Destiny's POV
I was on the bus heading to meet my sister, Amanda. The rhythmic hum of the engine soothed me as I stared out the window, watching the world blur by. Liam and I had landed in Philadelphia late last night, by eleven. The city lights had flickered like stars on the ground as he dropped me off at my apartment. We'd agreed to meet at the office tomorrow, but my thoughts kept drifting back to yesterday.
It had been so long since I'd had that much fun, the kind of carefree joy I hadn't experienced since childhood. I hadn't realized how much I missed going to amusement parks until I was standing at the gates, heart racing with excitement. The thrill of dragging Liam around the park, from ride to ride, bubbled up in my memory, making me smile. He hadn't complained, though; not until he gently tugged on my hand, a silent signal that we needed to slow down.
Then, there was the London Eye. I still couldn't shake the image of us up there, suspended high above the ground, the city sprawling beneath us like a living map. The beauty of it all had momentarily distracted me from the weight of his words. Liam had apologized. The words hung in the air, heavy with regret. Part of me wanted to accept it, to let go of the hurt his past insults had caused, but another part of me, the part that had suffered in silence after he left couldn't forget.
Yet, I saw it in his eyes. The guilt. The regret. He was trying, and it wasn't lost on me. Maybe he did deserve a second chance after all, especially after the amazing day he'd given me. I had tentatively decided to start over as friends, but my heart wasn't so easily convinced. There were still pieces of the past lodged in my chest like glass shards, too painful to remove all at once.
But now, as the bus approached my stop, my thoughts shifted. A gnawing worry crept in. It had been too long since I'd heard from my brother, Christian. His phone had been off for months. I tried not to dwell on it, but after two years of him being on a world tour, the silence was unsettling. We had kept in touch sporadically, his calls always coming from some far-off place. But for the past two months? Nothing. Not a word.
As the bus jerked to a stop, I gathered my things and stepped out, my shoes hitting the pavement with a sense of purpose. Amanda lived just a few blocks away, close to my parents. The familiar streets tugged at a nostalgic part of me, the scent of freshly baked bread from the local bakery filling the air. I breathed it in, letting the warmth settle over me like a comforting blanket.
When I reached Amanda's door, I knocked, hearing the faint sounds of a baby crying from inside. A smile tugged at my lips. My nephew. I hadn't seen him in a while, and the thought of holding him again made my heart swell.
"Who is it?" Amanda's voice came from inside, muffled by the sound of the baby's cries. The door creaked open, and there she was, busy rocking the baby in her arms, trying to calm him down. She hadn't even noticed me.
"Hello, sister," I said softly, the sound of my voice cutting through the noise.
Amanda's head snapped up, surprise washing over her face before a broad smile broke through. "Oh, Sky!" she exclaimed, stepping forward to hug me, all while still holding the baby. I wrapped my arms around both of them, feeling the warmth of family embrace me.
"It's been so long! I didn't know you were coming," she said, her eyes shining with happiness.
"I know," I replied, taking the baby from her arms to give her a break. "I just thought I'd surprise you. How are you and this little guy?" I asked, cradling my nephew against me, rocking him gently as his cries began to subside.
Amanda sighed in relief, rubbing her tired eyes. "We're good. He's been fussy for about fifteen minutes now, and you just have the magic touch. You always did handle babies better than me."
I chuckled. "What can I say? I'm amazing." I sang the last word, drawing out the syllables for effect, which earned me a playful shake of the head from Amanda as she laughed.
We moved to the couch, where the baby, now fast asleep, rested in my arms. His little face was angelic, soft and peaceful. I couldn't help but feel protective over him.
"What did you name him again?" I asked, stroking his cheek lightly.
"Nick Ivan Walker," Amanda said proudly, her gaze lingering on her son.
"Aww, that's beautiful," I whispered, my heart swelling. "And you gave him Chris's middle name," I added softly, feeling the weight of Christian's absence settle in again. Amanda noticed the shift in my expression and gave me a knowing look, but we didn't dwell on it.
"He's eight months old now, can you believe it?" Amanda continued. "He's started crawling, and it's just the cutest thing."
I smiled at her, the bond between sisters growing stronger with each passing minute. "I was planning to head to Mom and Dad's after this. Want to come? We can take Nick before he wakes up from his power nap."
Amanda agreed, and after gathering Nick's baby bag, we headed out together. The walk to our parents' house was filled with laughter and easy conversation, a lightness in the air that I hadn't felt in a long time. I cherished these moments, the normalcy of family, the simple joy of being together.
As we approached the house, I had a mischievous idea. "Let's hide Nick and see what Mom and Dad do," I whispered, already imagining their reaction.
Amanda grinned, biting her cheek to hold back a laugh. She knocked on the door, and we waited. Moments later, we heard Mom's voice.
"Oh, Amanda, you're here!" she called out. There was a pause, followed by a sudden shout. "David! Amanda came, but wait, where's the baby? Oh my God, Amanda, you lost him! David, come here, Amanda came alone!"
I had to bite my lip to keep from bursting out laughing. Amanda was doing the same, her shoulders shaking with silent mirth. We could hear Dad's footsteps approaching, followed by his panicked voice.
"Amanda, where's the baby? You didn't forget him, did you? He's only eight months old!"
That was it, I couldn't hold it in any longer. Laughter erupted from me, loud and uncontainable. I stepped out from behind the door, still holding Nick, who was now wide awake and looking around with sleepy eyes.
Amanda joined in the laughter, and we both doubled over, barely able to stand from the hilarity of the situation. Our parents stood there, mock-glaring at us, but I could see the amusement in their eyes.
Mom playfully flicked me on the head. "That's what you get for playing tricks on us, young lady," she said, though her smile softened the reprimand.
"Sorry, Mom, but it was worth it," I said, rubbing the spot where she flicked me, pouting dramatically.
Dad pulled me into a hug, squeezing me tightly. "Cupcake, don't scare us like that again," he said, his familiar scent of aftershave and cologne wrapping around me, comforting and nostalgic.
"I can't promise that," I teased, though I hugged him back just as tightly.
We all went inside, settling into the living room, and I felt a sense of peace wash over me. This was home. Talking, laughing, playing with Nick, it was everything I needed. I hadn't realized how much I missed it until now.
As the evening wore on, I found myself unable to stop thinking about Christian. It had been so long since any of us had heard from him. Every time his name came up, it was like a shadow passed over the room, a reminder of his absence.
Suddenly, my phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen. Liam.
I excused myself and went to my old room, closing the door behind me. I answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hey," Liam's voice was soft, tentative. There was something about the way he said it that made me feel... unsettled.
"Hey. What's up?" I asked, sinking down onto the bed.
"So... I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today. I could pick you up if you want," he offered, his voice hopeful, almost eager.
I sighed softly, torn. I wanted to hang out with him, but I was with my family. "I'm sorry, Liam. I came to visit my parents. We're in the old neighborhood, where we went to high school," I explained.
"Oh..." There was a pause, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice. "It's okay. I get it."
"How are your parents?" he asked after a beat of silence.
"They're good. We haven't seen each other in a while, so it's nice to catch up. And I finally met my nephew, he's adorable," I gushed, trying to lighten the mood.
Liam chuckled. "I'm sure he is. You sound smitten."
"I am," I admitted, a smile tugging at my lips.
He was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Wait, how did you get there? You don't have a car."