Some stay some leave.

I see the flower come my way.

My flower...is it really you?

I must not pick it...

—𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘴

-

-

-

Ambrosia dragged her suitcase out of her room, the reluctant feeling of meeting her family on her mother's side consumed her

They never really liked her father.

She pulled her way out the door where her car waited. She lifted the suitcase and placed it carefully into the trunk.

She closed it and checked her phone.

It was 8:46.

Ambrosia jogged back into her house and went up to her room.

An old grey speckled beagle peaked its head from under her bed.

"Come here Sadie" she called holding her hands out to her dog.

The dog skipped happily towards her owner, and Ambrosia smiled scratching her belly.

"You ready to go, girl?"

The small dog peered at Ambrosia and wagged her tail, she let out a squeak and began licking Ambrosia's fingers curiously.

Ambrosia scooped her companion into her arms and carried her out the car where her cage was.

She placed her in her cage and went back to her house to check if she left anything.

Ambrosia sighed and locked her door. She walked back to her car and put a manicured hand on the window, tapping to get her dogs attention.

"Hey, Ambrosia!" called a voice from behind her.

Ambrosia whipped her head around and smiled at her neighbor, Katherine, a kind woman around the age of 30.

"Kathy, it's nice to see you, how's the baby?" Ambrosia asked.

Katherine rubbed her stomach that was noticeably larger from the last time Ambrosia had seen her.

"He's a kicker," Katherine giggled brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face.

"I just wanted to talk to you about something..."

Ambrosia perked up at the sudden interest of questions from her neighbor.

"Yeah what's up?"

"I saw someone, placing a note on your door yesterday...I don't know if you know them, but when you came to your house they hid in their car in front my house" Katherine explained.

"I was going to report it but I decided not too, might be some kids," she said semi-confidently glancing at Sadie who was rubbing her nose on the window.

Ambrosia froze for a second thinking back to the letter from her grandmother's personal lawyer.

Was she stalking her?

Ambrosia blinked back into reality and nodded.

"I see...well I'm leaving to go to my grandmothers....so if you see anything odd please call me"

Katherine nodded.

"Definitely"

After saying their goodbyes the two women departed and Ambrosia got into her car to leave.

-

-

-

-

-

Ambrosia drove out of the city. The large buildings and developments turned into suburbs. Ambrosia continued watching as the suburbs melted into stretches of land forming the countryside.

Ambrosia turned her radio up as it played Poetic Justice, by Kendrick Lamar.

Her fingertips tapped on the steering wheel as she sang along.

You live life on an everyday basis

With poetic justice, poetic justice

If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it

I mean I write poems in these songs dedicated to you

When you're in the mood for empathy, there's blood in my pen

Better yet where your friends and them?

I really wanna know you all

I really wanna show you off

She saw her grandmother's house in the distance. It was plantation style with a large porch. The house was off-white, luscious green vines decorated the side of the house and the pillars on the front porch. The house towered over 12 acres of forest and land, it's windows were large however they were all boarded up.

Ambrosia parked her car in the circle driveway and got out. She walked past a cherub water fountain as she head for the door. Ambrosia could hear the hum of voices from inside chattering away. The door opened and an oddly familiar face greeted her.

"Ambrosia, oh darling, it's so nice to see you again!" Ambrosia's aunt exclaimed embracing her.

Ambrosia stood stiffly as she was hugged. Her aunt, Tania. Tania was a thin woman, with short black hair. Her smile always looked forced and her eyes were cat-like.

"I'm so sorry for all of this" Tania said a bit too sympathetically.

If that was even possible.

The warm welcome from the aunt on her mother's side left Ambrosia slightly shocked. Tania finally detached herself and pulled Ambrosia inside, where the rest of the family was.

Uncle Grant from her mother's side, aunt Tania's husband, Chris. Aunt Annie from her father's side, and her six cousins. Some smiled at her, some paid her no attention.

But Ambrosia didn't care.

She walked up to a small couch where a lady was sitting. Her hair was a dark chocolate brown and she was dressed in an all grey suit, trimmed with black lace.

She smiled running her hand over the pearls that hung around her neck before standing up with a handout.

"Miss. Ambrosia, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, I'm Christine Henway" her voice was smooth like velvet.

Ambrosia shook her petite hand and glanced at the figure that moved beside her.

A young man with a mop of curly hair similar to Christine's stood up. His dark eyes sunk into Ambrosia like a ship settling into the depths of the icy sea.

He grabbed her hand that was left extended and shook it gently, his eyes never leaving hers.

"This is my son," Mrs. Henway introduced, "Elias."

-

-

-

-