Change

“Ready to go?” Anna asks me as I glance at her in the mirror as she sits on my bed.

“Yes.” I sigh as I straighten out my skirt. Finally tears start to cloud my eyes as my shoulders slum.

“Honey,” My aunt says rushing over to me. “You can’t cry now. You look too beautiful.” She smiles lightly as I stare into her eyes. In this moment, she reminded me of my mother, my beautiful no longer here mother.

“He is the first guy I have ever truly liked and she isn’t even here. She can’t even be here.” I whisper as she wipes away my tears. “And my dad with his nerdy glasses to give Liam the talk can't even be here, and you know Charlie, he-, he just loves him. And jokes around with him, so he would never do something like that.”

“I mean, I can do that for you.” My aunt smiles, “I am pretty intimidating.”

“Good one.” I laugh as I wipe the remaining tears from beneath my eyes. “You are quite scary.”

“No she’s not.” I hear my uncle say from behind the two of us.

“You are right, Charlie.” My aunt laughs as she pats his back as she exits my room, “So right.”

“Just for the record, I did have the talk with him. Quite a while ago.” My uncle sighs as he stands in the doorway, hands resting on his hips.

“Really?”

“Promise. He has a head on his shoulders though, Reina, believe me.” He pauses. “And falling for you is taking a lot from him.”

What is that supposed to mean exactly?

“Can I say something?” My uncle says, much more as a statement, because it was already coming out. “This is an experience for all of us.” Taking a seat at the end of my bed. “Anna and I have always wanted kids, but it never really worked out in our favor. You showed up in the shittiest situation, but a beautiful one.”

“A beautiful one.” I state. "But completely shitty."

“I love your parents and I love you.” He smiles as he looks at his hands. “And it is a beautiful opportunity to take care of you because, because you have so much potential, so much life, and so much to give, and I am glad I am able to witness all of this so that one day be able to tell your parents.”

“Have I ever told you,” I tug on my flowing skirt and take a seat next to him. “That I do love you?”

“Not lately, no.” He says softly looking over at me.

“Well, I should tell you more often then.” I smile at him. “You know, I wasn’t really expecting this first date to be so emotional.”

“Neither did I.” He scuffs, just as we both hear my aunt call my name.

“Reina, Liam is here.”