The week is over in a flash, and it mainly consists of exams and lots and lots of studying. Perhaps a brief shopping trip yesterday, but that was it.
I'm glad they're half-way done. I guess listening in class really does help.
Amelia calls me on Friday, and asks me when I'm going to come over.
"When's your flight?"
"Today, at eight."
I curse. I thought she was leaving tomorrow, which meant I had plenty of time to wrap all the presents me and Catherine got for everyone back home.
8. Which meant she would leave around six. Dang, it was half past five already.
"I'll be there soon."
Back in Catherine's apartment, I open up all the shopping bags Catherine and I had got last night, along with loads of wrapping paper.
Catherine watches me quietly, a smug smile on her face. "Told ya to let the people at the store pack them. But noo, you had to be all sentimental."
I narrow my eyes at her. Never am i going to admit she's right.
I start wrapping the jewellery I got for Claire. God knows how much she loves stuff that sparkles.
Next comes this little ornament I got for Rosie. We were passing through this souvenir stall when it caught my eye, and it reminded me of her.
For Kevin and Liam - perfume. I was tempted to get them flowery ones, but it was Christmas after all. And Hugo Boss had just released their exclusive line.
Those new Nike air max or whatever they're called are for Cayden, and Eli this cute shirt with a pair of wings on it. His sister's still in Germany, last I heard, and I'm not sure she's going to be coming home for Christmas.
I even want to get Mom something, and she loves perfume, so...
I just hope she still wasn't pissed at me.
After I'm done wrapping everything, I get Catherine to drop me off to Amelia's.
"I'm gonna tell you the same thing I always tell you. Get a damn car."
"But it's so much fun getting you to drive me around."
"Ha. Ha." She says sarcastically. "Just for that, you can drive your pretty little ass there yourself."
She throws the keys at me. I catch them and thank her, getting up almost immediately and running out to her car.
It takes me twenty minutes to get to the apartment, even though there's not much traffic.
I park the car to see Amelia and Dani already waiting for a taxi downstairs.
Shoving the door open, with bags in my hand and my hair all crazy, I must have looked like a loon.
Amelia and Dani stare up at me. Amelia's eyes widen and Dani's eyebrows draw together.
"Wow." He exclaims. "Ma, your favourite child is here. Now please, hug each other and leave."
Amelia shush shim, but hugs me anyways. "Are those for your friends?" She asks, taking the bags from me.
"Yeah, they're all labelled, so you don't have to worry."
She fits them into her hand-carry.
"Wish me luck, kids." She says.
"Do you need a ride?" I ask her.
"No, I'm going to take a taxi."
Dani, overhearing our conversation, smirks."Sweet. Can I have your car keys?"
"No, Dani. Remember what the doctor said. No driving, drinking, doing drugs..."
"The three Ds." He rolls his eyes. When his mother turns sway to get her bags, he comes over and whispers, "She forgot the fourth one."
My cheeks flush as I try to hide my laughter.
"Wait, mom, If I can't drive, how am I supposed to go to the hospital tomorrow?"
I think he's secretly hoping he doesn't.
"Get Valencia to drive you."
"Ma!" He whines. "I'm not a kid."
"I know, sweetie." She kisses his cheek. "But you did just come out of coma and everything."
The taxi arrives with a loud honk. The driver gets out, greets her in Spanish and helps her load her bags into the trunk.
"Bye kids." She says. "I'll call you when I get there."
"Bye, 'ma." Dani leans in for a quick hug before she steps inside the taxi. And then it's zooming past the street until it's almost out of view.
Dani mutters something in Spanish before making his way up to the apartment.
"Freedom of speech." He says, when I throw him a confused look. "Mom doesn't like it when I speak too much Spanish."
He opens the door and steps in. I follow.
"Those were a lot of bags in your hand." He says. "How many siblings do you have?"
"One." I reply. "Well technically two, but my twin sister died a long time ago."
"There are two of you?" He says. He shakes his head once, then realises his mistake. "Sorry. Were." Like that makes it any better.
"You were happy the first time you found out." I say, raising my hands up in surrender. "You were all like 'wow, imagine all the stuff I could do with two of you."
He pinches the bridge of his nose. "That sounds like me." He sighs. "But I don't remember."
"You will." I stop myself from extending my arm to touch his shoulder. He doesn't even know me properly for God's sake. "You're going to remember--"
"No." He suddenly hisses. "No, you don't get it!"
He storms towards the mirror hanging in the hallway. "When I look at myself, I know it's me, but it's not." He points to the scar he got because of his surgery. The one in the side of his temple. "I don't recognize that." He turns towards me. "Nor do I know you. The last time I saw my mother she was so sick she couldn't even walk. No, Valencia, I don't remember you or all the shit I went through the past two years! I don't remember!"
I take a step back. I shouldn't he surprised. He had the right to be angry - he had every right. But I didn't think he would actually do it.
Should I leave?
No.
"Listen, Dani, I'll help you work it out." I say after a couple of minutes. "You've got me, your mom, Nate..."
"Nate has a fucking child." He barks. "I still don't know how that happened."
"Funny story." I reply. His anger wasn't going to faze me. It wasn't anger anyways, it was mostly frustration. "He almost didn't."
Dani looks at me. "See what I mean? I don't know. And I hate not knowing."
"You'll learn."
He purses his lips. "I'm trying. I really am."
He sounds like he's struggling, but at least it's a start.
"I...I need..." he pauses before letting out a string of curses. Like counting from 1 to 10, it helps him calm down.
His next words are surprising.
"Could you help me out?"
A small smile curves the corner of my lips. "You don't even need to ask."
Dani seems to be pondering on my words. I watch him - he's not exactly optimistic about it.
"I made some notes..." he trails.
"Great. Show me, and we can start adding to that."
He nods once and realize he's waiting for me to follow him to his room.
He opens to door and leads me inside.
"Wow... Dani this is not...just some notes."
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Dani however, looks proud.
Taped to the walls are several sticky notes, lots of pictures and scribbles made with red marker. Arrows lead to and from the pictures to the notes, interlinking everything. Some of the faces are circled - mine, particularly, had a huge circle around it.
"Where should we begin?" I look at him nervously.
If anybody else saw this, they would think he's a serial killer. Even I'm beginning to have doubts.
"At the very beginning."