Chapter Thirty-One

Welcome to chapter thirty-one. Petra and Ziggy have recently reunited after Ziggy's mid life crisis. Their kids, Esmeralda, Felix and Anastasia, and Petra's cousin's twins Mia and Lexi were all settled back at boarding school after the intervention they pulled to get the parents back together. Petra was out in the town one afternoon about a week and a half after Ziggy came home.

Petra was well known for her writing skill and she liked to sit in the quad outside city hall pondering the next tale she would tell. Her novels were based on her family history, as long and varied as it was. And the next story Petra wanted to tell was that of her cousin. Niki had had a troubled childhood and it had lead to some interesting decisions in her adult years.

It was as Petra was contemplating how much of Niki's decisions to release to the public, that she saw the very woman in question racing through the quad. She hesitated for all of a split second before her natural caring instincts took over and she called out her cousins name.

Niki was a little surprised to see her cousin, but they embraced warmly. They had been such good friends growing up and even though Niki had left without a proper explanation, there were no hard feelings.

Petra, in her usual quiet and calm manner asked Niki what she had been doing since she left. Niki was a well known indy guitarist for a band over in Bridgeport. She was over here for a charity event at the theatre. They talked for quite sometime before Niki tentatively asked about her daughters. Petra paused for just a moment before telling her cousin how the twins were. They were teenagers now, Petra told her, and doing very well at their boarding school, they looked so much like their mother and would Niki like to meet them?

Niki hesitated. She had been gone for so long she wasn't sure she could. Petra put a reassuring hand on Niki's arm and told her that she could take some time to think. Maybe after Niki's impending birthday she might decide to come round to the house, Ziggy would love to see her. They left on good terms, and Niki promised her ghostly cousin she would see her again, and soon.

Ziggy wasn't as happy as his wife to hear that Niki was back in town. But he feigned a smile and told his wife that it was good news.

A few weeks passed and one day, a few days after Niki grew up into an elder, she stopped by her old childhood home to see her cousin.

Petra was inside writing and Ziggy was just collecting mail when he noticed Niki tentatively walking up the driveway.

Ziggy never understood her decision to leave those gorgeous little girls behind, but he took Niki's hand in his and welcomed her back to his home. As she passed him on her way up to the front door, Niki softly told her old friend how sorry she was. But it wasn't that apology that finally allowed Ziggy to forgive Niki, it was the small tatoo on her right hand; "Mia and Lexi: Forever loved and missed".

It felt odd to be walking back into the home she had left so many years ago, and thought never to return to. But it felt oddly right, it seemed.

Petra was surprised to see her cousin looking so old and was reminded that time moved fast.

The women talked for hours that afternoon. They talked about the past, about Petra's books, about Ziggy's mid-life crisis, about Petra's kids and they even talked about Niki's. That was the part of the conversation that Niki loved the most. She hadn't realised just how much she missed her daughters until she was so close.

Ziggy slept better than he had in years that night. He hadn't realised how much he needed to forgive Niki for what she'd done. But it felt good to let all those years of bad feelings go.

Life carried on. Niki was now a tentative part of their lives again, Petra continued writing and Ziggy was working hard at the lab again.

Late one night a few weeks later, Esmeralda was heading home from school after her birthday.

Esmeralda looked so much like her mother.

After a quick hello to her parents Esmeralda finally made it to her childhood bed.

The next morning before Ziggy went to work he told his daughter how proud he was of her. Esmeralda was just glad to be a young adult and happy to see her parents back together.

Ziggy wished he could spend the rest of the day with his girls but he had to head to work. He was hoping for another promotion.

Petra was so happy to see her first born child home and ready to begin her life outside school.

Esmeralda spent the morning with her mother, but there was someone she was itching to go and see. So she made her excuses to her beloved mum and headed out.

Just one house down Esmeralda found what she was looking for.

Sam Peters was the only other ghost that Esmeralda knew outside her family and so when they met at school, they became instant friends. Sam graduated a few months before Esmeralda did, and his latest letter told her that he had moved in to the small shack next to her family home. So of course Esmeralda knew she had to visit him the second she could.

Seeing Sam again after a few months apart made Esmeralda's heart flutter. They had always been friends, but Esmeralda had been carrying a secret torch for her ghostly friend ever since she first saw him floating down the stairs.

Today was the day that Esmeralda decided to tell Sam that she had feelings for him. But as she uttered those well practiced words, his little smile told her that the feelings were reciprocated.

Sam and Esmeralda visited eachother a lot over the next few weeks as their romance blossomed. One day Esmeralda called her new boyfriend over to finally, properly, meet her family.

 

 

The other kids were all home for a few days, and eager to meet Esmeralda's new beau.

 

 

Anastasia had recently had a birthday, and had joined her brother and the twins as a teen. She looked much like her father.

The weather was warming up and the kids utilised their time off to really relax. And so they spent as much time as they could together by the old family pool.

Esmeralda and Sam usually joined the kids.

Their relationship was going strong and Esmeralda was as happy as ever with Sam.

Sam was so romantic and considerate to his ghostly beauty. They had only been together for about a month, but it was the happiest either of them had been.



And this concludes Chapter Thirty-One. Thanks for reading! Here are some sweet pictures of the new couple.