"Astrea, is that you?" Her dad called once the front door slammed shut. Tears had started to escape her eyes and she hated each one of them. There would be times where she was fine, happy even, but then she would remember. When Vera had died, it almost ruined her. She hated talking about it more then anything else. Those short times where she wasn't thinking about her sister were her favourites, though afterwards she was always feel guilty. Guilty that she was laughing when her sister was dead, because why should she get to laugh when her big sister was dead and it was all her fault.

"Yeah it's me," she confirmed. Without taking off the flower patterned Doc Martins, she laid down on the couch.

Seconds later her dad entered the room and just stopped in the doorway. He stared at her shaking his head and then finally spoke. "Oh Astrea," he said. "What happened?"

That was something she didn't want to think about, yet everyone always asked. What's wrong? What happened? The questions never ended.

"Nothing," she whispered, watching the small droplets fall from her eyes to the pillow beneath her head.

"Is this about Vera?" He asked hesitantly, after noticing her shoes. They had been Vera's and since she died, Astrea was never not wearing them. Her father hated it, he'd always accidentally call her Vera. At first Astrea thought it was because of their similar blond hair, but those shoes were special to her. Vera had never left the house without them, and everyone knew it.

Astrea sighed, "Yes."

"I need to tell you something," her father admitted. This was the last thing she had expected to hear, if anything she thought he would be demanding to know what happened. "About Vera."

Astrea nodded, waiting for him to continue. Except he didn't, instead he walked into his office and came back with an envelope. "From your mother," he whispered, almost as if he didn't want her to hear the last part. Which was probably a good idea considering her mother was the last thing she wanted to take about. Though her father seemed determined to get her to read it. "Just read it," he said, holding the envelope out in front of her.

Her mother had left them a long time ago, so Astrea wasn't quite sure how it had anything to do with Vera. "I don't want to," Astrea said, making no move to touch the extended the paper. "What's the point?"

"Please just trust me, it's about your sister," he said. Her mother had left when Vera was seven, making Astrea only three years old at the time. She didn't understand how any letter from her mother would help with her sister's death. Still she took the paper anyways, knowing her father wouldn't give her any other choice.

"Is this supposed to be some kind of apology from her?" Astrea asked. The letter felt heavy in her hands, and despite who it was from she wanted to know what it was.

"No, you'll understand once you read it," he promised. Her father looked worried though, and that alone frightened her. She could tell he didn't know if he was doing the right thing. Focusing on his words instead of his expression she ran her nail under the flap to open it. "I'll give you some space," her father said, heading for the exit. She watched him close his office door behind him before taking a deep breath. Then she pulled out the folded piece of paper from inside the envelope. She had always wondered where her mother went, but she had left them so Astrea tried to forget about her. Still she was curious, and that was enough for her to start reading.

Dear Astrea,

If your reading this then either you have started to remember your past, or your father has decided you need this. Before I explain myself, which I know you probably don't want to hear, I'd like to apologize. I'm so sorry I had to leave you and Vera. I wish I was with you right now, but at least I know I will get to see you soon.

Astrea paused and held the letter down in her lap. She didn't want to read this, it was exactly what she had meant when she told her father she didn't want to read an apology letter. The beginning kept her reading though, she had mentioned her past and this Astrea did want to read.

So if you are reading this, I'm going to assume it has started. I can't explain to you why your remembering things that you don't remember ever living. But I can tell you that you're not going insane. Perhaps you think they're hallucinations, visions or dreams, but they're memories.

She had been wrong. It wasn't an apology after all, it was an explanation.

I don't know why this happens to us, and neither did my mother. In every life, my side of the family goes through this. You start remembering until someone or something triggers it to all come back. Then you will remember all your lives, and you'll remember me.

Maybe the psychic had been right all this time. But if that were true then that meant the boy was real, and he seemed to be a constant in her past. Astrea was still skeptical, but something in that though made her keep reading.

It all starts in Oceanside, in every life something brings us back there. I had to get away this time though, but I promise I'll be back. I know that doesn't explain much, but everything I am doing is for our family.

Tears were now streaming down her face. She didn't want it to be true, she just wanted to go back and see her sister again. The tears splattered down onto the paper, darkening her mother's words, but she kept going.

You need to find him this time. You and Vera never fully remember without him or me. I wish I could be there to help you. If the memories started coming back, then he's near. I don't know how it works between you two, until I met him I thought it was only our family. Somehow he's there in every life.

Again she stopped, she couldn't help it. She had known something about him was familiar from the beginning. It was more than that now, because he was real. It didn't seem possible, but she could feel the honesty in her mother's words and she knew it was. She didn't even know how he was, they had never met, yet she believed it. If her mother was in fact telling the truth, then she would meet him soon.

Your father is home now, I'm sorry Astrea I need to end this letter here. Just find him and you'll remember. Your sister is probably going through the same thing, it won't be confusing for much longer. You can always talk to her if you need anything. She will probably start getting glimpses before you.

Then Astrea stopped and folded up the paper. She couldn't read the ending, she had enough information. Her own mother didn't know Vera was dead. Reading that, Astrea wished for nothing more than to be able to talk to her sister again. That was the single thing she couldn't do though.

Astrea threw the letter into the fire pit to be burned when it was lit, and got up off the couch. Vera was dead but if she understood correctly, she would be back. Perhaps she was already back, somewhere in the world. It was so much new information that Astrea needed to take a walk.

So she walked around to the back of the house and climbed over the fence to the beach. The fresh air was refreshing and she didn't want to dwell on that letter so she just walked. She walked all the way until she could see the tunnel but then stopped. She froze in her spot, there was Alexis standing in front of her. She wasn't alone though, she was with three other boys. 

When Alexis realized it was her she smiled and ran up to greet Astrea, leaving the boys behind. "Hey," she said.

Astrea opened her mouth to reply but then closed it again. The boys had now caught up, two were the ones she briefly met at the school, but the third was someone very familiar. She shook her head at herself for not figuring it out sooner, he looked like Alexis. One of the boys was him.

The boy who had infected her mind for days now, was right in front of her. The memories of him being so close were fresh in her mind, but now she knew that he was real, that it wasn't all a lie.

Alexis tilted her head in question of why everyone had gone silent.

Does he know?  Astrea wondered.

Her question was soon answered when the boy turned his head and saw her. His eyes widened visibly and the smile fell off his face. To her surprise it soon returned. This was the smile she had been seeing, and this was the boy who it belonged to. 

He stepped forward so he was inline with Alexis and spoke. "Hi," he said extending his hand."I'm Rhys."

Astrea took his hand and returned his smile. The feeling of returning home after being away for a long period of time washed over her. Standing there with him, seeing his smile again; it felt right.

 He nodded, as if confirming that he understood and that he felt it too. 

"I'm Astrea," she replied.

His hair was shorter and he looked a little younger than in her memories, but Astrea knew now that all the pain and suffering hadn't been for nothing, because he was back and Vera was not lost forever. 

Then the memories came flooding back in, and as painful as some of them were, she knew it was worth it. And even though she didn't know this version of him yet, she was excited to.

___________

And that's the end! I hope you all enjoyed reading this short story as much as I did writing it! Don't forget to vote if you did, and leave a comment letting me know what you thought of the letter and the ending! What's one thing you wish the story had?