NATASHA

"Just here, thanks" I said, while opening the Uber's door.
As I stepped closer and closer to the house dragging one of the suitcases with me, I already felt the warmth and comfort that this home brought to me. The wind was heavy, but not too heavy that it swept me away. It was just right.
Saying goodbye to Dane hurt, but breaking up with Ian hurt even more. We shared so many loving moments in that home, and it's all thrown away. I can never forgive Clara for what she did, but maybe I can give her a second chance. After all, she is the same person who saw me grow up, saw me at my lowest point. But she was also the same person who broke me.

I was standing in front of my house, with four, full to the brim suitcases behind me. Although I forgot to do the most crucial thing. I forgot to tell my parents that I was coming over. Most probably permanently, since I would have to work for years to even rent an apartment with the money I got. I didn't tell them that Ian and I were over. Here goes nothing. I rang the doorbell, and a few footsteps crept closer and closer. The door swung open.
"Hermosa! What a pleasant surprise." Dad said,"Gianna, come downstairs!"
My mum trots down excitedly, and there's a shocked expression on her face. "Nattie! How's Ian?"
I chuckled awkwardly, but the question eventually had to come. I tensed my lips and said, "Well- Ian and I actually broke up."
"Oh Hermosa. . ." Dad said, hugging me tightly in his proximity, "go sit down, I'll get your stuff in your room."

As I walked into the house, it was that nostalgic scent that I hadn't smelt in a very long time. It was the smell of lavender and incense. I had longed for it. Dad got all of my suitcases into my room, which probably has cobwebs all over it.
"Natasha, do you want me to make some coffee?" Mum said.
"No, that's fine, I'll just get some water for myself."
I stood up to go get some water from the tap.
"Natasha, get settled in your room, we'll make lunch for you." Dad said from upstairs. I replied with an 'Okay!' And I headed upstairs.

The smell of the room was like getting fresh laundry out of the dryer. I found bottles of expired makeup, almost emptied perfumes, and many sorts of things I used when I was younger. On the bed was my old toy bear.
"Hm. This looks exactly like Dane's djungelskog." I mumbled. In fact, as I checked the tag, it read "IKEA" on it. Except it wasn't a grizzly bear. It was a panda. Next, I checked my wardrobe. I could've sworn I saw a spider crawl on the ground, but I decided just to ignore it. My clothes were a whole mess. It ranged from emo, to formal, to casual, to neon frenzy. I couldn't believe I genuinely wore those things.

When I walked over to my old drawer, where I left some of my most prized possessions, I found something weird, that I had never noticed before. Maybe my parents displaced it.

When I opened the last drawer, there was an old, discoloured baby romper inside. At first, I thought it was mine but, this was a boys romper. I never had a brother. I kept the discovery to myself, and came to the conclusion, that I shouldn't tell them what I found, because maybe it had some sentimental value to it. Maybe my mother had a miscarriage. Maybe that was what they bought for my brother before my mother had a miscarriage. Younger or older. But there's another theory. Maybe my parents thought I was being born a guy, so they bought a boys romper and then found out I was a girl! Case solved! No need to overthink it.

I unpacked all of my important and essential stuff, and placed it out on my desk, putting all the old stuff away into the drawer with the romper inside. I was ready to go downstairs now.

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Dad laid out an avocado and egg sandwich on the counter. "Eat up Nattie, I know you're hungry."
In fact I was, and I was ready to dig in. Food from your parents had to be the most delicious thing ever. In fact I had never realised how bland Ian's food was, and Dane's food? We don't talk about that.
Mum turned on the TV and the first thing that came up on the screen was a brutal car crash. I was intrigued.
"Hey mum, don't switch the channel, I wanna watch it."
"Oh this makes me want to cry. When you were younger you always wanted us to change the news channel." She said, while switching the channel back to the news one, and placing the remote down on the coffee table.
As I watched, I recognised a familiar face. Dane was being broadcasted on Live TV?!
'-Here we have Lieutenant Leanne Steele, to report on this unusual case. . .'
Next to that Lieutenant, Dane was standing right next to her!
'-yeah we don't know much of this so far, except the unidentified person driving the vehicle, which was a BMW, seemed to be following the road rules, as seen on the speed camera up until Saltlake road. He accelerates rapidly, and the car spins out of control, causing the car to hit a nearby pole, which essentially ended this man's life. We will be investigating the case, to figure out who this person was, and why we have found this mysterious note, in the car' The camera pans to Dane, his eyebrows furrowed making a concerned but confused look on his face. He squinted his eyes looking down at something and mumbling the word "Russo", and then the camera panned over to the car, which they blurred out. You could make out a body hanging over the car. It was a bloody scene. A very bloody scene. '-we cannot show you this note because it is confidential evidence, but until later we don't know what else may have caused this tragic-'
Mum turned the TV off. "Don't you think that's a little bit too unsettling to watch while our daughter comes back home for the first time in a long time?"
"I agree. Why don't we watch something else." Dad said.
"Or maybe, we shouldn't watch anything at all. Let's just live in the moment!" I said.

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I had a good time warming up with my parents, having dinner with them and then getting to know me better again. But I couldn't stop thinking about the romper. What would it have been like to have a brother? Being an only child had its perks, but I couldn't stop thinking about what my childhood would have been like if I had experienced it with a brother. I was sitting on the sofa next to my mum, and my dad was sitting on the other one on the side of it.
"You know that tragic car crash thing we saw on the news?"
"Yeah?" Mum said, "why? Did you know him?"
"No, but-"
"Don't tell me you were behind it all" Dad laughs. I giggled and said:
"Well no, but the guy next to Lieutenant Leanne Steele was Ian's brother."
"Ian's brother? Really?" He said.
"Yeah. . ."
"They look nothing alike. Like at all!" Mum said.
"Well, Ian's adopted. That says it all."
"Hm. You know, you never told us why you broke up with him. You don't need to though, obviously. But I want you to know I'm here for you- always."
"Thanks mum. But I don't want to talk about it. It involved Clara too. I think you get the idea now."
"Oh. . ." She said, "yeah, I think I do."

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The next morning, I drove to my flower shop. It made me happy seeing my flowers thrive. I grabbed the flowering pot, and gently sprinkled the water onto the soil of each and every one of the flowers there. Behind the counter, were a few bouquets that weren't bought for a month, slowly dying. Maybe that relationship didn't end well. Since it creeping up to Valentine's Day, hopefully we'll be booming with customers. Unfortunately for me, I will have to endure seeing happy customers leave knowing that it's being given to their significant other, while my ex-significant other, cheated on me with my best friend of 14 years. Awesome.

While I walked around, looking to check if any of my plants had decayed, I came across big bunches of purple roses, sitting there and staring at me. I missed Dane already. But I probably didn't mean much to him. Those flowers were probably my most expensive. They're quite hard to find. But the glow on Dane's face made me just has happy as him when he received the flower. I had a few tulips in here. They were very popular. Its good knowing that in the Town of Dauntridge, my flower shop was the most well-known and loved. When it first opened, Clara helped me sort out where the flowers should go. It never changed since. Although, I am doubting if I should move it around and arrange it. Maybe i'll ask my co-owner about it.