CH 14:BEACON 2

Mariana's eyes sparkled with mischief as she prepared to regale us with another story, but before she could utter a word,I chimed in. "Troublesome girl, you caused trouble again," i teased affectionately, earning a mock scowl from Mariana.

"But big sis,I didn't cause any trouble" she grinned' so how was... "

Just as Mariana was about to ask another question, Mom intervened. "Mariana, why don't you let your sisters settle in first? They've had a long journey," she suggested gently, her voice carrying a note of patience.

Mariana pouted for a moment before brightening up. "Okay, Mom. I'll save the rest of my stories for later,big sis and big aunty Olivia..I will come back for my gift " she agreed, bounding off to find something else to occupy her time. Mariana is that one girl that talks too much but yet she's smart. She is just 12 years old and you will never get bored anytime you are with her. She ask too much of questions and she's known for that in her whole school.

"Ladies.. go and freshen up and come back for dinner" mom said and we both went upstairs

As I entered my childhood bedroom, memories flooded back to me – the posters on the walls, the familiar scent of lavender from my old stuffed animals, and the comforting embrace of home.

Olivia followed behind me, carrying her suitcase. "Your room looks exactly the same, Elena," she remarked, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"Yeah, Mom hasn't changed a thing," I replied, smiling as I set my bag down on the bed.

Olivia chuckled as she unpacked her clothes into the dresser. "It's like stepping back in time."

I glanced around the room, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. "I've missed this place," I admitted, sinking onto the bed.

Olivia sat down beside me, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Me too. It's nice to be back."

We sat in companionable silence for a moment, the only sound the soft rustle of clothes being put away and we made our to bathroom to have our bath.

"Feels like we never left," Olivia remarked, unpacking her bag and hanging up her clothes in the closet. "It's strange how quickly things fall back into place...i miss your little sis"

I nodded, a wistful smile playing on my lips. "Yeah, it's like stepping back in time..But with a few new wrinkles here and there."

Olivia chuckled, joining me on the bed. "Speaking of wrinkles, do you remember the time Mariana tried to give herself a 'makeover' with Mom's makeup?" she asked, a playful glint in her eye.

I laughed, the memory flooding back to me"Oh, how could I forget? She ended up looking like a clown!" I exclaimed, shaking my head at the thought.

Our laughter filled the room, banishing the heaviness that had settled over me.

But our reverie was interrupted by a soft knock on the door, and we turned to see Mariana peeking in, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Mom said dinner's ready," she announced, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "And you know how she gets when we're late for meals!"

I and Olivia exchanged amused glances before rising to their feet. "Lead the way, Mariana," Olivia said with a smile, ruffling my sister's hair affectionately.

We made our way to the dinning table , the aroma of my mom's food enveloping us and we sat down to eat and soon we were done eating , mom suggested we all go to the garden and we made our way to the garden

In the garden, under the shade of a sprawling oak tree, Mariana began to share her latest tale of middle school drama. "So, you know how I told you about my best friend, Lily?" she started, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers.

Olivia and I nodded, urging her to continue.

"Well, yesterday, we got into this big fight over something stupid," Mariana admitted with a sigh. "I don't even remember what it was about, to be honest."

I exchanged a knowing glance with Olivia. Middle school drama was always full of ups and downs, but it seemed Mariana had encountered a particularly rough patch.Mariana and lily has been friends since childhood

"And then, she said something really mean to me..she called me a cooking spoon and I just couldn't take it anymore," Mariana continued, her voice tinged with frustration and we couldn't help but laugh. "So, I told her I didn't want to be friends with her anymore."

Olivia reached out to pat Mariana's hand sympathetically. "I'm sorry,calling you a cooking spoon wasn't really nice" she said sarcastically and I couldn't help but laugh. Mariana is so funny, she's fighting with her bestfriend because she called her a cooking spoon

I nodded in agreement, offering her a supportive smile. "So you are no longer talking to Lily because she said something mean to me, have you tried talking to her about it"

" No I don't want to talk to her... She made the whole class laugh at me" she said in irritation and I couldn't help but laugh again

" You know she might not realize it made you angry... Try talking to her about it first"Olivia chimed in

Mariana sighed, leaning back against the tree trunk. "I know, but it still sucks. I miss hanging out with her and talking about everything."

"Well, maybe after some time apart, you two can talk things out and patch things up," I suggested optimistically.

Mariana perked up slightly at the idea. "Yeah, maybe. I just hope she's willing to listen."

Mariana took a deep breath and continued her story. "Anyway, forget about Lily for now. Guess what, guys? I won an award for my science project!"

Olivia's eyes widened in excitement. "No way, Mariana! That's amazing! Congratulations!"

Before Mariana could respond, our mom's voice rang out from the nearby patio. "Mariana, how many times do I have to tell you to sit properly on that bench? You'll ruin your dress!"

Mariana sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Sorry, Mom."

Olivia jumped in, attempting to smooth things over. "Mom, please, she's just enjoying her victory. Let her have this moment."

Mom relented with a soft chuckle. "Fine, but only this once. Mariana, sit properly, and don't wrinkle your dress."

Mariana adjusted her posture obediently, a triumphant smile still gracing her face. "Thanks, Mom."

Mariana continued with her stories making Olivia grinned so loudly.we laughed at all her jokes and she asked a lot of questions and soon we all got tired , and she finally got the hint and she sat down quietly observing the moon.