Mornings are for coffee and contemplation

Sariel shook her head, she didn’t need people to be sorry for her. She had been that for herself for too long, and she needed to find something else to control her life. Other than anger and being sorry for herself. “Don’t be, I had a good life with my caretaker” she assured giving her a halfhearted smile. Her eyes widened a little as she invited her in for tea. That didn’t seem like a good idea, she had heard what had happen to the youngest of the sisters. A fallen angel, how God could work in the cruelest way. But something came over her, and she slowly nodded “sure, a cup of tea couldn’t hurt” she mumbled, letting her hand glide through her long black hair. “But I’m not sure that it would be a good idea telling them, I’m not really sure they would take it as well as you” she chuckled, and then stepped a little aside so Laila could walk past her and towards the house where she would follow along.  Feeling her heart would beat heavier for each step that she took. Sweaty palms, nausea, a small voice telling her that she could still run off. But she didn’t, not this time.

Laila nodded a bit, not sure if anyone could be a better caretaker for you than your actual parents. At least that was what she thought, then again she had grown up with the best chances possible. Laila had nothing to complain about then her father's behavior this year - and this year in total. But Sariel said yes to tea, and Laila grabbed onto her suitcase once again to come up to the front door. "well I have to confess, I haven't been home all summer nor autumn, so I have no idea how they will react to me being back," she confessed looking towards Sariel with a more tender smile. "I don't really like lying to them, but I respect if you need some time to gather the courage to do so - but as for now you can just be my friend I met in London, how about that?" She suggested looking towards Sariel, about to knock on the door - because she didn't even have a key. "However, if you want to just chat the two of us, we can meet for coffee down town tomorrow at Juice Stop at 11?" Laila suggested once again, wanting to give Sariel the options she was most comfortable with.

She didn’t want Laila to start lying for her shake. Funny, really to have that thought now. Because had it been a little futher back, she wouldn’t hesitate to string a good lie together why she was here. She wouldn’t have told Laila who she was, but instead gotten under her skin, become her friend. Then she would have infiltrated the family and when she had found the perfect time, she would have pulled that one string that would have gotten the whole family to fall apart. She didn’t want that anymore. Now she just wanted to belong and get a life of her own. To travel the world, fall in love and start her own family.

So, when she didn’t say anything. It would almost seem as her half sister had taken the silence as her not really knowing what to do or say. Sariel nodded when given the option that they could just chat the two of them. “Juice Stop, tomorrow at eleven” she nodded putting her hands a little deeper into the jackets pockets that she was wearing. “Then you can also get to see your siblings without me interfering with it” Sariel smiled and took a step back. “Tomorrow, don’t be late” she chuckled before turning around walking away.

Laila nodded a bit to confirm. "Okay, that's a deal then," she breathed a bit out. She had no idea how the situation was here at home as well, she didn't know what she would be walking into - so it didn't seem fair to Kemuel and Seraphina nor Sariel if everything was pure chaos. "Yeah, thanks -" Laila clicked her tongue a little looking shortly towards the door before looking at Sariel again. "I will be right on time," she assured Sariel with a warmer smile. The angel took a deeper breath in watching her half sister go, how did you even get to explain that. And yet, she could feel it in her bones that it was important for Sariel to come through and tell who she was whenever she was ready - and Laila had to accept that even if it meant keeping one of her mother's secrets. At least if she didn't have to lie about who Sariel was - it did help her moral in the story, at least according to her. Because she wasn't going to lie. Finally, she knocked on the door, waiting for Kemuel or Seraphina to open the door.

Kemuel looked up from his drawing block as someone knocked on the door. He looked towards the stairs, as Seraphina had retreated to her room a while ago, and he wasn’t sure where Tien was off too. Talia was out getting groceries so, it seemed like it would only be up to him to open the door. Which didn’t sit right in the young angel. Mostly because the last time he had opened it, their father had come grabbed him and insisted that he come with him. Look where that had brought him. He slowly inhaled, before getting up and walked over to the front door. With careful movements he pulled away the locks and opened the door.

Then time stood still as he saw how it was. He just stood there looking at her, without really saying anything. At some point it was like it clicked, and he reached out his hands, grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a big hug. Without any words, he just hugged her, almost to reassure that it was actually her.

Maybe her and Howie had been wrong? Maybe no one was at home? There was no car. Laila knew where the spear key was, so she could simply just lock herself in, but she chose to wait a little while longer. Laila breathed slowly out holding her breath their as she heard someone approaching the door. The door opened carefully, she couldn't blame her siblings for being careful - and yes, hitting her far to late it would have been better giving them a heads up about her arrival. It wasn't like she couldn't have made a quick call, then again, Laila allowed herself a few impulsive choices in her life - this was one of them. She blinked a little bit, it felt like ages between the last time she had seen Kemuel, he had indeed become taller - what did Talia put in the tea? "Hey Smalls," she breathed out just as he looked at her, he didn't say anything, but somehow it clicked she let him process. And luckily it didn't take too long before he just grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug. Laila let go of the suitcase to wrap her arms around him, holding him in close. "I'm sorry it took me so long," she apologized, because she truly was. "I've missed you so much," which was truthfully said, she had after all been searching around for him without any luck - she had perhaps also been the one yelling the loudest the day their father had dragged Kemuel with him. Laila let go after realizing she perhaps was squeezing the air out of Kemuel. "Sorry," she let him go and placed a hand on his cheek. "It's good to see you."

He didn’t say anything, mostly because he was still in denial that it was Laila that he was hugging. Holding her, while starring into nothing on the other side of her. Maybe he was just a little overwhelmed with how much had happened over the last couple of months, that he had no idea how to react on all of this. So many things that needed to be talked about. And then on the other hand nothing at all. Just the fact that everyone was home again. That was what matters, then they had to figure out what to do after that.

A soft laughter left him, as she let him go and apologized. She thought it might because she had been holding on a little to tight. If he had to be honest, he didn’t really care much about that. He nodded slowly, finally getting his tongue to work. “You too” he quacked and then took her suitcase and stepped to the side so she could get in. “Tea, coffee?” he asked a little out of breath before he ran towards the stairs. “Sera! Get down here! Laila is back!” he shouted happily turning towards Laila with a big smile on his lips, looking down at the suitcase in his hands. Oh, he might have to put it in her room. “I’ll be back!” he announced and bounce up the stairs to put the suitcase in his big sister’s room.

She chuckled delighted and couldn't really pull the smile of her face by how her youngest brother took her suitcase and let her in. "Coffee - " she didn't even get to finish her sentence that she could just start making it before he had run towards the stairs, yelling at Seraphina to get down. Laila could of course not help but feel a little guilty that she hadn't been here till now, but she also pushed it away, because she knew she couldn't change what had happened - only what would happen and she was responsible for how she dealt with everything. But overall she was happy to be home, that was clear on her face. Laila nodded followed by a short laugh as Kemuel ran upstairs to put her suitcase upstairs, nothing she couldn't have done herself, but she let him - she took off her shoes and closed the door, before hanging up her jacket.

Seraphina opened her door hearing Kemuel running down the hall, she had of course heard him calling out for her. "Is she back?" It took a few seconds before it really clicked. Watching Kemuel place the suitcase in Laila's room. Then Seraphina looked shortly towards the stairs, then at Kemuel, before looking at the stairs again, starting to run towards it to make it downstairs before him.

Laila had in the meantime started to step further into the house, hearing the voice of her youngest sister then the fast footsteps towards the stairs. Laughing a little to herself, and here she thought it would have been so much worse to get home - you were really just only your own worst enemy.

Kemuel looked over his shoulder as Seraphina asked him if Laila was back. “Yeah, she’s downstairs” he nodded, putting down the suitcase. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw and then heard how Seraphina ran towards their sister. For a time, he just stood there, breathing out, taking it in. He took his phone and for a moment he contemplated to call or text Zadkiel and Tien. But for a short time, he just wanted to have his oldest sister for himself, shared with Seraphina of course. But things weren’t as great between him and Tien. And he just got annoyed every time he looked at Zadkiel. So maybe now wasn’t the time to tell them that Laila had come home. It could wait, and if they got mad, he could take that.

He put away his phone, and turned around walking down the stairs looking towards his sisters with a soft smile, before he walked over and started the coffee machine

Seraphina couldn't really hide the excitement of seeing her sister again, because she had been so worried that something had happened. Just like something had happened to Kemuel, and she hated living in this world where she seemed to lose more and more control over what were to happen - not a nice place to be in for a control freak. Seraphina dodged around the table in her way and ran directly into her older sister's arms and just closed herself around her. Laila placed her arms around Seraphina and kissed the top of her head, as she watched Kemuel coming back downstairs. "So, tell me, what have you guys been up to?" Laila wondered if they had done anything. Been at any summer parties, how things were going with Ryan and Seraphina - hopefully Zadkiel hadn't done anything remarkably stupid since punching that demon. Well then again, with Zadkiel you never really knew - did you? The same with Tien. You never really knew. Laila just stood there with Seraphina in her arms as she looked at Kemuel making coffee, enjoying being able to look at the twins in the same room together again, it was just what she had needed.

Kemuel shrugged as Laila asked what they had been up to. He had gotten his heartbroken. But that wasn’t really what he wanted to talk about if he was being honest. So he just looked towards his sisters with a soft smile and turned towards the coffee machine “How many wants coffee, and who wants tea?” he asked, putting his own cup under the machine so he could get a cup himself. While he waited for the others to answer. He just let out a soft sigh looking out the window. Oh, and he had been to the hospital because he had shot himself in the and with a nail gun. Talia still thinking it had been because he had been high. Which, it had been one of the reasons. But not why he had done it. His tongue glided over his teeth. Letting Seraphina talk if she wanted to, mostly because he didn’t have a lot he actually wanted to share if he was being honest. He was just happy that Laila was home.

Both agreed to coffee, and as the coffee was made, they walked over and sat down by the sofa to talk, and laugh. Laila was so ever pleased about finally having found her way home, and wanted more than anything to leave the guilt of not having come back sooner by the door. But she was here now, and she knew she couldn't change the actions of what she had done in the past, but only change what she was going to do now. And now, she was going to be there for her siblings, and she was sure Talia would let her move in. Besides, it seemed like the twins were more than happy about that suggestion. Laila knew she would have to talk to Zadkiel, to Tien as well, but right now her main focus was here and being present. Then she could take anything else step by step. Besides, she also had a half sister to get coffee with the following day, and despite wanting to share that information she also was one to keep her word when she had promised not to say yet. But she was excited to see what was to come next.
___
Out