by Cilla Lee
“Ok well I have all I need I'll contact you by Friday and let you know when you can meet Zoey” she stands up and we walk her to the door
*
I tossed all night thinking about Zoey did she look me and our mother, did she have a good childhood, was she there when our mother died so many things going around and around and I get up and head down the hall for a drink as I pass one of the doors I open it it's empty at the moment and I know Zoey is going to be happy here with us with her nephew, as I walk into the room and look out the window I think about the last time I saw my mother. I don't have any photos of her but her face is a memory that I can never forget plus it helps that I look like her
“Baby what are you doing?” I jump at Colt’s voice
“Colt you scared me”
“Than what are you doing in here”
“Can we make this Zoey’s room”
“Of course, baby we'll go shopping tomorrow for everything”
“Colt what if she doesn’t want to live with us”
“Baby she's ganna love you”
“But”
“No buts baby, Zoey's ganna love it” I lean into him and he wraps his arms around my belly holding me tight
“I love you Colt”
“love you to baby”
**
It takes a couple of days to get everything ready and by Friday my nerves are fried. I haven't slept much and my appetite has almost vanished, Colt was so worried he made an appointment with the doctor
“Niya how have you been”
“I'm not sleeping well and my appetite has vanished”
“You’re what eight months now so I expect that with your appetite, there’s not that much room in there at the moment has the baby been moving”
“Yeah he's still active”
“That's great let’s have a feel” I get up on the table and she has a feel around and listens to the baby’s heart beat
“So, everything looks great anything worrying you” I look at Colt
“My sister is coming to live with us”
“Oh, how wonderful how old is she”
“She's fifteen”
“Wow a teenager”
“Yeah I know”
“Are you worried about that for some reason”
“She's never met her before” Colt tells her
“Oh, ok well that would-be nerve raking is the thought of her coming that bad”
“No, it's not that I'm just worried she won't like me”
“Oh, Niya you’re a lovely young lady and I'm sure your sister will love you but you do need to take it easy your blood pressures a little high so I need you to relax ok and if you need me for anything here’s my number you should have it now that your eight months, do you have everything ready for the baby”
“Yeah I can't wait to meet him”
“Well baby needs a healthy mom ok so go home and rest”
“Thanks doc” Colt says and he helps me up
“I want to see you every week until babies born so make an appointment for next week ok”
“Thanks Doctor Hardy we'll see you next week”
****
Zoey
“Morning Zoey are you ready for your flight”
“Yeah, I'm so nervous, I don't even know what she looks like”
“Oh, honey you’re going to be fine your sister can't wait to meet you and you'll meet her husband and she's just about to have a baby”
“That's what I'm worried about what if she thinks I'm too much”
“Zoey, she's your sister”
“What if her husband hates me?”
“Honey from what I've heard about your sister’s husband he was adamant that you come to live with them
“Really”
“Really, now come on you have a family to get to”
****
Colt
“What's up man your quite today?” Stryker asks me and I look at him
“Zoey comes tomorrow and Niya's nervous as fuck”
“Dam that’s gone fast how are you feeling”
“Fuck man I don't know what to do with a teenager”
“Dude you don't do anything just make her feel welcome”
“I just.... I don’t fuckin' know Niya's blood pressures up with the stress which is stressing me out and what if they don’t get along, fuck man I can't stand to see Niya upset and I know nothing about teenagers or raisin one”
“Dude your stressin' over nothin', she’s ganna love both of you have some faith man”
“Fuck your right it’s not like we can trade her in” we both laugh
*
When I get home later that afternoon Niya's fast asleep in our room, she's been doing that a lot lately and I know she needs her rest so I go into the kitchen and start dinner
“Colt your home what time is it”
“It's just after six, baby”
“Oh god I've slept for three hours”
“Baby you need your rest you heard Dr Hardy the babies coming soon”
“I know it just tomorrow with Zoey”
“Baby it's going to be fine you'll see” I pull her to me and hug her needing to touch her
**
Fuck I was so nervous, the next day Niya had been up most of the night cleaning. I had to force her to put the vacuum away at twelve she'd cleaned everything, washed all the windows cleaned every cupboard in the kitchen and bathrooms reorganized our closet rearranged all the furniture only to put it all back in the original positions she was on pins and needles “Baby come the fuck to bed”
“Colt I'm so nervous I need everything perfect for her”
“Baby she won't fuckin' care”
“But”
“No buts move it my son and wife need rest, now move your ass before I tan in” she huffs at me turnin' to have another look around but I drag her to our room and make her lay down and I pull her to me.
“Colt”
“Yeah baby”
“Thank you”
“For what?”
“For agreeing to take in Zoey”
“Baby she's your family, she belongs here with us” she rubs her belly and I place my hand over hers
“I'm so happy Colt, I have you, the club our baby Maggie and Razor and now my sister, I couldn't have wished for anything better than the club” I turn her over and kiss her
**
Waiting for Zoey at the terminal was harrowing, Niya was so jumpy her flight had landed five minutes ago and there was still now sign of her walking through the doors “Colt I can't see her”
“She'll be out in a minute baby they have to get all the bags off of the plane and get to the carousels she'll be out in a minute”
The doors open and passengers start to walk through the doors I'm a good two feet taller than Niya and I see a girl I know is Zoey the second I see her and take a breath fuck she's Niya’s twin (dam)
Chapter Twenty
Niya
I see her just as the man in front of me moves, I know it's her because we look the same. I walk forward and I burst into tears because she's my mother and I all in one. When she sees me, she stops and we stare at each other and then she's running to me and she stops, just before she plows into me and I grab her and hug her so tight.
“Zoey” I whisper
“Niya” she whispers back and we stand there crying in each other’s arms
“Baby” I hear Colt from behind me and I lean back and look at Zoey “Baby” I turn and look at Colt and smile
“Zoey this is my husband Colt, Colt, Zoey” he shakes her hand
“Hay kiddo, glad you made it come on you two let’s get Zoey's bag and head home”
The airport is a mad house and Colt gets Zoey's bags from the carousel “Stay here baby I'll get the car” he kisses me on the lips and we watch him walk off
“That's your husband” Zoey says and I look at her
“Yep”
“Dam he's.... huge” she says and I laugh
“What?” she says
“I thought you were going to say he's cute”
“Well he is, but no thanks he's my brother in law” I laugh again
“Come on let’s wait outside for Colt” we walk arm in arm to wait for him
“Baby why didn't you wait inside”
“Don't start Colt”
“Baby you’re not supposed to exert yourself” Zoey looks worried and I grab her hand
“Ignore him he’s over protective and soon I'm going to suffocate him in his sleep” she smiles looking a bit nervous. I sit in the back with her so she doesn’t feel uncomfortable “So, Zoey tell me about yourself” I ask her
“Not much really to say mom and I lived in Briar County all my life, I went to school and she died”
“I'm sorry I wasn't there” she looks at me
“She tried to find you”
“She did” I feel tears run down my cheeks Zoey grabs my hand and squeezes
“Yeah she told me about the night the last night she seen you”
“Halloween” I whisper
“Yeah”
“What happened why didn't she come home?”
“Our father beat her so bad that night because he said she was flirting with some guy and he dragged her out of the party but as they drove home he pulled into a forest or park or something”
“Oh god”
“Yeah beat her almost to death and left her, I think he thought he killed her and that's the only reason she survived she lay there for two days when a walkers dogs found her, she'd managed to crawl out of the trees to a path they didn’t find any ID so she was a Jane Doe for three months until she woke up and by that time our father and you were gone, she found out she was pregnant with me but she never gave up Niya not once she looked for years and then six months ago she didn't feel well and the next thing she knew she was dying” She bursts into tears and I pull her to me and hug her “She loved you Niya she told me to tell you if I ever found you” we both hold each other as Colt drives us home.
“Home sweet home Zoey” Colt says and she sits up and looks out the window
“You really live here” she asks me and I nod my head
“We live here Zoey” Colt says “The three of us soon to be four” he reaches over and rubs my tummy
“Come on girls” he gets out and comes around and opens my door and helps me out
“Do you like it” I ask her
“Niya it's gorgeous” I smile happy that she likes it
“We think so” Colt says pulling me to him
“Hungry kiddo or what?”
“Starving, I haven’t eaten much this week, I've been so nervous”
“Just like your sister” Colt says and Zoey looks at me
“Are you ok Niya” she asks me
“Oh, Honey I'm fine I told you before he's a worrier, let’s get you settled in and then we'll have some lunch” she walks up the steps slowly behind us I can see she's nervous, I reach out my hand for her and she takes it. I take her straight to her room wanting to give her a bit of space “Ok so this is your room bathrooms next to it Colt and I are down the hall, I hope you like everything” I watch as she looks around the room
“Its great Niya thankyou”
“Ok well I'll let you get freshened up and I'll be in the kitchen ok honey” she nods at me but before I leave her alone, I walk in and she turns to face me
“I really am glad you’re here Zoey, you’re my sister and the moment I found out about you and what happened to mom I wanted you here. I want you to know that Colt and I want you here with us and soon your nephew will be here and he's going to love his Aunty Zoey, I pull her into a hug again and then leave her in her room.
****
Zoey
The second I saw her I knew who she was mom and me all in one, I ran straight to her but stopped just as I get to her noticing her belly when she pulls me to her and we cried.
“Zoey” she whispered to me
“Niya” I whispered back my family my sister and I felt relief I took a breath for the first time since our mother had died, I felt loved in her hug. When we got in the car I tell her about mom looking for her and her Cancer she holds me the whole time and even though I was nervous and still am it's good to know that I have some family. As we drove through town I noticed it was your typical little beachfront town boardwalk and ice-cream parlor the ocean was amazing only ever seeing it on TV the smell salty to the taste people walking around as the sun shone and people laying on the beach and surfers in the ocean with real seagulls flying above. Everything was feeling a little surreal and I missed my mom. When Colt turned into a driveway I saw a yellow house with a huge wrap around porch, I look around and it was quiet. Not like the neighborhood I grew up in, where the houses where crammed in gun fire every night or people were screaming at each other.
“Home sweet home Zoey” Colt says and I sit up and look at the house (definitely not what I'm use to)
“You really live here” I ask them and they nod their heads
“We live here Zoey” Colt says “The three of us soon to be four” he reaches over and rubs Niya tummy and I can see the love these two have for each other
“Come on girls” Colt gets out opens my door than walks around helping Niya and grabbing my bag
“Do you like it” Niya asks me I smile (mom would have loved this)
“Niya it's gorgeous” I tell her as Colt pulls her to him
“We think so”
“Hungry kiddo or what?” Colt asks me and I feel my tummy rumbling
“Starving I haven’t eaten much this week I've been so nervous” I say
“Just like your sister” I look at Niya I don't think it's good that she's not eaten, I mean isn't that bad for the baby
“Are you ok Niya” I ask her
“Oh, Honey I'm fine I told you before he's a worrier let’s get you settled in and then we'll have some lunch” I follow the two of them and have another look around Niya reaches for me and I take it. I'm still a little freaked at how similar we look, I follow her into the house and notice a huge fire place a huge TV and then a huge black leather sofa (wow) she takes me down the hall and she opens a door
*
“Ok so this is your room bathrooms next to it Colt and I are down the hall, I hope you like everything” I smile looking around again
“Its great Niya thank you” I say smiling
“Ok well I'll let you get freshened up and I'll be in the kitchen ok honey” I look at her and nod but she walks in and I face her
“I really am glad you’re here Zoey, you’re my sister and the moment I found out about you and what happened to mom I wanted you here. I want you to know that Colt and I want you here with us and soon your nephew will be here and he's going to love his Aunty Zoey. Niya hugs me again smiles and leaves me in the room alone. I turn back around a look at the room and one of the first things I notice is the quiet, no cars driving by no people yelling nothing just complete silence. The rooms cute with a double bed side tables dresser and a large closet a matching book case and shelves on the wall, I walk over and look out the window and I can see outside to the backyard and there's a huge hole in the ground and piles of wood and a couple of sheds but its peaceful
(knock knock)
“Come in” I call out and Colt comes in and puts my bags on the bed
“Here ya go kiddo like the room” I nod
“Yeah its perfect”
“Zoey” he says and I look at him
“Yeah”
“Where glad you’re here” he tells me
“Thanks Colt”
“Lunch in ten” he says
“Ok”
He leaves me to myself and I go through the bags and find the letter that our mother had written to Niya before her death, she'd promised that I keep looking for my sister and that when I found her I had to give her the letter. I tuck it into my pocket and make my way to the kitchen the smells mouthwatering