Living In The Past

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

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Yasmine lifted the last album that was labeled, ‘Lily and Aaron’s memories.’ Maybe, there would be something in here this time. She opened the big, white, front flap of the album.

Immediately, the smell of perfume wafted into her nose. She coughed, trying to find oxygen. Lily had poured at least five different bottles of perfume on the front page. Yasmine was seriously questioning to go any further. Her nose might give out before she even got to the second page.

A picture of Aaron’s hands wrapped around Lily’s hips, and them facing the camera was posted in the middle of the front page. It was surrounded by a heart frame. Their names were carved in the most beautiful font. They looked really happy. Yasmine started thinking; maybe she should just forget about Aaron completely, and let him be happy with the girl he’s truly happy with. Lily.

Feeling an overwhelming emotion of sadness coming on, she decided to go to the next page, not being able to bear anymore.

The second page was labeled, ‘Aaron throughout the years.’ There was a little cute baby in a white diaper. He had light blonde hair, and blue eyes. No doubt that was Aaron. It seems his hair darkened over the years.

“Aw,” Yasmine said, running her hand over the baby picture. Wait a minute, baby picture! If there was a baby picture of Aaron, and a page of him throughout the years, there must be one on Lily! Without hesitation, she flipped through all the pages about Aaron until there was a big white page in the middle of the album. It said, ‘Lily throughout the years.’

She quickly flipped the page, and saw a little baby girl wrapped in blankets. It must’ve been when she was just born. She couldn’t tell if that the baby was the blonde girl. She needed a picture of Lily as a toddler or something.

A little irritated under the pressure of Aaron coming home soon, and not being able to find the correct picture, she slightly ripped one of the pages she was turning.

Great, Yasmine thought sarcastically, just what I need.

She got up and looked for tape. If Aaron saw this, he’d get suspicious.

Ding! Her phone chimed.

Yasmine grabbed her iPhone out of her jacket pocket. It was a text from Aaron! It read: Almost there! How’s the burn? C u soon! 

“Crap, crap, crap,” Yasmine stammered. She had a limited amount of time now. She really needed to find the picture now. “Ah, forget the tape.”

She ran back to where the album was, and flipped through the pages. Just when she was about to flip the current page she was on, something caught her eye. Familiar blonde hair! That’s it! Yasmine went back to the picture. She fumbled around to pull out the picture of the little blonde girl. Placing the photo next to Lily’s photo, Yasmine examined them slowly, and carefully.

It was the same blonde girl.

In the picture, Lily was sitting next to some flowers, smiling happily as she tried to make a flower queen. When she was that age, she had been sure she was a fairy queen.

“Holy moly!” Yasmine cried out, discovering the same toddler in both pictures. “Lily’s . . . the blonde girl I’ve been dreaming about. Is she,” she gulped, “my sister?”

It couldn’t be. It can’t be.

She had been an only child for as long as she knew. And, now she had a sister? It didn’t make any sense.

Once again, she heard the jingle of keys. Aaron must be back! Yasmine quickly gathered all the albums and carefully reorganized them, making them look untouched. She could hear the door slowly opening. Quickening her pace before he saw her, she pushed the albums back on the bottom shelf. She remembered to take the toddler picture from the album with her.