(A.N. Here's the next chapter of Tomorrow's Another Day, I hope you enjoy! I have also started posting this story on my Wattpad account (same name). I hope everyone's enjoying the story and please feel free to let me know what you think :) )
The next morning, the Bolton family were sat around the table for breakfast. Jacob and Lilliana had received presents from their classmates and had been busy playing with them the previous evening, Jacob unaware of any of the conversations between his family regarding the possibility of Lilliana being put up a grade. The room was filled with a somewhat awkward silence, the children only whispering when they chose to talk. Once they had finished up their food, Jack directed his statement at the twins. "So Mum and I were talking last night and we decided that we wanted to do something special for your birthday so we can go to the amusement park or Dave and Busters, it'll be like an extra birthday present."
The twins grinned at each other before Jacob looked at the juniors. "Are Troy and Gabi coming too?"
Lucille spoke cautiously. "Well Dad and I were hoping that we could spend some one-on-one time with you guys today." She looked over to the teenagers. "If that's alright with you two, I'm sure you'd have a lot of homework or would like some time to hang with your friends."
Troy smiled at his mother in response. "Sure Mom, that's fine."
Lucille looked back to the twins. "Is that ok by you guys?" Jacob nodded right away. Lilliana looked at her sister, who encouraged her and she gave the same response. "Alright, where would you like to go?"
"Amusement park!" Jacob cheered.
Lilliana bit her lip and spoke hesitantly. "Umm can we go to Dave and Buster's?"
Her brother turned to her. "Why?"
The little girl moved to whisper in his ear. "I've never been to an amusement park and I don't wanna go without Bria."
"Oh ok." Jacob looked back at his parents. "We wanna go to Dave and Buster's." The parents looked sceptically – wondering why Jacob changed his mind so quickly – and asked if he was sure. "Yeah I'm sure."
"Alright then, how about you two go get ready and we'll head off?"
The twins nodded and they put their plates in the dishwasher. Jacob went upstairs and Lilliana went back to the table, over to Gabriella. "Bria, can you help me get ready?" Confused by the request but not letting it show on her face, the teenager nodded with a smile, following the little girl upstairs. Gabriella sat on their bed while her sister got ready, choosing to stay quiet until Lilliana chose to tell her what was on her mind. Once she was dressed, the seven-year-old came over to her with a hairbrush and hair ties. "Can you please braid by ponytails?"
"Of course." Gabriella took the brush and hair ties, gently braiding her hair before tying it into two ponytails. Once she was finished, she turned her sister around so they were facing each other. "You know that I'm more than happy to do your hair and have no problem with you asking, but I know that you can easily do this one yourself. Do you wanna tell me the real reason you wanted me to come up here?" Lilliana looked down and the sixteen-year-old tilted her chin up to look at her. "You know you can tell me anything."
"Are you sure it's ok that I go with Jack and Lucille without you and Troy?"
"It's ok Liv, they're your parents and they want to spend time with you." Lilliana nodded slowly. "You know you don't need to feel like you need permission from me, I know we normally talk everything through but you don't need to feel like you have to ask me to do anything, right?" The girl repeated her previous action, making her sister sigh. "Ok, how about you tell me what's going on in that little mind of yours."
"I don't wanna make you upset."
"How do you think that you'd make me upset?"
"Because it's always just been you and me and now there's Jack and Lucille and Troy and Jakie. I don't want you to think that I'm choosing them over you. I'm not choosing them over you. You're my big sister and my best friend and I love you. I don't want to make you upset and I don't want you to be upset with me."
"You think because you're spending time with your parents that I'll be upset and think that you're choosing them over me?" Lilliana nodded and tears filled Gabriella's eyes, she pulled the little girl into her arms, her voice breaking as she spoke. "Oh Liv, that'll never happen."
"I'm sorry." The seven-year-old cried. "I'm sorry I made you cry, please don't stop being my sister."
With that statement, Lilliana's big insecurity was revealed to Gabriella and everything began to make sense. Calming herself down, she set her sister onto her lap and began reassuring her. "You don't have to apologise Baby, I wasn't crying because I was upset. The fact that you were worried all this – though I feel bad that you feel this way – is very sweet. Now first thing, and I want you to always remember this, you will never lose me and I will never stop being your sister." Lilliana looked up at her sadly so she reiterated. "I probably should've gone into this more sooner but I can't change it now. We're always going to be sisters no matter what, nothing has changed except that now we've found your parents. But I will always be your sister, forever and ever and ever." Lilliana giggled, exactly the response Gabriella had been hoping for. "You're back with your parents Sweet Girl and I'd never be angry or upset with you for spending time with them. It's a good thing that they love you and want to spend time with you, and I would never jeopardise that."
"Are you sure?"
Gabriella smiled slightly. A small part of her – the selfish part of her – would've liked to keep her sister to herself. It had always just been the two of them and regardless of their relation to Lilliana, she'd never fully trusted anyone with her sister; she was protective of her from everyone at all costs. But the bigger part of her – the one that allowed her to think clearly – couldn't dream of bringing herself to do that to the little girl. She had the opportunity to have her parents and Gabriella was never going to take that away from her, even if it involved her stepping back. "I'm sure Baby, they're your mom and dad. You never have to push them away because of me and some things may change but that's - that's ok. They're your parents and they should be in your life the way that parents should be."
The little girl wiped a stray tear off the junior's face that had fallen during her speech. Lilliana – like Gabriella – was able to read her sister like a book and hugged her tightly, leaning her head against Gabriella's chest. "I know they're my parents but you're my sister and you've been like a mommy to me for my whole life." Gabriella inhaled sharply. "I know you're not my mom but you've done everything that a mom does, you taught me everything, you always helped me, you played with me and you love me." The little girl lifted her head to look up at her sister. "You're my favourite person and they're never gonna replace you. I love you Bria."
Gabriella hugged Lilliana tightly. "I love you too Baby." Placing a kiss on her forehead, she looked back down at her. "Hey, do you have that necklace you got yesterday?" Lilliana nodded, moving to grab it off the bedside table before returning back to her spot beside Gabriella. "Do you know why we got you this?" The girl shook her head. "I wanted to get you something special because although I didn't expect this conversation, I wanted us to have something that was special between us that we didn't have to share with everyone." Pulling out the infinity sign necklace from the box, Gabriella lifted her own necklace that rested under her shirt to show that Lilliana's pendant fit into the missing part of Gabriella's heart necklace, making the little girl smile.
"Can you put it on me?" Gabriella smiled and put the necklace on the seven-year-old. "Do you like it?"
"Uh-huh and I'm glad it's a secret for us."
"Me too Liv." Glancing across at the clock, Gabriella sighed. "I think we should probably head down, we've been up here for a while and your parents will start coming up soon."
Lilliana nodded and they made their way downstairs. The parents told the twins to say goodbye to the juniors, Jacob hugging them both. Lilliana gave Troy a hug before coming back to Gabriella's side. As the teenager kneeled to hug her, she whispered. "I love you every day to the end of the universe."
The sixteen-year-old smiled brightly and kissed her cheek. "I love you every day to the end of the universe too." When they separated and stood up, Gabriella spoke to both twins. "Have fun guys, we'll see you when you get back." The twins waved goodbye and went out to the car to go to the restaurant.