I hear Kiera enter her room while I was looking at all the Polaroids on the wall, the cover bag still in my hand.
I miss all those times.
"Hey," she says softly as she stands beside me now looking at the Polaroids too, probably going through all these memories like I am.
"It's been a while since I have been here. I was just looking---" I say now averting my eyes from the wall to look at her.
"Yeah, I know," she whispers even more softly now with an understanding expression on her face.
She misses all those times too.
"Here, let me take this," she says taking the gown from me. I just admire her for a while as she is trying to find a place in her mess for the gown.
"Erm, I'll be going then," I say as she turns around to face me pretending I was looking at the wall again.
She walks up to me with hesitance in her walk, "Thank you for today, Liam" she says looking up from the ground with sincerity in her eyes as if thanking me for something more.
"Mhmm," I manage to say and before my mind could comprehend I start mumbling, "Erm,you know, I , Sunday, we, that, we, all, no.."   I keep on stuttering now.
"Liam, I don't understand," she says making a puzzled face.
"Do you want to go to the gala with me?"
I had to ruin this day, hadn't I?
"Erm, I was, erm actually thinking of accompanying mum."
"Oh! I think Sarah and Mum planned to go together actually," I say as I look at her, her expressions unchanged and still worried.
"You know, erm, I didn't mean the two of us. I meant that Seth, Sharon and I were planning to go together, if you wanna tag along."
Why do I keep doing this to myself!
"Oh! Okay then"
She is still scared.
"Erm, alright. I will see you then."
"Erm, Kiera--"
"Yeah?", she says turning around to face me again.
I contemplate if I should say anything more to ruin this day but I cannot just spend the entire day without telling her or at least hinting about how happy I am that she is back and that I am hopeful that we will make it through. So, I look at her studying her eyes for a moment.
"Welcome Home. I missed you." I utter out and turn around and close the door behind me not waiting to see her reaction like a coward.

I go downstairs as I sent a message to Seth.

I go downstairs to find Sarah reading her book silently in the living room with a glass of wine.
"Hey," I say as I approach her.
She looks up from her book, and smiles, asking me to sit down.
"Would you like something to drink? Wine or--"
"No, no. I am fine. I saw you reading and I thought that it's been a while since we talked so I'll  come trouble you a little," I say making her chuckle,
"How are you doing?" I continue with a sincere tone now.
"I am fine. Thank you for taking her out today."
"It was Pops. I was just following orders," I raise my arms in surrender.
She chuckles but her eyes still look hurtful; tired.
"Sarah, are you really okay?"
"I am, son. I am just a little worried. I am ecstatic that Kiera is back but I know she is still hurting and I know you are too."   
"We have to give it time. Does she know anything yet? About the last three years?"
"Not much."
"It's okay. It's good that we don't pile up everything on her right away. I know you will do it eventually."
"I will. I can't ever thank you enough for what you did; keeping in mind the loss you suffered that horrifying night was irreplaceable. You are a good boy," she says as she strokes my cheek gently before continuing, "I know she doesn't say it or express it but I know she wants you back as much as you do and I know you have been hurt so much but she is----"
"I know, Sarah. I know. Don't worry and take care of yourself or you know that I can be persistent."
"I know" she says chuckling.
"I shall take your leave then. See you" I say standing up to leave.

"Hey, was Liam still here? I just saw him leave" I say as I enter the living room to find Mum lost in deep thought.
"Yeah, he was just talking to me."
"I didn't know you guys talk so much now," I say as I sit down beside her.
"We always did but a lot has changed in these years, Kiera" she says her voice all serious now.
"What do you mean?"
"Erm, I don't know where to start honey."
"Okay, you are scaring me, Mum. What's going on?" I say, a little scared now.
"I talked to you quite often in these three years but I know that you were still so hurt and there was no one at Cambridge to help you that I knew of or trusted, so I was just so scared---" she mumbles avoiding eye contact.
"Mum, what are you talking about?" I say trying to calm her down.
"There is a lot of stuff that I didn't tell you about--," she continues when she sees my puzzled face, "that happened in these years"
"What stuff?"
"There are things that happened and as much as I want never to discuss them or even tell you, I know you would be hurt if you get to know about them later."
"What things, Mum?" I say pretending to be calm.
I knew this day was too good to be true.
"All of it is not mine to tell, Kiera and I am sure you will know all of it in time but I do want to tell you some things that is if you think you are ready to hear?"
"Of course I am! What is it?"
"So, you know after, erm, like a month or so after you went, you called me in the middle of the night because you wanted me to check an assignment you did in school and you thought it could help with one of your projects.
"Erm, yeah, vaguely I think, you told me you had a headache and asked if you could e-mail it in the morning. What's that got to do with anything?" I ask puzzled trying to piece it all together.
"Well, I didn't have a headache. The reason I asked to send it in the morning is because I wasn't at home."
"I don't understand" I ask even more puzzled now.
"I had an anxiety attack three weeks after you left because of everything that happened. Thankfully, Sam was there to help me at that time and then Liam was so scared when he got to know that he made me stay with them for a while, till I could accept everything that had happened at least."
My mind goes blank as it comprehends her words. "What?" I utter too shocked to say anything else.
"I suffered from anxiety after you left and I think living with them, though it was just across the street helped me. I couldn't believe that Sam, Liam and everyone would be like that. I thought they would have hated me, at least partly blamed me for the loss that they suffered but I don't know how I got so lucky," she says and I can see the fear in her eyes when she is remembering about that time.
"For how long, Mum?" I say holding her hand.
"I guess for about six months. I had lost all hope. It's not like Sam and I had the same friendship. It took us time to make amends and I know you and Liam will too," she says with a hopeful expression.
"Wh--,"I clear my throat to find my voice, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Like I said it would have made you unnecessarily worried, you might have even come back even though you were clearly not ready. And later, after a while, I wanted to but Liam made me promise not to, not until you were back here at least, not when you were starting to heal, not until you were strong enough to understand it objectively."
I turn away from her now blankly staring at the table in front of me till tears blur my vision.
"Oh honey, don't cry," Mum says comforting me, wrapping me in her arms.
"I am so sorry, Mum. I wished you would have told me, I didn't think how alone you would be and how you would deal with everything, I am so sorry. I am so selfish, I am so so sorry, I wish I could—"
"Darling, stop. I was glad that you weren't. I needed time to heal on my own, just like you needed it and don't for a second think that you were selfish. I am proud of the choices you have made, so never question them."
"I just—"
"It's okay, honey. It's all in the past now. We are all here now, well and healthy. Why don't I go heat the dinner and you go freshen up."
"I think I am just gonna go to bed."
"Kiera, do you want to---?"
"No no, Mum, I am fine. I am really not hungry and I just need some alone time to process this. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Good night." I say standing up to go to my room to process everything.
"Okay," she says with a dejected expression.
I hug her as tightly as possible, "Mum, don't be miserable over telling me this. I am glad you did and you are right, I would have been very upset had you not. Just give me time. I love you. You are alright, right?"
"I am honey. I love you too," she says breaking the hug and I just go upstairs and lie on my bed till exhaustion hits me.

**********

Author' s Note:

This chapter uncovers  one of the things that has happened to Kiera and Liam and their families. This is a romantic story but it also deals with certain mental health issues and a lot of family drama and I felt this was an essential chapter to establish that emotion in the story.
Please let me know what you think in the comments.
Do VOTE if you like the chapter.

Happy Reading ❤❤

PS: The gala is happening in the next chapter, so I will see you all there.