"I want how it was before. I want it all with you in my life again... I'm asking you to stay."
Miles Cobain-Smith
An aloof and detached logician, he scrutinizes the simplest things through microscopic lenses. Academic validation, family expectations...
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The warmth of dampening wind hits her face as Juliet shuts the door of the car, looking up toward the two-story house. The walls are grayish with several casement windows and gable roofs. On the right front corner of the structure is a garage with black shutters, the lawn and the front way are parallel.
Juliet approaches Russell while he's unloading the bags out of the car.
"Let me carry some, dad." She offers help and he gladly hands her a suitcase.
Juliet walks before him and reaching the mahogany colored flush door, she rings the doorbell. She waits in anticipation as the door opens after a while revealing Bridget, Maddie's 16-year-old sister.
"Hey! You're here finally!" Bridget pulls her in a tight hug. "There was heavy traffic today, we thought you'd be late."
"By the time we got into the car, traffic was easing up." Juliet smiles, pulling back from the embrace.
Bridget's focus shifts to Russell and her eyes widen slightly, "Oh my God, I've kept you all waiting outside. Sorry, uncle. Please come inside."
She moves aside from the door as Juliet and Russell enter the house with the luggage. Just as they make it to the living room, Maddie barges out of nowhere, her hair a mess and a comb in her hand. Her eyes light up when they land on Juliet and she begins running toward her.
"Julie! What a privilege to see your pretty face again! I missed you." She comes to give Juliet a bear hug and she happily reciprocates.
"Hi, uncle." Maddie greets Russell with a polite smile, "Please leave the bags there, we will take care of them."
Later that night, Juliet and Maddie engage in a sincere conversation after a long time in Maddie's bedroom, while Bridget remains captivated by a book nearby. The thing about Bridget is, she never speaks much but would always be a comforting listening ear when in need.
"Unbelievable. Who'd have thought this? I could never." Maddie squeals, still adjusting to the new piece of information Juliet just shared. "From tutoring sessions to a relationship? Wow."
Juliet shrugs, somewhat uneasy.
"It took me a while too. You know this whole relationship thing is very new to me, I've never even gone on a single date in my life. I don't know how it works. The little bit of knowledge that I have is solely from the romance books I read." She awkwardly chuckles. "He dismissed the idea of love in the blink of an eye that day. I wasn't expecting for him to come back a few days later and initiate this. I was a little hesitant but he seemed earnest. I mean he's actually not the type of guy to do or say something without meaning it."
"How old is Miles?" Bridget asks, curiosity in her eyes.
"Twenty plus. He took a gap year after freshman year." Juliet answers and she asks again,
