"Are we there yet?"
I sat back in the plane seat, closing my eyes and trying hard to ignore the child that had been asking the same question over and over for the last half hour. They were really getting on my already frazzled nerves, although I had the sense that everything was at this point.
This had been one of the longest plane rides I'd ever taken in my life. Thank God it was almost over.
I opened my eyes again as I heard the familiar dinging of the seatbelt light overhead. The captain's voice came through the speakers.
"All passengers please fasten your seat belts. We are now approaching BWI and will be landing shortly."
Relief washed over me as I heard those words. I'd made it to Maryland. In the next few minutes, we would be landing, and I would finally be getting off of this awful plane. Even though I was certain that these last few minutes would feel like an eternity, I could put up with it. It wasn't like I had any other choice.
I still couldn't quite grasp how I'd ended up in this situation. I'd gone through what had happened only a few hours before so many times during this ride, yet it was still hard for me to make sense of any of it. How could she have thrown me out like this, and on Christmas Eve of all times?
I went over the events of that day in my head again as I fastened my seatbelt and sat back, still trying to make sense of how this day had turned out so crazy.
My day had started out like all other Christmas Eves that I could remember. I had decided to get out of the house for a while that afternoon and do some window shopping along with looking at different decorations. Yet even with this time of year, I couldn't find much excitement within me like everyone else.
I was thinking about this as I stood at one of the large store windows, looking at the display that had been put up. This was a beautiful time of year, and they'd done a nice job with this one. The multi-colored lights on the tree twinkled brightly and there was a toy train running along the tracks around it. Various toys and stuffed animals lined that track, watching the train as it made its endless loop.
As I watched the train going around, I reasoned that maybe my unhappiness stemmed from my living situation with my mother and grandmother.
My mother had kept full custody of me since I was a young child, and I spent most of the year living in Miami with them. During the three months in the summer, I stayed with my father up in Maryland.
I confess that I'd always wanted to live with him more than my mother. I felt like my life would've been much better if I did. At least someone would have more time for me there.
But having these thought always made me feel guilty too. It wasn't Mom's fault that she'd become like she was. People don't ask to develop things like Schizophrenia.
I couldn't really blame my grandmother either for not having much time for me. She was already doing her best to take care of Mom and provide for me however she could. Besides, I was sixteen now, so I could at least take some of the burden off of her and do things for myself.
I glanced at my watch, noting that it was now four thirty. It would be getting dark soon. I needed to get home. No sense in staying out there past dark. It would make my grandmother worry if I did, and the last thing she needed was anymore worries.
I kept thinking about her as I walked down the long, cracked sidewalk towards my house. I admit that my Grand-mom wasn't an easy person to live with, especially after Granddad died a few years ago. I've always believed that his prolonged illness and eventual death ended up making her a little bitter towards life, and having to take care of my mother almost constantly only added to it. There were many times that I felt like I was a ghost drifting around my house. For all of her bitterness and attention to my mother's mental fits, Grand-mom couldn't pay much attention to me anymore.
I took in our neighborhood as I walked. All of the houses looked the same to me. Most were one story and painted white, with nicely manicured yards surrounded by white picket fences. Our home was one of the few that had two stories. I kind of liked that. One of my favorite things to do was to sit upstairs in my room by the window that overlooked the backyard to read or paint.
I stopped as I got to the iron fence around the yard of my house, taking in the familiar look of the place. It had become a bit run-down since Grand-dad had passed away. The white coloring of the house was stained and kind of gray looking, and the dark red paint on the front door was peeling.
I pulled out my key from my pocket as I got to that door, unlocking it and stepping inside. Everything was quiet as I entered. The nearby grandfather clock was ticking loudly, and as I closed the door, I could hear the faint sound of sporadic laughter drifting down the stairs. That was nothing unusual. My mother had a tendency to laugh or cry hysterically whenever she was having one of her fits.
I slowly headed upstairs, taking in the pictures on the wall to keep myself distracted from the giggling. Many were of me as a child throughout my school years, along with the last picture that was taken of my grandparents together before my grandfather got so sick.
There was only one picture of my mother among all of them, taken a few years before I was born. Even now it felt strange to me when I looked at that picture. She just seemed so different than the woman I'd grown up knowing.
My mother had been such a beautiful woman back then. Her long brown hair shined as it fell around her full, pretty face, and her brown eyes were bright and full of life. Her smile in this photo was genuinely happy, like she didn't have any cares in the world. Her whole life was ahead of her, although it seemed to have derailed only a short time later.
I only knew bits and pieces about how I'd come into the world. According to what Grand-mom always told me, my mother had run away when she was sixteen to live with my father in Maryland. She'd given birth to me a year later at just seventeen. Grand-mom admitted to me that it seemed like Mom was happy there during that time too. She'd apparently been living a good life with my dad from what she'd told her, and was very much in love with him.
But that all changed when I was two years old. That was when something very traumatic happened to her. No one knows what it was, but it caused her to run back to Miami and her parents. Her mind slowly deteriorated after that, and she was eventually diagnosed with Schizophrenia. From that point on she wasn't able to take care of me on her own, so my grandparents stepped in, making sure that I'd be taken care of for her.
As one would imagine, I'd always wondered about my father as I began growing up. The truth about that finally started coming out when I was around eight. My mother had just disappeared on my father when she'd come back to Miami, and he couldn't find us because my grandparents had made sure to hide us from him. Why, I still had no clue.
But when I was eight, he finally succeeded in locating us and made his first contact with us via phone. There were a lot of talks and negotiating, and finally, my mother conceded and agreed that she wanted me to be able to know him. She finally understood that what she'd done wasn't fair to him or me. This was what led to me staying with him during the summer. That was how I'd gotten to know my father, a man named Michael Renaldi.
I shook my head, letting the memories slip to the back of my mind. Nothing could change the past. All I could do was continue on the best I could now.
I stopped as I opened the door to my bedroom. My grandmother was in there. She was dressed in her usual long dark housedress and shawl, leaning over an open suitcase on my bed that she'd apparently been packing for me. I was immediately confused. Why in the world was she packing my suitcase? I hadn't been told that I was going anywhere.
"Grand-mom, what's going on?" I managed to ask.
My grandmother stiffened like she hadn't realized I'd come home, then slowly stood up straight. There was a set look in her eyes as she regarded me.
"Good. You're finally home. Come over here and make sure all of your things are packed." she instructed.
"What are you talking about? What are you doing? Why are you packing my stuff?" I demanded.
I saw that almost all of my clothes and personal items were in the suitcase. It looked like she'd been working on this since I'd been gone.
Grand-mom cautiously looked around us, her eyes scanning the windows. It was like she was nervous about someone or something watching.
"You need to get out of here. I'm sending you to your father. That's the best way to take care of this." she insisted.
Her voice was quiet yet intense, like she feared being overheard.
I was staring at her, trying to process what she'd just said. That couldn't be right. She was sending me to live with my dad?
"But I thought you hated Michael." I managed.
"Of course I do. I despise that man for how he tricked your mother. But you can't stay here anymore. Not after what she's told me and what I saw."
Grand-mom quickly closed my suitcase, locking it and shoving it towards me, but I refused to take it.
"What are you talking about? Where's Mom?"
If this was over something my mother had said, then I wanted to know what it was. Grand-mom never worried about the nonsense my mother spouted out. What had made this time so different?
Grand-mom immediately grabbed my arm to stop me. I was surprised by how strong her grip was. I turned around to say something to her, but stopped as I saw the fear in her eyes. What in the world was going on here? What had happened while I was out?
She kept her voice low, a slight tremble coming through in it, "Listen to me, Mia. You don't need to speak to your mother anymore. What you need to do is get out of here. The cab should be here any minute to take you to the airport. Here's your plane ticket. Now go live with Michael. He can protect you better than I can."
I stared at her as she shoved the envelope into my hand. Protect me? From what?
In all of the years that I'd lived with my grandmother, I'd never seen her look scared like this. Even when my mother went into one of her fits, my grandmother had always remained stern and strong. What could my mother have said to scare her so badly? And what could she have seen along with it?
We heard a car horn honking outside before I could voice any of these questions. Grand mom looked at the window, then turned back to me.
"Let's go. You need to get to the airport now."
She took my arm and led me down the stairs to the front door. I barely had time to grab my suitcase from her as she pulled me out of the house and to the cab.
I turned to her one more time, "Grand mom, please..." I begged.
"Just go. It's better this way. Go back to that father of yours and don't look back." Grand mom interrupted. She glanced around one more time before whispering, "Be safe Mia."
I had no choice. I understood the urgency just by looking into my grandmother's eyes. She didn't want to do this, but she felt like there was no other way.
I looked back at my grandmother one more time as the cab drove away. My heart began beating harder as her image faded into the distance. The full extent of the situation was finally hitting me. This was all so sudden. Had she even bothered letting my dad or anyone else know that I was coming?
I quickly got out of the cab as we pulled up to the airport. My grandmother had given the driver the money in advance, so I didn't have to worry about paying him. I pulled my ticket from the envelope and looked at the flight number as I walked inside. I had another half an hour before boarding, so it gave me plenty of time to check-in.
I was used to doing this kind of thing on my own, so I knew the routine when it came to flying. But my anxiety immediately returned as I sat in that plane seat. I couldn't believe all of this. I'd just been kicked out of my own home on Christmas Eve!
I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes, then pulled out my cell phone from my purse. Scanning through my contacts, I finally found Michael's. I had all three of his numbers in there: Home, business, and cell. There had to be at least one that he'd answer by the time I got off this plane.
If I couldn't reach him, I could always try my cousin Raziel. We were very close, practically like twins. We'd even been born on the same day, only an hour apart. His father was Michael's older brother, my uncle, Raphael. The two were close and worked together as business partners, so it had been easy for Raziel and me to get close once I'd started staying with Michael during the summers. If anyone would make sure I'd get to Madison aside from my dad, it would be Raziel.
I breathed deep and tried to relax. There was nothing else I could do right now. I needed to make it through this plane ride first.
My grandmother's face flashed through my mind as I sat there. Something must've happened while I was out. My grandmother had been far too nervous, and she'd never taken any of my mother's words or actions that seriously before. What was so different about this time?
This was what had brought me here. I sat up and checked my watch. It was nearly seven-thirty and outside of the plane window was very dark. I could see the lights of the city below growing bigger and brighter as the plane descended.
The plane finally landed about ten minutes later, and I filed out with the other passengers, grateful that this leg of my journey was done. I chill hit me as I came out of the terminal into the airport. Maryland was a lot colder than what Florida had been, although I probably should've anticipated that. It was farther north.
I hurried over to the baggage claim to get my suitcase. I needed at least a light jacket for now. I was glad that my grandmother had the foresight to pack it. I could see people near me gathering their things and meeting up with family and friends. I was envious as I watched the hugs with the friendly smiles and chatter. At least their families knew they were coming. Mine probably had no clue about me.
I pulled out my phone again as I sat down in one of the blue chairs near the terminal. Time to try and call somebody. I sure as heck didn't want to be stuck here all night.
I decided to try Michael first. If I couldn't get a hold of him, then I would call Raziel. I was sure that one of them would answer.
I tried Michael's home number first. I listened as it rang, hunching over in nervous anticipation.
"Please, please, please." I whispered.
The phone was answer after four rings. I felt like I was jumping for joy inside. My nightmare was about to be over.
"Hello?" I heard Michael say.
"Hey, Dad. It's Mia." I responded, doing my best to keep my voice even.
"Mia? Well, this is a surprise. I didn't think I'd be hearing from you until tomorrow."
He was right. It was unusual for me to be calling him on Christmas Eve. I usually talked him on Christmas day.
"Yeah. I guess it is. But I need some help. I'm at BWI right now. Could you please come and pick me up?" I requested.
Now I had his attention, "BWI? What in the world are you doing there?"
"It's a weird story. I came home this afternoon and Grand mom was packing my stuff. She told me that I needed to come here and live with you, and made sure that I got on the plane, but she wouldn't tell me why." I explained, "Anyway, can you please come get me?"
I heard Michael sigh. Just as I thought, Grand-mom hadn't contacted him at all about any of this.
"All right Mia. I'm on my way. Just relax and wait for me where you are; and don't worry, I'll be there as soon as I can." he told me.
"Thanks, Dad. I'm in the waiting area by Gate 7B. Please hurry. I don't like being here all alone like this." I admitted.
"It's okay sweetheart. I promise that I'll be there as soon as I can." Michael promised.
I smiled as I heard that. This was the Michael I'd always known. He was so gentle and reassuring., and always made me feel safe.
"Okay, Dad. I'll see you soon." I agreed.
I exhaled as I hung up. No, I wouldn't sit here and cry. My father would be there soon, and everything would be okay.
I put my suitcase on the seats beside me and laid down. The crowds were growing thinner, and a quiet was settling over the airport terminal. I stared at the lights that were shining off of the glittering blue balls and snowflakes on the nearby Christmas tree and thought about everything that had just happened to me. Maybe this was going to be a real Christmas gift. I'd always said that I wanted to live with Michael. Maybe this was me getting my wish, although not exactly in the way I would've liked it.
I was so lost in these thoughts that I barely noticed someone walk up to me.
"Is this seat taken?"
I opened my eyes to see a man standing in front of me. He was very handsome and didn't look that much older than me. Dressed in a long dark coat and dark pants, he had beautiful light blonde hair and the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. There was a pleasant smile on his face as he regarded me.
I quickly sat up, "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I in your way?" I asked, feeling embarrassed.
"Not at all. Go ahead and lay down. You look like you've had quite a day." the man responded as he sat beside where I'd been laying.
"Yeah. It's been a really long day." I breathed as I laid down with my head on my suitcase. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to lay on, but it was at least something.
"I understand. Traveling does make for a long day, doesn't it? Especially during the holidays." the man agreed, "But I must admit that I was surprised when I realized that you were here all by yourself. You seem young to be in an airport all alone on Christmas Eve. Is your family running late?"
"Kind of. My family didn't know I was coming up here today. It was a last-minute thing. But my dad's on his way." I assured him.
"I see. I'm glad to hear that. It's not right for you to be all alone like this, even if there was a good reason behind it."
"So what about you? Are you waiting for someone too?"
May as well keep the conversation going. A little bit of company never hurt. It was kind of strange though. I wasn't really a social person, but something about this man made me feel very comfortable.
The man smiled, "I was, but I don't think I have to wait much longer. Besides, I was hoping I'd get to speak to you."
"Huh?" I lifted my head to look at him, "Why?"
That was weird. I didn't think that I'd seen him on that plane, and I hadn't even noticed him into the airport until he'd walked up to me.
"Yes. I saw you on the plane and you looked upset over something, so I thought that perhaps it would be better if I checked up on you. It's just not in me to leave such things alone when I see them."
That made sense. He had been on the same plane with me and I hadn't noticed him. It wasn't like I was looking at all of the people during the flight. I'd been freaking myself out too much thinking about what in the world I was going to do once we landed.
"Yeah. LIke I said, it's just been a long day, but I'm okay now." I assured him.
The man nodded, and for the first time, I noticed the collar he was wearing. Now I understood. He was a priest, even though he definitely looked young to be one.
"I understand, but whatever happened to bring you here, I'm sure that coming here is the best thing for you," he told me.
"Yeah. I think so too. I like living with my dad, and I wanted to stay anyway."
The man reached into his pocket, "By the way, I also wanted you to have this."
He pulled out a pretty bracelet lined with blue beads. It also had two dangling charms. One was a crucifix and the other was a medal.
"Are you sure I can have this?" I asked as he put it around my wrist.
Normally I would've just flat out refused this kind of gift from a stranger, but something about this man felt familiar to me; not to mention that he was a priest. Was it wrong to refuse a gift like this from a priest? I wasn't sure.
"Of course. I want you to have it. This bracelet represents the protection of the Blue Flame under St. Michael. I've had it for a while, and I think that it's very fitting to pass it on to you in your time of need." the young priest explained.
"Wow. Thank you so much."
I took a closer look at the bracelet on my wrist. It was beautiful, the blue stones glistening in the lights of the airport. Etched into the medal was an image of the Arch Angel Michael, striking a strong, fighting pose.
The priest smiled as he gently brushed my hair out of my face and let me lay down, "Don't be afraid child. You are never alone." he promised softly.
I honestly don't remember falling asleep. The next thing I knew, I was waking up to the feeling of someone gently shaking my shoulder.
"Come on Mia. You need to wake up." I heard a familiar voice say.
I opened my eyes and blinked as I realized that my dad was kneeling beside me. His sky blue eyes looked concerned as he saw him. Not that I blamed him. I probably did look terrible.
"Dad?" I whispered.
Michael smiled, looking relieved as he helped me to sit up, "Are you okay?" he asked me.
"I'm fine now. Thanks for coming." I responded, hugging him tightly. I don't think I'd ever been so grateful to see my father.
"It's alright." Michael reassured me. He helped me up, smiling as he took my suitcase, "What do you say to heading home now?"
"Sounds good to me."
I was surprised to realize that we were just about alone in there as I stood up. I didn't see any sign of the priest that I'd spoken to earlier. But the bracelet was still on my wrist, proving that he had been there. I felt bad for falling asleep like I had. I wanted to thank him for being there with me. Hopefully one day I'd get to see him again and do so.
I was glancing at my father as we walked through the airport, heading to the parking garage. Michael really was a striking man. He was very attractive with those sky-blue eyes and a mane of white-blonde hair. Standing at six-two, he was lean yet well built, and, dare I say it, graceful. It wasn't unusual for people to do double takes when they first saw him, and that included me as a child when I'd first gotten to see him again.
But I think the most amazing thing to me was the fact that he was as gentle by nature as he was handsome. I can honestly say that he was an incredible man to me. Practically the blueprint for the perfect human being in my eyes.
I tried to shake off those thoughts as we walked. I needed to think of something good to say to Michael now. After all, he'd come all the way up there late on Christmas Eve to get me without any warning at all that I'd be coming. But somehow, thanking him just didn't seem as appropriate as apologizing.
"I'm sorry about this Dad. It's Christmas Eve, it's late, and I dragged you all the way out here." I spoke up.
"Mia, you know that there's nothing to be sorry over. Besides, I'm feeling a little bit guilty myself for not knowing about this before. At least I could've been here to pick you up when you landed if I had, although I can't say that I would've expected your grandmother to call me either." Michael lamented.
We had made it outside to the parking garage as he said this. Michael hit the key to unlock his car. I slowed down as we walked towards it. The car he'd unlocked was a sleek new black Infiniti sedan. I knew that I probably should've expected this, but it still got me every time he bought a new car.
But then, money was the last of Michael's worries. It had apparently always been this way on his side of the family.
The Renaldis had always been a prominent family. They tended to be shrewd business people, with keen senses for the stock market and industries. Michael was by then a self-made millionaire. He had learned the tricks of the trade in business very early in his life from his father. In fact, he now owned several very successful companies, although he had a tendency to run them from behind the scenes from what I'd seen.
However, his real start with everything had been from a bit of luck. From what I'd come to learn in the last few years, he and my uncle Raphael had started out as investors. They'd apparently hit the right stocks at the right time, and the returns were more than most people could ever have imagined; and ever since, it seemed like everything they touched turned to gold. I was almost certain that my mother would have been kicking herself for leaving if she understood the wealth he now possessed.
"You bought a new car?" I asked him as I got into the passenger's seat.
Michael slipped into the driver's seat, "Well, it's somewhat new. I got it about three months ago when I got tired of the BMW. I like how this one drives much better." he explained.
"Really? Did you trade it in?"
Now that he mentioned it, he had gotten that BMW about two years ago, and this car did seem like it was a lot nicer, at least to me. But it was probably more expensive too. Sitting on the dark leather seat, I took in the blue lights on the dash and from the navigation screen. Yeah, I definitely liked the looks of this car a lot better than that BMW.
"No. I gave it to Raphael. He said that he wanted it if I ever decided to get rid of it. Knowing him, he'll probably trade it in and get something he likes better for a lower price."
"Dad, don't tell me that you seriously just gave that car away." I said flatly.
"No, not exactly. He did take care of a few small things for me and he did pay for the little things like the new tags and transferring the title." Michael replied.
I sat back and looked ahead as he pulled out. Of course he'd see this as no big deal. I had been trying to mentally prepare myself for all of this, as I always did right before I came there for the summer. Money as no object is a life that everyone dreams of, and it was vastly different from the world I'd been living in down in Miami.
Still, as we merged out onto the highway, I tried to find my sense of normalcy. After all, I was now making my new permanent home with Michael, so I needed to make myself completely comfortable with everything for good.
"So, how is Uncle Raphael?" I asked him.
"He's been fine. In fact, I think he's more than pleased to know that you'll be staying with me now. Though probably not as pleased as Raziel. I'm sure that he'll be on cloud nine once we get back." Michael answered.
"I guess you had to call them after you talked to me, huh?"
That would've made sense, especially if they'd been planning on coming over to visit or the three of them may have been going out somewhere.
"I didn't have to. They were there when you called. Raziel wanted to come up here with me, but I thought that it would be better if it was just me. I know this whole thing must be weighing on you right now and the last thing you need is a bunch of people crowding you. Although I doubt we'll get past him when we get back if Raphael decided to wait for us."
I looked at my cell phone in the side of my purse. I was surprised that Raziel wasn't burning it up since he knew about this. Well, he at least knew what Michael had told him.
But as I thought about that, I heard Michael's phone begin to ring.
"I figured he'd be calling. So much for putting him off for a bit longer." Michael commented.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was talking about my uncle. Michael always had a way of conveniently forgetting to call him whenever something was going on. They had disagreements about it all the time; and with Raphael knowing that I was now there, of course he'd be expecting to hear back from him that I was okay.
Michael pushed a button on the steering wheel to answer the call, "I'll take it I've been gone too long for your comfort."
"Not really. I just knew that you'd forget to call me back, so I waited until I figured you'd be on the road again." I heard Raphael say through the car speakers.
"I didn't forget. I was just busy helping Mia." Michael defended.
It was an excuse and I think we both knew it. I couldn't help smiling. Even for grown-ups, those two had what they referred to as "disagreements" like teenagers. They always spoke civilly, but listening to it was still funny at times.
"Nice try Michael, but back to the point, I'm going to take it that you're heading back now." Raphael went on.
He sounded as calm as always. I swear, I didn't think that I'd ever heard him raise his voice in all of the time that I'd known him.
But thinking about Raphael, I do admit that I'd always felt a little bit intimidated by him as well. I didn't know exactly what it was, but the feeling had always been there. Maybe it was his eyes. While in looks he was a lot like Michael, Raphael had very different eyes. They were a very dark blue and seemed very deep. Because of that, it always seemed to me that when he looked at you, he could look right into your soul.
As a little girl, that actually frightened me a little bit. But he'd never done anything to be mean or hurt me. In fact, he was always as nice as Michael. The only real thing was that he was just so damn intimidating with those eyes.
Michael let out a long breath, "Yes, we are."
"That's good. By the way Mia, how are you doing now?" Raphael asked.
That caught me by surprise. I'd forgotten that anyone in the car could talk like this and be heard.
"I'm fine now. Just a little tired and ready to get home." I answered.
"I see. Well, you'll be home soon enough." Raphael reminded me.
"By the way Raphael, I did want to ask you a favor while I'm thinking about it. I know that tomorrow's Christmas, but afterwards, I'd like to get the ball rolling on getting Mia into school once the winter break is over. Do you think it's possible for the paperwork to go through in time for that?" Michael asked him.
"I believe that it can be done, but I can't make any promises. If you want, I'll deal with Penny and getting the records transferred after the holiday." Raphael answered.
"It would be appreciated. Just let me know what can be done. I'm going to hang up now. We should be home in about an hour, and I'll give you a call then." Michael promised.
"All right. I'll talk to you soon."
I closed my eyes and sat back as the call ended. It was definitely final now. I would be staying with my dad from now on. In a way, I felt a little bit excited, though a part of me still felt very shook up. I had never been someone who handled hard things that well, and all of this had definitely cracked all of my foundations.
But as I thought about that, I looked down at the bracelet on my wrist. I again pictured that young priest from the airport. He'd been long gone when Michael had woken me up, but his words remained with me, along with this beautiful little gift, and somehow, I just knew that he was right. It would be much better for me here with Michael. Everything would be okay.
Our ride back to Madison was quiet for the most part. Michael and I did end up stopping at a McDonald's so that I could get some dinner too. I was more than grateful for that one, considering I hadn't been able to eat anything since early that afternoon.
I glanced out at the woods around us as we drove down to Michael's house. This was one of the huge things about Madison that was so different from where I lived in Miami. We didn't really have woods and open farmland like this down there. I did like the woods in Madison though. One of Raziel and mine's favorite things to do during the summer was to hike the trails in them.
But as we went down the long back road towards Michael's house, I noticed something flash in the headlights on the side of the road. I only saw it for a moment, and at first wondered if I was seeing a large deer. But logically I thought that it was strange. Deer didn't look white in headlights. The shape disappeared quickly, racing back into the woods. I shook my head, forcing myself to look ahead again. I must have been overtired and seeing things.
Michael left the headlights on as he parked the car in front of his house. The lights for the inside came on as he hit a button on his phone, along with the outside light at the front door.
"All right my dear. Let's get in and get some rest." he told me.
"Sounds good to me." I agreed.
The snow was falling as I got out of the car. There was already a fine blanket of it covering the ground and trees. Even though it felt cold under my feet with just my high tops, I was still smiling. I'd never been around real snow before. This was neat.
The house was nice and warm as we stepped inside. Looking around me, I was taken back a little bit by the spaciousness of the place. But also, looking over towards the living room and seeing the pretty Christmas tree, I felt a warmth growing inside of me. For the first time ever, I felt like Christmas had a little bit of real magic to it.
"Well, it certainly has gotten late. Are you going to be okay for the night Mia?" Michael asked as we walked up the stairs to my room.
"I'll be fine. It's been a long day, but I'm happy to be here now. It beats being stuck in Grand mom 's house all alone tomorrow." I admitted.
I felt relieved as I took in the familiar sights and smells of my bedroom. This room had been mine ever since I'd started visiting Michael as a kid. It was a big room on the west end of the house. The walls were painted light blue and I even had some of my paintings on them around my bed. That had been something that Michael had said I could do on that one wall. I'd painted branches and birds there because I liked them.
The room also had a large window in it facing the front and a bay window on the wall over my bed. I could see the beautiful snow falling outside from the light gleaming off of the outside spot light. I stood near the bay window and looked at this with some fascination.
Michael sat my suitcase on my bed, then put an arm around my shoulders.
"Everything's going to be okay. I'll make sure of that. You have nothing more to worry about here." he promised me softly.
I leaned against him, wrapping my arms around his waist, "I know, and I know I'll be happy here. I've always wanted to stay anyway. Thanks for everything too. It feels good to be back."
"I'm glad. Now, try to get some rest, okay? It's gotten very late and you've had a very long day. If you need anything, don't hesitate on getting me, okay?"
"Okay. Goodnight, Dad."
I allowed that smile to fade after he left, finally letting everything that happened settle in.
After a few minutes of recomposing myself, I went over to my bed and began unpacking my suitcase and putting my clothes away in the oak dresser near my bed. Once I was done with that, I went into the attached bathroom to take my shower. Yes, I'd been so lucky ever since I'd come back to Michael. I always got my own bathroom when I was with him, and yes, I'll admit that I loved it. Even if it was small, it was still only for me. I didn't have to wait my turn or fight with anyone for it.
But as I undressed, I stopped in front of the round, hanging mirror and stared at my reflection. It was funny, but I really hadn't done this up until then. I was sixteen years old, but I'd never really concerned myself with my looks. Part of that was because of where I was in Miami. None of the other kids had ever noticed me in school there.
Yet I would be starting a new high school here very soon, and as a Renaldi kid no less. Everyone in Madison knew Michael and Raphael Renaldi. They were the richest and most successful men in town. I didn't doubt that Raziel was noticed a lot for the distinction of being one of their kids, and now I probably would be too.
Yet I was kind of hoping that they wouldn't be looking so much. I wouldn't say that I was ugly or anything, but I really didn't like a lot of attention on me. It didn't help that I looked a lot like my dad too. I had the same blonde hair that fell into slight curls down my back and the same perfect complexion.
But I was a little bit strange too. I had two different colored eyes. The left one was brown and the right one was blue. I always had hated that trait about me, along with the fact that I had to wear glasses. I never felt pretty with all of that.
Finally forcing myself to look away again, I hopped in the shower and washed off, taking some time to let myself relax. I felt like I needed it, and a nice shower was the best therapy for stress. Getting out and dressed again, I brushed my long hair as I walked back into my room.
But as I sat down on my bed, I suddenly became uneasy. It felt like someone was watching me. I stopped brushing my hair and looked at the window over my bed, but there was nothing there. The outside spotlight wasn't even on, and it usually popped on whenever there was movement in the back yard.
I took a deep breath, allowing myself to relax again. Just my imagination. It was just a byproduct of my stress from a long day.
Telling myself that, I put my hair brush on my vanity and climbed into the bed, turning off the lamp on my nightstand. Hopefully a good night's sleep would help, and starting tomorrow, I could settle into my new permanent home.
But just as I began falling asleep, I heard my cell phone ringing. I thought about ignoring it, but decided to double check it. No telling if Grand-mom was trying to call me.
I reached over and grabbed the phone, looking at the screen. No, it wasn't her. It was Raziel.
"Are you serious?" I muttered. I pressed the answer button, "Raziel, do you know what time it is?"
"Sorry, but I had to check on you after what happened earlier. What the hell's going on? You didn't tell me that you were coming up here, and by the way Michael was talking, he didn't even know about it!" Raziel responded.
"Seriously Raziel, I don't want to talk about it right now. I'm really tired. It's been a very long day." I told him.
May as well talk to him for at least a little bit. He wouldn't leave me alone if I didn't.
"Okay, I get that. But I was worried about you, so I had to call. Are you sure you're okay?" Raziel relented.
"I'm fine. I'm home with Michael and I was just getting some rest. But you don't sound too tired."
"What can I say? I'm a night owl at times. But I seriously wasn't expecting to hear that you were coming back like this. I think even Dad was shocked when he heard that phone call, and Michael wouldn't say anymore about it. He just said he had to get to BWI to get you. He wouldn't even let me come. That sucked."
"It's okay. I think it was better that just Michael came. It was a rough day, but I promise that I'm okay now. I just need to get some rest, and I'll be seeing you tomorrow, right?" I confirmed.
"Yeah. Definitely. We usually come to Michael's house anyway on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Maybe Gabrielle can come too this year too. Miracles apparently happen. We did get you back for good." Raziel agreed.
I knew who he was talking about when he said Gabrielle. She was our aunt, Michael and Raphael's younger sister. She worked as a doctor at the local hospital and usually couldn't get Christmas off. She'd never married or had any children either. Why, I didn't know. Gabrielle was a very beautiful woman and incredibly sweet, so I would've thought she'd have men lined up who would want to be with her.
I smiled as I thought about Raziel's words. Miracles apparently happen. He was definitely right about that one.
"Yeah, maybe they do. But seriously, I need to get some sleep, so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure. See you tomorrow, Mia. Night."
Clicking off my cell phone, I yawned and laid back down. A smile remained on my face as I curled up in my covers. Yes, this was for the best. Everything was going to be just fine. This was going to be my new start in life.