Cassie barely could understand why she was here. It was clear from their last interaction, there had been a fine line drawn between the niece and aunt. Perhaps, it didn’t soothe when returning back to the booth, scintillating oceanic hues of Trixie’s latching onto her own and questioning when Kenna would be coming over. She was five, what was the young mother supposed to tell her niece -- that everything was going to be fine, Aunt Kenna will come over. All of that was a sickening lie, not wanting to get her daughter worked up for having memories with Kenna. Her best response could’ve been mustering a smile, explaining Kenna will get back to them and the end of the discussion was immediately finished after that. Or at least during the diner. Carefully had watched her daughter finish the dessert, she felt odious to be lying to Trixie now. The mother could imagine her daughter would’ve dropped the discussion quick, only questioning the following day and ones after all. It had been clear to her grown liking to her cousin.
Now, she had to swallow all of her pride for her daughter. All of the constant nagging, waiting around the phone for any sign of Kenna being interested in them, stuck with her daughter. Sickening, she had thought. Even standing on these door steps sent shivers down her spine. Had she genuinely forgotten all of her roots? How she grew up in North End, making memories with plenty of familiar faces still living in the shadows of Lanford. All she had wanted was make a name for herself, become something that Anna had never thought Cassandra could achieve -- show her what it was like to be neglected and still achieve. It hadn’t been much of a secret of Cassie’s rather short, weekend visits to Lanford when the time allowed her. It was a matter of time till moving back and standing here like a dead eyed fish, gasping for air at the steps of the Warren home. This was now or never, shallow all of your fucking pride, Warren. The inner monologue battles lie here. Lifting her hand to ring the doorbell, she glanced around at the familiarity of the neighborhood around her. Not much has changed. Would it ever? Only her attention and hues returned to hearing a sound of the creaking front door. “I---,” breathed Cassie, swallowing all of her pride, “Fucking Christ. Look, I’m the last face you may want to see...”
