Anna pov,

Sunshine comes into my room from the window I forgot to close disturbing my precious sleep. I was tired as hell from the 8 hours long flight from the UK to Australia, my hometown. I really want to sleep more, but the sun’s rays were seriously not allowing me to do so. By getting frustrated from it. I get up from my bed to close the window and open the curtains. As I was about to back to sleep, my mom came bursting into my bedroom. Like the world is going to crash down if I don’t get up. My mom spoke as she was trying to wake me up.

“Get up Nancy. Did you see the time?? It’s already 11 am. Get up!!! Did you come back to sleep?? I and your dad wants to talk to you. So, get up now.”

“Mom, I want to sleep more. I am so tired from that long flight. Please, let me sleep more. And I am here for a month. So, we have lots of time to talk. Once I get enough sleep, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

I said from the duvet, which was till my head. And mom was desperately trying to remove it.

She always has a habit to remove the duvet when we don’t get up. And from ‘we’ I remembered of my one and only elder brother. My mother used to do it to him also when he didn’t get up. I thought I haven’t seen her brother till now. Though, I came late at night from the airport. I didn’t see my brother, who also has a habit to stay late at night. When I came to my room, I came from my brother’s room as well. And the door was closed as always. To my surprise, I never got this type of attitude from my brother. As he was the one who wants to see me desperately. He wanted me to return home, as he always used to say.

“Why did you go abroad, Anna?? It’s so difficult to find a girlfriend for myself. As none of your friends talk to me as you aren’t here. Please come back and stay. At least, till I approach your best friend. Only you can help me out. She is really a very hard nut to crack. All my charm doesn’t work on her. I really like her.”

Thinking of him, I got up from my bed and went to the washroom. As I was brushing my teeth, I heard my mom saying,

“Thank god!! You finally woke up. Get fresh up and come downstairs. Me and your daddy waiting for you at breakfast. Do you want something special?? I can make it for you. You haven’t eaten properly there. As you have come so thin. Can’t you properly take care of yourself?? You are 23 now Anna. Be a grown-up girl. Take proper care of diet darling. I am so worried about your health.”

Listening to my mom’s scold, I rolled my eyes and replied,

“There are so many things to do, mom, other than eating. And I wasn’t dying of hunger. And take care of myself for your information, mom. So, please stop scolding me. As you said ‘I am already 23’, OKKK!!"

“Fine, explain that to your dad, when he says the same.” She replied with sarcasm.

“By the way, where is Jon??? I haven’t seen him till now. Is he out with his friends??”

“Yup!! He isn’t aware of your sudden arrival. He said he will come directly to breakfast.”

“Ohhh!!! That’s why didn’t he came to meet me as he wasn’t at home only.”

As I completed my sentence, we heard a loud door bang. And it wasn’t hard for us to know it was. Mom left after that. I finished my morning routine and head downstairs. As I was on my way, I heard his voice saying,

“Mom, please gimme the breakfast fast. I’m starving. You know I have eaten nothing from the previous night.”

“Yeah, coming.” Mom replied.

Sitting at the dining table in front of my dad. Jon said to my mom,

“Mom, you won’t believe what dream I saw last night???”

“You slept yesterday. I thought you and your friends going to watch the movies and football matches all night. You got time to sleep between that.” Dad said hinting a little taunt in his voice.

“We did not really plan it to sleep. I just got tired and fell asleep. OKK!!" Jon replied, rolling his eyes.

“It’s ok. By the way, what did you say???” mom asked Jon.

“Only you in this house love me and no one else. Anna also left me because she didn’t love me.” Jon said, hugging my mom’s waist doing overacting like always.

And as I was about to enter the dining room, I stop in my way when I heard what my overacting brother spoke next.

“I saw Anna suddenly came back to surprise us, informing no one. I was so shocked by the dream that got up quickly. And then reality hit me: it was just a dream. But I really miss her.”

My dad folds the newspaper he was reading and was about to tell my brother that his dream came true. I stopped him from telling it by mouthing him to keep quiet. As I really want to it on my own. I slowly walked behind my brother making no noise. And as he was just about to take the first bite of his breakfast.

“And I miss you too, dude.”

I said from a little distance from him. He was way more shocked than I except. But his reaction changed as he looked at me for a minute. He got up from his seat and came to me. And started checking me as if I was some doppelganger of his little sister.

“Don’t look at me like that. I know I have got more beautiful. Despite that, you can recognize your own-”

It cut me off as he pinched my cheeks. Not once, but thrice. Pushing him away a little and rubbing cheeks I said,

“Are you mad?? What were you doing?? It hurts.”

“Checking if you are real or not. I didn’t drink this much that I started seeing things.” He said the last part as a whisper to himself.

“I am real, you idiot,” I said, bursting at him.

“Oh my god!! You are back. I am so happy. My dream came true. My little witch is back.”

He said, hugging me in a bone-breaking hug. I felt like I was going to choke to death. As I was trying to free myself from his grip, which was not getting loose at all. Suddenly, my dad said in a serious tone,

“Leave my daughter Jonathan. Don’t choke her to death on her arrival day itself.”

“Your daughter is my sister as well, Mr. Evans,” Jon replied stubbornly, and released me.

“Let’s start the breakfast. You both don’t start it again in breakfast itself. I don’t have the strength to handle it in the morning, OKKK!!! Let’s have our breakfast together as the entire family is here. As your beloved daughter and sister returned after 5 years.” Mom said, trying to change the topic, as both father and son were ready to enter the war.

“Yes, dad. Let’s dig in. I am feeling starving. I have eaten nothing as it exhausted me to eat anything after returning home.” I said, also trying to cool the environment.

“You should have told your mom to make something for you. How can you sleep empty stomach?? Because of your this attitude, how weak you look!!!”

“Yes, it’s true. Dad is right. I almost didn’t recognize you because of this as well. I thought you are some doppelganger to my chubby little sister.”

Jon said, again pinch my cheek hard, like really hard. Enough to make me cry. I feel he was taking revenge for not telling him of my arrival. I thought to myself, how come both father and son united to scold me. As I was trying to change the topic. I felt like crying. Why everyone is concerned about the diet. I didn’t starve myself. Almost every girl at my age is like this only. They call it thin, but it actually the same for girls as slim. As I eagerly wanted to argue back. But I didn’t do so. Because it may heat the surroundings again.

“Let’s just eat,” I said, suppressing the urge to speak.

As I was in the middle of my breakfast, my brother kicked me slightly to get my attention. As looked at him he said in a deadly serious tone,

“Let’s talk in my room after breakfast. You have a serious explanation to do about something important as hell.”

A serious tone plus deadly glare was enough for me to understand that my ‘never ever serious’ brother has a terrible temper. Even though he was just 4 years old than me. I was terrified of what might be made him lose his temper. As much as sacred I was I also want to know the reason as well. So, I completed my breakfast as soon as possible. After that followed Jonathan to his room quietly.