Slowly I walked up the cobblestone pathway toward the huge three-story, white plantation style home. Ms. Ledin gestured for me to hurry and catch up with her since I had stopped halfway up the path to gawk up at this huge house that would now be my new home.
I remember my mom telling me all about her best friend Caroline, how close they use to be in high school, thick as thieves she would say, at least before they got married and had kids of their own. They had managed to stay in contact with one another through letters, pictures of each other's kids, and meeting up to have a quick visit over lunch whenever they could.
Yet I can honestly say that in my fourteen years of my life I don't remember much about Caroline or her kids, having only ever met them maybe once or twice as a small child. I only knew that she had two boys, twins I think and that was only because Ms. Ledin informed me of this on the drive over here from the temporary foster home I was placed in after the reading of my mother's will.
Blowing out an anxious breath, I quickened my pace to fall in line behind Ms. Ledin and I hung my head, letting the sadness and despair of losing my mother wash over me. She had just recently been killed in a car accident, hit by a drunk driver while she was on her way to my school play.
I remember bits and pieces from that day, the brief image of her packing my lunch as I eat a bowl of cereal as I jabbered excitedly about the play opening that night, a quick peck to her cheek as I bolted from the car to head into school, being pulled off the stage by my principal Mr. Voss, him giving me the gut wrenching news that my mother had been in an accident, sitting in the waiting room of the hospital with Mr. Voss as the doctor informed me that my mother had passed before the ambulance even made it to her.
Everything else was clouded over in a blur of events, Mr. Voss guiding me out of the hospital, being driven home in a state of shock, to be met by my Aunt Irma my mother's older sister, whom she didn't really get along with or have much contact, but they were sisters never the less.
The funeral and reception that followed days later passed by me without much acknowledgment from myself, I pushed myself into the darker parts of my mind, not ready to face the pain of losing my only parent. I was beyond shell shocked at the loss of my mother, she was all I've ever had since I never knew my father. I still hadn't allowed myself to cry at the loss of her.
At first several family members fought over who would retain custody of me and become the executor to the money she had left for me in a trust, with my Aunt being the front runner. My mom had inherited a large sum of money from her Grandmother, no one was sure exactly how much it was. Yet for whatever reasons my Aunt Irma was left out of the Grandmother's will, which was one of the many reasons the two hardly spoken to each other since before I was born.
Yet after the reading of her will where it was stated that the money would be frozen into an account for me until I was twenty-five years old and only an allotted sum would be removed if I decided to go to college at which time, I would have to fill out the paperwork for the money to be removed and transferred directly to the college of my choosing.
Also, the executor of the account would receive a specific sum of money monthly for my needs and well being until I reached my 25th birthday, after which they would receive an undisclosed amount for caring for me. It also stated that if I was ill treated or harmed, they would forfeit any rights to their allotted sum.
Since I was only fourteen years old just a few weeks shy of my fifteenth birthday it would mean that this person who took me in would have to wait ten years to get paid and even then, it was unknown amount of money.
I had grown up with the knowledge that my mother didn't really care that much for her family and I knew my mother never really trusted any of them, I just didn't realize the extent of it until I heard the stipulations printed out in her will.
And just as quickly as they all fought over who was going to take me, they all disappeared just as fast, none wanting to wait that long for their money. Even my Aunt slinked away without so much as a goodbye.
So now here I was walking up this cobblestone pathway leading up to this beautiful house to the only person who was more than willing to take me in, my mother's childhood best friend Mrs. Caroline Covington.
"Come Mia." Ms. Ledin waved me toward the huge front door giving me a small smile of sympathy before she rang the doorbell.
Swiftly it was opened by a beautiful, angelic woman with chestnut brown hair cascading down her back, sparkling icy blue eyes that twinkled with happiness and the warmest, the most welcoming smile I had received it what seems like ages at this point.
"Mia." the beautiful woman breathed as if she had been waiting her whole life to finally meet me. I gave her a small smile as I let my dark brown hair fall forward covering as much of my face as possible, gazing up at her with my chocolate brown eyes through my long lashes, I clenched my hands to my thighs, stopping myself from fidgeting out of nervousness.
"Mrs. Covington, so good to see you again." Ms. Ledin greeted holding out her hand. Ms. Caroline absentmindedly took it giving it a small shake, never letting her warm gaze or smile leave my blushing face.
"Thank you, Ms. Ledin, for bringing her all this way. I wish I could have come to pick her up myself but I had to be here... for my boys." Mrs. Covington explained sweetly all but dismissing Ms. Ledin.
"Not a problem." Ms. Ledin nodded seeing that she was no longer needed.
"I already received your other personal items a few days ago, there in your new room waiting for you. Are those your only other bags?" Mrs. Covington asked pointing toward my large suitcase I had wheeled up the walkway and the duffel bag slung over my shoulder.
"Yes, ma'am." mumbling as I adjusted the bag on my shoulder, shuffling from foot to foot. I didn't understand this overwhelming feeling of excitement and nervousness that had washed over me the moment Ms. Ledin had pulled into their long driveway that came into a full circle, with the center of the circle filled with red and pink tulips.
"I'll get the boys to help you with those..., just set them here on the porch." she smiled as she turned back toward the opened door, I propped up my suitcase letting go of the handle, but kept the duffel on my shoulder gripping the strap for some sort of support, something to anchor me. " Dante, Dimitri come meet Mia." her voice barely raised above her normal volume. She gestured us into the foyer of the house as two very tall, muscular figures more men than boys really, came barreling down the stairs, shoving, pushing and punching each other playfully.
They both suddenly stilled just about halfway down the staircase, each inhaling deeply before turning their piercing blue gaze on to me. I gasped at the intensity and slowly I ran a trembling hand though my hair as I tried to pull myself from their penetrating gawking eyes, icy blue eyes just like their mothers.
I quickly flitted my gaze over them in confusion and observation, taking in the fact that they both had dark brown nearly black hair, tight muscular bodies from what I could tell under their shirts that were hugging against their broad chests, they were at least two or three years older than me, their twins I finally realized as I took in their facial features. They looked the like the Greek gods we had been reading about in history before I was sent here to Havencrest to live with Covingtons.
Slowly one shook his head before continuing down the stairs and came to stop in front of me holding out his hand. "Hi, I'm Dimitri... it's truly a pleasure to finally meet you." saying the words as if he really, truly meant them, his voice felt like soft silk wrapping around me making me feel safe and secure.
I took his hand and jumped in surprise when I felt an electric shock the moment, I touched his skin, he stared down at our hands in wonderment before looking back up at me giving me a wholehearted smile.
Shyly I gave him a small smile in return before pulling my hand back to my side. He turned toward his brother who was still staring at me so penetratingly from the stairs, nodded his head toward me. I turned my attention to him and watched as he stocked toward me like a predator stocking his prey, struggling to control my rapid breathing I bit my lip in worry as he came toward me, his eyes raking over me as if he was committing every inch of me to memory.
"Dante." He grunted, his voice was deep and husky, it sent an unfamiliar tingling sensation throughout my body. I took quick notice that all though they look like identical twins, he was slightly taller and had his hair shorter than Dimitri.
He extended his hand narrowing his gaze on me as I slowly reached out and took his, once again I was jolted by a shock of electricity at the touch of his skin. He too stared down out our hands in surprise just as Dimitri did before returning his intense, piercing blue eyes to mine.
"Mia..., it's nice to meet you both." whispering as they both closed their eyes and smiled at the sound of my voice. Glancing between them, I wasn't sure what was going on between with them, but I felt very overwhelmed, excited and slightly scared from my first encounter with these two, the Covington Boys.
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Shelley Hennig as Mia Winston