, "Is she good? I saw that she saved three people on tv,"

"Yeah, she's doing amazing," Amai replies with a smile, sneaking another cookie as she goes off to mom about anything and everything.

Rolling my eyes, having enough of everything, I walk into the living room and sit down on the plush couch, letting Frankie climb onto the couch and rest his head onto my lap. Smiling weakly, I run my fingers through his fur, a small sigh leaving my lips. Why couldn't I just get on with my life without having people nitpicking every time? I just wanted to focus on my work. A possible promotion was on the way, after all...

I needed to do this for me!

Right before I slip onto my own thoughts, Damien strides in and sits down opposite me, sending me a reassuring smile. Watching as I play with Frankie's fur to distract myself, my stepfather leaning back into the chair and taking a deep breath.

"Don't you start," I warn bluntly, glaring toward him as he sends a small chuckle my way, rubbing the back of his neck, "Mom shouldn't expect me to have children so early,"

"I know, I know," he says sending me a small smile as he looks toward the kitchen before back at me, "Your mom just wants you to be happy,"

"Then let me get on with what I want,"...