30. THAT'S MY BROTHER
2024 Words
Malia's heart leaped with joy at the news. "Thank you so much. Can you please tell me where the university is?"
The woman smiled. "Of course, I'll give you directions if you want to go there. But it's already getting late and like I said, she's coming home today, why don't you stay here for the night? I can prepare a room for you."
Logan looked at his sister, then at Chris and his wife, before nodding. "Thank you, we appreciate it."
Malia also nodded her agreement. "Thank you so much. I don't know how to thank you enough."
The woman chuckled. "Don't worry about it, child. It's the least I can do."
She then led them to two cozy rooms with some basic amenities. "Logan and Tiara will use this one and Clayton and Arrianna the other one." She said as she pointed to a room next to the first one. "Malia will share the room with Mia, I'm sure she'll be happy to. Make yourselves at home. Lunch will be served in an hour."
As they settled in, Malia couldn't contain her excitement at the thought of finally seeing her sister. Logan looked at her. "You're happy."
"Unbelievable right?" She smiled at him. "I've never met her but I just know that I'll love her. She's my sister. I wonder what she looks like and what she's been up to." Logan somehow understood Malia's excitement.
He could remember the day he found out that Clayton was his real brother. They've always been half-brothers but it was different when he found out that they were both not from Mercy.
It was strange to think that they could have grown up together if things had been different. None of them could've gone to The Enclave.
As they waited for lunch, Malia kept talking about Mia and what she thinks she looks like.
"Axel did say that she looks like you, Malia," Clayton said as he laughed at his sister.
"So what? We can't just trust his word," Malia said as she looked at Axel. He just laughed at her. "What?" She asked him.
"I just remembered that someone was asking for my help this morning." He laughed at her again.
Malia rolled her eyes at Axel's teasing. "Oh please, like you didn't enjoy being the center of attention."
Axel grinned. "I won't deny it, but I did as promised, didn't I?"
"Stop it you two, you're not kids," Logan said, but he couldn't deny that he also felt like laughing. It was good to see that after everything that has happened, they managed to still laugh.
Logan and the others sat down for lunch, a delicious spread of homemade dishes prepared by Chris's wife. They ate in silence, lost in their own thoughts and emotions.
After the meal, Chris and his wife suggested they take a walk around the town while they waited for Mia to arrive. They saw some of the local landmarks, and they visited a quaint coffee shop where they sat outside, sipping on hot drinks and enjoying the sunny day.
When they finally went back, it was already dark. They found Chris’s mother preparing dinner and Talia and Malia decided to help.
“Please don’t do that. You’re royalty.” She said as she tried to stop Tiara from chopping veggies.
Tiara laughed at her. “So what? I know my way around the kitchen and besides, I can’t just sit and watch you prepare dinner for us. I have to do something.”
“My sister-in-law is right, my conscience wouldn’t allow me,” Malia said as she helped Tiara with the vegetables.
“Mom, just let them help,” Chris said to his mother. She listened to him and allowed them to do as they wanted.
“She should’ve been here by now. What time is it?” Chris asked Logan and Logan checked the time.
“It’s five minutes to 7.”
“Usually she gets here before 6. Her friend is from a wealthy family and he usually drives him home.” Chris said as he paced around the room.
“Stop being worried. She did say that she’s going to be a little late today because her friend has to drop his girlfriend off first. I’m sure they’ll be here any minute from now.”
Logan noticed that Chris didn’t like what his wife just said. “What do you mean girlfriend?”
“Oh, Mia didn’t tell you? Dave has a girlfriend now. They started dating a month ago.”
“How dare he?! He knows my daughter likes him and he has the nerve to have a girlfriend?”
“And I told you that I don’t like that boy. He’ll never be enough for my daughter. He is good where he is, just Mia’s best friend and not a boyfriend.”
Logan decided it was best to just let them argue alone, he didn’t want to be caught in between. Clayton gave him a look that said don’t even try to meddle and Logan almost laughed because there was no way he was going to.
Chris was clearly upset, and from what he could gather from their conversation, Logan could understand why. Dave had been Mia’s best friend for years, and that meant they were very close. Seeing Dave with someone else must have hurt Mia, and it was natural for Chris to be protective of his daughter.
But Logan also knew that it wasn’t his place to interfere in their family matters. He was just a guest in their home, and it was important for him to maintain a respectful distance. He decided to distract himself by checking his phone, but he couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between Chris and his wife.
“I don’t want Mia to be hurt,” Chris said. “Dave is just going to break her heart.”
“Mia is a strong girl,” his wife replied. “She can handle herself. And besides, it's a little too late for you to point that out.”
“I know she’s strong, but she’s still young. She doesn’t need to be dealing with heartbreak and all that drama. Dave should have known that bringing that girl into his life will hurt my daughter.”
Logan could sense the worry and concern in Chris’s voice. He knew that as a parent, it was natural to want to protect your child from any kind of pain or disappointment. But he also knew that heartbreak was a part of life and that Mia would have to face it eventually, whether it was with Dave or someone else.
"And that's why I've told you time and time again that that boy is only good as a friend, not a boyfriend. If he had paid any kind of attention to Mia's feelings, he would have known that she was interested in him.
"The fact that he was even looking for a girlfriend should be enough to convince you that he will always look at Mia as his best friend, not a girl to introduce to his family as a girlfriend." And I'm glad that he thinks that way. My daughter deserves better. She added, her voice barely a whisper but Logan knew that Chris didn't hear her.
He would've thought he was the only one who did if Axel hadn't laughed a little. Dragon senses.
Just then, they heard a car pull up outside.
“That must be them,” Chris said, his voice tinged with anger. "I hope that boy didn't bring his girlfriend of his to my house or they'd be hell to pay.
"Logan, please help me check who it is." Logan nodded at Chris and went to open the door. He saw a guy who looked like he was about Clayton's age open the passenger seat to reveal a girl who looked almost like Malia, only her hair was blonde, not brown.
He could hear what they were saying.
"Thank you, Dave."
"You're welcome." He smiled at her. "Let me get your bags." He said as he went to the car boot and took out two suitcases, a large and small one.
"I'm still going to ask again, why are you carrying two bags? Are you not going back to school." Logan could sense his worry even though he tried to laugh. He continued to observe.
"And I will tell you again, I'm coming back to school. Just that I feel like my sister will come looking for me." Logan was surprised to hear that. How did she know that she has a sister?
"Your sister who is a princess? Yeah, right."
"You still don't believe me." She tried not to sound offended. "I showed you her picture this morning. She's the next queen of Mercy."
"Ok, I believe you." He said as he hugged her. "I have to go. Greet your parents and grandmother for me. Tell them that I have something to take care of."
"You don't have anything to take care of. You're just scared of my father."
"I'll admit that I'm scared and that's why I asked you not to tell him about Kate."
"I didn't tell him but then I know my mother, she wouldn't know how to close her mouth even if her life depended on it." She then looked at the house and from the shock on her face, Logan could only assume that she saw him.
"Look, I have to go inside." That made Dave also look in Logan's direction.
"Who's he?" Logan wanted to laugh at that. It seemed like this Dave person was also interested in Mia. Logan had to wonder why he had a girlfriend then.
"That's my brother. I don't think you have to worry about my father right now. My brother is more dangerous." She dragged him to the car and shoved him inside. "Be safe. I'll see you in school." She closed the door before he could answer. When he drove away, she went to her bags. Logan decided to go and help her.
"How do you know I'm your brother?" He couldn't stop himself from asking. Mia just smiled at him.
"Just like I know Malia is my sister." She didn't say more than that.
Logan took her bags from her. "Let me carry that." He studied her. He was wrong earlier. Mia looked exactly like Malia even though her hair was different.
"I look like her, don't I?" Logan hadn't expected her to ask that.
"Why do you ask?"
"A few days ago, I was here to collect the project that I forgot when I was going back to the university. A guy had called me Malia but before I could ask what he meant, he was gone.
"It's been bugging me and then today I saw the news about her being the heiress to the throne of Mercy. My mother told me when I was young that I was adopted.
"She told me about my real parents. When I grew older, I started searching for them and found out that I had a sister and three brothers.
"I saw your pictures when you were getting married to Princess Tiara. That's how I could recognize you."
Logan wanted to ask her a lot of questions but they were already at the front door. She opened it.
"Mom, I'm home!" She screamed as if her mother wouldn't hear her if she didn't.
Logan closed the door behind him and in that short moment, Mia was in her parents' arms. Her grandmother soon joined them.
"I missed you guys. When I came here you were not in." She said as they pulled out of the hug. “Sorry, I’m late. Dave had to drop off someone first.”
"Mia?" Malia said as she stood next to them. When they came face to face, Logan realized that they were both stunned to speak.
After a while, Mia pulled Malia into a hug. "Malia." She sobbed in her arms. "I knew you would come looking for me. I've been waiting for you for years."
- Writer
