Immortal Awakening

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

I stared out the window as we pulled up to the skyscraper of a building with Vásquez Inc. written across the hundreds of windows in huge letters. My hands started to shake slightly and feel clammy. Cris sat behind me, eyes on his tablet with his knees up to his chest. He thought that Diego was coming to visit us. He was not prepared to leave the house. In the past six months, he had gone no further than the park a few blocks away from our house, unless he needed to be at a doctor's appointment.

Stepping out of the car, I pulled my blue blazer tight around me. My jean sneakers made soft thuds on the pavement as I walked towards the double glass doors of the building with Cris' sneakers and Leanne's clicking heels in front.

I hadn't been here since my parents. A tall man opened the doors for us and bowed slightly as we walked past and into the lobby. We greeted those in the lobby dressed in suites and sporting the same shocked expression at seeing us.

As we neared the top floor, riding in the elevator, my heart beat quickened, and I had to keep rubbing my palms on my jeans. I hadn't seen Diego in so long. I wonder if he changed. He disappeared for a while before coming to run the company. Did he look the same?

The elevator doors parted and I had the sudden urge to sink down into the metal floor, but Cris held my hand and pulled me out of the elevator, reading my mind. We walked up to the secretary who was a girl with auburn hair. She looked gorgeous in the green dress she was wearing, standing behind her desk with a phone pressed to her ear while scribbling something down on a notepad. On her desk was a note that said, 'Expected: Leanne Aleksandrov'.

"Have a nice day Mr. Donaldson," she said with a smile and bit her nude colored lips. She was about my brother's age, and her eyes seemed to pop with her green attire when she looked up at us. "Good afternoon, how may I help you?" she said with a radiant smile. Her teeth were so perfect. She glanced down at the note in realization.

Leanne pushed me forward gently and I smiled back at the gorgeous woman in front of me. "Hi, I'm here to see my brother. I'm-"

"Nina Vásquez," she finished softly with wide eyes. After her brief look of shock, she composed herself and her smile returned. "I'm sorry. He's in his office. I'll let him know you're here." She sat down in her high-backed chair and pressed the intercom button on the phone. "Excuse me, Mr. Vásquez, you have a visitor."

"Who is it Misti?" came a familiar voice.

"Umm... Miss Aleksandrov is here with company," she said. "Should I send them in?" she asked.

There was a small pause before, "Yes please."

Misti stood and tore off the piece of paper that she was writing on a few minutes ago. She gestured for us to follow her. She knocked on the familiar CEO office door and then entered. Leanne walked in first.

"Aunt Leanne, it's so nice to see you again," a tall man with a deep voice said and walked around his desk to hug my aunt. He hadn't changed as much as I thought he would have. I had expected to look into the face of a total stranger. It had only been months, not years after all. He was clean shaven with shorter hair, but I would know my brother anywhere.

He closed his eyes as he hugged Leanne closer, but when he opened his eyes as he was going to pull away, he stopped and his eyes grew slightly. Leanne pulled away fully and looked up at him before looking back at us.

Without saying anything, Diego rushed forward and embraced Cris and me in a tight hug. I hugged him back and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to escape my eyes. After a few minutes, he pulled back. "Nina, Cris, I missed you two so much," he said and I saw the unshed tears in his eyes. In all my years, I'd never seen Diego cry. He was always the stronger one.