Chapter one

BANG!!!

The sound of the bullet pierced through the silence and into the skin of a young woman making her way through the busy streets of the city. Her eyes turned teary as waves of pain passed from the spot the bullet hit to every inch of her body. Her legs weakened as her consciousness gave way to darkness and she fell to the floor.

Lilian gasped as she opened her eyes.

"Huh?" He huffed as she looked around her somewhat messy room. There were clothes everywhere, some she was not sure where hers. "How am I here?" She wandered as she stood up from the bed tossing the purple blanket away from her body, last she remembered she had fallen asleep on the couch. "What a stupid dream, I could swear I just got shot. My mind is playing fucking tricks on me"

With every step she took she did away with each piece of clothing till she was standing before her bathroom mirror naked. Waking up and looking into the mirror every morning had become her unintentional ritual. She did not brush or fix her hair she just stared at herself for no exact reason. It was not in admiration or in hate but she just stared. It was strange ritual but then again everything and little Lilian Acker was strange.

Finally, she stopped looking for nothing as she retrieved her tooth brush from the baby blue stand which it usually hung in. Taking the bubble gum flavored toothpaste, she squeezed an overly generous amount of the pink whipped cream resembling paste onto the bristles and stuffed it into her mouth. She loved the taste and the smell; her mother had gotten it for her as a birthday present a few years ago and she had not stopped buying the tasty paste till date.

"Lilian." She heard her father call "You better be in the bathroom already; you Don't want to be late for school."

"I am already dressed." Lilian lied as she quickly washed her toothbrush and rushed into the bathroom. She had a very quick shower and was done in no time.

Coming out of the bathroom, she thought to herself "what do I wear to school today?" Lilian looked into her closet and got out a denim trouser, a white tee and her favorite black sneakers. She threw on her fit and settled in her mind that it was perfect.

"Lily! I really do not want to be late. Get down here right now and let's eat" Erwin shouted from the dining room. With that, she pushed her books into her bag, snatched her phone from its charging port as she threw her purple bag pack over her shoulder. She opened her phone and her white skull wallpapers with purple bowties smiled at her as she swiped till her finger hit the Instagram icon.

"Eyes of your phone while running down the stairs." Her mother called from the kitchen. It was a perpetual habit Lily had adopted and her mother did not need to look to know that Lily was doing it right now.

"My eyes aren't on the phone." Lily lied as she made her run from the stairs into kitchen. "Morning, mum." She said as she moved to the small wooden dining table in the center of the kitchen. There were four chairs around it, her father Don Acker had taken the head table, Erwin her annoying but loving elder brother sat right beside him.

"Morning Daddy." Lily said as she kissed her father on the cheek.

"Morning Princess" He replied looking away from his newspaper just so he could return his little girl's kiss.

"Don't make me late again." Erwin muttered

"Good morning to you too Er." Lily replied as she took the seat beside her father. Her mother, Jessica Acker placed a plate of pancakes before her and she began eating as was their unspoken playful ritual Don Acker began to steal pieces of bacon from his daughter's plate. She in turn stole pieces of fluffy egg bites. Her mother made the best egg.

Don Acker was an all-round family man who after serving the military for ten years had returned home and became a fire fighter. He was literally the best father in the world and he loved his family like his life depended on it. Most especially he loved his wife, and who wouldn't love a woman like Jessica. She was a beauty to behold with brown caramel skin and an oval face adorned by piercing grey eyes, a long pointy nose and high cheek bones. She was a work of art.

"Eat fast." Erwin muttered but he was yet to be Done with his own food. At the age seventeen Erwin had come home from school one day and announced that he wanted to be a vegetarian. Don had thought it was not a manly choice, Jessica had obliged him but Lily knew it would not last. To their parents Erwin was till a vegetarian that was why their mother had placed a vegetarian breakfast of eggless French toast before him. However, Lily knew that the only reason Erwin wanted to leave extra early was so they could stop buy at Macy's dinner on their way to school and he could get pancakes and bacon.

"You have barely touched your food." Jessica informed as she sat beside Erwin, directly opposite their father.

"I am eating it." Erwin groaned as he took a bite of the toast and took a sip of his chocolate milk.

"Isn't milk made from animals?" Lily asked with an innocent pout.

"He is a lacto vegetarian honey." Jessica replied

He is a nothing vegetarian, Lily thought but did not utter her words.

"I call bullshit." Don muttered "Come back to the meaty side of life son." Everyone on the table began to chuckle at that, even Erwin.

Erwin was a spitting image of his father with dark brown eyes and a mildly chiseled face. The only difference between both men was the fact that Erwin had an Afro while Don had no hair, age had Done his hairline dirty. The only thing that Erwin had stolen from their mother was his high cheek bones. Lily on the other hand looked like a spitting image of just her mother, from her high cheekbones, to her piercing grey eyes which sometimes looked green. She was significantly the lightest person her home with her cool peanut brown skin and her four A textured curly mane. She could pass for mixed if everyone did not know that both her parents were black. What stood out the most on Lilian were the light brown freckles that spread across her cheeks and over her nose. It was shaped like some sort of cloud. No one else had those freckles except her (and uncle Ronan)

"Alright, let's get going." Erwin said while taking his dishes to the sink. He turned to his mom and gave her a kiss and shook his dad goodbye.

"Fine, fine. Let's go" Lily muttered under her breath while also taking her dishes to the sink, kissing her parents' goodbye and running for the door.

"Be good kids and Erwin, protect your sister." Don shouted as he watched his children leave for school.

"I always do and will always forever" Erwin replied playfully hitting his sister on the head. Lily rolled her eyes and walked faster away from him but smiled secretly. It was in times like this that the love both siblings had for each other came to light.

"Bye kids, be good and do not stay out too late. I love you both" Jessica yelled. She knew they would be fine, but she could not help but be a worried mum. "And Don't play under the rain if it rains."

"Jess they are grown they know that." Don chuckled as he rose from the chair and went to her placing a soft kiss on her forehead. They both stood in the door waving their kids goodbye for the day.

"Okay, we love you, bye" Lily and Erwin echoed at the same as they left the house. Erwin went to the garage to get his motorcycle while Lily waited by the driveway. Erwin had a dominantly black motorbike adorned with flames. It had been a gift from his dad for his seventeenth birthday. No one dared to go close to it as he cherished it with his life and let no one in the family touch it, not even lily. She had also requested for one and was patiently waiting for her sixteenth birthday.

Erwin pulled up in front of her with his motorcycle. Anytime he was on that thing he felt like he was some type of racing celebrity. "Don't scratch my baby." Erwin groaned as he handed Lily a purple helmet. Purple was her favorite color. Erwin knew this and that was why he had got her the purple helmet. Although Erwin always pissed her off, he was a loving big brother.

Being on the road with the wind in her hair was probably the best part of Lily's mornings. She felt free as she closed her eyes and let the breeze hit her face. The second favorite part of her morning was stopping at Macy's dinner for Erwin's second breakfast of the day. Lily did not mind this because Erwin always got her some breakfast also, plus as far as she was spending her allowance she would happily eat.

Once they had stuffed themselves with Macy's tasty but overly oiled bacon and fluffy pancakes. They went on their way again. They zoomed passed the park, passed the children's playground. Everything in life was perfect and Lily loved that fact.

"And we are here, L" Erwin said once again breaking lily out of her beautiful thoughts. She sighed as she handed Erwin her helmet. He always held on to it. She took a deep breath as she turned her attention to the empire, Yinlayefa High.

Lily was not your overly smart student but she was indeed an A student. The smarts ran in their family because although Erwin acted like a big ass, he was also a very smart young man. Jessica had been valedictorian in her high school days and salutatorian in her college days.

"Have a nice d…" Before Erwin could finish his sentence. Ruben his best friend jumped on his back. Erwin staggered but caught himself. Ruben was literally the most frustratingly handsome person Lily had ever met. She had a secret crush on him.

"Hello short stuff." Ruben said to Lily as he jumped of Erwin's back. Ruben was not very tall but he called her short because he was only inches taller than her. She figured she would surpass him in height soon because at seventeen boys were most likely Done growing.

"Goodbye Ruben." Lily muttered as she made her way away from them.

"Lily."

Marley threw her hand over Lily's shoulder as they walked into school together.

The hallway spotted blue combination lockers, the tiles where cream or off white or too dirty to be called white. The hall way of Layefa High was filled to brim with students of different cultures and different interest, they had love birds kissing at one corner, the cheerleaders discussing at another corner, the horny teenage men looking at girl's butts at another corner; the chess nerds and the game dweebs; the cool girls and the cool guys. Erwin was one of the cool biker guys.

Lily was not cool, nor a nerd. She was your average everyday girl who came to school, did well on a test, did not bother with extra credit or extra marks, had no interest in pep rallies and had never made out with a boy. She was just, simple.

***

Don threw high fives at his colleagues turned friends as he made his way into fire service station. After he left the military five years ago, he had with the recommendation of Ronan, his best friend, obtained a job at the fire station. Don enjoyed helping people, he sometimes said that it was its life's calling to be of aid to all around him. That was one of the reasons he and Ronan had become friends.

It had been a rainy night over twenty years ago, Ronan's wife's tire was flat. Don had been driving home when he spotted her. He immediately stopped and helped her, although she had told him not to worry because Ronan was on his way already Don had insisted on staying with her till Ronan arrived because the area was not safe. That single act began a budding friendship that even spilled onto their sons and wives. Jessica and Gia, Ronan's wives went out for lunch every Thursday while Erwin and Ruben were best friends, if Ronan had a daughter Don was sure she would be friends with Lily.

"Ronan the Barbarian." Don called as he stepped into the office he shared with Ronan. It was nickname Don had coined because Ronan was a ripped and tanned like Jason Mamoa's Conan the Babarian and top it off he had long curly hair that draped down his shoulders. Ronan had liked the nick name from the jump and as such it stuck not too long after Ronan coined his own nick name for Don. There was no special reason for it.

"Acker the Beast." Ronan called as he stood up from the couch in their office and went to welcome his friend, more like brother. They slapped hands and hugged each other. The funny thing was that these two men had seen each other the previous day merely hours agon, yet every morning they acted like they had not seen each other for weeks. It was a beautiful friendship.

"How are you doing-" Don asked as the separated from their hug. Ronan made his way towards his table and picked up the coffee he had gotten for Don.

Another thing they did often, whoever got to work first got coffee for the other person.

"Coffee with a zing." Ronan said handing the coffee to Don. The 'zing' was usually whisky, between them they knew they both had a little of a drinking problem, with a job like their drinking of the edge was needed.

"Yes." Don sighed as he took a sip of the steaming cup "I needed this.

"How you doing?" Ronan asked sinking back into the couch, he picked up a book and began to read.

"I am doing good." Don replied as he narrowed his eyes at his friend "Is that a self-help book?"

"Yes." Ronan replied as he slammed the book into the couch. "Thanks to you Valerie has me reading."

"Me?" Don asked stifling a chuckle

"You joined Jessica's book club." Ronan replied "Gia is in that book club, now she had me reading book."

"Oh that." Don chuckled taking a sip of the coffee. He lowered himself into the couch. "Just between you and me. I Don't read any of that. I get the audio book on audible." He continued "If Jessica finds out, she would murder me but those books are boring as hell."

Ronan quickly pulled out his cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Don asked

"Getting myself the damn audible." Ronan replied "I am too old to be reading words."

"You know, it's a free day today" Don began "We can go to our spot drink beer and listen to these damn books."

Their spot was a hot tub place not too far from the fire station. Asides from alcohol heat was another wonderful way to releasing nerves. Ronan knew what his best friend was getting at. "You are driving." Don informed

"Argh." Ronan exclaimed "Let me get my keys from the locker room, with that Ronan exited the room.

Don, coffee still in hand stood up from the couch and went to his table. He picked a picture frame, with his family picture within it. The frame was half pink and half blue, it had been made by Erwin and Lily, they had sent it to him while he was in service. The pink side had flowers and I love you daddy writing in italics, while the blue had football stickers and Best Dad in bolder letters.

Daddy is home now and I am going to be the best dad I can be. In that moment all the beautiful things that he would do with his family flashed before his eyes, taking Erwin to college and Lily following a year later. Walking Lily down the aisle, carrying his first grandkid from either Lily or Erwin. Growing old with Jess, playing bingo with her on the porch while enjoying orange juice. Watching his grandkids running around.

"Do…"

Ronan paused as he saw Don staring at his family picture. The man had spent over ten years away from his family and now that he was with them, he did not stop fawning over them. The way he loved his family was admirable.

Don snapped out of his thoughts.

"Let's go Mr family" Ronan chuckled as he patted Don on the back.

Don smiled and nodded as he placed the picture back down and left with Ronan. He still had his coffee in hand. It was warm now bit he still held on to it. They got out of the station an into Ronan's truck.

"Thanks for taking care of my family when I was away man." Don stated once they were seated. Ronan rolled his eyes and dropped his head on his steering.

"You need to stop thanking me man." Ronan replied "What are friends for?" He turned to Don "Look you are home now and you will take care of your family." He placed his hand on Don's shoulder "You are a good man and a good father Don and your family knows that."

Ronan started the car and they drove off. The Hot tub place was only a few minutes away from the station and in no time, they arrived.

"Yes" Don whispered as he sank into the hot water.

"So, I was thinking of getting a tattoo on this." Ronan said turning his back to Don he pointed to his birthmark which looked like teeth on the upper part on his shoulder. Don frowned as he analysed the birthmark. There was something familiar about it. Well Ronan is your best friend so you must have seen that birthmark on him before, his mind offered, so he brushed it off and replied Ronan's usually reckless ideas.

"Aren't you too old for a tattoo?" Don asked

"That's not what the young girls are saying" Ronan replied standing up. He pointed at his abbs counting each pack "One, two, three, four, five, six" he bragged "they say I Don't look a day over forty"

"Except you are years over forty." Don replied

Another beautiful thing about Ronan was his inability to accept that he was getting older. Thus, at the age of fifty Ronan still wore skinny jeans, sneakers and never wanted to spot a Dad body. He had a sleeve tattoo and he had sworn it was so painful he would never get another. He told everyone that story yet here he wanted to get another one.

"Cassidy from work said it would look nice." Ronan said

"Cassidy?" Don thought, his eyes widened "She is a kid Ro."

"She is twenty-five that is an adult." Ronan replied "Plus she is always hitting on me."

"You entertain it" Don replied

"No she entertains me." Ronan chuckled

Don laughed also. "You better not be cheating on Gia."

"I happen to like my balls attached to my body." Ronan laughed. The life died down and he smiled thinking of his wife. "I would never hurt her. She deserves the best."

"Just curious, how did you get such a cool birthmark" Don replied

"I knew it was cool." Ronan replied "It runs in my family." He scooped some water into hand then spread it over the edge of the tub. "My grandfather had it, my father had it, my siblings all have it, Ruben has it. My siblings' kids have them." He continued "There is a myth behind it says it makes us stronger than the average person."

"That myth is bull. I beat you ass every day." Don replied with a smirk.

"I let you" Ronan cackled "No one for the last five generation have been born without it."

Ruben must be where I have seen it.

Don's phone began to ring. He picked it up and placed it on his ears.

"We are needed at work."