Crossroads

Chapter 9

Mia

"Feeling his arms around me is like coming home after being astray for years, even though it was only a matter of weeks."

PAST

After contemplating my life for what must have been hours, I use the spare time I have to work out, get a shower, and then make my way over to my parents' house. The workout helped to calm my nerves, even though I still feel like I'm on fire, the two-hour-long drill not having the effect I had hoped.

The closer I get to the house the more I feel the uneasy feeling creeping up on me, though. I've been so preoccupied with Lincoln that I haven't really thought about what I'd say to my dad or how I'd behave towards him. I hate that I feel this way, I love my dad more than myself and being in this weird space with him just doesn't sit well with me. It's not who I am.

I finally reach my childhood home, noticing that Max's motorcycle is not parked in the driveway, where it usually is. I shake my head and type in the code on the pad next to the doorknob, and the second I open the large oak door I'm being engulfed in the scent of lilies, my mom's favorite flowers. The fragrance left an imprint in my brain, I recall me and my brothers running through the house, our dad chasing us and always catching me first, tickling and blowing raspberries on my belly before going after his sons. I can't help but smile at the memories, I've truly been blessed with the most supportive family one can imagine.

"Mia, sweetheart." My mom's soft voice shakes me out of my reverie, and I watch how she wipes her hands on her jeans as she approaches me before her arms widen, ready to embrace me.

"Hey, mom." I smile as I wrap my arms around her, the familiar scent of motherly love filling my nostrils when she rubs my back.

"I missed you, honey. Please don't stay away from us again for so long." She pulls away to look at me, her fingers brushing my hair out of my face with a concerned smile.

"I missed you, too. I'm sorry for staying away. I just... I needed to breathe."

"I know, honey. It's okay." Her fingers rake through my hair as she nods her head, her kind emerald eyes sparkling with sympathy. I know that she does in fact understand what I'm talking about, as protected as I am, my mother will probably always go first in this family. She's the holy grail to every single one of us, the protective frame of mind my family shares definitely goes overboard when it concerns mom.

"Where's Max?" I ask as I nod to the front door, silently mentioning the missing motorcycle in the driveway.

"He'll be here in a minute. He wanted to get dessert at Mikanos'."

"Mikanos'?" I can't help but grin. Mikanos' is our favorite Greek/Italian style restaurant, we've been going there for ages. They make the meanest Tiramisu, I basically survived off of that stuff when I still lived with my parents.

"Yep. You know your brother, he just wants the best." She winks at me.

"Sis!" Two way too similar voices interrupt our conversation, and I can't help but grin when I see Ethan and Aiden basically running around the corner.

"Hey, baby bros!" I open my arms for them to embrace me, and that's exactly what they do, their way too large frames basically smothering me between their chests.

"We're eighteen, sis." Ethan starts. "Yeah, it's not like we're babies anymore." Aiden continues his sentence, and I can't help but laugh as I wiggle out of their grasp.

"You'll always be my babies, you know that." It sounds ridiculous, considering they're both a foot taller than me.

"It's three years, Mia. Don't go overboard." Ethan argues, and I can't help but raise an eyebrow at them.