Mending Fences

Chapter 17

Lily's POV:

   I frowned as I started up the steps to my elder sister's house. I had gotten a very unnerving call from Lila,  she said her mom wasn't answering her calls and she always answered. When I called it went straight to voicemail,  so I knew for certain she was ignoring my call purposefully.  Nikole never ignored my calls. So something was wrong.

  I knocked exactly three times on her door and stepped back expectantly, but no footsteps came to answer  my beckoning. So I reached out and pressed my finger against the bell. Dread was starting to seep through my very being.

   "Nikole?!" I called out pressing my face against the window by the door. However it was frustratingly shut tight. Damn her large house. "Nikole!" I called once more, dread was clenching my heart in it's tight fist. Tears started to gather within my eyes, trailing my desperation and foreboding feelings.

Why wasn't she answering me? I frantically scanned my surroundings for a solution,  but there was nothing but decorative attire and pebbles.

   "Niki!" I howled my insides feeling more mixed up than a pair of earbuds that had been shoved in a pocket carelessly. I looked up at the house as I stepped back from the door. "Nikole Cecilia if you refuse to answer this door then I shall call the police-"

The door opened and a hand wrapped around my wrist tugging me inside. I sniffed as I took in my sister standing in front of me I sobbed throwing my arms around her.

  "Lily? Hey why are you crying?" She whispered and I couldn't stop my tears even if I wanted to. I was just so relieved. Nikole was alive,  Nikole was breathing. Nikole hadn't done anything drastic.
  "Why didn't you answer me?" I sobbed my voice quivering miserably.  Nikole stepped away from me, her expression was something I had never seen before in my older sister's eyes. Defeat. Sadness.

   "Lily, I can't fight anymore." She whispered and my stomach clenched with uncertainty.  Those words sounded so wrong coming from my big sister's lips.

   "What in heavens name is that inconceivable notion supposed to mean?" I demand and she whirls  and I'm taken aback by the tears that are spilling down her cheeks and the anger in her eyes.

  "Because Lily,  damn it I'm so sick of fighting, I lost my husband...I've lost my daughter...my baby...  I've lost everything...so that's what that inconceivable notion means...I'm so tired!" She exclaimed her hands shaking....she doesn't even look like the Nikole I know. She's wearing a sweatshirt and sweats and she looks so ...so...the complete opposite of a professional lawyer.

  "Niki..." I can't find the words...know -it- all Lily is speechless. "I..." I look down at my hands. I can't find the words! Why can't I find the words to say to her?  "I know you've lost a lot...but you still have a lot left to fight for..." I don't look at her, I'm afraid to look at her. Afraid she'll be angry. I guess it was just instinct for me, because if you looked   at someone when they're mad they hit.

  When Nikole and I were little,  one of the maids...well majority of them didn't like me much....at all really. Simply because they said I talked too much, that I was a know-it-all. They'd make my life hell, I was only small...probably from when I was five they started locking me in cupboards or pushing me into the walls... whenever my mom and dad came home they'd tell them how awful I was. Then I'd be punished further.

It was even worse when Nikole left. I still remember the night I ran away from home, I was only thirteen. I stayed at various school friends houses for weeks, and Reo's once, before I found out through Steven,  where Niki lived.

Apparently my sister was frantically searching for me. She was the only one searching for me. Our parents could care less.

  I shakily looked around for any signs of this being a ambush before I knocked on the door to where my sister was supposedly living.  Some apartment building with low grade security. I kept glancing behind myself  when the door opened. Nikole had looked so different, her  eyes were bloodshot, her hair ruffled. When she realized just who I was I had never been hugged as tight as I was that night. 
   "Where'd you go? Lily anything could've happened to you!" She had shaken me. Sobbed and pulled me into her arms again.

When I had Yuri I vowed to be better...better than my parents,  but I wanted to be like Nikole.

   "Lily you don't understand! I've lost everything.  I just keep losing.  Monika's one night stand is trying to take Naomi away... Lila has...cancer...I can't keep fighting for nothing..." she growled and I took a deep breath.

   "I tried to kill myself." My sister spun towards me, her expression murderous and and grabbed my shoulders and shook me.

  "When? Lily Rose why would you do that?" She demands and I shrug out of her hold.

   "No, when I was thirteen. I had downed a whole bottle of liquor and I sat on the bank of the river holding  a bottle of moms pain meds and I knew I had nothing to live for..." I whisper looking at her meaningfully.
   "That's not true,  you had me." She whispers and I shake my head.

  "You're so hypocritical Nikole, because I could say the same to you. You have your grandchildren,  Lila.  Don't tell me you're just going to bow to some pittly ass lawyer because you're tired of fighting. Well newsflash Nikole we're all tired! Don't you think Lila's tried, or Kayte...hell I know Yuri's tired... but that's the point no matter what you can't quit because-" I'm cut off by Nikole pulling me into a tight hug. Her hand cradles the back of my head.

  "You're right...but I'm allowed to be hypocritical...because I was born first." She whispers in my ear and I scoff. "Besides baby sister, you seem to have forgotten that I'm the boss of you." She chuckled and I scoffed.
   "You are 70 years old and I'm 64 can we drop the nicknames?" I questioned but I already knew her answer.

  "Not until the day I die."

My phone rang and I laughed kissing my sister's cheek before I pulled away.
  "Thought so." I muttered pressing the answer button. "Hello?"

  "Natsuki's awake!" My daughter exclaimed through the phone.

To be Continued...
Sorry guys this is a bit of a filler chapter, but it also gives more info and shows some background on the characters.  Hope you enjoyed it anyways.