The Great Unknown

Sunday Best - Surfaces

*

October 1st, 1989

Bright lights, white walls, and dozens of people running frantically. The delivery room was full to the max of nurses and doctors trying to understand how a mother who, only a few moments ago, gave birth to a son was now suddenly giving birth to another baby. The mother clenched in pain, a redness washing up her neck and to her face, as veins rose pushing against her skin as she pushed, yet again, with all her might. Her husband stood dumbfounded with his son in his arms, the baby still covered in blood and mucus from just being born. As nurses ran about preparing for another delivery. As a doctor stood at the foot of the bed talking the young mother through the birth and within a matter of minutes a second child was born, a baby girl.

"Eleanor..." The husband said in shock looking at the new infant that was being placed in his arms.

"Now we have one of each." The mother joked softly as newfound exhaustion draped over her.

The family of four would leave the hospital together within two weeks of the twin delivery but in the coming years, they would find that the birth was not the strangest thing about their new child. The doctors explained that they must have missed the second baby in the checkups and that the fault was entirely theirs, causing the parents to believe their baby girl was ordinary.

Of course there was nothing further from the truth.

Current Day

Charlotte sat in her office, seeing as though it was an incredibly slow day, she went over a few files and made sure things were in order. Her days at her veterinary were often slow, she had nurses to take over checkups and shots. She was there for severe cases which thankfully there weren't much of. Her day was coming to an end, it was a Saturday which meant she'd be having dinner with her family tonight, she looked down at her scrubs and huffed knowing that she'd have to quickly change at home before the meal. She clocked out and waved to the remaining nurse that was going to clean and lock up before she started to walk towards her apartment.

She was very fond of the city, finding its history and life very exciting but even with so many possibilities she couldn't help her feelings of loneliness. Her family lived outside of the city in the home she grew up in, and she hadn't connected with anyone outside of her place of work. 

As she tucked her hair behind her ear as she hurried into the apartment building, climbing the stairs, and taking her keys out to unlock her door.

"Good Evening." A sweet voice called from behind her.

"Good Evening Vanya!" She said turning with a smile as she unlocked her door. "Any plans for tonight?" 

Vanya was the closest thing Charlotte had to friendship, aside from any relationship at work.

"Nope, maybe take out. And of course-"

"Practicing." The girls said in unison before they both laughed.

"Well have fun, I'll see if I can grab you some dessert from dear old mom," Charlotte said as she pushed open her apartment door leaving it wide open so Vanya could follow.

"Oh, right it is Saturday," Vanya said knowingly, the two had lived across from one another for a number of years and almost everyone on the floor knew about Saturday Dinners.

"God how I wish it wasn't," Charlotte said shrugging off her jacket as she walked into her bedroom. She looked wiht a critically eye at her closet knowing her normal family outfits were not going to cut it for tonight. "James is bringing is fiance to dinner tonight." She yelled from her closet causing Vanya to chuckle.

"I'm guessing you don't like her then?" She asked as she sat on Charlotte's bed.

"It's not that I don't like her," She remarked as multiple colors flew onto the ground, not good enough for the night. "I just don't like what her appearance at family dinner is going to bring about." Charlotte continued to yell as she slipped out of her scrubs and into a pair of dark jeans and blouse.

"And what, exactly, is that?" Vanya asked not understanding where Charlotte was coming from.

"It's just now that my annoyance of a twin brother is getting married Mom is going to be expecting me to get married, that's a lot of pressure," Charlotte said stumbling out of the closet as she pushed her heels into ankle boots.

"Nice outfit," Vanya commented.

"Thank you," Charlotte replied with a smile as she walked into the bathroom to fix her make-up. "It's just James played three sports so I had to play three instruments, James became a doctor so I became a vet, James brings a fiance to dinner," Charlotte said now fixing her hair.

"Now you need a fiance," Vanya said finishing her list.

"Exactly," Charlotte said smiling as she left the bathroom. The two walked out of the bedroom and back out into the main space of the apartment. Both Vanya's and Charlotte's layouts were the same but Charlotte's apartment felt brighter and more lively than Vanya's.

"Well, I could always be your fiance," Vanya said sacrastically as Charlotte grab a purse and put the necessities in it.

"Thanks, Vanya, but I think my Mom's head would literally explode." Although the thought of that happening wasn't entirely horrible. 

"Well try to have a good night." 

"You too Vanya!" Charlotte gave her a warm smile as they returned to the hall. She made her way down to the street before hailing a cab dreading the night to come.

As Charlotte sat watching her Mother swoon over her brother's fiance she rolled her eyes. The woman was kind, smart, and very pretty which left Charlotte wondering how her dork of a brother had her. Charlotte and James had never seen eye to eye. When they were young they were insanely close but as Charlotte grew up odd things began to happen so she pushed her brother away and now they were always competing. The young man's laughter filled the dreary house at something the woman next to him had said.

"So what's new with you sis?" He asked with a slight glimmer in his eye, he knew nothing had changed.

"My life is pretty much the same as last week, Jamey." She said glaring at him slightly mocking his childish nickname. Charlotte's mother rolled her eyes at the two's interaction.

Their family had never been the same since their father had died. Charlotte and James were 12 when it happened, he was in a car crash. It was also around that time that Charlotte pushed James away, their family truly broke that year. As the night came to a close Charlotte grabbed an extra serving of dessert for her neighbor.

"Good night mom." She said kissing her mother's cheek as she left the house. It was dark when she left and as she approached the city she felt to the warmth of the artificial light warm her face, another thing she loved about the city, it never truly slept.

She climbed up the stairs and walked down the hall knocking on the door opposite to hers, it opened and Vanya stood at her door with red eyes. The smile Charlotte had fallen quickly as she stepped closer.

"Vanya, what's wrong?" She asked as the woman welcomed her into her apartment. The woman in front of her seemed as though she was moving slow, as though she was still processing the sad news.

"My father, he's dead," Vanya said, tears spilled from her eyes and her voice shook but she wasn't truly crying, there was no emotion behind her eyes. Charlotte stepped closer wrapping her arms around her neighbor. Wrapped in one anothers arms Vanya only felt numb. 

"I'm so sorry Vanya if there's anything you need please let me know," Charlotte said letting the woman go. Vanya nodded slowly and took the dessert offered. As Charlotte turned to leave Vanya called to her.

"Charlotte, would you come with me tomorrow? To the funeral, I don't think I can stand up to my family alone." She asked looking deep into Charlotte's eyes, she knew how it felt to lose a father even if she knew Vanya's hasn't the best at the job. 

"Of course Vanya, I'll see you tomorrow." She said giving a warm smile before retreating to her apartment. She had read Vanya's book and they had talked briefly about family life, Charlotte knew that tomorrow she'd be standing in the home of the Umbrella Academy and the fact scared her to the bone.