chapter ten,
keep this love in a photograph

    It was early.

Way too early for Nailea to be awake but she was currently on a flight to her home state, California. She had a 3am thought to go surprise visit her parents with her sister who way too excited to see them again.

Nailea arrived at 8:39am in California. She stepped off the plane and immediately felt a sense of familiarity wash over her. I

t had been a while since she had been back home, and she was excited to see her parents and sister again.

As she made her way through the airport, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about surprising them like this.

She hailed a taxi and gave the driver her parents' address, watching the city pass by outside the window.

When they arrived outside her parents' house, Nailea took a moment to collect herself before getting out of the taxi. Her heart was racing, but she was also filled with excitement to see her family after so long. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

As she waited for someone to open the door, she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

Her parents were famous in their own right, having made a name for themselves in the film industry. She wondered how they would react to her sudden appearance outside their door at such an early hour.

Finally, the door swung open and her mother, Nadia, stood in the doorway, looking surprised to see her daughters standing there.

"Nailea? Reese? What are you two doing here?"

Nailea chuckled, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. "We wanted to surprise you," she said, giving her mother a small smile. "Can we come in?"

"Of course, of course, come in. Your father is still asleep but he'll be surprised to see you both as well."

As they walked in, Nailea glanced around the house, taking in the familiar surroundings. It had been a while since she had been back home, but everything looked the same as she remembered it.

"How long are you both staying for?" Nadia asked, leading them towards the living room.

"Just for the week," Reese answered, flopping down onto one of the plush couches. "We have to go back next Monday."

"A week? That's a nice long visit," Nadia said, taking a seat in one of the armchairs. "We'll have to make the most of it then."

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍒 ⋅ ˚✮

    Inside the Holloway household, Nailea and Reese sat on the couch, laughing and chatting with their parents. It was great to catch up with them after so many months of being away in New York. Their mother, Nadia, poured everyone a cup of tea and sat down at the other end of the couch.

"So," she said, sipping her tea. "What have you girls been up to lately? Any exciting news?"

Reese spoke up first, "Well, I just started dating this girl a few weeks back and we're going pretty strong. Her name's Kendall and she's amazing."

Their dad, who had finally joined them, sat down on the armchair next to their mother. "That's wonderful, sweetheart," he said, smiling at Reese. "She must be special if you're so happy together."

"She is, and I can't wait for you all to meet her."

Their mom chuckled, "We can't wait, either. And what about you, Nailea? We saw that you had recently started back up your acting career."

Nailea nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed to suddenly be the center of attention. "Yeah, I have. I've been working on some new music and I did a couple of acting gigs too."

"We saw the trailer for that show you're in," their dad said, taking a sip of tea. "It looks great. We can't wait to see it."

"Thanks, Dad," Nailea said, feeling a sense of pride. "It's been a lot of hard work, but it's been really rewarding."

Their mom smiled at her. "We're so proud of you, Nailea. You've always been so talented and hardworking, and I'm glad you're finally pursuing what you love."

Nailea felt a swell of emotion in her chest. "Thanks, Mom. It means a lot hearing you say that."

As the family continues chatting and enjoying their tea, Nailea's eyes wander around the living room, taking in all the familiar pictures and memories on the walls. Suddenly, one particular picture catches her eye – an old photograph of her and Reese as kids, playing on the beach during a family vacation.

Nailea gets up and walks over to the picture, her fingers tracing the frame as she gazes nostalgically at the image.

Reese notices Nailea staring at the picture and gets up to join her. "Awh! We look so cute," she says, smiling fondly at the photo.

Nailea nods, feeling a rush of bittersweet nostalgia. "Yeah, we do. I swear we used to play on that beach every summer growing up."

"Oh, I remember that vacation," their mom says, grinning at the memory. "You two were so obsessed with building sandcastles on the beach every day."

"Haha, we were," Reese laughs. "And I remember we used to bury Dad in the sand every day, even after he told us not to."

Their dad groans, rolling his eyes playfully. "Oh don't remind me. You two had way too much fun burying me in the sand every day."

The family chuckles at the memory, and Nailea reaches out to touch her mom's hand. "We should go on another vacation together soon," she says, her voice soft.

"That's a great idea. We definitely need to plan another family trip. Maybe somewhere new this time?"

The family continues chatting and reminiscing, enjoying each other's company and planning their future vacation together. They spend the rest of the day catching up and reliving old memories.

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