my mum and dad walk into this tea house and sit at the same table in front of me. I try not to watch them come in, not until my mum places her pale pink coat on the chair in front of my table and looks back at me. Her blonde hair, just like mine, is now going a little grey, but it only adds to her beauty. Wrinkles decorate her face, reminding me of the fact she will grow old and die one day, while I won’t for a very long time…but despite it all, my heart warms from just seeing her.
“Kaitlyn!” my mum says, and I grin up at her from my seat. How I wish I could stand up and hug her. She still has no clue who I am, but I’m the friend who walks her dog down her street sometimes and has tea in the same shop she does. I’m the stranger she almost thinks she knows...and I’m okay with that. It’s better than nothing. I’m in her life, and it gives me some kind of comfort. “It’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen you. How have you been?”
“I’ve been good, thank you. I’m just about to meet a friend here, actually, and tell her about my recent holiday,” I say, and she nods with a beaming smile.
“Well, I hope you had a good time. It’s good to see you again, Kaitlyn,” she says and stares at me for a second longer than normal. I almost wish she could remember, and I wonder if deep down, some part of her does. If she sees herself in my curly hair just like hers, or my eyes the very colour of dad’s. My dad barely glances at me as he brings back their drinks and his newspaper before sitting down. It used to hurt that he did, but sometimes I see him staring at me, a look of confusion before he snaps himself out of it. He knows in his soul who I am, just like my mum does, but it will be words we never say out loud. Mum shakes her head and goes to her table, and I’m forgotten about in their life once more.
I sigh and pick up my tea, taking a long sip as the bell for the front door of the coffee shop rings, and I look up as Vesnia walks in. Her curly red hair is in a stylish messy bun on top of her head, loose locks framing her face. With high-waisted black jeans and a white cold shoulder T-shirt, she looks fantastic. I haven’t seen my best friend in nearly six months, and the small bump she had when I last saw her is now a full-blown bump about to pop. Vesnia and Bryne live in Wales, on a small road where no one knows what they really are, and Vesnia has a charm bracelet that hides her wings from view. Their next-door neighbour is Vesnia’s dad, and even though he doesn’t remember her, he looks after her like a daughter. They are almost as close as they were before, and I’m so happy for her. Standing up, I wrap my arms around Vesnia the second I can, and she hugs me tightly back.
“I’ve missed you, bestie,” she whispers to me before pulling back and taking the seat next to me. “How was the trip?”
“South America was amazing. Peru was my favourite place to look around, but when we saw Machu Picchu,” I start, and a wistful sigh leaves my lips. “The Temple of the Sun was just amazing to look around. We found more evidence my ancestors lived there for a while, and I felt a connection like no other.”
“It sounds dreamy. Maybe in a few years, I can go with you on your next adventure,” she says, rubbing her belly. “I’m sure our little girl will love an adventure if she’s anything like her mummy.”
“If she is anything like her mummy, she is one amazing little girl,” I say, and Vesnia grins at me. We spend the next few hours, long after my parents leave, talking about everything we have missed and making plans to see each other in a few weeks’ time.
I stand up, offering Vesnia my hands to lift her up. “You call me the second you go into labour. I will be there.”
“You best be there. I can’t have this baby without you!” she protests. I bet she could, but I don’t say