Unwanted past

Angelica

“Aunt Angelica! Uncle Curtis!" A cheerful squeal welcomed us to Klara’s house, right before I was attacked into a hug from both sides, each kid swinging on my leg.

“Hey.” I picked Lizzie up and kissed her cheek, then did the same for Archie. “Hey, birthday boy.”

He pursed his lips and kissed my cheek, making my heart melt. Then they jumped onto Curtis and nearly knocked the box out of his hands.

“Careful, if you don’t want to have to scrap your gift off the floor.” Curtis chuckled, but he leaned down so the excited duo would hug him.

Klara came out having heard teh commotion and hugged us. “You came.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I followed her lead into her apartment.

It was different from what I expected a surgeon's apartment to look like. I had thought it would be all white and sterile with minimum colors—much like Curtis’s apartment. On the contrary, her living room was warm with hints of golden, broze and blue. The multicolored balloons on the walls and roo