The Mate's Dilemma: 001

As the sun began to rise, I made my way to the cemetery at the outskirts of town.

I always made it a point to visit my parents every week since their death five years ago. 

Even though I knew that I was already very late to work, there was no way I could actually go about the day without seeing my parents.

The grass was damp and devy under my feet as I walked, the smell of freshly cut grass filling the air. I followed the winding path through rows of headstones until I found the one she was looking for.

My parents grave was nestled under a large oak tree, its branches providing a comforting shade. I knelt down on the grass in front of the headstone, pulling out a small bouquet of wildflowers that I had picked a few minutes ago on my way here.

I placed the flowers on top of my mother’s grave, a tear rolling down my cheek as I thought about all the memories I had with my parents.

They were my only support, my biggest pillar. But that was taken away from me and even five years later I still could not see myself over that pain of losing them both.

They weren’t supposed to be here. They weren’t. they were supposed to be with me by my side, not buried six feet under.

“Mum, Dad, I miss you two so much. It still hurts so much, even after so long. It hurts” I whispered, more tears slipping from my eyes. “I don’t think I can go through this and get over this amount of pain.”

The image of their bodies still haunted my dreams. Their lifeless bodies brutalized and beyond recognition, lying in a pool of their own blood.

And I can’t know what hurt more. Their death or having to live with the fact that they were killed by people who they took and raised as their children.

If only mum had not taken the triplets that night, when they were babies, if only she had just given them away the moment she saw them.

But how were we to know what they were? How were we to know that the people I grew up with, the people I have loved so much, seen as nothing less than my sibling, how was I supposed to know that we were living with monsters for eighteen years.

Every memory I have of my parents has them. That made this more painful to bear.

They had brutally murdered my parents, and ran away. Without a glance. And I’ve never heard a single thing from them since then.

“I promise you; I will find those three and I will make them pay for what they did to you both” I whispered and I meant it. I had hired a very good private detective some months back, and he’s been doing a very amazing job so far.

I stayed for a few minutes before saying my goodbyes and getting up to leave.

                    ********

When I got to the bakery later that day, it was already filled up with customers and Blake was sweating trying to take care of the orders and deliveries alone. I smiled apologetically when his eyes met mine and he just rolled his eyes.

“Where have you been Lily?” he whispered, bypassing me with a tray to serve a couple on a table.

I went behind the counter and out an apron ready to start work for the day. There was a line of customers waiting patiently and my heart did a little jump. This bakery had been my mothers great joy when she was alive, asides her family of course. I hope she would be proud to see what I was doing with.

Emily and Michael had loved helping out in the bakery more than Alex and I. we both preferred being among the consumers. And they were both very good at baking.

Mum had said that one day she would leave the bakery to the four of us. And she had actually done that.

Her will showed that the bakery belonged to the four of us.

I felt a painful pang in my heart at the memory. 

I bet she didn’t know that her precious triplets would be the cause of her death.

“Lily?” Blake called interrupting my thoughts. “How are you? You don’t look so well”

I shook my head and started filling out the customers' orders. “Today is Wednesday” I replied and offered the teenager before me a smile while handing her orders.

“Oh, I totally forgot.” Blake said and I smiled

“You always do Blake. You have the memory of a hundred years old ma” I teased and he gave me a frown.

“That’s not fair. But I am glad you are okay” he said and we faced the growing number of customers.

By the time it was 11;00am, my back was already aching from all the standing. We have never had this rush of customers before.

I seriously need to start considering getting an extra hand here.

“You good?” Blake asked, walking into the kitchen where I had come to wash my hands.

“I am, thank you” I answered, staring into his smiling eyes. 

Blake had been there to pull me out of a pit of sorrow after the tragic incident five years ago. Since then he had pretty much been on my side, supporting me through everything.

“So how about our date tonight?” he asked, moving close to me and I swallowed uncomfortably., because I had almost forgotten about that one, and right now I can’t think of another excuse to get out of it.

Blake seemed to notice my discomfort because he smiled and took my hand.

“We don’t have to you know if you aren’t ready, I perfectly understand”

I shook my head because I was tired of excuses and trying to run away. It has been five years of pain, I needed to give life a chance and do things other than work. Blake has always been there for me, patient and all. I needed to give this a chance to see where we go.

“I will be there. I am sorry, it just slipped my mind.” I said and he squeezed my hand softly before leaving the kitchen.

I sighed, and took a bottle of water from the refrigerator to drink. 

I joined him soon after to serve the customers. And around noon he went back to the kitchen to bake a fresh supply.

I was just serving the last customer when my phone rang. I looked at the caller and almost froze, then I excused myself and left the bakery for more privacy.

“Hello?” I whispered, my heart racing “Any progress? Have you found them?”

“It’s not a very easy task madam. Those people are very good at staying hidden. I have some interesting news though” The man from the other end said, and my ears almost perked up, although I didn’t get it. Why exactly were they staying hidden? Did they know I was looking for them?

“What’s wrong? I am listening”

“Well from the traces and leads I followed; they travel a lot. They never stay at a place for more than a month, since the past five years. They are running from something or someone"

 I frowned. “Did you find out why? Who could they possibly from?"

“I don't have a good answer to that yet, but I did some digging for clarity, and I am afraid what I discover might change lots of things” the investor said, and continued without waiting for a response “They are being hunted. And the day your parents died; they weren’t the only ones there. There were a few others too, but what I couldn’t tell was if they were all together or not”

My heart did a double…. hell, triple flip and I staggered back dizzily. What does this mean? I didn’t know about this at all. Does that mean they did not kill my parents? Does that mean that I have been believing a lie?

I felt a tear slip from my face but I shook my head angrily. We were not sure yet. They killed my parents, if not why would they run away without staying to explain?

They had left my parents in the sitting room, body heavily brutalized and in a pool of their own blood

"Would you love me to dig deeper, madam? I can find out what really happened to your parents”

“No’ I snapped, “Let's stick to finding the bastards first. They can explain and answer my questions themselves”

Because all I had wondered was just why? What reason did they have to kill the couple who raised them?

Mum and Alex butted heads from time to time for his stubbornness, but it was simply a mother and son thing. She had doted on Michael and Emily, because they were the good kids between the four of us. She loved us all equally, but the truth was that Alex and I made parenting a lil difficult for her.

How could they?

I thanked the investigator, and headed back inside after cleaning my face.

“Are you okay?” Blake asked with a frown the moment I walked through the door.

“I am fine” I lied, because I was totally not fine, “Can you handle everything today? I need to head back home. I want to rest” I said 

“Of course. Take care of yourself. I got this darling” 

Picking up my purse, i gave him a smile and left....no, ran out of the shop.