"Are you almost ready?" I hear my mom yell from downstairs.
I look down at my blue dress, the one I also wore to the party with Aidan. In just a bit, my family and I are heading to a family party.
It's a gorgeous dress so it was easily decided that I would wear this one. A bit more mascara, one last look in the mirror and I find myself ready to go.
"Should we tell everyone in the family that I'm going to Toronto?" I ask my mom who's giving me thumbs up for my outfit.
"That's up to you." She says.
My younger brother comes happily in the hallway, also ready for the party. 'I'm ready.' He says.
The party is more like a gathering. My family just wants to see each other and talk. We don't have to have reasons, like birthdays or engagements, to organize them.
But for this one, we do have a real reason for once. Our family who moved to another country years ago, came back here. Everyone is happy because of their return but I don't know how I feel about it.
Ever since they left, they just cut us out of their lives. No calls, no texts. They probably don't even know how I look anymore.
We didn't have to drive long since our whole family lives close to each other, normally. The family members who are returning are an exception. I spend the short ride to my aunt's house curled up on my seat, trying to come up with the best way how I should tell them that I will be leaving soon. But I just decide to tell them. Nothing special.
•••
My cousin squeals excitedly when I walk in. I send her a smile and quickly greet everyone at the party, so I can head to her immediately after.
"You're here!" My cousin's arms go around me and embrace me. I return her hug immediately.
'Why wouldn't I be? I wouldn't want to leave my cousins alone." I chuckle, enjoying her presence.
I had missed her. Other times I'd see her regularly, but the last time I had a lot of work for school or i'd be talking to Aidan.
This will only change even more when I leave for Toronto to record season 2 of the umbrella academy.
'Any other details to tell me about Aidan and you?' She asks, her mischievous expression cannot be missed.
I chuckle as a response. It's her, what did I expect? 'I have something that you must hear..' I start and her eyes light up immediately.
Just as I was about to continue, we hear 'They're here!' Coming from everywhere. They were here.
Our family that moved away and never contacted any of us is here again. I don't know why our family is happy with their return. I never need to see them again. Not after they just left us like that.
My uncle and aunt walk in. Both of them have changed a lot in their faces. They aged well and their physical differences since the last time I saw them are very clear.
Behind them, is a girl standing. She looks very different than just a few years ago but I recognize her immediately. I'm happy that she's back and somewhere deep down I'm still hoping it's her old self. But after all those years, I don't think that that is possible. She has blonde hair, which comes to her shoulders. She looks around, and when she spots her grandma a smile pops onto her face.
Everyone greets them and talks a bit with them. I kept my eye on them, listened to them and still hoped they were still their older versions.
After a while of talking with the rest of the family, our "lost" cousin's eyes fall upon my other cousin and me. Her smile didn't exactly disappear but she stopped smiling as wide as she was smiling before.
"Hey." She says, walking towards us. Her face pretty much says that she wasn't that willing to come here to us but probably got directed to come here.
I glance at my other cousin who has the same reaction as me. She looks at me, also wondering what to do or say.
"Hi." I answer back, deciding it would be a good thing since she's still family. Even if she left.
My cousin mumbles a quick "hello" but I'm not sure if our lost cousin heard her.
Our lost cousin stands there, it's rather awkward. She probably doesn't know what to say and neither do we. It's not easy to start talking to someone who you've been ignored by for the last couple of years.
"So you're coming to live here again?" I ask our her so at least something got said in this conversation. She doesn't give me a proper reply. She just nods, which is okay. I guess.
"Do you still know us?" My cousin asked to our lost cousin. This exact question has been wandering through my mind for the whole evening and I'm eager to hear her response. This question wasn't a yes or no question so she can't nod. She will have to talk.
Our lost cousin rolls her eyes, probably annoyed by us already. There it is. The new version of herself. The one who ignores messages, letters and calls.
"I do." Is her answer, but I'm glad she answered it. I'm glad she still knows us.
She could've easily been lying just to get us to be ok with her, but I decide to just hope that she wasn't.
"Y/n, what did you want to tell me about you and.." My cousin starts but I cut her off. This wasn't the moment to tell her all the details of Aidan and me.
The girl in front of us, who is our long lost cousin, doesn't have to know a single thing about all of this.
Then again, before I saw her face I was planning to tell everything to everyone here. I couldn't let our lost cousin ruin the moment either, but they still have to know the reason why I am leaving for Toronto for god knows how long.
"I'll tell it to everyone at the same time." I say to my cousin who's looking rather confused.
I can't blame her, she still thinks that I was going to tell her all the details of Aidan and me and I just told her that I wanted the whole family to know.
After a while, we're all eating dinner. Most of us have already finished and are know talking with some other family members. I figured that now would be a good time to tell them everything.
"I have to tell you all something important." I say, making everyone go silent. All the faces are upon me, waiting for me to continue.
"So, some of you all might already know that Aidan Gallagher is my boyfriend." I started. This already sounded like Aidan proposed to me, what the hell.
My long lost cousin scoffed, causing me and other family members to look at her. "I don't think so."
How much I wanted to say something back, I just decided to go with a "Have you seen pictures of the Netflix party around a week ago?" After I see my mom sending me a threatening look.
One that tells me not to start a family fight.
And she's right, it's not the time for that. I have to leave soon and I don't want to leave my family after we just fought.
"I have not." She rolls her eyes, not really thinking it is a big deal if she has or not.
"I was there." I say "In this dress."
Her eyes look down at me, watching my dress carefully. She doesn't reply so I continue.
"With Aidan."
This makes her eyes go wide but I don't believe it was because she is shocked. No, it was because she could not help but laugh.
This was a laugh that I wasn't used to. Years ago, she laughed with joy in her voice but now it is everything except that. There was no joy to hear.
I felt my cousin grab my hand and squeeze it. She's probably doing the exact same as my mom was doing a few seconds ago, making sure that there doesn't come a family fight. I know how much she also dislikes the girl on the other side of the table, but we both don't want any fights happening.
So I keep myself calm.
Just as I was about to answer, my cousin takes over for me. "Here, I even have some pictures of them there saved to show off to people." She grabs her phone out of her pocket and I'm grateful. Grateful because I don't know what I would have said if she had not stopped me.
She puts her phone in front of our other cousin to show the pictures but we don't get more than a frown as a response. "It can easily be edited."
I don't need to prove anything to her, I tell myself.
"It is very much true." My mom steps in, which I had not expected "The boy is very kind and makes y/n happy. But I don't think that was the big thing you were telling us, was it?".
No it wasn't but now I don't know if I want anyone to know. I mostly want to leave now already. Away from all those faces who are now unuse whether to believe me or not.
"It wasn't indeed." I send my mom a smile, thanking her for her stepping in. "Aidan is an actor. He plays in several things but right now he is in a series called the umbrella academy. I'm just back from being in Los Angeles with him. Like I said, we went to the party together."
"So if all of this is true.." Our lost cousin starts again, making me almost forget about me not wanting any family fights once again "Then you saw a lot of celebrities."
I roll my eyes, annoyed with the fact that she's asking that. It was a party from Netflix. Of course I saw many celebrities. "Yes, I did."
"Did you see Millie?" She asks, not letting me continue.
"I saw Millie." I answer her question calmly, not showing the hatred I feel for her right now "She's very sweet. We talked a bit there until Noah arrived."
She doesn't go any further, which I'm happy for.
"I also saw the director of The umbrella academy there." I say "and to tell you all the big news. . I auditioned after the director asked me to.".
My cousin's jaw drops and her eyes went wide immediately after I said that. Other family members also gave a shocked impression and my mom looked very proud.
"But she didn't get the role." Our lost cousin rolls her eyes making some dramatic gestures with her arms.
This made sure that everyone's eyes were back upon me, expecting an answer.
"Actually. ." I started "I did and I'm going to Toronto at the end of this month to start shooting."