"Wow you hadn't forgotten me." Catherine smiled at a shocked Alex.
"Hannah out and help mommy please." Alex asked Hannah quietly.
Elijah came in quietly to collect his books without saying a word.
He briefly stared at the unknown face in his kitchen but just as soon shrugged it off.
Alex did nothing but stare wide eyed at the sister she hadn't seen for 15 years before rushing over and taking Catherine in her arms.
"You're so...grown up!" Alex exclaimed as she pulled back to look at her sister.
She was as tall as Alex and had long raven hair just like the last time Alex had seen her.
"Would you like some tea?" Alex asked as she tried to regain her composure and dry her eyes.
"Thanks. Black, 2 sugars." Catherine smiled as she sat down at the table.
Alex quickly prepared the tea before sitting across from Catherine.
Moments of silence passed until Alex asked the only question she was wondering.
"How'd you find us?"
A smirk crept onto Catherine's face as she sipped her tea.
"I hired an investigator. It wasn't hard."
"Then how come nobody else found us first?"
Catherine sighed and put down her cup.
"Because nobody looked. When you left...things changed."
Alex didn't want to remember leaving.
She'd always felt guilty about leaving Catherine behind, always wondered how she was...
"I'm sorry." Alex whispered into her cup.
She wasn't sorry for leaving but she was sorry about leaving others behind.
She couldn't explain it.
"Why?" Catherine laughed.
"You've got everything you ever wanted. Olivia, a house, a million little monsters." She giggled.
"I guess." Alex laughed back
"How many?" Catherine asked as her brow furrowed.
"Five. Five kids and a house full of animals." Alex laughed.
They were a big family.
They were all close too.
Even if they didn't realise it.
"How old are they?" Catherine asked quietly.
Alex sighed as she stared out into the yard where Olivia and Hannah were fixing the car.
Mechanics had always been something those two had in common.
She turned back to see Catherine waiting.
"Beth's our oldest she's 15. Then Elijah is 14 and a half. After Elijah we had 11 year old Hannah and 8 year old Noah. Our last was little Claire. She just turned 3."
"Wow." Catherine exclaimed.
"Yeah...We're happy..." Alex muttered.
For a while they just sat stirring tea until Alex looked at her sister.
"Why are you here?" Alex asked her voice sounding slightly cold.
Catherine sighed and leant back in her chair.
"Mom's sick. They think she might be dying."
"What does that have to do with me?" Alex asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? She's your mother too."
"She certainly didn't act like it!" Alex shot back.
"Look Alex. I know you've built a life for yourself here but I need you to come back. Mom's sick and I've spent half my life looking after her. It's your turn now."
"You can't expect me to just pick up and leave Cathy! I have a family here, a life, a job..."
"That didn't stop you from leaving 15 years ago Alex!" Catherine shouted.
Alex was slightly taken back.
"You think it was easy for me to leave?" Alex whispered.
"Shut up Alex! Yes! I do think it was easy for you to leave. That was all you ever wanted. I watched you leave. Do you think that was easy? I may not have realised it then but you were the only thing holding our family together! After you left dad killed himself. Mom started using and then she got sick. Who do you think gave away her life to stay with her? Me! I did! While you were off with your new family I was left with the last shred of our old one. Do you think that was easy for me?" Catherine cried.
Alex only sat.
"Bastard deserved to die." She said taking another sip of tea.
"As much as that may be true Alex he was still our dad even after what happened to you. That's why I wouldn't talk to you. After you stabbed him and he realised you weren't his little girl anymore he turned on me. Do you think that was easy!"
Alex was speechless.
He'd hurt her too.
Alex went to stand but Catherine chucked a crumpled piece of paper on Alex's table before storming out of the house.