"I'm Lily," the little girl said as she picked up a marker.

"Nice to meet you, Lily. I'm Dylan."

Lily laid on the carpet colouring in her book. Although I knew it was a typical activity for most children, I couldn't help but wonder if her creativity somehow came from her Aunt Dylan. Aunt Dylan - now that was a name I would have never imagined receiving before today. Lily, taking after her mother's looks, was an adorable-looking kid with dark brown hair and large ocean-blue eyes. I couldn't help but smile, noticing the matching pajama set she still had on with cartoon dogs all over.

"Do you like princesses?"

Amused by the current conversation, I responded, "I do. Do you?"

She nodded, scribbling her marker against the page. "Mommy says I can have a princess party for my birthday. Do you want to come?"

"Uh," I hesitated. "Sure, I'd love to, Lily."

"Are you my mommy's sister?" Lily asked, not bothering to look up from her colouring book.

"Yes, I am."

"I wish I had a sister. Not a brother. Boys are stinky." Her head popped up. "Does that make you my aunt? I have an aunt and an uncle already from Daddy-"

"Alright, Lily," Delilah announced as she returned to the room, holding a small plate in one hand and a juice box in another. "Make sure you eat all your veggies so you have lots of energy for ballet."

I watched as Delilah set Lily up in front of the television with her lunch, turning on an animated show that instantly brought joy to the little girl's face.

"Sorry about her," Delilah said quietly as we sat down at the table. "She can be a chatterbox."

I smiled, looking towards the girl memorized by the cartoon dogs, ones that matched her pajama set, on screen. "Don't be. She's definitely your kid," I teased. "I'm just more confused by the fact that you have a daughter. I thought-" I paused. "I thought you didn't."

"Why don't we start with what you were told," she suggested, before quickly adding, "And, don't worry about Lily. She has focus for one thing and one thing only when her cartoons are on. She won't be listening to us."

"Well, Dad said you got pregnant at seventeen and told him you wanted to keep it and get married to the guy. So he sent you to Europe to..." I bit my lip, struggling to repeat the disgusting way our father had described the situation, "Fix it." My eyes quickly flickered to Lily. "But... you didn't."

Delilah smiled, placing her hand over the top of mine. "I didn't."

"So, what happened?"

"Well, Dad was right about the first part. I did get pregnant and for a split second, I thought saying we would get married would help soften the blow." She held up her hand, showing that it was bare from any ring. "We didn't and even proposing the idea of such a thing didn't help matters anyway. Dad disapproved of Ethan, Lily's father, without even meeting him because it ruined his plan. Getting pregnant meant I couldn't marry off into some rich family for Dad's personal gain. It didn't matter that Ethan's family were well-off enough and were willing to support us. It ruined his plan and he hated that. So, he gave me the choice. Go to Europe, fix things, and return home or be completely cut off from the family.

"When I realized there was no chance Dad would change his mind, Ethan and I hatched a plan to run away together. His family only visited their home in California for vacations and primarily lived in New York. So, being young and stupid and way over our heads, we thought we had an easy escape. But, Dad found out. And that night, he booked my flight to Europe for the next day."

"I heard you scream," I blurted out. "The night you left. I heard you screaming and crying. But then the next morning I went downstairs and they convinced me I was insane. They said you just decided to leave for boarding school."

Delilah looked down, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "He thought I would try and run away in the middle of the night. And he was right. I thought of every possible way to get out and escape with Ethan. So, to make sure I couldn't, he had me taken in the middle of the night to some random hotel with no phone and no clue where the hell I was. And the next day, after you had your breakfast, Mom met me at the airport and we got on that flight."

"So you did go to Europe?"

Delilah nodded. "I never wanted to get rid of Lily," she whispered. "I was young and scared. When I was in that hotel room, I began to think about what would happen if I lost my family over keeping her and then lost Ethan. What if he got scared off and didn't want to stick around? What would I have then? I wasn't even of legal age to vote yet - how the hell could I raise a baby on my own?" Delilah paused, quickly looking over her shoulder to look at Lily. "Then I started to think about what my life would be if I followed through with it. I would be doing all of that for what? To go back home and return to a life of waiting for some suitable bachelor to appear for me to be married off to? You at least had the brains. Dad knew right away that you were going to take over the family business. All Dad saw in me was a pretty smile and some charm to back it up.

"Ethan never made me feel that way. He made me feel special and valued. Every summer when he was visiting with his parents, he would always show up with a bouquet of flowers and a thoughtful note. At thirteen that boy did that. And to this day, he still does." Delilah's cheeks flushed as she spoke. "Every month that he was away, we'd stay up late on the phone talking for hours and he would continue to write me letters. Yes, we were young but when that plane landed I thought, there's no way I can do this. And I remember looking at Mom and bursting into tears and telling her everything that I was feeling, specifically that I needed to at least call Ethan and talk to him before I made this big of a decision. He was so excited when he found out I was pregnant. Nervous, of course, but excited. I knew I couldn't make this decision without him."

"What did Mom do?"

"She left the room without a word," the laugh she added confused me. "I was so overwhelmed and still crying over what was happening that I didn't even question getting on yet another plane the next day. And when we landed, Ethan was waiting with a bouquet of lilies." Delilah must have noticed the confused look on my expression, as she added, "Mom left the room to call his parents and she flew us back to New York to see them. She told me that when she was younger, she had an Ethan. But her parents disapproved and she married an Andrew," she explained, referring to our father. "She might not be in the running for mother-of-the-year, but she does care about us, Dylan. Even if it's in her own non-maternal way."

I did my best to understand what my sister was saying, yet I struggled to see my mother in any sort of light. "So, she flew you back, and then what?"

"I knew once I saw Ethan that I was not giving up this baby. Mom made arrangements with his parents, who agreed to help us. She flew in as much as she could, making up excuses to Dad that she was going on a spa trip, which he never bothered to ask any questions about."

"So, Dad doesn't know?"

She shook her head. "He thinks I'm still in Europe and that I never had Lily."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Delilah let a sad sigh escape. "I wanted to tell you, Dylan. Trust me. But Mom said she couldn't risk you not getting your-" She suddenly cut herself off. "Wait. It's the end of January."

I nodded, raising a confused brow.

"Did you graduate early?"

"From University?" I questioned. "No, I, uh, deferred a year."

"Dad let you do that?"

Biting the inside of my cheek, I softly said, "No. And when he found out, he was pissed. Cut me off-"

"You can't get your inheritance," Delilah stated.

"An inheritance?" I questioned. "Why would that-"

"That's why you didn't know," she quickly interjected, "Your inheritance was based on you graduating. Mom wanted to protect you from knowing until you graduated so you could get that money."

"I don't need money, Delilah. How could Mom keep this from me? I lost almost seven years with you over all of this."

"Dylan, I know," she whispered, "When you turned eighteen, Mom asked me if I wanted to tell you. I told her no."

"What?" My voice raised slightly. "Why did you-"

"Because, Dylan, you worked your ass off to get into that school. I didn't have to physically be there to know you were doing everything you could to maintain a perfect GPA, all while doing a hundred extracurricular activities." She squeezed my hand. "You always wanted to impress Dad. Always. He instilled some weird fear in you, which made you work your ass off. But it wasn't for yourself, Dylan. It was for him. And since you never let him down, you only got to see the good version of Dad. The one that was always there for you, driving you to every tennis and debate match, and cheering for you on the sidelines. But you didn't see the bad side - the real side of him. And, I knew that if I told you, all of that would change and all of what work you had put in would be for nothing. I just couldn't risk you knowing the truth and losing out on that money."

I leaned back in my chair, trying to process all of the information that had just been thrown my way.

"Am I ever happy that Ethan's in charge of taking the little one to ballet today because I think we need a drink," Delilah announced, standing from her chair. "Wine?"

Giving her a short nod in response, I did my best to calm my thoughts. As I looked towards the television, I easily found myself distracted by the same cartoons Lily was watching. Although slightly embarrassed to be entranced by the same thing as a five-year-old, it was a welcomed diversion.

"Look, I know you don't care about money that way, but having it helps. A lot," she said, walking back over to the table. "As Mom always likes to say, you might as well walk away with something."

"Yeah well, now I'm walking away with nothing."

"I'm sorry, Dyl-"

I waved off her concern. "I don't want his money. I'm more than fine not getting a payday from that monster. Besides, I hated my program. Every day I became more and more miserable. Once I dropped out, I barely had a plan, but it felt so freeing."

Delilah filled both glasses with a generous amount. "So did Mom really sneak my address into a scarf box?"

I nodded, taking a sip from my glass. "Taped it onto the inside of the lid. And under the scarf itself was a bunch of hundred dollar bills."

"Did you know that most of Mom's jewelry is fake?"

My jaw dropped. "No! What?"

"She sells it and replaces it for the cash," Delilah raised an amused brow. "How else do you think she was able to stuff that box with hundred-dollar bills?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe she robbed a bank or something," I murmured against the brim of my glass.

Delilah laughed. "That's how she helped me - well, us - out," she said, looking at Lily.

"I still can't believe you have a kid. I don't think it's fully hit me yet."

"Trust me, she's about to turn six and it hasn't fully hit me yet either."

"She said she wants a princess party."

Delilah rolled her eyes. "Oh, I know."

"And I'm guessing by that reaction, it needs to be the best princess party ever."

"I really did give birth to a mini-me," she said, taking a large sip of her wine. "But enough about me, tell me about you. Besides dropping out of school, what has my baby sister been doing? Mom tells me you're quite the artist?"

"She did?" I asked, genuinely surprised. "She always told me art was a little hobby."

"I think that was just Mom's special way of trying to keep you in school. She showed me some of your stuff, Dyl. You are good. Really good. Is that what you want to do? Be an artist?"

"I think so," I said, nervously biting my lower lip. "When I got kicked out of my apartment-"

"Wait! What?"

"Dad paid for it. I got kicked out over school," I quickly explained. "But when I did, I began thinking about how I needed a fresh start; one that wasn't in California. And I thought, what if I moved to New York City? But then Diane said she might have a job for me in Paris and now-"

Delilah's eyes widened. "Please move here! You'd be an hour away! We could see each other all the time!"

"I can't afford to live here! Do you know how much rent costs just to afford an apartment the size of a bathroom in the city?"

"Ethan's entire family is from here. I'm sure one of them has a rent-controlled place."

"I can't-"

"Just let me ask. It doesn't hurt to ask."

"Fine," I huffed, my annoyance slightly growing as I caught the smug look she had over winning.

If Delilah had her way, which she more often than not was able to get, I would be moving into an apartment in the city by tomorrow morning. I appreciated the gesture, but I knew deep down that whatever my next move was, I needed to do it on my own. And that included paying my own rent - all of the rent. Not a family-discounted version of rent.

"How long are you here for?"

"It could only be a short trip because Diane has to fly back tomorrow for a meeting. I can't believe I just got here and now I have to leave so quickly."

"Stay here!" Delilah clasped her hands together. "Lily's birthday is in less than two weeks and I heard she already invited you. And, you can't miss out on your niece's sixth birthday."

"Wow," I gasped, "Guilt-tripping me with your own kid. Really, Delilah?"

She cocked her head to the side. "It's one of the only moves I have, but it's very effective." Delilah refilled both our glasses before adding, "There was a garage in the backyard that we converted into a guest area. You can stay there. You'll have your own space and you-"

"Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like I have a job I need to get back to. Besides, it'll let me get to know my niece better. And, I was invited to the best princess birthday party of the year. I can't miss out on that." I smiled as the little girl on the floor continued to be mesmerized by the television. "Where is Ethan?"

"He's at work, but he should be home soon," Delilah said. "He owns a chain of hardware stores in the area, which is nice because he's the boss. He always makes sure to set his hours around Lily."

"Is he a good dad?"

She blushed. "The best. Seriously, I am so thankful for him. He just adores her."

"I'm happy for you, Del. I can't wait to meet him."

"Well, enough about me. It's your turn. Any boys?"

I choked on my sip of wine, hearing her question. "No, no boys," I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Oh, come on, Dyl. There has to be someone."

Shrugging my shoulders, I forced a smile. "Nope, there's no one."

"So, you're single?"

"Yes."

"One-hundred percent single?"

"Yup," I sighed into my glass, taking a large sip. Single. A week ago I was confessing my love and planning our future out in my head. If I didn't laugh at how fate decided to play such a cruel trick on me, I would end up crying.

Catching the mischievous look in her eye piqued my interest. "Wait. Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you clarifying my love life?"

Delilah waved me off. "Oh, nothing. Just checking."

I leaned forward. "I know that look. It's the same look you had when we were kids. You always did that when you were scheming. What are you up to?"

"Fine," she huffed. "Since you're single, one-hundred percent single, as you put it-"

"Get to the point, Delilah."

"Well, there might be someone at Lily's birthday who I've thought for years would be a perfect fit for you and now you're here and single, and he'll be there and I think he's single," Delilah was speaking at a mile a minute, "I'm not sure he was with someone, but I think they broke up-"

"Delilah."

"And I mean, even if they didn't, look at you! There's no way he could resist-"

"Delilah!"

"What! I was just kidding about that last part. Obviously."

I rolled my eyes. "Who is he?"

"Oh just," she muffled her answer by taking a sip of wine.

"Who is he?"

"Daddy's home!" Lily jumped to her feet, running out of the living room and down the hallway.

"Will you just tell me already?"

"Okay, fine. It's Ethan's brother." She held up her finger to quickly silence me. "Now, before you say gross or weird or whatever because they're related, they're step-brothers. Okay? Besides, Ethan's not even that close with him so if it doesn't work out, no pressure!"

"Oh my god, is this why you wanted me to stay? You used her to guilt trip me!"

"No! I did that so you could spend more time with your niece."

"You're evil."

Her jaw dropped as she released a dramatic gasp. "I am not! I am just trying to take full advantage of this amazing timing. The stars are aligning, Dylan! The stars!"

I couldn't help but giggle at her dramatics as we stood up. "I think you're a little drunk."

"Me too," she whispered. "It's been a while since I've had a drink in the middle of the afternoon. Now, time for you to meet the love of my life, you know, before I later introduce you to yours."

I swatted her arm with the back of my hand. "Will you calm down! I haven't even met the guy yet."

"Uncle Fishy!" Lily's voice shouted happily in the distance.

Delilah quickly spun on her feet, turning to face me with wide eyes. "Okay, don't be mad," she said as her hands immediately went to my hair, smoothing it out. "He's here."

"Who?" I narrowed my eyes. "Ethan's brother? You're setting me up with someone named Fishy?"

One... two... three...

"It's only a nickname, Dylan. Jesus, get your head out of your ass," she playfully snapped, pushing my hair behind my shoulders. "I didn't know he would be here. Promise. He's close with Lily so I guess he came to surprise-"

... four... five... six...

"You said you weren't close!"

... seven... eight... nine...

"Well, I lied. Okay! What are you going to do about it? Get Diane to sue me?" She teased, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

... ten... eleven... twelve...

As much as I was annoyed with my sister wanting to play matchmaker, a small, tiny part of me got excited. Delilah had clearly done a great job finding the love of her life. Who was to say she couldn't do the same for me? Even if this guy wasn't the one, which I highly doubted he would be, a nice distraction was all I needed right now. Besides, a bit of fun wouldn't hurt anybody, right? And, I needed some fun right now. Even if his name was Fishy.

... thirteen... fourteen... fifteen...

"Mommy! Mommy! Guess who's here!" Lily's voice was evident as she re-entered the room.

... sixteen... seventeen...

While the little girl's face was filled with joy, mine was stunned as I met the eyes of the person's hand Lily was holding.

Hunter.

What he said shocked me even more. If that was even possible. 

"I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to finally meet you, Dylan."

if want to read more of my work, please check out my story HEADLINE which you can find on my profile <33

It's been a fun ride.

After 2 years (with my 1 year unexpected hiatus) i can't believe it's over :')

From the bottom of my cold, unromantic heart, thank you for being amazing readers <3

Who knows? Maybe we'll see each other again soon? ;)

Love you my angels <3 <3