40

As she gazed at me, her face immediately fell and tears welled up into her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand that was shaking, taking a step back as she gazed at me.
She held back from crying, and before I knew it, tears came into my eyes too. I wiped the traitor tears that slipped out of my eyes and I sniffed, a cold glare on my face.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying my hardest not to burst into tears. She was there. My sister was right in front of me.
I held back from sobbing and snapped, "you said you would come back for me and you didn't. I waited months, years and still had hope that you, you selfish person, would come back for me but you didn't! You left me with that monster for so many years! How could you leave me? Why didn't you come back? Answer me!"
Then tears streamed down my cheeks and I couldn't control them. I wiped them as much as I could, keeping a hard glare on my face but I found it difficult to be angry with her. She was my sister and all I wanted to do was hug her. But I needed to know the truth that had been killing me for years.
She wiped her cheeks, sniffing before replying, "I didn't leave you." A soft gasp left my mouth at the sound of her voice, the voice that had comforted me for years in my childhood, the voice that was always there for me. She still sounded the same, more matured but still the same. She had a little more of a French accent behind her words but it wasn't too obvious.
"I didn't leave you," she repeated, sniffing and wiping her cheeks as she took one step forward, her teary eyes filled with honesty. "I was coming back for you - I was! But he found out," she helplessly told me, and I wiped my cheeks, my face crumpling up.
"I was on my way to you. I was never, ever going to leave you. How could I? You're my sister and I love you - I would die for you! He had someone to take me a-and before I knew it, I was in an arranged marriage with a-an older man. So many things happened to me that I'm glad didn't happen to you."
"I was on my way to get you," she whispered, her voice shaky and cracking a little from the tears. "I was! You have to know that. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that you waited all these years for an answer. I'm so sorry, ma soeur. I am." {my sister}.
I sniffed, wiping my cheeks more tears ran down my cheeks.
She didn't leave me. She was in an arranged marriage all those years.
"Are you still with him?" I asked, my voice wavering. "Are those your kids?" I glanced over at them and they were still playing had laughing, the baby giggling on the blanket.
She shook her head, sniffing. "It took a lot but I managed to get out of it. I'm married to someone else. They're my kids." Then a soft chuckle left her mouth as she gazed at me, "you're an aunt."
"I missed you," she told me, tears rolling down her cheeks. She exhaled deeply as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "I missed you so, so, so much!
Then I couldn't stop myself anymore. I started walking, turning into a jog, then a run and I wrapped my arms around her as I finally approached her, clinging onto my sister as I sobbed, all the pain from all those years coming out.
"I thought you l-left m-me. . .all t-these. .y-years, y-you had it w-worse than me!" I cried, my tears soaking her clothes as she held onto me, kissing my temple. "Y-You were always there for m-me. Juliet, I'm sorry - I miss you - I'm so sorry I hated you!"
Juliet was crying too, her arms squeezing me tightly. "It's okay - Rose, it's okay. I missed you, God, I missed you!"
"Are you okay?" She asked me, her voice filled with love. "Do you still live with him?" She pulled away, lifting my chin and examining your face. "God, you look just like mama."
I sniffed as she wiped my tears, just like she always did. "N-No. I don't. I'm fine - better now. You're still so pretty, no wonder you're married!"
She laughed, the sweet sound filling my ears and smiling me smile. "Merci! You're so grown up! Please tell me you're engaged or something, beautiful."
I shook my head, smiling at my sister. "No, I'm not, but I have a boyfriend."
"Ooo!" Juliet teased, wriggling her eyebrows and I chuckled, wiping the remainder of my tears.
"He's actually here. I came with him and my friends. Do you want to meet them?" I asked, beaming at her.
"Yes! Of course!" She replied, a wide smile on her face. "Has he been treating you well?"
I nodded. "He'd never hurt a hair on me. Your husband. . ?"
She nodded too, though her eyes averted elsewhere, "I love him. Come on, show me your friends."
I turned and waved as a signal.
The doors opened and all of the men I knew in the car stepped out. After paying, the driver drove off which left the men stood awkwardly on the quiet road. They started walking and I started talking.
"The one in the Gucci tracksuit is Jordan. He is so funny and nice, he's annoying but a big sweetheart. Now, the one wearing shorts is Gage. He's so sweet, Juliet. He'll never let you down. The one wearing taking off his sunglasses is Dax. When I met him, he had a wall up but now I've kinda broken them down and he's such a playful person if you let him be." I smiled as I realised that I have amazing friends that were reliable and sweet. I could always trust them and they were family to me.
"That's Cristiano - Cris. He's my boyfriend and I. .care for him, so much. I can't imagine my life without him. There are so many ways to describe him, Juliet but they're too much. He's my everything," I softly explained, my eyes gazing at him. I smiled, my heart warming at the sight of him. My eyes ran across his body as I realised how much I appreciated that man.
The question was spinning around in my mind and as I looked at Cris, a soft chuckle left my mouth. "Yeah. . .I think I do. ."
They approached and I smiled, turning to face my sister. "Juliet, this. . .well, this. . ." I gazed at each of the men's faces in front of me. I smiled and finished, "this is my family, Gage, Dax, Jordan and Cris."
"Nice to meet you, Juliet."
"Pleasure to meet you, Juliet."