shoulder blades and the same dimple in our chins. My loose honey-colored curls were a mixture of both of my parents’ genetics.
And my eyes? They belonged to my father. I had Daddy’s golden-kissed eyes that had slivers of browns and greens dancing within their irises. Whenever I missed him, I looked into my own mirror. Some people would look at me and call me biracial but I simply called myself Aaron and Renee’s daughter.
My sister and I were the living, breathing proof of our parents’ epic story—their greatest love of all. Even though Daddy wasn’t Yoana’s biological father, there was no doubt that he was her dad. When my mother was lost and all alone with a two-year-old, Daddy swept both girls off their feet, and he loved Yoana as if she was his own the moment he laid eyes on her.
It takes a special kind of man to love a child that isn’t his by blood. There was never a split second when my father treated Yoana any differently than he treated me. Sometimes, when I was younger, I even felt as if he loved her a little bit more than he loved me. He didn’t do it on purpose, of course, and the older I grew, the more I understood. Yoana had a missing link in her life’s novel, and Daddy made sure she knew her storybook was still filled with love even though she’d never know her biological father.
She was his daughter—maybe not by blood, but most definitely by heart. Their hearts beat in sync, and sometimes, I could’ve sworn Yoana had Daddy’s smile.
Not a day passed when I didn’t miss my parents, but luckily, I had my sister to hold me up now. I wished I had realized that sooner. Instead, I had pushed her away because I figured she blamed me for the accident.
It was because of Yoana that I felt as if the overcast sky that’d been following me around for the past year was finally clearing up to sunny days and calmer nights. For the rest of my life, I’d owe her for the unconditional love she bestowed on me.
They showed me around the house, leaving me shocked by how beautiful it was, especially based on the before photographs they’d shown me. When it was almost time for them to go catch their flight for the honeymoon, Yoana made sure to give me a to-do list for while they were gone.
“Now, repeat back what I’ve told you,” she ordered.
“Meditate morning and night, no matter what, even if only for five minutes to breathe. Yes, Mother,” I sarcastically groaned in annoyance, but truthfully, I was so thankful for Yoana’s love.
She had so many of Mama’s heartbeats in her soul. Being around her felt like being wrapped in the warmest of weighted blankets, instant comfort.
“And those woods behind the house—don’t be afraid to walk through them. I know they aren’t your property exactly, but I doubt the man who owns them will care or notice. When Nathan and I worked on the property, we got lost back there, and it reminded me so much of when Mama and Daddy would take us hiking as kids. Remember how often we’d get lost?”
I snickered. “Oh yeah, and when Mama would get nervous about the sky getting darker, Daddy would say, ‘You can’t be lost if you’re surrounded by nature. Nature is our home.’” I smiled at the memory before my lips began to turn down.
“I miss them,” Yoana confessed.
“Me too.” More than words. I had no doubt I’d find myself wandering those woods for some meditation sessions.
When we were younger, my parents would have my sister and me ground our energy every morning and evening. Daddy taught us yoga and Mama taught us breathing techniques. Those lessons truly helped shape my life, but when things went wrong, meditation was the first thing that disappeared from my daily routine. Funny how people lose their main principals and beliefs when their world is turned upside down.
The other tasks on my to-do list from Yoana?
Find one thing to make me smile each day.
Journal in order to slowly dive back into writing.
Get daily sunlight when the weather allows.
Explore Havenbarrow.
Yoana nudged me in the side. “Now that all that is handled, do you want to go out to grab something for dinner?”
“I’m actually getting a little tired. Besides, don’t you have a plane to Costa Rica to catch?”
A slack expression washed over her face as she glanced at her watch. “Oh, right.