Confusing, Yet Exciting

[Amy Stone]

Since Amy had first been up in the North Tower she had loved coming here. It was the amazing views that Amy really loved, they were just amazing.
Sighing she leaned on the window sill and gazed out at the sun, just managing to come out behind all the clouds.
She had had a lot on her mind recently, and had removed herself from a lot of people to think things through.
The little news from her dad had taken Amy by suprise. She had not received word from him in absoloutly ages and Amy was worried by his silence. Amy had been worried about leaving him in the first place, she hadn't wanted to, but then Callum had reassured her that he would keep an eye on him for her, and keep her updated. But now it was almost like Callum had let her down too. He had given her no reassurance about her father when she very clearly needed it, as she had indicated in her last letter to him.
Amy was completely lost in thought and was therefore suprised when she saw an owl flying steadily towards her. Moving back to give it a clear landing spot on the window sill she supposed it must be for her. As it landed, it hooted quietly at her and she moved forward to obtain the letter. When Amy had removed it, she gasped, then smiled. The handwriting on the front was that of her fathers, and the letter itself seemed rather heavy.
She sat herself down on the floor, tore it open, and began to read.

Amy,
I'm so sorry my love for not writing to you sooner. I know it must have worried you, but, well I've had a lot on my mind, and a lot of work to do.
I know I should be asking you about school and your friends but there is something I must tell you.
I do not know how to tell you this, or how you will react but please, bear with me

At this point in the letter Amy stopped. Her breathing had become shallow and she didn't know if she wanted to read on. What could her father possibly want to tell her of this great importance. Thoughts whirled through her head, bad ones at that. She stared at the floor and knew the only was to reassure herself would be by reading on. Taking a deep breath she looked down at the letter and read on...

How to start this is the question.
Amy my love, there is something I've been keeping from you for many years. Before I met your mother, there was another person in my life. Her name was Sarah. I loved her dearly, she was a great part of my life. We had been together for a long time when she discovered that she was going to have a baby, my baby. Naturally I was overjoyed, and could not wait to be a father. But there was a complication, Sarah died giving birth to our baby boy. I was distraught, completely and utterly devastated. I felt that the world had come to an end, and all I had left to remember my Sarah was this precious little boy. However when her family found out she had died they, they, they blamed me Amy. I don't know why but they did. They had never liked me, and never accepted me, they thought I wasn't worthy enough for their Sarah as I was only a simple Doctor back then. To them it was not good enough, and the hours I worked disgusted them.
They thought it would be best for the baby if, if they took him away. They took him away from me, telling me I didn't have time and it was in my best interests. I held him only once before they took him from me.
I thought my world had ended, I thought I could never find anyone again. But I did. I found your mother. She was like a breath of fresh air. She showed me I could love again. I told her about Sarah and about the baby, and she was so understanding. I loved her truley, and I always will Amy. I will always love your mother Amy, I never will stop loving her.

I understand if what I have told you is a complete shock and that you feel I have kept this from you for too long. And I have Amy, I thought you would never forgive me for not telling you.
But something happened my darling. My baby boy found me. He managed to contact me, only a couple of weeks ago. I was completely stunned, i felt like, I felt so happy.
He is of course your half brother Amy. You have a brother. I've told him so much about you and he so wants to meet you.
His name is Charlie, and he lives in Australia! Australia Amy! Thats just by where you are!! He's dying to meet you and I dying to meet him!

I know this is a lot of information to process my darling, but I felt you should know, you have every right to know. I just want you to know that I will always love you, and I never will stop.

I love you with all my heart
Yours forever
Your dad
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Amy finished reading and was in complete shock. She had cried a little at the mention of her mother. Her hand shook as she re-read the letter. She saw the tear stains where her dad had obviously broken down. Her dad had a son, she Amy had a brother. She didn't know what to think, but all of a sudden her face broke out into a smile. She was not worried about the fact that her dad had loved someone else previously. She knew her father loved her mother while they were together and it was almost as if this letter had brought her and her father together again. She didn't know what to think. She had a brother! This was the thought that kept going round and round in Amys head. She sat there in numb, happy disbelief, listening to the birds, as they sang in the morning sun.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda walked up the many steps of the north tower, she knew she couldn't go to the owlery but she thought that at least from here, she could see Freckles flying about as Patrick let him out for some exercise. She got to the top and much to her surprise she saw Amy. She looked as though she had been crying but yet she also looked strangely elated.
"Hi" Andromeda said to her, "am i interrupting?"

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy heard someone coming up the stairs but didn't know quite who it was. Watching the stairs she saw Andy emerge. She smiled warmly at her, knowing she would be able to confide in her. "No please, would you come sit with me?" she asked her. She knew that she had to tell someone, get someone elses point of view.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

"Sure!" Andromeda knew Amy had been there for her before, perhaps in a silent context but words were not always necessary and Andromeda had always thought that actions spoke volumes over them.
"Are you ok though?" she went and sat beside her friend wondering what could be up and seeing then that she held a letter.

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy was glad that Andy came and sat with her. "I'm, I'm..." but words failed her. In truth, she was happy, but at the same time, confused. Her father had explained everything to her but..well...she just didnt know. She handed the letter to Andy, wanting her to read it. It would be much easier for her to read it than for Amy to explain it to her.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda was stunned when Amy handed her the letter. She began to read it slowly. This was so personal at one point Andromeda looked up and had to ask;
"Are you sure you want me to read this?"

Before continuing on... Amy had a half brother. She turned and smiled at her.
"This is great! This is great? Isn't it?" she asked, should she be happy for her friend or upset. She waited to follow Amy's lead.

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy nodded to Andy, indicating to her that it would be fine for her to carry on reading. She listened to the silence, broken only by the occassional bird singing as a thousand thoughts whizzed through her mind.
She hadn't been sitting there long at all (although to Amy it had seemed much longer) when she heard Andy talking to her. Turning her head, she smiled,
"Yeah it is, its just...just....so much to take in. I never knew any of this. When I first read it I didn't believe it at all, I was in complete shock, but now, I don't know. It's just so strange to think I have a brother" she said, although she couldn't help keeping the smile on her face. She had been brought up an only child, a very lonely one at that, but now, there were a million possibilities opening up.
"I know it will be a while to get used to it, and I guess it will be strange meeting him and everything but it won't just be me that needs to adjust. It'll be dad as well. He knows as little as I do, or I guess more than I do because Charlie's contacted him" she knew she was talking so much, and she had never spoken to anyone here as much but it felt such a relief to talk to someone about, well everything.
"When mum died it was like, I wasn't normal any more. It seperated me from other children my age I guess. They thought I was strange being brought up by just one parent and having such a strong connection with my uncle. I mean he was such a big part of my life" she continued.
"I couldn't really talk to anyone about it, well my uncle was fantastic obviously, but I could never really talk to my dad about it. He was completely distraught and I guess it all makes sense now. He had already lost two people he loved and to lose my mum, I guess it hit him really hard" she had thought about all this a lot after receiving the letter.
"But now, its like, I'll have someone else in my life. Someone to make me feel, well, more normal I guess. I know it will be a long process, and things will take time, but it's like, it's like someone up there is watching over me, helping me along the way" she finished quietly, but feeling really quite happy.
She turned to Andy, hoping she hadn't made her feel bored with all her thinking out loud.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda sat in silence as she listened to Amy make quite possibly the longest speech she had ever heard her make. Andromeda smiled, this was good and Amy was delighted. She sat stunned as Amy began to tell her about her mother and her fathers loss, Amys as well to bear.

When her friend was done she could only think of one thing to do and that was to hug her.
"There are people down here for you too!" she smiled.

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy felt so relieved to be able to confide in somebody. She hadn't spoken about anything like this to anybody but her uncle and now it was like, a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.
She smiled as Andy hugged her, glad of the support she was getting from, as she was beginning to regard, her best friend. "Thanks Andy! I feel so, so relieved to have told someone about this, and now dads news, its almost overwhelming, but in a good way" she said smiling.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda released her from the hug delighted to see Amy genuinely happy. She didn't think she had been in quite some time. Typical that Andromeda had been so caught up in her own problems not to have taken care of her friend and what troubled her.
"Are you going to write back and ask to meet him?" she felt as excited as Amy now.

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy smiled at Andy, "Jeez, yeah I guess so!" she said exitedly. "But first I think I'll write to my dad, ask him more about everything" she said, mulling things over.
She couldn't believe all this was happening to her, after everything else that had happened.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

"Well what are you still doing here then? Shouldn't you be heading back to write your letter?" Andromeda laughed nudging Amy playfully, "Get your skates on girl!"

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy laughed and pushed herself up, and extended her hand to Andy to help her up. "Can you come with me?" she asked. "Might be nice to go down to the grounds to write it" she said, feeling the gentle breeze play with her air as she was now standing.

((Shall I start a thread?))

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda looked at Amy amazed.
"You want me to help you write your letter?"
Andromeda felt extremely humbled all of a sudden, it seemed such a personal thing to ask someone she was delighted of course but thought it best to make sure first that it really was what Amy wanted.

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy smiled at Andy, "Please, that is, if you wouldn't mind or anything" she said quickly. She just felt like maybe she needed someone, just to be there.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

"Come on you block head!" Andromeda laughed, "Of course I don't mind, my spelling is probably worse than yours though!"

She got up to follow Amy.