"Joshua," Blake says putting the toddler down, "Go play in the living room."

"You too Zoë." Riley says putting her girl, six or seven, onto her feet.

Riley hands the kids a phone and they take off toward the living room, giggling about who knows what.

Riley looks mostly the same. She still has the same bouncy black curls, but now styled up, instead of falling down her back. Her eyes are the still light blue and her skin the light brown they have always been. Her makeup and clothes impossibly perfect. She is wearing a purple floral spring dress and six inch heels. I wonder how she walks around in them and carry a child?

Blakely is the one who I think is most changed. Her face still looks like her identical twin, but her hair is it's natural dark red, is now almost gone. She chopped it off into a boycut. Her brown eyes are now sported with some black eyeliner and mascara. Other than that she is completely natural. She traded her basketball shorts for yoga pants. Blake has always been strong, but I have never seen her like this. Her muscles are so defined, it looks like she could be a trainer on The Biggest Loser.

And children?! I see a golden wedding band on Blake's finger but not Riley's.

Whoa. I am old enough to be married and a mother... Mind. Blown.

"Hey." I say after a minute of silence.

Blakely lifts her hand in a small wave.

Riley looks like she is about to explode if she doesn't do something.

I soon find out it's hugging she was dying to do. Despite her tiny arms and heels, Riley lifts me up in a giant rib crushing bear hug.

After she sets me down, she slaps me, "That's for dying."

I cup my cheek. "I didn't do it on purpose."

We glare at each other for a minute. Then she snorts, "Geez I've missed you!"

"Ditto." I say meekly.

"Em, the noodles are boiling over." Sam points out.

"Oh crap!" I turn down the stove and start blowing on the bubbles.

"Put a wooden spoon on it." Blake suggests.

Her first words to me in ten years. Really?

I follow her instructions and the water stops. "How'd you know that?"

"Moms have to know these things."

"Oooor, you can just go out to eat." Riley volunteers. She looks at me for a moment longer, "Okay, I'm sorry, but who dressed you? Those pants totally clash with that shirt."

"Hey!" Samantha cries out.

"Samantha did..."

"Yeah I can see that. Okay honey, you need to change, I don't want this to rub off on my daughter." She says gesturing to my outfit.

"Is it that bad?"

"No, sweetie, it's worse."

Gee thanks.

She drags me off to Samantha's bedroom and begins tossing clothes on the floor.

I return to Blake and Sam, who seemed to be having a quiet conversation. They abruptly stop when we enter the room.

"Wow Riley..." Blake says, suppressing laughter. "You've really outdone yourself."

I am wearing a pink, yes pink, dress.

"Shut up." I say. "...So who is Joshua and Zoë...?" Even though I have already guessed the answer, I don't want to assume.

"My son." Blake says at the same time Riley says, "My daughter."

I nod, processing. "So you are married?"

"I am." Blake says.

I nod again. The room starts the go in and out of focus. I shake my head, "To who?"

"Andrew Murphy."

"From band? He played the trombone, right?" I ask, my head is starting to pound.

"Yeah, we got together in Senior year." Her voice is becoming distorted.

I feel like I am falling and it isn't until my head hits the stone tiles that I realized I did fall.

"Ember!" Far away voices call out in fear.

My breathing becomes fast and shallow, I can barely see anything through the darkness.

An ache begins in the pit of my stomach. It's like someone is dragging a knife through my intestines.

Then it hits, like the knife has chosen its target in my heart. I scream.

My vision goes black and my feels like a wrecking ball is going off inside it.

I feel a slap on my cheek, again. And again.

Someone is calling my name but I don't know who it is or how to respond.

Children are crying.

Someone is speaking rapidly, giving instructions to a building.

I don't know what else to do. I give into the darkness.

~

Yes, come to me. Come to me...

-----------------------------------------------------

Liking the story so far? Don't forget to vote and comment, or if you are super adventurous, share with your friends. Or random strangers, that works too.