Belinda rubbed her forehead with her right hand and shook her head. "It can't be, it can't. She's dead."

A man at least a foot taller than her and handsome with bluish green eyes and sandy brown hair put his arms around her shoulders. "Belinda what's wrong? You sounded scared."

She turned to face him. "This girl claims to be our daughter," she whispered "But she can't remember what happened to her?"

The man turned to me then let out a chocked cough. "My god she looks like you." He whispered.

Then he stuck out his hand. "Hello I'm Paolo, her husband and you are?"

I shook his hand. "I'm Alex and this is my friend Harper."

Harper waved to them and gave a sheepish smile.

Paolo opened the door wider and motioned for us to come in. "We need to speak with you."

They had guided us to their living room, it's nice. The walls are cashmere and the sofas have a normal color, a honey brown.

Harper and I took a seat across from them.

Paolo kept staring at me then at Belinda, like he was comparing the two of us.

After a moment Belinda spoke up. "Okay Alex is it?" I nodded. "What makes you say you're our daughter?"

I took out the folded paper from my pocket and handed it to her. "My parents told me you two died in a car accident."

Belinda and Paolo stared at the paper for a moment then Belinda looked up.

Tears were trickling down her cheeks. "Ohmygod." She said. "Paolo its Alessandra. But it can't be, she…she…they said she died so long ago." More tears came down her eyes.

Paolo hugged his wife. "I know but just look at her, Belinda. She's a spitting image of you."

I turned to Harper to see she had the same expression as me, confused.

Who would say I was dead and why?

I turned back to face my parents. "Um, who said I was dead?" I asked.

Paolo turned to face me. " The wizard council, when you were only two months old you got really sick and we didn't know what to do so we asked the council. They took you in for a night then told us the next day that you had died peacefully in your sleep, your heart stopped functioning properly and your breathing was scarce." Tears overflowed his eyes as well.

"Why?" I whispered. "Who would keep me away from my real parents?"

Harper placed her hand on my thigh then pulled away instantly.

Belinda spoke up now. " I don't know sweetie. But it must have been to protect you or something gravel because they had faked your death and placed you in a home. I'm sure you have another wonderful family." A couple more tears came out.

I did my best to hide my emotions.

"Yes." I answered. "I live with another family, the only girl they have, and I live back in Tribeca. The thing is that I always believed I was their child because they never told me; they even faked my birth apparently. I only found out today so that's why I came, to find out the truth. They lied as well, they told me you died in a car accident when I was young."

I stopped after I saw the look on Belinda's face.

She scooted to the edge of her seat. "They don't want us to be together."

"What?" Paolo asked.

She turned to him. "The council lied about her being dead to us and her fake parents lied about us being dead to her. Paolo it must be something really bad if they don't want us to be together." She stood up just then. "I'm sorry Alex. I would love to catch up with you but seeing as you might be in grave danger I don't want to risk things. We can catch up another time, we'll have to be very discrete about it but we'll find a way, after all we're wizards."

She surprised me by standing me up and hugging me.

"Mmm it's been so long since I held you. Alex you are turning out to be a very beautiful young lady, I just wish I was there to see you grow up." She kissed my cheek. "I love you baby."

I hugged her a little tighter. "I love you too, mom."

Paolo came and hugged me next. "You're an older sister Alex."

"I figured by the bikes out front. Who are they?"

" You have a little brother, Carlo who's eight and two little sisters, Amelia and Isabella they're thirteen and three years old."

I smiled at the thought of me having a younger sister. I always wanted one.
Belinda eyes widened as if she remembered something then opened her mouth to speak but never did.

A puff of blue smoke in the corner of the living room caught the four of us off guard.

Is this why she wanted us to leave so fast? Is the wizard council here to keep us apart?

Please don't. I just met my parents, I can't leave them now.