Kira's P.O.V

Memories.

Memories are images from the past that are engraved in our hearts. Memories, of events that we shared together throughout our life time with friends and family or even with a stranger.

 Some are sweet and some are toxic yet, for me, they will never be able to fade the memory of that night; I still remember the day that Caleb gave me that A3 rectangle box for my birthday.

 That was 13 years ago and yet I still never get bored of going through that A3 leather sketch book that remained the box.

They were all drawings of me from different angles, in different Medias and different tones. 

Some of them were collages cut out of black and white newspapers with a ink wash of my profile features on it and some of them were extremely detailed sketches. 

But most of them –which he loved to do-, were painting. Each significant brush stokes expressed the emotions he hid form all of us. 

The fluid curve of my curls and the golden emotionless eyes, he captured all me in his memory. At the end of the sketch book there rested a short letter to explain his gift of choice to me.

Dear Kira,

I know times are rough between us now but I pray to god that they won't be after you come back. But if they still are and you decide to never forgive me, I'll understand. I hope you will keep this with you, (if you want) but I hope you do. 

I don't want this to remind you of the bad memories we shared together. I want this to remind you all the good times we spent together. Our little hide outs on the beach, our little secrets we hid from everyone. 

I might not be able to hold you or kiss you like I use to but I want you to keep this with you. Think of it like it's my heart that's now with you and forever will be.

I'm not a poet or an expressive writer and this probably didn't make any sense but I hope you understand what I meant to say.

I'll always love you with all I am.

Your Caleb.

It was true, that letter probably didn't make any sense to anyone but it made sense to me. I understood his unspoken words and it was easy for me to read between the lines when it came to him. I loved him with all my heart and I still do.

"MOMMY... daddy is crying." A little golden haired boy burst through my bed room door holding onto his bat man action figure with his dear life.

"He's crying?" I asked chuckling at his father idiocy. Putting the sketch pad back on the shelf I followed the little fellow out of the room towards where crying noises were coming from. 

His Spiderman pyjamas looked too big on his little frame as he kept pulling it up, after, almost every step he took as he guided me towards his baby sister's room. "LOOKIE." He pointed at his struggling father and ran downstairs to his older brother, Onix.

"Pease Kira help me. I'm begging you." He cried as he cradled the little girl near to his chest to make her stop crying.

"Hey, I was fine with my 2 boys until you begged me have another one because you wanted a girl and now you have her. You promised to do ALL the work." I teased him as I walked forward as slow as possible.

"Ha-ha. Please, she won't sleep or anything HELP ME MOMMY." He stomped his feet like his oldest son.

"FINE, give me her."

"THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU." He handed me my little girl and gave me a loud sloppy kiss on my lips. "You're still the best angel."

"Yeah yeah, go check on the boys." I ordered him. "AND NO MESS please... it's like I four kids instead of three." I yelled as he nearly ran out of the room to go play video games with his boys.

Sighing in defeat I tried to calm my 8 weeks old daughter down. I don't even know why she was awake because I just put her down to sleep an hour ago. I moved around the little pink room as the cries started to die down. 

She looked exactly like her father and her oldest brother. They all had the pure black hair with the darkest shade of brown eyes and a natural brown tanned skin, whereas my youngest son –aged 4-, inherited my golden hair -but lighter- with golden down eyes.

After putting my daughter down in her crib I watched her peaceful little face soften and find her way to her own dream land.

"She's beautiful huh?" Caleb's voice startled me making me turn around immediately with a hand on my heart.

"Jezz, I thought you were playing with the boys downstairs." I explained to him as he slowly approached me like a predator.

"Yeah... no. I prefer watching my wife look after my kids." He grabbed my hips and pressed me flushed against his body. Even after all these years our love, height and passion remained the same. 

I thought while I was pregnant, he'd stop loving me but I had never seen someone adore me so much while I was pregnant. He literally did everything for me. If it was up to him, he would have kept me locked in a room which he knew was safe enough for me and the baby.

"You feeling okay?" He asked massaging my back lightly.

"Yeah but no more babies." I told him sternly making him chuckle.

"If you were a guy and the love of your life was carrying your child, you'd understand then." I remember him telling me that before. He told me that it made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

"Still... no more babies please. I have YOU to handle too." I poked his chest making him chuckle lightly and guide me out of the room.

"How about you rest a bit now huh? I'll handle the boys or send them to uncle Devon's."

"I can't believe how good he is with the boys." I laughed at their prior adventure stories, apparently once their uncle Devon slayed a dragon.

"Yeah but I don't want my sons to end up single at the age of 30." He reminded me.

Devon was the "cool" uncle to them because he, himself was a child at heart. He always loved the boys and protected them like his own little siblings. He never settled down though, he says he just hasn't found the right girl yet but recently he'd been with a girl for over a year which is by far his personal best.

"Onix wants a proper bike for his birthday." Caleb informed me as he laid down next me.

"What, just because he's turning 6 doesn't mean he's grown up okay." I refused to let myself believe that he was turning 6. "I mean, he was Sierra's age yesterday." I compared my oldest son with my youngest and only daughter.

"Yeah but they grow up so fast..."

I sighed in defeat. "We need to buy Ryder new pyjamas, either he has shrunk or the pyjamas have grown." I chuckled at his height.

"They are Onix's and I blame you for his height, oh lord my son's going to get teased." He sniffed and wiped imaginary tears away from his cheeks.

"HEEYY." I slapped his arm playfully.

"What? That little man looks exactly like you... he probably will be tiny like you."

"Oh please... and Shane and Alicia... and ... Saira and Brody are coming back a day early for Onix's birthday." I reminded him. "I love our little family." I smiled at the thought of how, we, couple of high school kids made it to the big dangerous world. I don't think I would have been able to do it without them.

"And I love you." Caleb left a lingering kiss on my cheek before resting his head on the pillow.

"I love you too."


That night, on my 17th birthday party Caleb was shot. But he came back to me. The doctor's said it was a miracle that he made it through but he did in the end. Victor and his gang were taken to state prison and it also helped that Maya's uncle was the sheriff who helped us a lot with the case. I remember when he opened his tired red eyes he said.

"Can I have that kiss now?"

And he got it. I kissed him like there were no tomorrow. Ever since, I started to cherish every moment I had with everyone around me, for however long or short they lasted.

Brody and Saira were still going strong were expecting their first child now. They moved to LA to peruse a career in music as a DJ and a singer but it was extremely difficult for them to make it to the top due to all the brilliant competition. 

So 2 years ago they decided to come back home and start their own local record label. 

They became pretty famous in Alaska after opening their own radio station where armature talents would tribute to spread their name around to gain recognition.

Shane and Lacey tried their best to stay together but long distance became thorn in their relationship. She was accepted at Harvard where as he wanted stay home and build a career here. 

Now he owns his own garage down south in the city leaving Devon and Nathan to handle the small one he originally owned in town. Shane was doing great actually, he's now engaged to a nurse named Alicia and I absolutely love her. 

They also have a 3 year old daughter named Naomi and Shane finally came to his senses and decided to reconnect with his first child he had with Saira. 

But because it was a closed adoption, the parents didn't want the child to grow up knowing Shane was her father and he was fine with it as long as he got to see her.

On the other hand, Caleb decided to go up north and start his own winter resort which accommodated skiing, ice skating, winter wonderland e.t.c whereas I decided to get a degree in art and design to become an event planner. 

Caleb and I both ended up going to the same college down south before coming back home. When I found out I was pregnant with Onix at 24 he immediately put a ring on my finger and moved back to his old house as his parents were happily retired and now travelling the world.

 Brody and Saira lived down town so Caleb's father decided to hand the house over to Caleb as we were the ones with the babies.

Last but the most important one Maya, she always thought she'd never find someone until mine and Caleb's wedding day when she 'accidently' hooked up with Nathan. 

He was right there in front of her and she was right there in front of him but they didn't know they were made for each other. Since then they are inseparable and happily married, including proud parents of a beautiful 5 years old daughter named Jasmine. 

Me and Maya, oh so dearly wanted Onix and Jasmine to grow up to be childhood lovers however that theory would have worked if they'd stop fighting each other whenever they encountered each other.

Life didn't turn out the way I planned it would when I lived alone in NY but it did turn out better than I had ever imagined it would. The love of my life was fine and alive and I had 3 beautiful children with him. 

Tim and Mom got married when we ended up leaving for college and are too happily travelling around western Asia.

Thing is, I am where I am today due to hope. If I didn't hold on to hope and let go of my life, I wouldn't be here today.

Hope is paralysing but it always pulls through in the end.

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I wish you people all the best in life and get what you all always wanted.

-Kat