They were both thinking the same thing as Alina’s friend glanced up at him and said, “What makes you think that he’s the reason?”
“Because you should’ve heard his voice when I answered the phone,” her husband said bending down to kiss her neck. “I sounded something like that when I called Alina’s place that one time and her uncle answered the phone.”
Her friend gasped at his words although what he was doing to her neck was making her breathless and yet a few minutes later when Alina walked back in the kitchen, the flushed tint to her cheeks could rival her friend’s own flushed cheeks.
“I told you,” her husband whispered in her ear kissing her again before he went back in the living room with their children.
“Alina,” her friend said after she got herself under control, “I think you and I need to talk.”
“About what?” Alina said innocently as her friend narrowed her eyes and grabbed the wet washcloth throwing it at her, and Alina’s eyes widened in stunned disbelief.
“I can’t believe you did that,” Alina stammered as her friend smirked at her.
“Let’s see what else I can do if you don’t talk to me,” she said looking around the kitchen before her eyes landed on the sprayer for the sink.
Alina began to laugh as she reached for it and said, “Okay, you win I will tell you about it.”
Her friend smiled as she replaced the sprayer and poured them both something to drink before she sat down at the table indicating the other seat for Alina as she said, “Good, so tell me about what happened when you went home, Alina?”
Later that evening after telling Amandi what happened when she returned to Witt Alina laid in bed thinking about the phone call she received from Trystan. They only talked for about ten minutes, but in that ten minutes she had felt alive and now she was scared because she didn’t know what to think. She groaned loudly as she turned over on her side and closed her eyes as she muttered to herself, “Go to sleep, Alina, and push him from your mind.”
Easier said than done, but she eventually fell into a restless doze only to wake up almost four hours later when the house began to stir as Wayne and Amandi got ready for work.
Alina yawned as she headed downstairs her hair pulled up in its custom ponytail as she walked in the kitchen where Amandi handed her a cup of coffee before going back feeding her baby girl.
“You had a restless night, didn’t you?” Amandi asked her as Alina sipped her coffee and she nodded her head not bothering to deny it. “Are you going to the police station today?”
Alina stared down in the cup as she said quietly, “Yeah, I need to make sure she gets a decent funeral.”
Amandi glanced over at Alina before she shook her head and finished feeding her daughter as Alina walked over to the sink to clean up the few breakfast dishes left in there.
A few hours later, Alina stood outside the police station her hands shaking slightly in the pockets of her jacket before she took a deep breath and walked inside going over to the main desk where it sat in the middle of the lobby.
The officer glanced up as she approached and Alina had to clear her throat before she said, “My name is Alina Barks and I’m here to…”
She explained the reason for her visit and the officer gave her narrowed look before he made a phone call telling her to wait before ignoring her.
Alina clenched her teeth at the man’s attitude but she didn’t say anything as she walked over and sat down on a bench that was occupied with a few other people.
Ten minutes later, an harassed detective came toward the bench as he said in a wary and tired voice, “Miss Barks, I’m Detective…”.
Within minutes of their meeting, he was leading her down to the morgue to identify her mother although they were sure that it was her, but it was procedure.
Alina’s face was pale as she stared down at the sheet which was removed by the medical examiner and she felt tears come to her eyes as she stared down at her mother.
“Miss Barks,” the detective said an impatient note to his tone, and Alina hearing it nodded her head in the confirmation that he wanted.
“I will start the arrangements for release,” the medical examiner told her as they walked back out after he recovered her mother.
“I will take care of what needs to be done,” Alina assured him as the detective interrupted to inform them that there were some papers that Alina needed to sign.
After everything was done, Alina walked out of the precinct sick to her stomach but she forced herself to do what needed to be done as she made arrangements with a well-known funeral to take care of her mother’s body.
It took most of the day to do what she needed so it was going past eight when she finally returned to Amandi’s house tired and hungry as she hadn’t eaten all day.
Wayne sitting in the living room took one look at her face and called out, “Honey, Alina is back.”
Alina smiled at him briefly nodding her head before she headed for the kitchen where she knew Amandi was probably sitting at the kitchen table working.
“Hi Amandi,” Alina said quietly as she walked over to the refrigerator to pour her drink.
“Did you get everything accomplished today that you wanted to?” Amandi asked pushing her work to the side so she could focus on Alina.
Alina nodded her head but she didn’t say anything else as she settled down across from Amandi and closed her eyes leaning back against the chair.
“So when is Janice’s funeral?” Amandi asked in a soft voice.
“Next Monday,” Alina said sighing as she opened her eyes and glanced at her a funny smile playing around her mouth. “It’s funny because when the funeral director and I were talking today, I remembered one time when Janice and I had an honest discussion that didn’t revolve around money. We had been watching some show at the time, I don’t remember what it was, but in one of the scenes there was a funeral and I remember her remarking how she didn’t want to be buried under the ground that it would stifle her. I thought it was a weird conversation so I made some stupid remark and Janice snapped at me before she asked me where I hidden the rent money for the upcoming month.”
Alina shrugged her shoulders as she stopped talking, and Amandi shook her head as they sat there in silence.
The phone rang while they sat there and a few seconds later, Wayne walked in the kitchen with the receiver as he said with a lurking smile on his face, “Alina, it’s for you.”
Alina gave him one of her confused looks before she took the receiver and answered it with an very distant, “hello”.
Amandi watched as her friend’s eyes widened slightly at whoever was on the other end before another light entered her eyes, and Amandi gathered her paperwork and with Wayne, quietly left the room.
They settled down on the front porch swing where Amandi told her husband what Alina revealed in the kitchen and he sighed before he said, “I do believe that Janice loved Alina in her own way, but not as a mother which was what Alina needed.”
Amandi nodded her head in agreement and although she still couldn’t forgive Janice for what she had done, she felt sympathy for a woman who valued money more than her own daughter.
In the kitchen, Alina leaned her forehead against her palm as she told Trystan about her day and when the funeral was going to be held.
He didn’t stay on long like the night before and he didn’t ask the question he wanted the answer to, but he had a feeling that rushing her would only make her stay away longer and he didn’t want that as he told her, “I will call you tomorrow, if that’s okay?”
Alina sighed gently but agreed and after she hung up, she decided it would probably be a good idea to replace her cellphone soon as she hung up the receiver before walking to the front of the house where she noticed Amandi and Wayne sitting on the porch swing talking quietly.
She smiled softly before heading up to her room where she checked on their two children before she went to bed. As like the night before, she stared up at the ce
iling thoughts of her mother and the arrangements she made running through her head before she thought about Trystan and their short conversation. She shook her head as the night darkened and she pushed everything to the back of her mind as she closed her eyes hoping that sleep would come so that she could think clearer in the morning.
Dawn was just beginning to light up the sky when she finally fell asleep and Amandi peaked in the room a few hours later only to close the door before she joined her family in the kitchen.
“Did she finally fall asleep?” Wayne asked as they both knew that Alina had another restless night.
“She is sleeping,” Amandi told him as they got their children ready for preschool. “I’m going to let her sleep and maybe it will help her with whatever is weighing heavily on her mind.”
“Oh, I think I know one thing that is weighing heavily on our friend’s mind,” Wayne said with a roguish wink at Amandi who giggled as their children laughed at their interaction.
They left thirty minutes later as Alina slept on finally catching up on the sleep that she had missed in the last few days.
Chapter 27
“Alina,” Amandi said looking up from where they were sitting on the couch as Alina played with her daughter.
“Yes,” Alina said with a soft smile as she tickled Amandi’s little girl who was laughing.
“Go home,” Amandi said in a soft voice and when Alina’s smile dimmed she reached out a manicured hand putting it on her shoulder. “You miss your family and you miss,” she stopped briefly as Alina tensed under her hand, “Trystan who you talk to every day without fail. You finished everything up for your mother two weeks ago, but for some reason you are procrastinating your return.”
Alina sighed giving the little girl a kiss on the cheek before she reached out for her mother yawning, and Amandi took her with a soft smile before saying, “Let me go put her down for a nap.”
Alina nodded her head absently as Amandi headed upstairs, and Wayne came through the door a few minutes later with his son following scampering behind him.
“Hi, Aunt Alina,” he called as he rushed upstairs and Alina smiled watching him.
“Hi, Wayne,” she said when she had turned around to face him hearing Amandi’s soft voice talking to her son before she came back downstairs.
“Hi, Alina,” Wayne said before he let his eyes go to his wife and Alina was envious of the look that came into them. “Hi, baby.”
“Did you and your son have a good time?” Amandi asked as he kissed her teasingly.
“We did,” he told her with a wink. “I’m going to change and will be right back down.”
She nodded her head and Alina watched the soft look in her friend’s eyes as she watched Wayne go up the stairs before she chuckled.
“You were damn lucky, Amandi,” Alina said when she finally came back over to the couch.
“I was, but I almost threw it away,” Amandi admitted as she settled back down. “If it wasn’t for you, I probably would have, Alina.”
Alina shrugged her shoulders as she sat forward resting elbows on her knees her dark hair swinging freely around her shoulders.
“I’m scared,” Alina admitted a few seconds later getting Amandi’s full attention. “I didn’t mean to fall in love when I went home, but I had no control over it. As for Trystan, he got close to me because of his sister so…”
“Maybe he did, but I don’t think that was the only reason,” Amandi interrupted getting a skeptical look from Alina before she shook her head.
“I’m thirsty,” she said getting up and heading for the kitchen, and Amandi sighed softly before she followed her.
“Alina, if the man didn’t have feeling for you he wouldn’t call you every day, Amandi told her as they settled down at the kitchen table with their drinks.
“I’m his sister-in-law,” Alina said without hesitation.
“As a man,” Wayne said as he entered the room a few minutes later getting startled looks from Alina and Amandi as they hadn’t heard him coming down the stairs, “I can tell you from his first call that he thinks of you more than just his sister-in-law.”
Alina gave him a confused look in which he laughed giving his wife another wink before he left the room going back to the living room.
Amandi chuckled softly as Alina turned to her with the same confused look as she said, “If being your brother-in-law is the only reason why he calls you then I will forfeit our next week’s profit.”
Alina’s eyes widened at the assurance and confidence in her friend’s voice, and she shook her head still not completely assured as her friends seemed to be.
“Go home,” Amandi repeated her voice firmer than before, and Alina sighed staring down at her glass thoughtfully.
Amandi didn’t say another world knowing her friend well enough to know that she was thinking and when she stood up going over to the landline Amandi smiled settling back in the kitchen chair.
“I would like to know the time of your next flight to…” Alina said quietly glancing at Amandi seeing her smile before she returned her attention to what the person was telling her on the phone.
In the next hour, she packed her clothes as she had a flight in five hours and as she finished packing her cell rung.
“Hello,” she said answering it absently as she zipped up her case.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Trystan said, and Alina frowned as she heard the gruffness in his tone.
“Is something wrong, Trystan?” Alina asked in a quiet tone as she placed her case on the floor.
Trystan was silent for a few seconds before he said in a rough voice, “I miss you, Alina.”
Alina felt her heart stutter in her chest at the rough timbre of his voice and she couldn’t help the soft sigh that escaped her lips, and Trystan’s chuckled vibrated over the phone as he said in a husky tone, “I will take that as you miss me, too.”
“I…” Alina began only to stop as Trystan laughter floated across the line. Then Alina decided to tell him, “I should be arriving in Witt early tomorrow morning.”
Trystan on the other end stilled in his chair as his eyes narrowed with excitement. “What time will you be landing?” He asked her the huskiness more pronounced.
“I’m not sure yet,” Alina told him her own soft voice stroking across his nerves and a smile drifted across his face one that only his sister and mother had seen before.
“When you get in, give me a call,” he told her, and Alina gave a soft laugh.
“You will probably be busy, but I will call and leave a message with Trudy,” Alina told him.
Trystan, after hanging up some time later, called Trudy in his office to go over his schedule and frowned when he realized that he would be in meetings most of the day.
“If Alina should call, Trudy, let me know right away,” Trystan told her as he sighed some papers and Trudy said ‘yes sir’ quietly although her eyes flashed with humor and relief.
They continued working until Trystan told Trudy go home as he knew that she had a date although she hadn’t mentioned it to him, but he accidentally heard her on the phone when she made it.
Trystan headed home not too much later and as he walked in the door his mother met him in the hallway on her way out.
She looked at him and slowed down as she said, “Something good happened today because I see a light in your eyes that I haven’t seen in a while.”
Trystan gave her a wink and wicked smile as he told her, “Alina is coming home.”
As his mother’s eyes followed him, she smiled before she walked out of the house already making plans in her head.
Wayne took Alina to the airport after she hugged Amandi and the children ‘good bye’ promising to keep in touch.
“If you ever need us, Alina, don’t hesitate to call,” he told her as he carried her case into the airport.
“Thank you, Wayne,” she said giving him a hug. “Take care of your family.”
He nodded his head and watched her as she disappeared ins
ide the airport before he went back to his car and headed home.
Alina sighed as almost three hours later her plane landed in Witt and as she debarked the plane excitement fluttered in her stomach as she thought about Trystan. As she headed for the baggage claim area holding on the strap of the luggage she carried on the plane, she glanced at her watch as she turned on her cell dialing Trystan’s number.
The phone was turned off and although a frown crossed Alina’s face before she tried again. The phone rung and she almost hung up before it was answered by a husky, “hello”.
Alina felt as if her heart had stilled in her chest as she heard Trystan in the background, “Bea, who is it?”
Bea giggled as she called back, “I don’t know they haven’t said anything” although her eyes flashed with satisfaction which neither Trystan nor Alina saw.
Alina’s hand trembled as she lowered the phone before her eyes glinted and she raised the phone back to her ear.
“Bea,” she said in voice louder than needed, “tell Trystan for me that I don’t need that ride anymore.”
There was silence and her finger was on the end button when she heard, “Wait, Alina”, and then nothing as she ended the call.
Maybe she should’ve talked to him, but right now her emotions where all over the place so she didn’t feel like listening as she slid the phone in her pocket, and grabbing her case, headed for the exit.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket as she stepped out and she pulled it out just as she walked over to one of the taxi’s that lingered outside the airport for such fares.
She gave the man her father’s address before she looked down at the number and her mouth twisted slightly before she slid the phone back in her pocket as she slid in the back of the cab as the driver put her case next to her on the backseat.
She arrived at her father’s house about forty minutes later and as the taxi pulled up to the house, her father opened the door and his eyes widened with surprise and happiness at seeing.
“Alina,” he said coming down the stairs to greet her and she smiled as she gave him a hug, and she didn’t see the slight frown that came to his eyes as he felt the tremor that went through her although she controlled it as she stepped back.
His Sister's Return Page 29
