Choosing Is Difficult (Hawkeye and Serenity Book 2)

2: My Mother's Secret

 I walked up to my apartment whom I share with my mom. 

 Mom said that it was ok for me to live with her still but I'm going to have to pay half of the rent. Luckily, I have my own room though.

 "I'm home," I said, briskly, entering the living room.

 Mom was at the dining table, her head on her hand with her elbow hitting the table.

 "Mom, what's wrong?" I asked.

 Mom looked up. "Oh, Serenity," she said. "Come and have a seat."

 I went and sat down on the chair.

 "You got my message?" Mom asked. I nodded. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

 "Well...."

 Mom paused. She played with her hair for a bit and sighed. She looked away and turned back to me. I could tell whatever it is that she wanted to tell me, it was going to be hard.

 "Well, I'm a...a...I'm a....."

 The door swung open.

 Me and my mom jerked and turned to it.

 A woman was standing there in the entrance. She looked like my mom. She had the same brown hair and brown eyes like her. She was wearing a light blue cardigan with a white tank top with black jeans.

 "Thank goodness I found you," she said.

 "Lynnie?" Mom asked.

 The woman named Lynnie came rushing to my mom and hugged her.

 "Do you have any idea how many places we've been to look for you?"

 "How did you find me here?" my mom asked.

 Lynnie stepped back and put her shoulders on my mom's shoulders.

 "You have to come back," Lynnie told my mom.

 My mom shook her head. "Lynnie, I belong here now. I'm not going back over there."

 Huh?

 Lynnie glanced at me.

 I shrugged, not knowing what they were talking about.

 "I see that you got busy," Lynnie said.

 "I have a life of my own now," Mom said.

 "And that makes it right for you to leave your duties as a princess?" Lynnie asked.

 Princess? What in the world was this lady talking about?

 "I'm through with that," my mom said. "You should return to Vistana now and forget that this ever happen."

 "I'm not leaving until you come with me," Lynnie said.

 "Um, Mom," I said. "What's going on?"

 Mom sighed and turned to me.

 "The thing I was going to tell you is...." she began. "....I'm a princess."

 My foot stammered.

 "What?"

 "Yes, I'm a princess. I wanted to tell you but I caught up with living in New York and your dad..."

 "So your husband is the reason why you didn't come back?" Lynnie asked. 

 "Please, Lynnie, like Mom and Dad would want to know what the rest of my life was about," Mom spatted.

 "Just come back, Sienna," Lynnie said. "Mom and Dad miss you."

 "Miss me doing what? Being a princesss, doing her duties, ignoring me, trying to make me fall in love with someone as I see as a brother? No, Lynnie. I'm not going back to that life. No way!"

 "Don't be a fool," Lynnie said. "You're Princess Amberlynn Sienna Carina Reinano of Vistana."

 "Well, now I'm Sienna Carina Lewis of New York."

 "Whatever, then. Just tell...who is she?"

 "My daughter, your niece," Mom snapped.

 "Then tell my niece about her ancestry."

 I gazed at my mom once more.

 "I'm a princess of Vistana, which is an island off the coast of England," Mom began. "Vistana is a lovely island, ruled by the king and queen, well, not literally. We sometimes help out with the government that's all."

 She waved her hand at Lynnie. "This is my sister, Princess Lilliania Lynnie Juliea Reinano of Vistana. My mother and father are Queen Helena Everlynn Elindora and King Reginaldonn Demien Phillippe of Vistana.

 The reason why you hear my name as Sienna Lewis is because I ran away from Vistana. I didn't want to do all those things as a princess. I didn't want to love a man that my mom and dad wanted me to marry. I didn't want to be kept in a castle and guarded by men. I wanted to be free and indepentdent. So I ran away and took a plane to New York. I knew a friend there and she helped me get an apartment. That's when I went to NYU and met your father. I caught up with him and you. That's when I decided that I hoped I would never return to the life a princess again."

 "So it's ok for you not to come back and check in on us?" Lynnie asked.

 "Don't be stupid, Lynnie," Mom said. "You know Mom and Dad are going to keep me in that prison again."

 "You know what? I had enough," Lynnie said. "I don't care if you stay here long because I'm going to be staying here until you at least make a phone call or come to Vistana."

 "If that's what it's going to take so long then so be it," Mom said.

 Lynnie ran out and slammed the door.

 I shook my head. My mom? A princess? That makes me a princess too.

 "Who am I?" I asked.

 Mom turned to me.

 "You're Serenity Lucey Lewis," she told me.

 "I'm not Princess Serenity and all those long names?"

 "No, I would never name you that. It's just that's how we name our children in the royal ways. The first name is of royaltly so everyone would be calling me Amberlynn, even sometimes Mom and Dad. If we wanted to keep a secret low profile or nickname, the second name, Sienna, is what it's for. The third name is the middle name, Carina, and the last name is Reinano."

 "You changed your name to Sienna Carina Lewis? What was it before?"

 "My friend, Inelina, gave me her last name, Laylan. So I was Sienna Carina Laylan for a while."

 "And you decided to tell me this now?"

 "Serenity, you have to understand that I was caught up with all this stuff and..."

 "No, you have to understand is that you should of told me this a long time ago and at least visit your parents once. I know what they did to you is wrong but they love you and you should of told them what you wanted!"

 My phone went off. It was Nick.

 "I have to go, Mom," I told her, getting up from the table.

 "Please, don't be mad at me for this," Mom said.

 "Oh, I'm not mad," I said. "I'm just mad that you told me this so late and you better do something about your family because your sister is pissed."

 I ran out the door and shut it.

 I went down the stairs to see what Nick wanted.