Never Let Go

Chapter 22

Aura's POV:

I felt like I was falling into darkness. I started to lose who I was and everything. I started to lose memories again. I felt like the more I go into darkness the more I forgot who I was until I felt a light at the end of the dark passageway and a voice. I thought it to be an angel's. I thought it was a sign telling me that my time on earth is now up, that it's time to move onto the afterlife. I thought then that Oscar Delancey really killed me but when I payed attention more closely I found it was Spot's voice calling to me. He was begging me to hold on and wake up and he was hoping that I was alright.

I couldn't just give up. He fought for me and I guess it's time I fight for him. I can't die not on this night. I started to wake up in the darkness and look up. I started to swim up to the light but the more I try the more the darkness pulls me down. I started to swim harder and harder I won't let the Delancey's win not on this night. I got closer to the light and the light felt warmer and warmer. I was engulfed in white light and all I could hear were the sounds I hear in the morning. People getting ready for work, birds singing, and the sound hooves clopping on the pavement.

I woke up wide eyed and breathing fast and heavily. I felt someone hold me down and that made me panic more. I looked around and this was another place I'm not familiar of I tried to escape the person holding me down. I suddenly felt someone's lips on my lips kissing me. I looked and saw that it was Spot. I hugged him and held onto him like was a lifeline. I started crying onto his shoulder, I felt his hands stroking my back. "It's ok. You're alright. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"I thought I was really going to die." I broke away and felt Spot's face. "I tried fighting to keep my life alive." I said. "I fought for you'se too. I couldn't let Oscar take you away from me again. I just thought never. Never again was I going to make that mistake before." I was confused about the mistake part. "What do you mean?" I asked. "That night I'se let you visit Jack and his newsies was the night that they took you from me and I just can't have you away from me." I put both of my hands on his fance trying to comfort him. "Spot that was never your fault. None of this is your fault. You weren't the one that erased my memories it was the Delancey's. All of this is their fault."

Rosie and all of my friends started pouring into the room worrying about me along with two people I did not recognize. "Rosie thanks for everything you've done. Protecting me while I was passed out and for helping me regain my memories." I said putting my hand on her shoulder. "Hey I'm your best friend and you think I wasn't gonna let you marry Oscar because if you did then that would've been gross and terrible. And by the way about the protecting part I never carried you off here I just fought off Morris for you when he was about to kill you. The people you need to thank are these guys."

Rosie showed me to a man and woman. The woman slowly approached me with big eyes and a hesitant look. I realized when I locked my gaze on her that she was the same woman in my vision and looking at her more I got more flashbacks. Back at the orphanage when I was a kid growing up there would always be this lady looking out the window looking at me. She was a sad lady. She would always tear up when she would see me. And one time when I was outside doing chores she came up to me and hugged me. I was confused then but I think the pieces are starting to fall into place.

"What's your name?" she asked. "Aurelia but people just call me Aura. This maybe strange but I've seen you before at the orphanage over at Brooklyn. You hugged me before and I didn't know what was going on back then." She started to hold my hand and just by holding my hand I got another flashback. This goes way back when I was a baby but it was so significant for me I would always remember my mom would hold my hand as a baby. Whenever I started crying she would always hold my hand and tell me everything will be ok. Her hands were so soft and whenever she would hold me I would smell the lavender from her perfume. The woman that's holding my hand right now has that same soft feel when my mom would hold my hand.

"Is that lavender?" I asked. "It's a perfume I use." she said. "I remember my mom would always wear lavender perfume. I would always love it when she would hold me and I would just cuddle on her chest and feel her soft hands whenever I cried." The lady looked surprised when I told her that. "Do you remember anything else about your mom?" she said. "Nothing. That's the only thing I remember as a baby. That and being dropped off on the steps of the orphanage."

Everything started to fall into place and the lady with me right now has the same soft hands and wears lavender perfume. Just like my memories back at Oscar's house everything started to become clear to me. The memories of when I was a baby. My mom looked just exactly like the lady standing in front of me and when I was left at the orphanage I managed to get one last glance at my mom before she left. She tearfully left me and that was when I realized the lady standing in front of me is my mom. "Mom is that you?" she tearfully smiled and held my face. "Aura I'm sorry for making you go through all this trouble." It felt so good to hug her.I started crying again and looked up at the man looking. If she's my mom then the man standing in the back must be my dad.

He came up to me and looked at my eyes. "Aura your eyes haven't changed." He started hugging me too. All this time I thought my parents were terrible people just because they left me at the orphanage but they're so happy to see me again but they're not. "Didn't you guys love me? Why did you leave me at the orphanage?"

"Of course we loved you. You were basically our whole world to us but it was just that there was some conflict with the Delancey's and we just couldn't afford to lose you. But we're together now and I promise you we'll be the good parents that we never were before." I instantly hugged my mom again and started crying. "I knew I would find you. I know we'll be together forever." Just exactly like my vision. I looked behind my shoulder and over at Spot. He kind of seems sad that he'll be losing me but he's still happy for me finding my parents. I broke away from the hug and led Spot over to my parents.

"Mom, dad this is my boyfriend Spot Conlon. I know he's not what you expect he's to be but that doesn't matter to me all that matters is that I want to be with him. I love him and he's been through as much as I have and he needs somebody." I said hoping that my parents would approve. "We know we've already been situated with him. And we're happy to say after all that he's done to protect you... We approve."

Spot and I started celebrating with kisses and hugs. "We never met someone who loves and cares for our daughter more than us. And it makes us so happy to see you with him because if you're happy with him then we are." Those words from my dad made me smile even more. I'm happy to find out my parents are really that restrictive of who I date. "I'se should've done this way, way before but I believe this is the better time." Spot got down on one knee and he reached down his pocket and got out the locket he gave me before."Aurelia I've loved you for a long time and I'll love you even longer if it means forever and I want to cherish every moment with you. Aurelia will you marry me?"

That proposal got me down on the knees. "Yes." I tearfully said. The whole room erupted when I accepted the proposal. I started kissing his soft lips and felt his soft hands on my back. "You know there was one good thing about you losing your memories. I got to have the experience of falling in love with you again." I started laughing and as soon as he put that locket around my neck I knew this was the start of a new chapter or maybe even a new book.