Forgive Or Forget

Chapter Seven

A veiny hand creeps by the door and opens it wider, followed by a fresher face. A woman with icy piercing eyes and dark under circles studies us, before giving a warm smile. "Hiya! Jessica, it's ever so lovely to see you." I clear my throat and manage, "Y-you too." Amelia squeezes my arm. 

Maria Marta Houghton was a blond skinny average height woman. She looked put together, wearing a black turtle neck with dark blue jeans. At first glance she looked normal. But when you lingered your eyes at her face for too long there was something there. A complexing past. "Please come in!" She cheered and I took a few steps in. The house was a direct reflection to the outside with a bleak white kitchen and living room. Maria continued speaking to Amelia by the door for a while, but before that she encouraged me to look around. The living room consisted of a grey couch with a small fireplace. There weren't any photos or paintings upon the walls. I was scared to go to the upstairs as I had just realised who I might see there. "Jessica!" I run back to the front door, Amelia stood there, her eyes tearing. It was time to say bye again. I'm not sure why it felt so sad this time. We'd said bye to each other multiple other times, but this.. it felt different somehow, this had more meaning to it. Maybe it was because it would be the last time we could be saying bye. After all, in ten months I wouldn't be living in the system anymore. I'd be free. Florin stood awkwardly behind, I waved at him, he smiled and said, "you'll do great things, Jess." The door shut. 

And Maria quickly got her key and locked it. She turned and studied me once more, I didn't look anything like her. She had slim, skinny arms and legs, dirty blonde hair. 

We both had blue eyes but that was all we shared, physically. 

"You hungry?"  She said in the same cheery voice. "Yeah, actually." I said. I half expected her to ask me what I'd like or my allergies but she just wandered into the kitchen. I followed her slowly. She opened the freezer and I could see there were three ready meals. "Hm." 

She closed it and her eyes widened when she saw me as if she just remembered that I was there. "You don't fancy a McDonald's do you?" I really didn't, Florin brought my a big mac yesterday and I can still feel it working it's way up and down in my throat. "Uh, yeah sure." She clapsed her hands together, "Yay! Awh, this is so much fun!" I almost thought she was mocking someone but then she looked at me as if waiting for me to do the same. "Haha, yes!" I said in a high pitched voice. She smiled. "Do you have a phone?" "Uh yeah, here. It might be a bit low on battery though." 

.

We sat on the couch with the tv on as we waited. Then there was the knocking again. She didn't get up, she instead continued playing with her rings, twisting and moving them up and down on her bony fingers. "Uh, Maria?" She almost flinches at my voice and looks up at me. "Should I open the door?" "Oh no, I better." She gets up gently and makes her way to the door. I think I understand why she took so long opening the door to us now. Instead of the Deliveroo guy at the door with our burgers, a tall pale guy with dark hair stands there, a short plum woman next to him. "Maria! We were starting to think you'd never come." The woman blurts out in a overly American accent. Maria seems at a lost of words as she just stands there. The guy doesn't even look at her, his eyes scan the room and then. He steps backwards as I realise he has seen me. I leave Maria to talk to the American social worker as I grab my bags and go look upstairs. 

There are three rooms and weirdly enough non of them look used, I have no idea which Maria has been using so I just go into the smallest one and unpack. Numerous thoughts run through my head. I've met my mum. Jayden is here. I hear a creaking from the stairs and I realise he's coming. 

My door glides ever so slightly. Jayden has dark hair, similar to mine, followed by a skinny face with a slight jawline. He has what looks like dark eyeliner smudged under his blue eyes. 

"Hi." He says. 

"Hi." Here is the day I've gone through in my head almost everyday since I learnt I had a twin. I give him a small smile and he nods before walking into the other room.