Amalia's POV
When 7 P.M. rolled around, Riley and I left our room and made our way downstairs to the living room to wait for Yuna, since she was the only reason we were even able to go. It was five minutes or so before she came down, her long noir hair straightened, softly falling over her shoulders to compliment her cross-strapped little black dress and leather jacket ensemble. She was only a couple of years older than me and yet she always looked incredibly grown up and mature, at least in comparison to most eighteen-year-olds. I could only hope I'd grow into my looks as well as she did.
The three of us gathered around the dining room table with the rest of our family members to have a quick meal and once we'd finished, Riley physically couldn't stay in her seat any longer. She stood up, grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, dragging me back into the living room as my parents began cleaning up. Yuna followed behind, along with Rose and Jeremy who came to see us off for the night.
"You girls stay safe, alright? Look after each other, and call someone if you need help."
"We will, grandma," Riley said with a smile, stepping back from the hug she'd been wrapped in and picking up her bag. "We won't be home too late."
Jeremy chuckled. "We'll see about that."
We laughed along with him, knowing there was little truth behind Riley's words and even if there was, we'd still likely stay out later than we normally would anyway. Rose handed Yuna the keys to her car, and then my sister made her way out onto the driveway with Riley whilst I stayed behind for a moment to get my bearings, and hopefully some reassurance. I was anxious, and no doubt Rose could tell as she took my hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze, caressing the backs with her thumbs. She never failed to make me feel better.
"You look beautiful, Amalia," she said, brushing some loose strands of hair behind my ear. "Now go enjoy yourself."
"Thanks, Rose." I took a small breath and smiled as I exhaled. There was just something about Rose that was incredibly comforting, more so than anyone else I knew. As I turned towards the door, I glanced back for one final wave. "Love you guys."
"We love you too, sweetheart."
Words could not explain how grateful I was to have them both in my life.