Beauty From Ashes

Chapter 27: Conflict Part 2, Mental

In her mind, the way she treated her family before she left, will always be her biggest regret. And thinking about it now.....it has a different impact now. Even if Albert and the others are the first ones to have officially accepted her......her own family- her dad, her mom and brother, they were risking a lot for her. It might not have been the right decisions that they were willing to make, but......

She knows that they wanted to bring her back, and help her.

However......now that she's been forgiven and accepted by Albert and his friends, deep down....Cheyenne feels, a lot more positive about, her future in regards to her mom, her dad, her other family members (which, she doesnt have quite as many aunts, uncles or cousins compared to other people). even Elijah and the kids. She's grown very close to several of the Divinity alumni in Bakersfield and she's grown on them as well. When rumors started spreading after Lacey first attacked her and Pastor Thomas restrained her from attending, the other group members did reach out. She may not have engaged much towards a friendship with any of them, even the people she barely knew from this church showed her more care than she had faced before. And so, these people....if they're close enough to forgive and accept her, then......maybe there is hope that her family and friends back home- they might be willing to do the same.

But deep down, the one person she's most afraid of possibly trying to reconcile with, is her little brother Kevin, not just because of how cold she acted towards him before her crash, but also because of how emotionally unstable he has been over the years. And, she doesn't even know what he's up to, because he's hardly on social media, and even if she could get in touch with him.....it's hard telling if he would believe any of what she would have to say, or if he would even accept it.

And so....as she sits down in the shower, Cheyenne begins to pray to herself, with Kevin on her thoughts.

"Wherever you are, if it's not back at home.....I just pray that you've been living out a better life than me. You were always the sweetest and most loving little brother that any sister could ask for.....even though you could be a bit of a brat since puberty hit. But.....I- I hope I won't have to wait too much longer to find out....what's been going on with you and......figure out......how to, make things right with you..... I don't know how, or if....but I....."

She pauses. Then sighs with a soft smile on her face. "Well, even back then, you knew Angela and the others better than i did, in some ways. So....hopefully you know that, I was just influenced into sayihg those things. That it was because of who I was surrounded by. But......if you could only see the men I'm surrounded by now....I'm sure you would be happy.... And hopefully.........Hopefully we'll all cross paths again soon.... When that day comes, I don't know what I will say, but......I hope it does come. And I know you'll love these men and women as much as I do..."

But little does she know that her brother has already crossed paths with all of her new friends, right outside the house. Annddd, they're starting to realize who he is.....

KT grins. "REALLY......it's just astounding to me that people like these guys can claim to know someone better, than someone who's known them for their entire fucking life."

With this, Johnathan Wes, Vinnie and Albert are especially confused. Wes stammers. "I'm sorry but........what is any of this to you?"

Vinnie folds his arms and stares tightly at KT. "And......why does it sound like this is something much more personal with you? And why were you.......smiling like that as soon as we mentioned Kevin.....?"

KT shrugs. "Take a guess, wise ass..."

Albert's POV:
My back is turned to KT when he's saying this, and it's at this point that i'm just gazing at the ground, squinting in confusion. But then......my eyes slowly grow wide, and that's when I turn around to glance at KT. As soon as i see him again......I immediately realize why he looks so familiar. And also.......why his face resembles Cheyenne so much....!