Familiar Faces

Chapter 17 - Cousin

God gave you another day for a reason. Now go figure out what it is.
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~The Next Day~

Josie's POV

   "Josie, would you please get the door? Missy and I are doing a puzzle." Kenny called from Missy's room.

   "Ok." I called back, then set my laptop down on the couch cushion beside me before standing up.

   I walked over to the door, then opened it. My face hardened as I saw who it was.

   "What do you want?" I asked coldly.

   "I deserve that." Ida replied, wiping her cheeks.

   I took that opportunity to study her. Ida's face was wet, suggesting she had been crying for a long time. Her auburn hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and some strands had fallen out and framed her pale face.

   "I'm sorry Josie." Ida said. "I came here to apologize to you."

   I frowned. "Why?" I asked, leaning against the door frame.

   Ida didn't answer my question. "Can we talk?" She asked instead.

   I sighed. "Kenny, I'll be back in like an hour!" I called, picking up my phone and putting it in my pocket.

   At the sound of my voice, Lilac came bounding towards me.

   "Take Lilac with you! She is trying to eat the puzzle pieces!" Kenny called back.

   I grabbed her leash and clipped in onto her collar, then walked out of the house, closing the door behind myself.

   "There's a dog park about a block away from here." I said, holding Lilac's leash tightly as a school bus rounded the corner.

   Ida nodded, and we started walking to the park.

   When we go there, I unclipped Lilac's leash and watched her bound away, over to one of her doggie friends no doubt.

   "I really am sorry." Ida said quietly, sitting down on a bench. "I can tell you don't believe me."

   I sat down next to her. "You've hurt me so much Ida, ever since I can remember. Why are you apologizing now?" I asked.

   "Because I'm realizing how many mistakes I've made." Ida answered. "I was always jealous of you."

   "Jealous of me?" I repeated, shocked.

   Ida nodded. "You had a father, and your aunt was always quick to take care of you, like you were some delicate flower." She said.

   "I had a father, but he wasn't really around." I said. "And I really didn't need Aunt Mira."

Ida nodded. "I get that now. I just didn't take time then to try seeing your side of the situation."

I was quiet for a moment. "When Landon broke up with me to go to Paris...That was your doing." I said.

Ida sighed. "Yea." She admitted. "I made sure he got a scholarship to one of the top business schools there, the same one I was going to. I hoped he would forget about you and notice me again."

"I didn't ever mean to take him from you." I whispered, tears starting to wet my cheeks.

Ida nodded. "I know. We weren't ever dating, I just had a massive crush on him, and when we got paired for that project..." She trailed off.

"You thought he'd finally notice you. Except he didn't, he noticed me instead." I finished for her.

Ida wiped her tears away. "Yeah." She whispered. "But you didn't even know I had a crush on him."

I reached over and hugged her. "Why didn't you tell me then?" I asked her.

"I didn't think it would matter." Ida replied.

"I always looked up to you." I said.

Ida looked at me in surprise. "You did?"

"I thought you were so cool, and I just wished you would have been my friend, instead of hating me." I replied.

"Josie." Ida whispered, hugging me.

I hugged her back.

"Friends?" She asked as she pulled away.

"Friends." I said, "and cousins."

Ida smiled and hugged me again.