Casters

Chapter 3

"We're here, Charlotte!" Aunt Grace exclaimed, "we're finally home."

Charlotte looked out the window. Outside was a two-story bricked house in an open field. There was a neighboring town a few blocks away, and their houses were the same design as the one they were at. "What is this place?" She asked.

"We are in Roussillon. This was where our ancestors used to live." Aunt Grace smiled. Charlotte looked at her in curiosity. Why would we come back and live in this place if it was that old? We could've stayed somewhere better.

"Sister, dear, our grandmother lives here. She is ninety-two. Do you expect her to live somewhere else?" Matilda asked.

Charlotte was taken aback by this. She looked at her as if she was a different person. Today feels extremely odd...

"Before you assume I could read your mind as you did earlier, no, I didn't. I just recognize your expression of disbelief." She giggled. Charlotte felt like her sister enjoyed making fun of her.

Aunt Grace shook her head as she says "Well, come on, we haven't got all day. Let's go inside."

Charlotte helped Aunt Grace with the bag while Matilda ran inside to greet them. "Bonjour!" Matilda exclaimed. Charlotte heard this and looked at Aunt Grace. "Since when did Matilda learn French?" She laughed.

Aunt Grace smiled. "I don't know. One thing for sure is that she'll love it here."

They carried their bags as Aunt Annalise greeted them outside. "It's finally nice to see you, Grace!"

Aunt Grace and Annalise hugged each other. "It's been so long... 10 years has finally come to an end." She whispered. "I'm glad we're home, too, Annalise. This is Charlotte."

Charlotte waved awkwardly. She didn't recognize these people. Ten years? What did she mean by ten years has finally come to an end? She wondered.

She looked at the garden while her aunts were exchanging greetings. I think I am going to appreciate it here, too.

"Well, come in! Let's talk inside."

---

They put their bags in the room and went back to the dining room. Charlotte studied the internal structure of the house. The house looks like it was refurbished recently. It looks new for an ancestral home, she thought.

She then looked at her aunts and Matilda, who were sitting in silence. "Is there something we should know?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"I see, thank you." Aunt Annalise looked at Matilda. Her sister smiled and asked the same thing Charlotte did.

"Nothing. I just examined your facial structures. You both look like your parents. We miss them dearly." Annalise sighed, "and you, Charlotte... you have your mother's eyes." She teared up.

Charlotte felt numb. She couldn't remember what her parents looked like. After the fire, she could remember her memories with her family; but couldn't remember how her parents look. It felt like her brain filtered her memories from all pain. Matilda was two years old back then when the incident happened.

"Yeah, if only I remembered to blow the fire out, the incident wouldn't have happened." Charlotte sighed. She remembered how turning on a stove and lighting a candle scares her.

"Grace..." Annalise whispered, looking at Charlotte, "she genuinely does not remember?"

Charlotte got confused, "excuse me? Remember what exactly?" Aunt Grace shook her head, nothing dear. Your Aunt Annalise feels like you do not remember your parents' faces."

Aunt Grace stood up and encouraged Charlotte to unpack their bags with Matilda while she and Annalise cook their dinner.

---

Charlotte began to unpack her bags while Matilda looked out the window to see the beautiful view of nature and the town. "Would you like to stop by the town tomorrow?" Matilda asked.

"We'll see, sister," she smiled, "We have to catch up with Blake. It's been a while since we've last seen him. Don't you miss your big brother?"

Matilda sighed, "Cee, I was two years old when he left. I barely even remember how he looks like." Charlotte sat by her and patted her on the head. "Well, I'm sure you both will get along very well,"

"Do you like it here?"

"Of course, don't you?" Matilda giggled. She opened the window and felt the breeze blew her back. "Wow! The weather is nice, Cee!" She exclaimed. Charlotte smiled as she shook her head. "Okay, let me see what the view is up there."

Charlotte gasped as she saw the breathtaking view of the town and the field. "Not bad for a hilltop now, eh?" Matilda smiled. Charlotte nodded, "I could stay here forever."

"Sister? Where did you get that?" Matilda stared at the necklace. The sunset was shining on the necklace's pendant.

"Oh, this? I got this from Gatlin before we left. I saw this in my drawer. I assumed Aunt Grace misplaced her necklace, so I decided to keep it for safety," she answered, inspecting the necklace, "I have to admit, I partially assumed you left this on purpose as a gift for me for finishing junior high."

"Oh, yeah! That's for you. I lost it way back when I bought it. It was supposed to be a gift for you. I was just surprised seeing you wear it suddenly." Matilda bit her lip.

Charlotte hugged her, "thank you, I love you so much, sister." Matilda relaxed and hugged her back.

"Now, don't be so tense. Of course, I love it." Charlotte smiled, "let's unpack our bags now. The sunset is halfway there."

Charlotte and Matilda climbed down from the window and started to unpack. She opened the closet and was disgusted with the cobwebs hanging on the edges. She looked around the room and noticed how dusty it was. This room was unused for so long. She went outside the room to look for a rag to clean the closet and floors with when she suddenly heard Aunt Annalise asking "She's thirteen, right?"

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing her aunts catch up after being separated for so long was a relief. She was worried the family would not go along well after a long time. She grabbed the rags, went back inside the room, and proceeded to clean.

---

"Tell me, what do you want to do on your birthday? You are turning 18." Matilda asked.

"Well, it is frustrating that Van couldn't be there for my birthday," Charlotte sighed, "but maybe we could plan something out to do as a family?"

"What about a picnic, then?" Matilda asked. Charlotte's eyes gleamed upon hearing this. "Yes! A picnic would be wonderful."

"Let's talk to Aunt Grace about the picnic. I hope we will finally meet our cousins since we are here," Matilda continued.

"Oh, wait! Let's take a picture for Van!

Matilda agreed and took Charlotte's phone. They took a picture and sent it to Van. Charlotte continued cleaning when Van called her. "Please pick it up, Matilda. I need to finish cleaning the closet so we could finally arrange our clothes."

"Perfect timing, I just finished folding our clothes!" Matilda answered the call.

"Hello, Mat! I see your sister is still busy at the back" Van waved. "Hi, Van! Charlotte is still cleaning our closet." Matilda said, opening up a pack of gummies. "Van! Oh, I see you're in the mall?" Charlotte greeted.

"Well, I'm buying some stuff for my aunt. My mother moved our flight earlier than scheduled. So, I need to prepare," Van replied, "did you find me some French men?"

"Van! My sister is listening!" Charlotte laughed. "What? I'm old enough for this kind of topic." Matilda giggled. "No, you are thirteen." Charlotte pointed out. Van laughed as Matilda rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Van, I need to go. Dinner is almost ready. We haven't finished cleaning."

"Sure, Cee! Take care!" Van waved goodbye as Charlotte did so, as well. Matilda got up and grabbed the other rag to help Charlotte finish the job. "Look, there's a box!" Matilda pointed as she raised the bedsheets.

"Let's open it." Charlotte invited.

Matilda opened the box and found multiple photo albums of their family. "Look at this. The ladies must be Aunt Grace and Annalise," she said, pointing at an old photo. "Seems like it. She's wearing a dress," Charlotte noticed.

"Oh, it's the wedding of Aunt Annalise and Uncle Raven years ago!" Charlotte exclaimed excitedly, "they were married a few years before our parents here in France."

"Funny how time works because the photos look so old, but these events happened about 20 to 25 years way back," Matilda said while looking through the box. "This must be Grandma's family picture with Grandpa."

"Wait, that looks like the same necklace I am wearing now." Charlotte pointed out.

"It's an amazing coincidence. I heard grandpa always showers her with gifts. Maybe you need a boyfriend to shower you one, as well." Matilda teased.

"Matilda!" Charlotte laughed. "I'm spitting facts, Charlotte." She continued to tease.

Charlotte let out a tiring sigh, but deep down, she never believed it was just a mere coincidence. What are the chances of the coincidence to occur, anyway? But then again, what are the chances that this could've belonged to grandma, too.

"This is an odd one," Matilda said, cutting off Charlotte's thoughts. "What is it?" Charlotte asked.

"It's a picture of Grandma and Aunt Grace. On the center, there is a crystal ball placed on the stand." Matilda described, "perhaps it was Aunt Grace's 18th birthday. I heard our family loves a traditional celebration. The designs look magical, too."

Charlotte agreed. "I noticed that, too. The design looks like it was indeed a traditional celebration, a grand one, too. Look at this," Charlotte said, holding out a photo with a hundred people in it. It was during the 18th birthday of their Aunt Grace. "I do not recognize these people, but they were our Aunt Grace's age."

"Perhaps we'll finally meet them since we are here in Provence. The event took place at our field." Matilda smiled.

"We are in Roussillon, Matilda. Provence is much larger than you think." Charlotte corrected. "Are you finished? We need to organize our closet, now." She asked, standing up. Matilda nodded and returned the pictures and box to where she found it.

"Now, Matilda. Which side of the room do you prefer?"

"I would like the left side, please. The view of the fields and the town is remarkable to give it away to someone as unappreciative as you." Matilda smiled. Charlotte rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'll let that one slide."

They started to arrange their clothes and finally fixed their beds. Charlotte saw Matilda sat down on her bed, sweating in worry.

"Is Blake coming home for dinner?" Matilda asked worriedly, "I feel nervous. I haven't seen Uncle Raven ever since, too."

"Are you really that worried?" Charlotte asked. Matilda nodded, "what if he's not the type of brother I'm expecting? Or maybe worst, I'm not the Matilda he is expecting."

Charlotte tried to think about things to say when she distinctively remembered this one memory of Blake where he would never let anyone else carry Matilda except himself. She shared this with Matilda and continued, "Blake really loved you that much. He left us, but it was for his own good. He wanted to grow into a better person despite the incident that scarred him." She reassured.

Matilda wiped away her tears. "Okay, I need to gather my composure."

"That's my girl."

"Ladies, dinner is ready!" Aunt Annalise called. "Coming!" Charlotte called out.

She smiled at Matilda and asked, "are you ready?" Matilda nodded and they head outside.

---

After saying their grace, Matilda asked her Grandma Christen, "have you been outside of Roussillon?"

Her grandma slowly nodded and smiled. "I have been to many places, different countries of Europe. I've also been to Gatlin when I visited Lily once. Yet, after all the beautiful places and faces I have seen, Roussillon will always feel like home."

Matilda dropped her spoon as soon as her grandma stopped talking.

"What is it, dear?" Aunt Grace asked.

"Blake..." Matilda whispered.

"You'll be fine, Matilda," Charlotte reassured. Matilda shook her head. "Blake and Uncle Raven are here."

Grace and Annalise looked at each other. Grace dashed to opened the door and was greeted by Blake with a warm smile.

"Who said you'll be having dinner with my sisters without me?