Engraved

Ch 1) Beginning of something new

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Stephanie's Point of View:

It was official, I was going to live with my Aunt Lori. My mother was sent back to rehab for over drinking. She couldn't live a second without alcohol. I didn't hate her for it, but now that she's back in rehab, I wish her the best. The taxi I was in was driving up a high sloped hill. I had not been to Aunt Lori's house in about a year. She was my mother's younger, more successful sister. My dad is a doctor, but by the time I was a one year old infant, he was still finishing up medical school and getting his degree. Sadly, by the time he had gotten that degree that he had worked oh, so, hard to get, he had left me and my mother. Guess, he wanted to do better things with his life instead of having a young family. He never looked back, he never even sent me a birthday card - but besides that, I learned to grow without him. My mother never fully recovered.

Aunt Lori's Point of View:

This house is too big to clean by myself, should have hired a larger maid service. It's so unfortunate that Sara is in rehab because of alcohol again. I promised her I would take care of Stephanie from now on; until she was fully recovered. I haven't seen Stephanie in a while, but I am excited to see my only niece. Can't believe she is sixteen now.

Stephanie's Point of View:

The taxi halted. It was now parked in front of the gates of Aunt Lori's seven room home. As I looked at my surroundings, I find out that I had never realized how beautiful the houses in Crimson Ridge were. My mother raised me in Sherwood City, it was nothing compared to Crimson Ridge. I gulped because I knew that starting school in such a wealthy town, would be different for me.

The taxi driver took my bags out to the front doorstep. I thanked him and tipped him with the $10 I had in my pocket. I waved goodbye as I rang the doorbell. The door swung open, and there stood Aunt Lori and her 11 year old son, Ryan. Ryan was my favorite cousin. He was the sweetest little boy you could imagine, but of course he was annoyed every time anyone called him a "little boy" because he was now the big, 11. They greeted me with warm, welcoming hugs. For a moment, I had forgotten that my mom was in a miserable rehab center, and that I had to start at a whole different school soon.

"How was the trip, Steph?" Aunt Lori asked.

"It was tiring, four long hours." I responded as Ryan took my bags to the living room.

"Well, this is going to be your new home for a while, so you can go upstairs and pick a room. It is so nice to have you over here with Ryan and I. The house seems so quite after your Uncle Mark passed away. Ryan and I miss him so much." Aunt Lori said as she looked at a family portrait, hanging on the wall. Ryan looked down at his feet, he turned red. It was as if he was about to cry. Aunt Lori's husband was Mark Kabowski. He was the CEO of Kabowski-Sports Corporation, a worldwide sports equipment distributor. He had died of a heart disease just about three months earlier. The company was left in the hands of his sister while Aunt Lori was announced as the co-owner. He had left Aunt Lori and Ryan with 13-million dollars. I knew Aunt Lori loved him with all her heart, and Ryan still had pain in his eyes.

I quickly changed the sad topic, "Oh, I'm glad I'm here with you guys. Ryan, I heard you got a new arcade room. Want to show me?"

Ryan nodded. I spent the afternoon catching up with Ryan. When dinner came, Aunt Lorie's kind voice assured me that everything was going to be fine. We discussed how she had enrolled me into the local private school, Crimson Ridge High. By nightfall, I had chosen the room next to Aunt Lori. I set my things up in the closet. A queen sized bed was already set for me. I looked around myself, the room was huge, I felt like a princess. This one room was the size of the whole apartment that my mother and I lived in, in Sherwood City. I was so grateful to be here. Around 9 o'clock, the house maids left and Aunt Lori entered my room.

"Did you set everything up yet, honey?" she said as she sat next to me on the bed.

"Yeah, this room is so nice. Thanks again for letting me stay with you. Hopefully my mom recovers soon, so I don't have to be a burden to you." I said

"Stephanie, you are not going to be a burden to me. Like I said before, I'm glad to have you here. I want your mom to take her time and recover fully; I dont want her to go back to drinking. It's strange now, because after your father left her, I didnt really understand her pain. But after my Mark passed away, I understood her pain, because both our husbands left us in different ways. I've been gardening around the house to ease my pain. Your mother drinks to ease her pain, and even though it has been many years since your father left you two, she has not fully coped with it. That is why, I want her to stay here even after she recovers. Plus, it would be nice to see her more often. Also, I feel like Ryan needs more people in the house. I know he gets lonely, and he is so happy to have you here. After Mark's death, Ryan has not been socializing at school as much as he did before and his teachers are worried. They have put him in counseling. There is nothing wrong with him of course, but I know he feels more empty now since his father isn't around to throw the baseball around with him or take him on boat rides. I do those things with him too, but it is not the same for him." Aunt Lori said as she wiped away a tear.

I touched her shoulder and spoke comforting words,

"Ryan is lucky to have such a great mother like you. He is a great kid too. I'm happy to be here, and I love you guys so much."

Aunt Lori smiled,

"Love you too. I'm going to check on Ryan and then go to bed."

She left the room and I was left to my own thoughts -

Was my mother doing well at her rehabilitation center?

Does she miss me like I miss her?

When will be the next time I see her again?

I fell asleep and managed to drown out my uncertain thoughts.

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