The drive to Miguel's house is slow as my mom savors her time away from her rambunctious family. Like I said it's been a while since we've spent a holiday with our family. The thing is, while my mom is a kindhearted, quiet woman, her siblings, not so much. It's not that Shelly was terrible, she was just the youngest and the most spoiled. There had been times where she was so entitled that even my younger self didn't understand why she was so childish. Now she's pregnant and I can only imagine her attitude.

Now, the oldest, my uncle, Mark, was known for being extremely critical one out of the bunch. He scrutinized every little thing causing everyone to put it off because with him being the oldest, he has to set an example for his siblings. Then there was Marie, the second eldest. She was quite the carefree spirit, not exactly living up to my grandparents expectations. She was my favorite aunt and maybe even favorite relative because she was actually very level headed.

"Why are they even here? Like really here?" I turn to look at my mom once ads started to play on the radio. "It's been a while and this is super unexpected."

My mother sighs as she rests her elbow on her door, her head going to her closed fist. "Shelly isn't doing well."

My right eyebrow quirks up at her works. That's the vaguest answer she could've given me. "Yes, I would also call heavily pregnant not doing well."

"Hey, don't be a smart alec." Mom fights the smile that's trying to break through. "Shelly in a sort of bind. She's up the duff, has no job-"

My head snaps over to my mom in absolute surprise. Last time we had heard, Shelly was bragging about this hot new job she had gotten. She had bragged about getting it as soon as the interview ended and how everyone loved her. Supposedly she had been hired at some fashion studio where she'd be creating designer clothes. Honestly, it had seemed a bit far fetched because Shelly had done two years in college before deciding that was enough for her. She hadn't gone to any design schools.

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow, my lips pursing. I'm starting to feel a bit guilty because of the hug Shelly had given me, but in hindsight, she's kind of terrible.

Mom glances over at me and shakes her head. "Jesus, Emie. Feel a little bad and yes, she's unemployed and she's been struggling to find a new job. With the baby on the way, she's stopped completely. Not only that, her boyfriend has up and left, deciding he's not ready for parenthood."

"Seriously!" I burst, shaking my head in disgust. There was nothing more despicable than someone who decides to skip out on their responsibilities. "So...what is Shelly doing to pay her bills?"

Mom sighs in defeat, letting me know the answer is something I won't like. "She's not. Your grandparents are."

Shelly has always been coddled by my grandparents. Being the youngest, she was actually quite the surprise because she hadn't been planned at all. My grandparents had been a whopping fifty years old when they conceived Shelly. Some would call it a miracle that they were able to conceive while that age, some would call it strange. With that being said while my mom is forty-five years old, Shelly is only twenty-six. Because Shelly came when her siblings were already in adulthood, she was given everything she wanted since she was basically an only child. It's strange that, even now, she's still being coddled.

It had always seemed weird to me, but I guess my grandparents were too tired to evoke discipline towards their youngest daughter. When my father had come back from college and decided to marry my mother, the two chose to stay and settled down in Elderwood, my grandparents had moved away with Shelly. It was why they aren't currently in Elderwood. They now live somewhere in Southern Florida enjoying their retirement. Shelly did live there too, but not anymore.

"Jesus, you'd think she was a teenager who's still dependent on her parents." I mutter, gnawing on my cheek to stop anymore harsh things from leaving my mouth.

"That's what I said." My mom scoffs, a frown covering her face. "Now she's trying to mooch off of us and I'm going to say yes because I don't need my parents to stress over their grown ass daughter who's pregnant and jobless!"

I recoil at my mother's words, not expecting the snap. It didn't even process to me what she said until now. Shelly will be staying with us? Like...sleeping in our house that's meant to be a sanctuary from work and school?

"No!" I shriek, not meaning to sound so loud. A hasty apology leaves my mouth before I shake my head heavily. "What about Marie? She lives alone in her nice studio apartment. And Mark? He's got the room and time."

"Mark also has five kids who keep his hands full." Mom shoots back, her eyebrows furrowed. "He doesn't have the time nor the room."

I groan loudly and bite my lip. "Why does Shelly have to-"

"Emerson Badgley, I did not teach you to be so damn hateful. You will bite your tongue before you say something you regret. Now, I know this isn't ideal for the both of us, but she's still family and she's out of options. She'll stay with us for a couple months after the baby is born so she can get back on her feet."

I stare out the window as we pull up to a small house. One lone car sits in the driveway and the grass looks freshly cut. Even though the house is so small, the place looks cozy. The paint on the house looks fresh like it was done a week ago, a nice pastel purple color which I've never seen on a house before. The window shutters are also newly painted a midnight blue that compliments the purple well. The windows look clean with white blinds covering the inside. In one front window, a flower bed sits. The pathway to the house is curved with solar lights stuck in the grass that will light the way when it's dark. The place is nice.

"Fine," I sigh in defeat once my mom parks. "But I'm going to keep my distance and we'll talk when I get home."

Mom gives me a small smile and nods. She lifts a hand and pushes my hair from my face. "Okay, Emie. God, you are most definitely my daughter. Now go. Your friend is waiting."

"Yeah, I'll go." I mumbled with a small smile on my face, the frustration fading as I step out of the car.

Waving my mom away, I begin making my way up the pathway. Once on the porch, I see a small bike sitting in the corner, training wheels attached and tassels hanging from the handlebars. A small smile alights on my face and I lift my hand to knock on the door. A small yell erupts, but I can't quite tell what the person says. Before I know it, the door opens to reveal a small eight year old. Her round, brown eyes stare up at me, a small smile on the child's face. Her smile widens to reveal one missing bottom tooth. Her cheeks are a pretty, rosy red. She's a difference from Miguel in her skin tone because she's much lighter than him, but her hair is the same. A dark brown color. While short, it's still thick and luscious. She's absolutely adorable.

"Hi, my name is Aisha." Aisha leans out the door and reaches for my hand. Once she grabs my hand, she tugs lightly, a silent order to come in. "You must be Emie. Miguel speaks about you a lot. He says that you're the only person worth talking to in high school."

A small giggle escapes me at her words. Her voice is soft, but no lisp detected like with most children I've spoken to. She glances back at me as she starts walking. I quickly close and lock the door so I can follow after her. The living room is the first thing we come to. Toys are littered across the ground a couch, mostly dolls and teddy bears. It's a sure sign that a child lives here. And now that I'm in the house, I see it's larger than the outside paints it to be. Not much bigger than you'd think, but it's a nice size for a small family.

The couch is a bit grandmotherly, the fabric being floral printed, but the blank parts are blue. It doesn't do justice for the cherry wood coffee table in front of it or the black, suede loveseat. In front of all that is a fireplace that's recently been used if the charred wood is anything to go by. I look around, catching sight of various photo frames on the walls. Even though the furniture is all over the place, it kind of adds to the charm of the place.

"Mama and abee just finished dinner. Ummah made empanadas because she thought it would be good for you. Usually she makes bandeja paisa, but mama said it was too much since abee made vegetable curry and we have papadums too!" Aisha turns to me, a large smile on her face. Her hand moves to her stomach and she starts rubbing it as a hum leaves her mouth.

"I can't wait to try," I tell her honestly.

Aisha beams at me as she leads the way to the kitchen. Once there, she announces both of our presence, her arms extended out to announce me formally. I find it cute that she's so excited that I'm here. The couple at the stove turns, wide smiles on their faces. They're honestly a dream team, looking perfectly fit together and molding as well like two right puzzle pieces. The woman had long, beautiful brown hair with lighter brown highlights complementing the strands. The tendrils fall in waves, reaching the middle of her back. She's wearing a pair of jeans and a nice, blue blouse. The man next to her is a dark, natural tan. His hair is similar to Miguel's with the strands curling at the base of his neck. He has more prominent facial hair though and I can tell he takes time to groom it.

"You must be Emie?" The woman comes up to me first, her smile glowing. I can't help but notice how her brown eyes light up nicely when she smiles. "It's so great to meet you. Miguel talks about you a lot, mostly about how you're his only friend and he likes that."

"Why are you guys lying?" Miguel comes from around a corner, shaking his wet hands, letting me know he had just washed them. He then turns to me and gives me a playful eye roll. "I don't talk about you, Emerson."

I give everyone a small smile before turning to Miguel fully. "Why is it that you call me by my full name and your family is kind enough to use my nickname?"

"No reason, Emerson," Miguel grins before he walks over and throws his arm over his shoulder. "Let's eat!"

Maybe meeting Miguel's family isn't so bad.

*Hello there! Thanks for reading this far, don't know I've said that recently. How are you guys liking the story? Do you feel like it's strayed from the story of Emie and Sebastian too much? Or do you feel like this break from Sebastian is good for Emie? If you guys miss Sebastian, don't worry, he'll be back for a lot of chapters. So will Cody. Ugh, Cody. How do you guys feel about him? Please let me know with a comment and don't forget to vote. Thanks for reading.*