Though We May Fall {An Aphmau AU}

Leaving The Past Behind

**Katelyn's POV**

    I hadn't seen my step-sister in about four days, but from what I heard from Dottie and Cadenza, she was doing much better. Whatever Aaron had said to her that night must've really stuck. The only reason I wasn't with her right now was that I was on my way to visit my mother. She had invited me to come and visit, and even though I hadn't seen her in over three years, I was still willing to go and see her.

    Mom had left my dad when I was in third grade, and for a while, they had joint custody. However, when she moved to Tu'la, she agreed to give sole custody to Dad because she didn't want to force me and Kacey to switch countries. I think after seeing Mr. Bravura force Aphmau to leave Phoenix Drop with him, Mom didn't want us to go through the same thing. Kacey and I rarely saw her anymore, but since Kace had started college this year, she wanted us to come and see her. Right now, Kacey and I were about to land in the Tu'la Airport after fourteen hours in the air. It was exhausting, but seeing Mom was worth it.

    I was almost nervous, flying high above the clouds through the night sky. Kacey was sleeping next to me, his head resting on my shoulder as he snored lightly. I smiled, resting my cheek on top of his hair as I continued to stare out the tiny airplane window. He was always able to sleep anywhere, anytime, leaving me to drive him around and keep an eye on him. Even though he was a freshman in college, I still felt like he was a little kid who needed me to keep an eye on him.

    Kacey didn't go to PAA, but rather the top military academy in Bright Port. The town itself was pretty small, but the academy produced the best officers in the entire region. As of now, Kace was the top of his class both physically and mentally, but it was only winter break. Besides, he wasn't striving to be the top, he was trying to do his best. It just helped that he has an amazing sister who helped him with training while he was still in high school.

    "Attention passengers, we will be landing in about five minutes in Silva, Tu'la. The time here is 2:42 a.m. and the temperature is 19 degrees Fahrenheit. I ask that you please buckle your seat belts and return all trays to the upright position. Thank you for flying with Ru'aun Airlines, and we hope you enjoy your time in Silva, Tu'la." After the captain finished speaking, there was a flurry of whispers and movement as people began to pack up their belongings and prepare to leave the plane. I nudged Kacey, trying to wake him.

    "Kacey. We're landing soon." He groaned, cracking open an eye to stare me down lazily before closing it again and promptly going back to sleep.

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    Knocking on the front door of my mom's house at six in the morning was always an adventure. Sometimes she forgot we were coming and was still asleep when we arrived. Other times, she was already awake and peppy and ended up talking to us for hours and causing me to not get sleep for more than twenty-four hours. But still, I was just glad to be on solid ground. I got really bad motion sickness in vehicles, and while it wasn't as bad on planes, just the idea of it would make me sick and uncomfortable whole flight.

    Lugging our bags up the steps, Kacey and I stopped on the porch, looking up at the house in front of us. Since the last time we had been to Tu'la, Mom had moved to the city of Hesperia, which was another hour farther from the airport than her old home in Grasmere which had been two hours already. So after fourteen hours in the air and three hours on a bus, Kacey and I were finally here.

    This new house was a definite improvement from her old one. Either she had moved up a lot in her job in the past three years, or she had moved in with her new boyfriend. Some backstory on that, Mom had never really settled down again after she divorced Dad, and she had only stayed with him for so long because she didn't want to make my and Kacey's lives harder than they needed to be. Her boyfriends after Dad only lasted a couple of months at the longest, but maybe she had finally found Mr. Right.

    The door swung open to reveal a tall man with messy brown hair and pale skin standing before us, an easy smile outlined by a beard brightening his face. "Ah, you must be Elizabeth's children right?" I looked at Kacey, subconsciously moving in front of him slightly before looking the man before us in the eye.

    "Yes sir, my name is Katelyn Fyre and this is my brother Kacey. And who are you?" The man chuckled, lifting his hands in surrender.

    "I'm an old friend of your mother. We went to college together, and when her house burnt down last month, I offered to let her stay here until she can find somewhere new." I frowned, still looking him up and down.

    "Well, it makes sense, even though Mom never told us about any house fire. Anyway, as long as you have a bed where I can crash, I don't care who you are." As if to prove my point, a yawn forced its way out, causing me to smile sheepishly at the man in front of me. He laughed, motioning us inside.

    "Come in, come in! I have two bedrooms upstairs that are open for you to use." I nodded my thanks, shouldering my duffel bag and lifting Kacey's with my other hand before he could even protest.

    "Come on Katy, I should be doing that for you!" He complained, tugging on the bag to try and take it back from me. I ignored him, moving into the house and past the man who was nearly a head taller than me, making him probably a couple of inches taller than Kace.

    "You and I both know that I could easily lift you as well Kace, so I don't want to hear it. And I'm sorry, but I don't recall you telling us your name? And where's our mom?" The man smiled apologetically, his shoulders lifting slightly.

    "I apologize. My name is Dale. I'm sure you both have been up all night, so I'm sure Elizabeth wouldn't mind if you slept first, no? If you two saw her now I'm sure she would talk your ears off." Kacey laughed, and I smiled as well. Dale was very easy going, making it impossible to not like him. He led us through his house to the second floor before showing us to our rooms. They were right across from one another, and he pointed out another room down the hall, saying it was where Mom was staying. With that, he waved us off and headed back downstairs, whistling a tune as he went. Kacey and I exchanged a final glance before I went into the room and collapsed on the bed.

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    Ten hours later, I was sitting on a couch downstairs with my mom and Kacey, Dale and his wife Molly across from us. Knowing that Dale was married made me feel slightly better, but at the same time, I honestly wouldn't have minded him and Mom getting together. But Dale and Molly had two kids- Alexis and Brian. Both were in college, same as Kace and I, but they didn't get out for another couple days, which was why Kace and I were using their rooms for the time being.

    My mom had her arm around me, and I had my head resting on her shoulder. She still had the same smell of vanilla and mint, and even though there were some silver streaks forming in her sky blue hair, she looked as beautiful as always.

    I loved seeing my mom. She seemed to make me feel like a child again, back when our gang was whole and had no problems except for Gene. Those days were perfect, and it was hard to imagine that life had gotten so difficult since then. But after seeing what had happened to Aphmau, I was beginning to realize that there was no going back to those times. We weren't children anymore, no matter how much I wished we were. We were young adults who were beginning to see the real parts of the world and just how awful it could be. But that didn't mean we had to forget about what made us who we are. We could let go of the past and move forward, but still retain the qualities that make us whole. I would forever cherish those memories, but I knew that it was time to move on. Time to face the future with open arms and make the best of it.