The Descendants Series Vol. 1

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

“Sabina!” Rosalia yelled, smiling, and ran for the stairs going down to the courtyard with everyone following behind her. 

She was the one who caught me up first, kissing both of my cheeks, and then stepping back to look at me.  Tears were streaming down her face, as well as mine.

“Is it really, truly you?” she asked. 

“It is I,” I said, smiling.  “I’ve come back.”

“To stay?” she asked. 

“To stay,” I said, and hugged her again. 

When we both pulled away, my eyes drifted to Miss Daria.  She had a hand to her cheek and was staring at me with wide eyes.

“Hello, Miss Daria,” I said, smiling.

 She walked slowly toward me, and then caught me up in her arms.

“I thought I had just imagined you here before,” she said.  “But it was you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was I,” I said.  It felt weird being taller than her by a few inches now.  I only remembered ever coming to her waist.  “And I am here to stay.  I couldn’t last time.”

“Leonardo…”  She pulled back from me to wipe her eyes.

“I had been with him for a month when you last saw me.  He did not know that I’d followed him here,” I said. 

“But Leonardo came back two month ago,” she said.  “Why did you not come if you had been with him?”

“I did not think that I wanted to come because I would miss my life too much there,” I said.  “But I changed my mind and I came.”

“Well…”  Her eyes swept over me…and she burst into tears yet again. 

I wrapped my arms around her, but looked at everyone with a smile bright on my face.  Every one of the servants that were still there:  Celino, Elisa, Paolo, Marina…

But when Daria and I started to pull apart again, everyone’s eyes had moved toward the doorway leading into the villa.  Even Daria was looking in that direction.  I turned slowly and saw Leo just walking out, a smile on his face. 

But in front of him were a well-dressed man and woman.  They hadn’t changed that much from when I saw them last, though there were a few more lines on their faces and streaks of gray in their hair.  My mother and father were just staring at me as they stopped right outside the doorway. 

Tears were burning my eyes again as I walked slowly toward them.  My steps became faster and faster as their eyes widened even more. 

“My beautiful girl,” my mother whispered, tears overflowing her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. 

The moment seemed to slow as she closed the gap between us and wrapped me in her arms.  She felt the same and still smelled of lavender like she always used to.  Again, just like Miss Daria, I had grown a few inches taller than her.  She was holding me so tightly that I was having trouble breathing, but I didn’t care. 

She pulled back and took my face in her hands.  “My beautiful young woman,” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.  “Where have you been, my love?  Where had you been taken?”

“Somewhere safe,” I said, smiling.  “But I am back, where I belong.”  Tears started overflowing again.  “You do not know how much I have missed you.”

“Let me see my beautiful daughter,” someone said, coming up behind Mother. 

I looked over her shoulder and saw Father standing there, his dark eyes bright and a smile on his face.  I stepped toward him, into his waiting arms.  My head fit right underneath his chin as I wrapped him in a hug.  Planting a kiss on the top of my head, he pulled back so he could look at me.