JULIANA

After saying their goodbyes to Nicole and the twins, Jade got into her mom's car.

"Are you excited to see Alec after so long?"

Amanda asked while backing out of the apartment building.

"Yeah... Yes I am." Jade stuttered. "I can't wait to meet Julia and Mrs Carter either."

Julia lived in Chicago with her husband, where they ran the hotel business which had been in the Carter family for generations.

Jade didn't ever miss a chance to meet them whenever she went to Chicago.

But it had been almost a year since she had last visited Chicago. And it had been more than two years since she met Mrs Carter.

"Susan is so excited, you have no idea."

Jade smiled. She had such good memories with the Carter family. She was not going to let her stupid feelings for Alec come in between a good dinner with her favourite family.

The Carter's lived about 15 minutes from Jade's apartment.

On the way, Jade was kept entertained by all the gossip of the town her mom collected in the day.

"We're here."

Jade looked up at her moms words.

They were parked in front of the huge white house which belonged to the Carter family.

Some architects who were in love with buildings, often say that buildings or houses have vivid and bright personalities like human beings.

If that was true, the Carter house had surely a personality like an old, regal woman.

Standing in all it's glory of white walls and huge decorative gardens, it had stood there watching years go by.

The house had witnessed the wedding of Mr and Mrs Carter, the birth of their daughter Julia and son Alec.

The house had been there to witness the whole days Jade herself had spent in its cozy rooms and beautiful gardens.

This house was as much a home to her as her apartment or her mom's house on the other side of town.

She had spent some of the best days of her life in it. Days that she will never be able to forget.

"Let's go!"

Jade saw her mom get down. The prospect of going in and meeting Alec and his girlfriend brought the churning back.

There was no backing out now. She couldn't turn back.

Don't chicken out, Jade!

She took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

They walked up the front yard and up the stairs together.

They rang the bell.

It's show time!

................................

"You both could have told me earlier that you have invited Amanda and Jade for dinner. We would have been prepared." Alec said as he put the buttons of his light blue shirt.

After lunch when he and Julia were sitting on the front porch enjoying Moms cookies, Julia had told him about the dinner.

Emma had been asleep in the guest room trying to overcome the jet lag.

"Is it a problem, Alec?"

Julia was not concerned about how her brother felt about the dinner guests.

She was worried that Emma wouldn't be comfortable meeting new people the day she came.

She herself came to know about the homecoming dinner that morning when she had come home to see mom making food for company.

She understood that mom had been so excited about Alec's return that she couldn't stop herself from inviting her best friend.

It was a wonder she had not invited the whole town.

But she didn't expect Emma to understand Mom's behaviour.

"Of course not, Jules. I'm dying to meet them. It's been ages."

Alec said once he was done with the shirt.

"And Emma?"

"She's glad she gets to meet Jade. Don't worry so much."

Alec came up and gave his sister's shoulder a light squeeze.

His mom's plan had actually made his plan of meeting Jade as soon as possible, easier.

"Okay."

Julia looked so worried that Alec had to laugh, "Jules chill! Everything will be fine. Emma's not as hoity- toity as she seemed this morning."

"Hoity- toity?"

The two of them laughed aloud together.

It was just like old times.

Julia and Alec had always been very close to each other. Maybe because they had lost their father at a very young age and that had left them with only their mother and each other.

Julia was 3 years older than Alec, but that didn't make a difference to their teasing and fun relationship.

"You do look pretty."

Alec said once they had caught their breathe from all the laughter.

"Is my younger brother giving me a compliment?"

"I'll deny it if you say it in front of anyone. But yes."

Julia smiled, "Thanks."

She was really looking quite good, in a black dress with full sleeves and the hemline till a little above her knee.

A dress which had been given to her by her husband Steve, on her previous birthday.

"So when are they coming?"

"Anytime now."

Julia got up from her place on the bed in Alec's room.

His room was the same as he had left it, with pictures from all over the world stuck on the walls and photos of her, Jade and their mom next to them.

It was a mess of pictures and vivid colours. A mess, which he had made lovingly and painstakingly.

She looked at her brother.

Alec looked the same, with his sandy- brown hair and handsome face.

His blue eyes still sparkled with good humour.

He was tanned and leaner than when he had gone.

But there were lines near his eyes now, making it clear that running Wanderlust, was not only fun and games.

"I really did miss you, Al."

"I missed you too."

Just then the bell rang.

"That must be them."

Julia started leaving the room.

"You go open the door, I'll call Emma."

Alec said taking the stairs two at a time towards Emma's room.

He was just hoping that she had opted for something a little casual this time.

Something other than the suit she was wearing that morning.

He was used to seeing her dressed that formally.

Emma was that kind of girl who was always perfectly prim and proper. The kind of girl who had pearls in her ears and wore sweater sets all the time.

"Emma?"

The door to the room was open and she was standing in front of the mirror looking critically at herself.

"Hi. Do I look okay?"

Emma was wearing a pair of slate grey slacks and a dark blue shirt. Her hair was open and fell till her shoulder.

This was the most casual Emma could be.

"Good." He said shoving his hands into the pockets of his black jeans, "they're here."

"Oh! Let's go then."

Emma followed Alec out of the guest bedroom.

"Tell me again who all are coming?"

"Only Amanda Tucker, mom's best friend and her daughter, Jade."

"Your best friend?"

Alec had told Emma everything about his friendship with Jade.

Even if he would not have told her, she would have guessed from the amount of pictures they had of the two of them in the house and he had in his apartment.

"Yes my best friend."

"Okay. Let's see how it goes."

Loud voices were already coming from the living room.

Yes, let's see how it goes, thought Alec before entering the living room.

.............................

AUTHOR'S NOTE:-

Happy Reading!! XX