CH. 12: I Am Fine

Hunter exntended his hand towards her and she watched it approach her before she yelped in pain when her forehead was flickered.

"That's painful!!" she instantly complained.

"Why wouldn't we have time for you? Hmmm?" he asked in his serious tone but his eyes showed gentleness.

Not just him but the other three as well.

"Just as you haven't contacted us, you also didn't do it towards our parents. We are all so worried about you but we respected your wishes. Now that you are willing to be part of the family again, do you think we would pass up the chance to spend time with you? Knowing how busy you will surely become and the time we can spend together will lessen even more?"

Heather was hit hard in her heart, she seriously wanted to pull her past self and hit her hard for abandoning these people.

"That's the first time you spoke so much," she laughed but her eyes turned red from the overwhelming emotions.

Hunter raised an eyebrow but simply shook his head in the end.

He was the person who speaks the least among them, especially when it was not about a serious matter.

But he has his own exemptions and his family is one of them.

"But don't tell them in advance. I'd rather not give them more expectations. Though this time I plan on really seeing them, it is still better to not leave one."

She had hurt her parents deeply by choosing on leaving her name behind as a young teenager.

But her mind and heart weren't strong then and all the obstacles she faced caused her to be closed off.

When she did ask them to disown her in public, they were adamant on not letting her do so. Instead they gave her the choice of going abroad.

She didn't want that as well, she didn't want to leave her country but she couldn't embrace the strength of her family in the country.

Among them, it was Aldger who first agreed and persuaded the rest to let her go.

Among the siblings, Aldger was the one who was sensittive towards the emotions of the others the most.

The strongest was of his twin, Hunter.

After she was finally given permission to do as she pleased and they announced that she had been disowned, she saw the pain that flashed through her parents eyes and that hurt her.

But she really was not strong then, she could only feel guilty in her heart.

Now, all she wanted to do first was to reconcile and tell them how much she loves them.

All of them.

And so she did, she spoke these words right at this moment while looking at her brothers.

"I love you all, so much. No matter then or now, even when I left I never stopped loving this family. Please bare that in mind, no matter what I do, I may hurt you or not again in the future but my love will never disappear."

It was a sudden curve ball for her brothers.

The way she spoke those words caused their emotions to stir a lot. They love her and the pain of her leaving was unbearable but they persevered just so she would be happy.

Now hearing her say such things, they knew everything was not for a naught.

They knew she loves them but her current sincerity surpassed the sincerity in Hunter's words a while ago.

"Come here," Aldger said pulling her for another hug.

Dexter followed and then Hunter, before finally Alexander.

They once again had a group hug because of Heather.

Soon it is time to depart for them, even though her brothers told her that they should just stay for the night. Heather told them that she'd rather stay in their house for the time being so that Amanda would get used to the changes in her.

Amanda can have her suspicions but Heather won't give her the sweetness of the answer that she was right all along in choosing Heather.

That the Relish Family was behind her still, whether in the past, now or the future.

"What are you thinking?"

Being as close as they were, Hunter decided to send Aldger to his place since they came together and Aldger didn't bring his car.

Seeing the unnatural serious look on Aldger's face, he couldn't help but ask.

"I was just thinking about her fight, thinking of how I can help better."

Seeing the stubborn look in Heather's face, Aldger remembered her eyes way back when she asked them to disown her.

Hunter knew his twin real well, his uncharacteristically serious look comes when his mind is doing its work. And when it does, it means his movement will surely be big.

"Come to think of it, I had been wondering since years ago. How did Heather convince you to let her go?" Hunter asked again.

He remembered this question with their last topic a while ago.

Aldger looked back at him, "It is her eyes."

"It was filled with heartache and deep within she was close to breaking apart. I knew then that if we didn't let her go, we would lose her forever instead."

Hunter looked at him before returning his eyes on the road.

"Just like yours a while ago when she mentioned Adrian Anderson."

His head whipped to the side once again when Aldger continued with this statement.

Aldger was no longer looking at him but was simply looking outside.

He should have known that he couldn't keep anything from his twin.

Aldger could see through Heather, so why can't he do towards him when they understood each other better?

Hunter looked in front and after another few minutes of silence he spoke.

"She is actually back."

Aldger blinked but he didn't return his eyes on Hunter.

He rested his chin on his hand that was on the window instead.

"Everything is your decision, no one will force you and I know she wouldn't as well. If Heather knew that you will be disturbed by this she wouldn't have asked you. But seeing as you didn't say a thing, I know you will be able to handle it."

"I will, after all everything has passed. I am fine now," was his firm reply.

Aldger no longer commented.

'If everything has indeed passed for you then the ripples deep within your eyes wouldn't have appeared,' he thought instead.

Hunter and Alexander were the most indifferent in their family.

But Hunter was the one who loves keeping all his emotions to himself.

Alexander would still sometimes speak his mind and what weighs in it, either to their father or to Dexter.

Meanwhile, Dexter and he were alike.

They don't hide what they feel and was more open about it.

Heather was a combination of the four of them.

She would bottle it up to the point of almost losing her self, just like in the past. Or would bring it all out just like what happened today.

And now, Hunter being the person he is, is once again hiding what he truly feels with the words, 'I am fine.'

These are one of the most used statements that will make you unable to really understand whether it was the truth or not.

If you are not fine then don't say it.

Getting hurt and being broken hearted is not fine.

Being sad is not being fine.

If you are not fine then don't say it and just be honest.

Because then what would the people around you do?

You are shutting them up by saying you are fine even though they can see that you are not. By saying it, they had no chance to give you more support other than keeping quiet.

And that is why Aldger hated these words the most.

Aldger couldn't help but sigh as he waved goodbye when Hunter dropped him in front of his house.

A villa just within the vicinity of the city, close to where their company stood.

'Well, you will surely speak up when you felt like it,' he thought again before entering his place.

He wasn't the only one who sighed after they separated, Hunter did the same.

He watched Aldger wave his hand in the rear view mirror before sighing.

Hiding things from his twin, especially in regards to his emotions, was the most difficult thing to do.

Since childhood, Aldger could easily tell whether he was happy or not.

He has no problems with helping Heather because he will also benefit to this.

By becoming the student of Adrian Anderson, he will surely improve by leaps and bounds. And that is a good thing in his career.

It's just that, he didn't expect that when he meets his sister again and she would ask for her first favor, it would actually be related to Adrian Anderson.

He has no qualms regarding this person, he was his idol after all.

Just that someone connected to this person was a part of his past.

A past where he was first emotionally disturbed by a person outside of his family.

He was a person who can keep his emotions in check, only his family could crack his indifferent face.

But somehow about five years ago, when he was just starting his career in the police force, he met someone whom he became emotionally attached.

But two years later, she disappeared without rhyme or reason and he was seriously hurt.

Though the rest of his family didn't realize it, Aldger knew the moment they met up, a week after her disappearance.

He simply pulled him for a drink and there and then he made him confess even though he has no intentions on doing it.

That is why in their family, only Aldger knew, that once in his life, the coldest and most indifferent Relish young master had fallen in love.

And that love was none other than the daughter of Adrian Anderson, whom Heather wished for him to train under.

Hunter knew Aldger was right, Heather wouldn't have asked him if she knew. And that is why he chose not to say anything.

Because Heather was currently their priority.