Lily sat wrapped in a blanket. The room was lit by the dim glow of a wall sconce. Cleo had long gone to bed. A cold wind blew, stirring the curtains through the open window. Silence. The phone rang. She flinched. Lily hadn't expected a call, especially not from Aunt Tessa, whose name lit up on the screen. Lily froze. She had completely forgotten about her—just as she had wanted to forget her past life.
A memory flashed in her mind. Graduation day. Grandma wasn't there. Aunt Tessa came instead, saying, "Silver's blood pressure spiked, so I came instead. I'm sorry." Louis had left too, saying, "I'm going to Argentina. It's time we each lived our own life." An empty hall—she was alone. She and Cleo were in Munich, in her parents' house. And after that...
The phone kept ringing, louder and louder. Lily pressed the button, her hands trembling.
"Lily, dear, how are you? I didn't want to bother you, but…" came Aunt Tessa's soft voice from the other end. "I heard from Dr. Grosskopf that you and Cleo were discharged from the clinic. I don't really trust these doctors, or these trendy new illnesses—stress, depression. It's like some kind of epidemic among young people. In our time, kids only got chickenpox and sore throats. Are you doing okay? I'm so glad you're both out of the clinic and that you're feeling better—I was worried how things would turn out," Aunt Tessa rambled on.
"Yes, Auntie, we're fine. Everything's better now," Lily barely managed to reply, trying to keep her voice steady, not to let her emotions or memories surface.
"I'm glad to hear that," Tessa continued. "But... we need to sign the papers for the house. You're Silver's only heir, so the house is yours now. The sooner we get everything signed, the better. But there's no rush. Come to New York when you can. I'll explain everything."
Lily felt her heart race with anxiety, and the wave of memories hit her all at once. But she held back the emotion—only tears welled in her eyes.
That house had meant everything to her. Her carefree childhood filled with love happened there. It was where she was with her grandmother—the only person truly close to her. The house was small, always warm, and always filled with sunlight.
"Aunt Tessa, how I want to go home, to Grandma," Lily cried.
"Don't be upset, Lily dear, or I'll start crying too. Silver wouldn't like it if you cried. So come on, smile."
"I miss Grandma… I miss both of you. I'll come to New York soon, and we'll talk about everything," Lily said between sobs.
Aunt Tessa was silent.
"Aunt Tessa, can you hear me?" Lily checked the phone screen—reception was perfect.
"Lily," finally came the reply. "I miss you too. And remember, I'm always here. Come whenever you're ready."
Lily hung up and stared at the screen for a few more seconds. How had it all come to this? Why was she in this unfamiliar city? Why had she been treated at Dr. Grosskopf's clinic? So many questions. But one thing was clear—she had to return to New York and her past to start over.
Aunt Tessa's house had always been cozy and welcoming. That evening, she had made her signature dish—duck in orange sauce—and Lily's favorite plum pie. She had also invited an old ballet master, Marat Kuloff, for dinner. Lily was delighted to see him. Aunt Tessa set the table in the living room, and the three of them enjoyed the delicious meal. Lily started talking about her plans.
"I've signed the inheritance papers. I also visited a real estate agency today. I want to sell the house. What do you think, Aunt Tessa, Uncle Marat—will Mom be upset? It's her house too."
"Excuse me," Marat choked on his food and began coughing. Aunt Tessa fussed awkwardly, muttering to herself, "Forgot the knife, need to slice the pie," and went to the kitchen. Silence fell in the living room.
Red from coughing, Marat broke the silence, "Lily, we'll always support you. Do what you think is right."
Tessa returned and served everyone a slice of pie, adding, "We'll always be here for you, Lily." She didn't reply. The three of them quietly started watching TV, avoiding the subject.
The news was on: "New York police report the death of a major shareholder and board member of the Golden Stone holding, Theodore Jones. The body was found in the office. Preliminary cause of death: suicide…"
"What is this world coming to? Why can't people just live peacefully? How could someone do such a thing?" Aunt Tessa exclaimed. "Lily, turn this thing off. I don't like it anymore. In our day, there were only good news stories."
"I read in the paper that the Metropolitan Museum is getting an ancient Egyptian artifact. Maybe you should go, Lily, cheer up. You're an expert on those ancient things," Marat said cheerfully.
"I love ancient treasures too. Let's go together, shall we, Lily?" Aunt Tessa asked.
"Great idea, let's go," Lily replied, inspired.