Sweet and Innocent (Demi Lovato)

Chapter 50

Demi's POV

After our three weeks travelling, life returns to what had been our normal quickly. Neveah loves school, dance, and spending time with her friends. Lilly is still reserved when it comes to interacting with kids her age. Even so, everything is going well, and I'm surprised when some familiar faces show up at our front door.

"We found some boxes that Lillian and Neveah may be interested in," a man – I've forgotten his name – says. "They're pictures and other things from their parents that their uncle must have received when their parents died."

"We took a few items," a woman continues, "but the rest are yours."

"Thank you," I say, shocked. We'd been told that there was very little chance in finding more items from the girls' past at their uncle's old house. Still, I take the two boxes into the house. Neveah is at school, and Lilly is doing work in her bedroom, so I carry the boxes into the living room and leave them closed.

Lilly finishes her work just after lunch, and I tell her about the boxes before she agrees that we should wait until her sister gets back from school to open them. And, once it's time, Lilly and I get in the car to go pick Neveah up from school.

Back at home, I sit on the couch with the first box in front of me, and the girls sit on the floor beside the box. The scissors easily slide through the tape sealing the box, and the flaps open without much effort due to it being full. On the top, there are three different Dr. Seuss books. Inside each of them is a message to Lilly on her first, second, and third birthdays. It must have been a tradition that they unfortunately could never start with Neveah.

"I remember these books," Lilly almost whispers, taking them from my hands. Although there are tears starting to form in her eyes, she has a wide smile on her face.

I love seeing Lilly so happy; it's clear she has many good memories in her past, even if they're hidden beneath some bad ones.

Next, there is a baby doll wrapped in a blanket, as well as a second version of the same blanket.

"I got the doll when Nevvy was born," Lilly says, and she places the books down to grab the doll, "and Nevvy was wrapped in the other blanket."

"You remember all of this?" I ask. Her memory seems to be so strong, even with how little she knew when Wilmer and I first met her.

She nods. "I don't remember this, though." She leans over and lifts out a newborn-sized dress.

Nevvy peers into the box and takes out another dress the same size.

"I'm sure these were yours when you were babies," I say before pulling out two newborn hats that the girls would have likely worn in the hospital.

"This was my teddy bear!" Lilly exclaims, pulling a slightly worn teddy bear out of the box. "I got it when I was born from... I can't remember her name, but she always brought us presents when she visited."

"Was this one mine then?" Nevvy questions. She takes out a stuffed puppy.

"Yes, it was." Lilly smiles as she holds her teddy bear.

"Do you want to open the second box now?" I ask, replacing the empty box with a much heavier one.

Both girls nod.

At the top of the first box, there is a photo album, and there are two more it is stacked on top of. I flip open the first one to see pictures of a young girl. As I flip through the pages, the girl grows up, and once she's graduated, there are pictures of a young boy ranging from his childhood to graduation as well. There are a few pages of pictures with them together before wedding photos take over.