Familiar

Chapter 7: Dayna Leah Wilson P.O.V-

'Laughing is the best medicine', my father would say, 'but laughing without reason means you need medicine.'

And that was one of the best dad jokes that I have heard that didn't make me want to throw myself over the dining table in agony. I remember my sister being completely startled and my mother in hysterics.

My mother and father are the best parents any child could ask for. Of course there were problems due to age misunderstandings and embarrassment issues when Dane's or my friend came over. No matter what, they loved my parents. Of course, who wouldn't? My mom being the best cook helps the situation too.

I can't help but remember the multitude of times that we all had so much fun together as I watch the dining table around me. Living at home was a blast, but alas we grew up much to our parents protests (and our too – but one should never tell them that!)

Everyone sitting round the table laughs at yet another one of Mr. Greyson - Thorne's dad's - jokes. The air is fresh and the atmosphere is a big cocoon of love and warmth.

On the long table, Alexander sits on the head of the table, Thorne and I flank him. Beside me sits Merida with a little boy on her lap and opposite her Evelyn. Mr and Mrs Greyson sit at the end of the table opposite each other.

Evelyn heartily joined the rest of the crew as soon as she was aboard the dining room. She (and I) are nobly being dotted on by Mrs. Greyson and she couldn't be happier about giving all the extra attention.

Among the lot of us, Alexander is talking to Thorne in low hushed voices, Evelyn and Mr Greyson seems to be having the time of their lives considering their frequent howls of laughter, and Mrs Greyson, Merida and I make small talk. It's nice as much as it is comfortable.

I miss my family in times like this, and a pang of the home-sickness arrow hits me swiftly with its razor sharp tip. I should probably make a call back home soon.

Mr Greyson seems to be a jolly fun person by the wrinkles on his smiling face contradicting his large (and I mean really large) frame and brute strength. His dearest wife (his words not mine), Mrs Greyson seems to be his equal through her similar humor and tenderness.

One can't help but notice they are perfect for each other and wonder how every couple I've met since coming here seems to find their...equal in every way?

Like, is it a thing here? Is it the new, or rather, not-yet-famous-but-will-be-soon place for finding your partner? Should Everhill be renamed as the next Love Island? God.

"So dear, how do you like it here this far?" Merida asks.

Merida, she has the brightest smiles on her face and is one of the most positive people I have the opportunity to meet. She has gone through so much including heavy loss and indescribably heartbreak, and yet she sits in the very room Mrs Greyson claims that Merida's husband had to have proposed to her.

The death of her very much loved husband, and her twin sister's entire family had to have a huge impact on her, especially since it was said to happen around the same time. She had to face so much loss over the smallest span of time and now she's sitting here all smiles and cuddles. It's nice to see someone come out from something so dreadful and still be able to be herself.

Sometimes when you're so broken, the piece would look all jiggered and different. It may even look like it's not part of the picture, like it never was and never will be again, but it is. It is and it will always remain part of the puzzle.

The pieces may not fit together no more and nothing can seem to make it better, nothing but reshaping the pieces to make something different, into something curious and something unique. It may require change of perception and even mentality, but it is still you. After all those are your pieces, and every scattered broken torn one is only yours ever to put back.

It takes courage, and hard core determination to come out of something like that. It's so refreshing to see someone moving on and accepting what happened for what it is.

I don't think anyone who goes through what she has could come back the way she did. As a psychiatrist, I respect her for that. She's a strong woman. Anyone with working eyes can see that clearly by the way she holds the boy that jumps on her lap.

She holds him close, wraps her hands around him and gives him a sweet kiss on his head.

She had a strong will then and still has and stronger guts to overcome whatever hurdle thrown her way.

"I can't seem to stop smiling! It's so nice here, so...homely. I like it a lot." I reply to her previous question. She smiles pleased at what she heard and then looks at the boy who darts frequent glances between me and Evelyn.

"Dayna, this charming young man is Finn, but we call him 'Finn the Rider'" her voice takes a higher pitch to another voice as an attempt to be more child-friendly "and Finn, this young and beautiful woman here is Dayna." Finn looks at me with wide childlike eyes that I just can't seem to get over.

I bend to the level of the wide-eyed boy to shyly say a small "Hi!" and 'Finn the rider' blushes bright red contrasting his pale dirty skin. I laugh at his reaction and try not to coo. Feeling Alexander's eyes at our little corner, I try to act as if I didn't notice it.

Finn adorably says a "Hi" back, and when Merida inquires the little man in question about his dirty attire I almost swoon at the way he responds to Merida.

That kid is too cute for himself. Later through the night, when the deserts are served, the punk even got the guts to wink at me! At me! I almost laugh out loud.

Keyword : Almost

Wouldn't that be something to see!

-----

When everything is over and everyone is full and decides to retire for the day, I get a hold of Evelyn. She seems to have slipped my mind and I almost felt guilty about it until I saw how close, metaphorically and physically, she was to Thorne. She wears a grin so big it could possibly split her face in two if she doesn't take a break from all the smiling. She looked so happy and so in place, which is more than I can say for myself.

We move into one of the many hallways in the house closest to us, and I start to investigate her.

"Evelyn-"

"Ahhh! I can't even!" Evelyn starts "This place is so great! Everyone here is soo nice! The food is even better! Thorne is the best guide any woman could ask for, and his parents are the sweetest! Even Merida is pretty dope too by the way. Thorne even-"

"Let me stop you right there." She pouts and I continue with my interrogation as I walk forward with my arm hooked with one of Evelyn's to the room which hopefully ends up with our rooms at the end. "How do you know that the place is 'soo great'? We just got here a few hours ago."

She smacks my arm lightly. "That was where I was getting to."

"That was a long way there, thought I should cut it short" I replied cheekily and winked. I suddenly remembered Finn with his charming smiles and cute wicked winks.

"Thorne took me to the mall/ market place when I told him that I forgot my hair brush back in my apartment. He was just the perfect gentleman. He opened my doors and even removed his coat to put it on me when it was drizzling a bit." She smiles dreamily. "He even has the hair for it. Oh and the body! Oh dear Lord, I almost fainted then and there. I would run a mar-a-Thorne from him gurlll"

"Do shut up" I say and then we dissolve into pints of laughter.

Evelyn's eyes widens in awe "We had a little snack on the way back and, Oh good Lord it was the most delicious thing I've ever placed inside my mouth!"

"Really?"

"Oh yeah baby."

"What was it?"

"It's like a donut and it has this magical filling made of God knows what, but like an upgraded version of it that you go 'OH MA GAWD!' The bloody delicious thing is so darn good!!!"

"Oh damn damn damn. Wait, you didn't sleep?"

"Couldn't. You know my my anxiety is, but anyway we'll get the heavenly donut when we go the hospital. It's on the way actually! Imma be real broke soon buddy."

"And imma be right beside you the whole way." We laugh again before it strikes me "How do you know it's near the hospital?"

"Oh yeah, Thorne gave me a little tour of the basic places around here so I don't get too lost."

"That's nice of him." I say.

"He really is." She says and floats back to her mystical cloud nine.

Well...back to the previous topic. I almost start but she beats me to it by indicating the long hallway by saying "Where are we going by the way?"

"I'm not sure, but I hope that it leads to our bedrooms." My fingers trace the soft wallpaper under my fingertips.

Evelyn looks at me with her eyes scrunched "But my room is in the next palace-like hotel/house." I stop in my tracks confused "I thought you were there too?"

"No, I stay here...." Sighing I start walking again and take the right when I see the hallways split onto two directions. "Well, let's go to, hopefully, my room then."

After a few minute or so of walking, we reach the ending of the hall that opens up to a huge piece of land which seems like the garden by the huge amounts of well, the vegetation and greenery.

The garden is filled with many types and varieties of plants decorated and segregated as shrubs, herbs, and sub-segregated the colors of the flowers!

The soft night lights gives the place a halo feel and it's so so beautiful. I could imagine being at peace here.

Gardening and things are not my forte so it looks all unfamiliar to me, but I manage to spot the pink, white and red roses. It is so pretty with two pillars far front that has a small platform below it holding a small similar themed white tea table and matching chairs, which seems to be in the center of this entire plantation.

And beyond that spectacular view, is an endless forest that looks magnificent in the hue of the many many many fairy lights scattered manifestly across the entire area in front.

"Wow" Yeah, wow. "It's so magical, I'm not even lying." Evelyn whispers.

"I know." I whisper back, the twin of us trying to not break the calm. Evelyn's head falls on my shoulder with a small yawn. I place my head on hers along with my arms that unconsciously go around her waist to support her frame that leans on me.

We stand there for a while trying to accommodate to the feeling of being at home. A temporary one anyway.

"Where were you?" A voice oh too familiar startles us and Evelyn is quite literally ripped from my arm into Thorne's muscular chest. I stumble in the direction of said person's powerful pull and into the surface of the hard stones below us when another pair of gentle hand catch me mid-fall and delicious sparks ignite all over my skin where it makes contact with his.

I grip onto my savior hard like he is my last hope and enjoy the warmth of Alexander's body, until he sighs? I let go immediately.

Looking up I see Alexander force his glare on Thorne who is busy hugging Evelyn paying no mind what-so-ever.

"Here apparently" Evelyn says to no one's concern replying to Thorne's previous question, but its incorrigible as her voice gets absorbed into the thick woolen shirt Thorne had pushed her face into.

"Woah woah woah people, no need to go all Alpha mode thank you." I say making Evelyn crackle up. Alexander stiffens behind me, but I'm too busy in my rampage so I don't notice it.

"We're leaving." Thorne-in-my-ass suddenly declares putting his hands round Evelyn's waist and this time I'm the one glaring.

Alexander catches me when I almost jump in the direction of the new man-obsession of my best-friend effectively blocking my path to slander his head.

And they leave. They leave, and Evelyn just waves bye to us. Smiling.

The decency! The bloody decency! To hell with my morals and my job! I'm gonna kill him today!

Probably sensing his friend's forth coming endgame, Alexander tightens his hold on me and into his embrace, preventing me from making my kill. I try to force myself out to no avail. He's too strong.

I turn around directing my glare at my grey suited mind-trapper (if such a thing exists) only to be inches away from his chiseled angular face.

Chills rise on my arms, as if in anticipation of what's to come. Aren't we getting real familiar tonight?

Oh God, help me.