章 1: Chapter 1
One of the stars shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night...the baby - only the baby - will have stars that can laugh and sing.
"Hey, Anabel, where did you go? I was going to get breakfast, remember?" The soft tone of a voice came from behind her. Her older sister smiled down at her, an elbow on her head and looking very weird. "Anabel, what are you doing?" She continued with her question.
"Nothing, Nana!" she replied quickly, before taking her hand again. Anabel was sitting in front of her grandmother, who had made sure to come early to meet with her today. The younger twin had been very busy lately and hadn't had time to visit her grandmother before school started up. Anabel loved talking about her new friends and the way she used to play together with them, but she couldn't help but think that something else was bothering her grandmother.
She didn't know what though. Maybe the twins could help with that. They always seemed to know what the others were feeling.
"Hey Grandma," she started as they sat across from each other, Anabel eating quietly while her grandma ate some fruit. "How are you?"
looked up from her food, smiling softly at Anabel. "I am fine, Anabel." The two stared at each other for a moment, waiting for the older girl to speak again. When no answer came after a few seconds, she sighed. "I am not sure how I feel about all this." Her eyes fell back to her plate, picking up a small piece of blueberry. Anabel watched carefully as her grandmother's brows furrowed together, before continuing.
"It is like everything has suddenly changed. You and your sisters moved out, and we don't even see any more of you guys." A sad smile crossed the older woman's face. She had spent so much time around her daughters. It felt strange being without them now. She was always looking for them in the house. There were so many things that needed doing; she had been told to take care of herself so she could get better. Anabel wasn't exactly sure why she should do that, but since they weren't there to tell her to listen, it seemed silly to ask them.
"I wish that you would tell me what happened." She looked up at Anabel who seemed to be deep in thought, chewing the inside of her cheek as she considered whether or not she was ready to talk yet. "You know I love you, Anabel. If there is anything I can do, just let me know. I'll make it worth your time. Okay?" Anabel bit her lip again, thinking deeply about what she should say. After what seemed like hours of silence between her and her grandmother, Anabel finally spoke. "Grandmother, there is something that I need to tell you." She took a breath, gathering her courage. This is it. You can never come back from this. She waited for a response, looking straight into the other girl's eyes.
Nana gave her an encouraging nod, urging her to continue. "Remember when we were little? We used to hang out every day. Even in the summers." She laughed slightly to herself, trying to ignore the ache in her chest. She still remembers when they'd played outside all those times. "Well… we haven't done that for a while." Her gaze dropped down to her hands again, twisting them nervously. "Nana...I've been seeing someone." She looked back up at the woman, her gaze hopeful. "His name's Hanamaki Kageyama, and he lives a couple of streets over from us. He's nice and he likes dogs too! Well, he says his dog likes cats, but I think they're both cute and fluffy. His mom works with mine at the vet clinic near campus, so he comes over sometimes when she's away and we talk until late at night. But I'm not allowed to go over anymore because I have homework and stuff. I miss him so much, and I thought I should tell you because you're my family…" She finished with a small sniffle, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand.
"Oh, dear. Oh, Anabel." Tears were already flowing freely down the old woman's cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you! Do you want to talk about it?" She asked gently. Anabel nodded, wiping at her face before speaking again.
"Do you remember the first day we met?" Nana nodded, a big grin forming on her wrinkled face. "When I ran up to you and hugged you for crying in front of everyone?" Another nod.
"Of course, I remember that! What about it?" She was smiling so wide that Anabel could see how much it hurt her face. "You called me Granny, even though you weren't our grandma's granddaughter." She giggled lightly as she recalled the memory.
"I did? Wow, I guess I did, huh?" Anabel smiled sadly, remembering the memories that they shared, and wondering just how long they would remain precious to her. "But…you never answered my question. How are you?" She asked, a bit more serious, wanting to hear the answer directly from her grandmother.
Nana sighed heavily before answering. "I am fine, sweetie. I am a happy old lady. Now go enjoy breakfast before your brothers drag you away." She patted Anabel on the knee, pushing her up off the chair. "Go have fun with your friends." She whispered before kissing Anabel on the forehead and sending her on her way.
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