Chapter 31

Reunion

Present Day

2029

When we finally arrived at the Kavanaugh's estate, nostalgia filled me. We stepped out of Christian's Bugatti and Willow's mouth formed a huge O when she saw how beautiful the place was. Even Mom who had been here several times before still couldn't get over its beauty.

"Welcome to your aunt's school, Wil," Christian smiled before holding her hand. We followed after Christian while marveling over the surroundings.

Ever since I caught him staring at me from the window earlier in the car ride, Christian avoided my gaze. No matter how hard we tried, the awkwardness just thickened and I was hoping Willow won't notice.

"I'm so excited!" Willow screamed in a high-pitched voice and we laughed at her.

It had almost been a decade since I last came here and there were very notable changes. For one, the name, K. Kavanaugh Elementary School was displayed on top of the gate when we made our entrance. And two, this felt homier, more welcoming than ever before.

"It's still so gorgeous," Mom gushed as we hooked our arms together. We followed after Christian and passed by running children and chattering adults.

The gothic abbey still stood strong and right in front was a crowd of people who were the students and parents I presume. There was a fountain a few meters away from the front door and a stage was set up along with screens and sound equipment. The events team must be those who were wearing black.

Before the stage were about a hundred tables and caterers were all around too, getting ready. The aura of it all felt completely different from the aristocratic events I came here for. This event felt so inclusive and it made me feel so comfortable, as if I could let my guard down.

Despite the neatly scattered hundred tables, the lawn still became an infinite playground for the kids. A lot of children were running around and I could tell Willow would want to run along with them but Christian was stopping her.

Right at the corner table at the front row, I saw someone I've never seen for a long time. It was Ethan! My heart raced. This was my friend and my goodness! I didn't realize how I've missed him.

Before Christian can say something, I screamed his name and ran to him.

"ETHAN!"

He looked at my direction and his eyes were so wide when he saw me running to his way.

"Anastasia?! ANA!" He was ecstatic! He stood up and opened his arms for me. I wrapped my arms around him so tightly.

We pulled away from our hug and he marveled, "Oh my goodness! I can't believe you're here! I cannot believe it!"

"Me too," I was crying. His presence was this sort of mystical manifestation that Mia was near. My best friend was here. I could feel her close whenever Ethan was around.

"How have you been, huh? How are you? Oh goodness, this feels so unreal. You're here," I could tell he felt the same. We commonly loved one person and that will always make our friendship strong.

Well, he hadn't changed. He still was the same blonde guy with glasses, obviously smart.

"Hey, Ethan," Christian greeted and Ethan was about to say hello too but when his eyes darted towards Willow, he went completely silent and it was sinking into him. One look at Willow and he instantly knew who she was.

Ethan was staring back and forth, from me to Christian and then to Willow.

"This is our daughter, Willow," Christian introduced.

"Hello," Willow waved shyly and it took a few seconds before Ethan could acknowledge her.

Ethan said hi to my Mom too and gave me and Christian "that" look. That look meant we owed him a huge explanation and yes, we did. He knelt before Willow and got to know each other.

"Hey little one, what's your name?"

"I'm Willow. And are you my Uncle Ethan? You are in my family tree," she dazzled him with her natural charm.

"Yes, I am your Uncle Ethan," he said in such a fatherly tone.

We all watched as Willow sweetly interacted with her uncle. I could tell that she's very about meeting an uncle. It had always been just me, her, and Mom.

"Dad, Aunt Kate's going crazy," we heard a boy ask. We turned around and saw this handsome boy, obviously pre-teen. He was tall but really young. He wore a black shirt with a gold chain necklace and he wore his cap backwards. He had dark hair, his face resembling Mia's but some angles show that he was Ethan's too.

"Mond! You're here!" Ethan stood up while both Mom and I were still in awe. This was the boy we used to babysit when Ethan was busy and no one was around to take care of him.

"Carla, Ana, this is Mond—Raymond. He's grown up now, isn't he?" Christian introduced him.

We could tell Raymond was confused at our emotional expressions.

Christian added, "Mond, this is Ana, she was your mother's best friend and this her Mom, Carla. She was close to your Mom too."

Something flashed before Mond's eyes and I felt like there was this sudden urge to ask a million questions. I reached out to hug him. This kid's almost 11 years old now. I can't believe he had grown up so much. I was crying as I held him. Mia's son, I was holding Mia's son.

I kept marveling how amazing it felt to see him again and he was just smiling at me. I knew he had a lot of questions but he was aware that today's not the right time to ask all of those.

"Hey Lil' Mond here, what's up?" He said like one of those rappers and that got me and my Mom were confused. It made sense though. His shirt was baggy and so were his shorts. His expensive shoes had the word "Swag" on it.

Christian broke into laughter and shook his head. He held Willow's shoulders and told him, "So, Lil' Mond, I'd like you to meet your cousin. This is Willow, my and Ana's daughter".

"Whoa! Hold up!" Mond leaned back. He was clearly just as shocked as his father was. He shook his head.

"Yo, you didn't even tell me that you got a shawty, Uncle?" He sounded betrayed.

"No, uhm… she's not my…shawty anymore," Christian said uncomfortably.

Thankfully, Willow spoke, "Hi! It's nice to meet you. You must be my cousin, Raymond Kavanaugh. You are in my family tree too!"

He was still shocked but managed to say, "Nice to meet you too, Kid."

Willow scowled, "I'm not a kid anymore! I'm seven!"

"Mond, please be nice to your cousin. Come on," Ethan told him.

Raymond said, "Okay then, you're not a kid. So, you wanna listen to my songs?"

"You write songs?"

"Yes, I do. Got a whole lot of swag in my playlist," he told her.

"Hey, you don't make her listen to your explicit songs, huh? Or else, you'll be grounded," Ethan said clearly having authority over.

"Yeah, Dad. Don't worry. I got a whole lot of swaggy non-explicit songs too," Mond told him before taking Willow to the table and shared airpods with her. She was clearly confused as what she's listening to while Raymond was having the time of his life.

"Sorry about that. He just spends a lot of time with Elliott and his friends so he just has a whole lot of personality," Ethan said.

Wait, what? That didn't make sense. How could that be connected to Elliott?

"Don't worry, Dear. Mond's a really cute kid. I bet he's talented," Mom gushed while looking at Raymond and Willow at the table. They were still listening to his songs.

"Hey, Ethan, Kate's been looking for you. She needs someone at the registration," we all heard Elliott's deep voice.

"Ethan, I swear she's getting so nervous about this event—" Elliott immediately stopped talking when he saw me.

He was holding a little boy's hand. My eyes went wide. Is this their son?

"Ana? ANA!" He ran to me and wrapped me around his huge arms. He was already muscular before but right now, he's gotten bigger. We started off really shaky but when he apologized and changed, we became good friends too.

"Elliott, it's nice to see you again," I expressed.

"How have you been? Shit! It's been so long!"

"I'm fine," I said plainly.

Elliott also greeted my Mom hello and asked her a few questions.

Eight years passed and he was so different compared to the man who offered me money to stay away from his brother. Before, he was so controlled, so serious, and he looked as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. All he thought about was the company and the job forced on him.

Right now, he looked so vibrant and so happy. He was wearing a pink hood and his hair was dyed platinum blonde. There were huge and expensive headphones resting on his shoulders. He looked like he was about to party.

Suddenly, a light bulb flashed above my head. I remembered he told me once that if he were to live his own life and choose for his own, he would be a disc jockey. This was it, huh? He really did it. This was the real him.

"Wil, come here!" Christian called out and Willow ran to us.

"Wil?" Elliott raised his brow.

When Willow reached us, she wrapped her arms around Christian's legs. She smiled at Elliott who mirrored the same expression as Ethan's and Raymond's.

"Elliott, this is Willow. Willow, this is your Uncle Elliott," Christian said. There was no need to say more. She's obviously our daughter. Elliott already knew it.

"Hi Uncle! You are in my family tree!" Willow said once more. My little girl was having the time of her life. The names on the tree weren't just names anymore. They were real people and she was amazed at meeting each of them.

"Hey, Sweetheart. It's nice to meet you. Uncle Elliott's happy to meet you," he smiled at her. Just like Ethan, he was enamored by her. How could they not? Willow's a very sweet girl.

Elliott then shifted the attention to the little kid beside him.

"Ana, Carla, Willow, this is my son, Elijah," Elliott hand rested on his little boy's head. He told him that we were family too.

However, there was something about the kid, something so sad. He looked the same age as Willow's but his frown made him look older. He wore a simple plaid shirt and he was clearly handsome with his bronze hair. I couldn't point out if he looked like Elliott or Kate. He looked neither.

Elliott was speaking to him in such a loving manner but he wasn't saying anything. He wasn't even looking.

I looked at Christian and there's that sad look on his face as he stared at him. Right next to him was Willow who at only seven knew that something was clearly not right.

"Yo, Willow. Kid, come here. You got to listen to my new track!" Raymond called her from the table. He was clearly getting impatient. He really wanted her to hear his songs. I was most certain they are rap.

"I am not a kid anymore!" Willow yelled back. Then, she quickly took Elijah's wrist and practically dragged him to where Raymond's at. I could tell Elijah didn't want to go but he had no choice since Willow was so fast, strong, and firm when he took him with her.

Tension was up in the air. We clearly wanted to ask something about the child but we chose not to. We were afraid it would hurt him.

Elliott took a deep breath and asked, "A daughter, huh?"

Christian nodded.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Elliott asked almost too loudly.

Christian was about to reply but we heard her. My heart raced fast and her presence was something I feared yet anticipated at the same time. She was here. My friend was here.

"You guys, come on! Can somebody just please help out in the registration and make life easier for me. Yes, your guests but we're a team, remember?!"

She almost continued but when her eyes found my already crying face, her jaw dropped and as well as the papers she was holding. Kate, oh how I missed her.

"Ana! Ana! Ana! You're here!" She was in heels but she ran and wrapped her arms around me. Both of us were sobbing already.

She had always been true and kind to me. I felt a huge ounce of regret in all those years I didn't reach out.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Kate."

"It's okay. It's okay," she said with so hesitation, as if I never ignored her when she completely needed me most.

-page break-

Mom volunteered to station at the registration table. She was enjoying her time welcoming all the guests. Kate explained that the guests were all officials of the school, teachers, parents, and students.

We were sitting to the nearest table near the stage so that she could still oversee things. From our angle, we can still clearly see Willow, Mond, and Elijah sitting down the table with Ethan and Christian. Elliott was on stage talking to the sound crew. I think he'll be tonight's DJ.

"My gosh, I'm still so stressed out by this event but I am so happy you are here," Kate expressed for the millionth time. She also can't stop talking nonstop about Willow and how after all this time, she can't believe that I have a daughter with Christian.

In between our talks, we would get interrupted by staffs who ask her on which goes which and other things needed to be taken cared of to make sure that the event is successful.

Kate told me that both she and Elliott decided to live life to its fullest after Mia died. They realized how short life could be so they wanted to live their dreams. She took up Education and pursued her Master's Degree while Elliott became a disc jockey. He thrived in the industry, became a successful DJ and now he has his own record label and recording studio.

"I swear, Ana. If Mia's still around, she won't let Elliott get near her son. I mean, you know how she is."

"Yeah," I completely agreed although there's completely nothing wrong with Raymond or Lil' Mond. He's a passionate kid. That way, he seemed like Mia.

Just like what Christian said, her parents died three years ago and she inherited the estate. She had a wide range of network and knew a lot of experts in the academe. They guided her in making the estate into a school.

"We really don't need a huge house. The whole abbey's a school now and we live in the building just a few kilometers away, but just within our estate of course. It's just enough for me, Elliott, and Elijah.

It's just a kindergarten and elementary school for now but if we ever become more successful, I think we could cater middle and high school students too."

Gosh, I was so proud her. She looked incredibly beautiful and so young for her age. She was so successful yet still so humble and kind. She deserved all of this.

"Now enough about me. What about you, Ana? How have you been?" Kate asked.

I shrugged and answered, "I became a Mom and besides that, nothing exciting."

"Come on, you got to tell me!" She pouted like a child.

"Well, I'm currently undergoing therapy," I told her. I wasn't really proud about it but I've come to accept that it's a fact about me. That's what's going on right now. I still felt a little uncomfortable but this was Kate. Nothing I'd say would make her want to disown me as a friend.

To my surprise, she said, "Oh okay. I was on therapy too. And she was good. Her name's Doc Daisy and I got to tell you, she really helped me out."

I was shocked when I knew that Kate undergone therapy with the same therapist, but I was more shocked when she sounded as if it's normal.

Then, it sank into me that therapy shouldn't be alienated at all. It shouldn't be conceptualized as a taboo or embarrassment. In fact, it was normal. To have somebody listen to your issues and work it out. It should be normal.

"Yes, I agree. Doc Daisy's my therapist too and she's really good."

Kate smiled, "Yes, she is! I mean, she helped me accept things I can't change and look, here I am. I adopted the best kid in the world and I'm proud to call him my son."

It wasn't a surprise to me. Elijah resembled neither one of them.

Then, Kate stared at him from afar. Willow and Mond were still listening to songs while Elijah was just sitting right next to Christian. He was playing with his fingers while looking down the ground. Kate's expression shifted. She suddenly looked lonely.

"You know, I was encouraged by friends to adopt a toddler or a baby, but I just can't. Elliott and I went to the orphanage and we just felt this connection with this poor boy. My god, Ana, he was so skinny and his bruises were in the process of healing. When I saw his sad face, I felt determined to give him a better life. I wanted to be his Mom and Elliott felt the same. He wanted to be his Dad."

My heart crumbled in pain at the thought of Elijah in that state. No child ever deserves to be hurt. Not ever, never at all.

"He's been with us for a year and he hasn't spoken a single word," she told me.

"Don't lose hope, Kate," I whispered while holding her hand.

"Yeah, he's just seven so I'm not losing hope," she said with such positivity. She was right.

Kate cleared her throat and changed the topic, "You know what, Willow seems like a sweet girl. She has good manners and can converse well for her age. You really raised her well, huh? Cheers on you, Ana."

I smiled proudly at that. In all my years of melancholy, she was the one thing I did right.

"I'd like Willow to study here, Ana. I mean, if it's alright with you. I'm sure Christian won't mind. Our school may be young but we're well-equipped and we ensure to provide great education for children. Look, you can see that we've got loads of new enrollees today and this welcoming party before the school year starts is a way to say thank you to all of them," Kate said.

I shook my head and smiled. I told her, "Kate, you don't have to do that. Knowing you and your standards, I'm pretty sure the school's great. I just have to check with Willow first. It's up to her."

Kate nodded excitedly at that.

I'll let Willow decide on this. She already had friends in her school and she was accustomed to the life there. I had no doubt about Kate's school but it will depend if Willow would want to transfer here. We will have a talk about that.

"Oh, and Ana, you're starting school in three weeks, right? Are you planning to have a job or will you study full-time?" Kate asked. I told her about my plans in continuing my education earlier.

"Yes, I'll actually look for a job that can tailor-fit with my schedule," I answered. My savings account was almost down to zero amount and I didn't want Mom to work. She clearly wanted to watch over Willow and take care of her. And of course, I didn't want to be fully dependent on Christian.

Kate then made an offer that I didn't expect.

"That's great! Ana, look, we lack one assistant teacher for our kindergarteners. These children may be so small but you'll be of huge help to Miss Rica."

I was surprised but overwhelmed at the same time.

"Kate, I don't have a degree yet and—"

"That why it's a part time job, Ana. You are currently studying in college and there's nothing wrong with that. Plus, I'm pretty sure you'll love the job and the kids will love you too."

"They will?"

"What's not to love? Ana, you may not have graduated yet but you are smart, articulate, and you're good with kids. Come on, believe in yourself. I believe in you. You can do it!"

Kate didn't know how much her words meant to me. It had been so long since somebody pushed me to do something—since somebody offered something new in my life. She was opening a door of newness and of something good and at the same time, she was telling me that I was worthy of it.

"Thank you for believing in me, Kate," I said.

"I believe in you, Ana. You are my best friend. You and Mia have always been my best friend. You're very talented so there's no reason for you not to believe in yourself. You'll be a great help to Miss Rica and kids will learn a lot from you too," she encouraged.

"I'll take it. I'll take the job."

"Oh, thank you so much, Ana! Our school is delighted to have you!"

I didn't have a clue on where this road would take me but I found myself excited. I'll start school and a new part time job next week. Kate said that the pay is not that high but it's still well.

Kate found herself staring at the kids once more and she expressed, "Look at how happy that dumbass looks."

I was taken aback. It was the first time I heard her curse.

"Who?" Who's the dumbass?

"Christian, of course," Kate answered.

He really did look happy. Willow was sitting on his lap, both were being entertained by Raymond who I'm pretty sure was rapping based on his hand gestures. Ethan looked weirdly at his own son while Elijah just sat completely still on his lap. They were having so much fun, especially Christian. He was laughing with Willow.

"It's the first time I've seen him laugh and smile after all these years," Kate revealed.

I turned to look at her, completely confused.

Kate said, "When you broke up, I was so mad at him. You were about to be married and all of a sudden, he's engaged to Leila Williams. I blamed him a lot, I cursed him, and I just despised him. Elliott and I didn't talk to him at all. We only spoke again after he woke up from a coma."

I was getting more shocked. What? A coma? I didn't realize I was saying it out loud.

"Yeah, that dumbass was only engaged to Leila for three months then he got into a bad car accident. He spent a year in coma and just like the good people we were, we just decided to be there for him."

My eyes were practically glued at Christian. I was so overwhelmed at what I'm finding out.

"I swear, Ana. This is the first time I've seen him so happy. He's been so miserable all these years."

With all Kate had been saying, I was beginning to realize that maybe I should hear Christian out. Maybe there were a lot more things to find out.

Thank you for reading.

We got Ana reunited with Kate, Elliott, and Ethan. There are the kids too. We have the Kavanaugh-Grey cousins in the story now.

Yes, there will be flashback chapters after the break up.

Your thoughts? :)

Thank you so much. - Cloud