Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily Series #1)

4. A NOT-SO-NEW BEGINNING

A NOT-SO-NEW BEGINNING

 Maryah

We walked off the jetway and I paused at a row of chairs to set my bag down. “This was a stupid idea. I can’t meet a bunch of strangers. Look at me. I’m a train wreck.”

“You do look a little derailed,” Krista teased. “But they don’t care how you look. It’s your soul they love.”

“They don’t even know me. Besides, I feel like I lost my soul.”

“It’s there. It’s just going to take us a while to get it to shine again.” She smoothed my disheveled hair. “Your hair on the other hand...”

My long hair was the only pretty thing about me, but even that had been taken away. A section had to be shaved off before my surgery. My aunt cut the rest in layers until it was shoulder length because she claimed my short patch wasn’t as noticeable. I swatted Krista’s hands away and put on Mikey’s favorite Ravens hat. 

“Good idea.” She tugged on the rim. “It’ll hide the grease.”

“And the short patch,” I grumbled.

“It’s grown out enough that no one will notice.”

“Easy for you to say.” Her Pocahontas hair looked flawless. Krista had Egyptian ancestors on her mother’s side and she was exotically beautiful. What I wouldn’t give to trade my tissue paper complexion for her smooth, olive skin.

I eyed the check-in desk a couple feet away. “Let’s buy a ticket back to Baltimore. I can’t do this.”

“Your instincts told you to come to Sedona, and your instincts are never wrong.” She handed me my duffel bag. “Come on, something tells me we’ll like these people.”

I took a deep breath and forced my feet to carry me forward.

We spotted Louise Luna at the end of the terminal.

My aunt had showed me old pictures of her, and Louise hadn’t changed much. She held tulips and a heart-shaped balloon. I could see why my mother loved her, but I still wanted to run in the opposite direction.

“You okay?” Krista asked.

I nodded, but my legs felt like they had anchors tied to them.

Louise waved as we got closer. Circular sunglasses covered her eyes, but I suspected she was giving me the poor-orphan look. She had a definite hippie vibe going on. A medium bob of silky brown hair framed her makeup-free face, and a wooden necklace hung low against her gauzy—probably earth-friendly fiber—shirt. Her flowing skirt grazed the tops of her open-toed sandals.

A tall bronze-skinned man towered behind her with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. His dark hair draped like a curtain on either side of his navy blue sunglasses.

Before I could say hello, Krista steamrolled Louise with a hug. What the? Why would Krista hug a total stranger like that? 

Louise squeezed Krista tight. “We’re so happy to have you girls here.”

When they let go of each other, Louise removed her glasses, placed her hands on either side of my face, and looked into my eyes.

“Ah, Maryah, how I have waited for this day.”

Double what the? I flinched, trying to silence the annoying buzzing in my ears. Spasms of pain pulsed behind my temples. Worst time ever for one of my famous headaches to start. 

Louise hugged me, and the balloon thumped against the rim of my hat. “I’m so sad about what happened to your parents.”

My heart cracked. “And Mikey.”