Once Jim let me go, or more so followed me out the door without speaking to my parents; I needed some answers without their input first of all. As I got into my car Jim slid in next to me, I turned the engine on but paused gripping onto the steering wheel with fear washing over me. Jim rubbed my shoulder in a supportive manner. I turned to him with panic in my eyes, but he simply smiled in an attempt to ease me a bit more, not that it was effective in anyway.

"Ali, you don't have to do this yet if you're not ready you understand that right? Peter isn't going anywhere." Jim rationalized the situation but it didn't help what so ever, I still felt tense and there was nothing that was going to rid me of this until I got answers from Peter himself.

"It's just I want answers Jim, answers to question I hadn't thought about ever before in my life and how I have the chance to learn so much more about my family, this is something I have to do, you know Clara would want to right?" His expression changed to one more of hurt, bringing up Clara was a low call.

"What makes you think just because your parents lied to you means that mine would? They wouldn't be so low." He spat at me, we've never been in an argument before so it feels strange to have someone I confide in to act in such a manner, but I did cause this in the first place.

"Jim get out of the car." I told him and he looked shocked, I didn't want to repeat myself so I just glared to him until he scoffed and got out, slamming the door behind him.

"Ali is loosing friends one by one."

"Liar liar Ali Sugg- or should we say Mitchell?"

Negative thoughts circle my mind as I begin to drive towards the cafe which isn't too far away, I decide to turn the radio up to block out the voices as I get closer to the cafe, closer to the answers I've been needing. As I park my car I sit there for a minute, trying to control the shakes in my hands and my whole body, looking into the mirror to see how scared I looked, and no matter how hard I tried to glance away from my reflection my eyes remained glued to it.Deciding the longer I stay put the more anxious and curious I will become I open the door, taking in a deep breath of fresh air feeling as if my lungs have been cut off entirely; as if I was slowly being suffocated.

Walking towards the quaint cafe seeing the small wooden sign above the main door, swirls of faded white against the duck egg blue 'Rilohs' this place is so unknown to anyone who comes to town, I always came here to study to have some time to myself and relax. The cafe means a lot to me and always will, at one point when I came home from university for the summer and in school I always got a part time job here, just to be in the positive atmosphere, the quiet peaceful energy that travels through you and making you smile as you open the door, seeing many tables empty but never seeming empty, the cafe was always so full of life that bodies didn't matter, that was until now.

Opening the door hearing the faint bell ring I smile to Natalia, she used to be my boss but was more like a helpful friend on many occasions. She helped me study or when I was having a bad day with a temperamental coffee machine even now she has barely changed. The same black skirt and black ankle boots, with her duck egg blue polo shirt and her black hair tied in a french plait, she turned away from a customer to face me, a smile growing on her face. "Why if it isn't little miss Ali Sugg!" She said enthusiastically and embraced me for a hug, I felt a smile form on my face, Natalia always cheered me up, even now. As she let go she held onto my shoulders and looked me over, shocked and happy to see me. "What brings you here sweetie, its been a while since I last saw you." She ushered me over to the counter, since the few elders who sat were occupied with bowls of soup and the local paper, my eyes scanned over seeing he wasn't here, letting out a sigh of relief before responding to Natalia.

Turning back to face her she had her back turned, whipping up an old favourite drink of mine, once she's done she takes an apple slice out of the display placing it next to my mocha with whipped cream, she nudged it closer to me and let out a sigh reflecting back on the days spent here chatting, just like old times. "I'm just meeting a friend, that's all, but I'm a bit early I guess." I let out an awkward laugh, still unsure if friend is the correct term to use, it still feels uncomfortable to consider having another brother, but he was out there, and now is my chance to meet him properly without offending him hopefully.

"Well you know the drill, seat yourself where ever and I'm here if you need me love." She said as politely as ever before, then she busied herself with jobs as I took my drink and apple slice and walked to my favourite spot in the cafe. The cafe was fairly small but it was laid out well, most of the place was taken up on one floor, downstairs was the storage and on the first floor most of it was flat, this was where most people sat who came in, but for me I went to the raised section at the back of the cafe, out of the way. Taking a step up I walked carefully to the baby pink arm chair and chipped white vintage table, awaiting the similar seat opposite me to be filled.

Gradually I took sips of my drink and ate but part of me was eating away at my nerves more than delicious treat, I kept glancing to the clock to see what time it was and it had gone half past twelve. A large part of me felt in doubt, maybe he wasn't up for meeting after all, or did we agree 12? Various scenarios play out in my head, seeing him walk up and turn away, or him getting hurt or speaking to someone who made him change his mind or-

"Ali?" A voice cut me off from my thoughts, and I blinked rapidly to ensure I was in reality, not kept in my thoughts and afraid for the worst. He stood in front of the table and patiently waited for me to respond or let him join me.

It took me a moment or two to realise he was actually stood in front of me, my biological brother. Someone who shares the same parents as me, someone I could've grown up with, had a whole other life with but instead here stands a stranger. "Hi." Is all I manage to get out with all my childhood flashing before my eyes, noticing how there was a vacant part of me longing for something, maybe it was another brother, or more insight to my life or how it may have panned out.

He gestures to sit down and I simply nod, the tension between us growing in the almost silence of the cafe, the only sounds being the coffee machine whirring or a few people thanking Natalia now and then, leaving most of the cafe for us to fill with noise, something I think Natalia would appreciate. For a while we sit not making eye contact, I keep my eyes locked on the menu placed on the table between us, having memorized it years ago and it never changing. "Did you want something to drink?" He asked picking up the menu, revealing to him my now empty mug and plate, before letting out a small "Oh." And us returning to the familiar silence. I avert my glance from the menu, now in his grip and look down to the ground, seeing a small case placed next to him.

"What's that?" I ask, breaking his concentration and the silence that has filled the cafe. He places the menu down and a small smile appears on his face, he picks it up and places it on the table, moving my empty mug and plate to one side, allowing the case to open up.

The case was packed, at first all I could see was pieces of paper, some looking rather dated and others fresh as if they had been printed yesterday. He began to search through and in the process I saw a few other items which made my heart race, a few pictures were made visible yet I couldn't make out the faces in them, then Peter stopped. He picked up one item, something small and delicate that he slowly lifted from the case, before laying it out in front of himself keeping it out of my view before placing the case on a chair next to him and leaving the item of question on display for me to see. He slid the item towards me, it was a small fragile necklace, a locket in particular. It was silver on a very fine chain, the locket itself was very well made, filled with intricate details of flowers and vines, Peter held a sad smile on his face before snapping out of his sorrowing glance and back to me.

Having this being the first time I've actually paid attention to his face, the first time only knowing him as a stranger but now looking at him I start to pay attention to the freckles on his cheeks, just like mine then other aspects, such as his small nose, the dimples- all replicating my own features. His hair was completely different from mine but my focus was more so on his eyes the impeccable resemblance they had to my own, the ivy with small bits of hazel and grey running through them, how he too had those thick lashes covering his eyes. I knew he reminded me of someone when we first met, yet I wish I was more knowledgeable then, if only.

"This," He moved the locket towards me, it was now placed in front of me, yet I kept my hands retained. "this was well our mothers." He paused for a moment to think through his explanation as I tensed at the word our, all I had known about my mother was that she had passed away never before had I even considered she would've had another child, or left anything for me as a baby, her baby. "I do apologise for the way I addressed you when we first met, I was rather abrupt and unreasonable towards you, it's just I knew you right there and then and I just wanted to get to know you." He apologized in a sincere tone yet I remained silent staring at the locket wondering what it contained. "You can open it, if you would like, there's a letter that goes with it. Not that you have to read it now, this case is for you, it's filled with various things of our lives that you are oblivious to. If you have any questions ask away, I know you're curious." He said in a collective manner, awaiting me to speak.

"How are you so calm about this?" The first question that popped to mind, seeing him there remaining so reserved and formal.

"I guess I've had enough time to process all of this, I've just replayed this moment over and over again in my mind so I perfected this meeting, I get that you're confused and probably been mislead?" He questioned himself as if he regretted his thought.

"How long have you known about me? About the fact that you have a sister?" This was something I desperately wanted to know since he brought out the briefcase, you don't simply stumble across this things, you preserve them treat them with great care and keep them in excellent condition.

He let out a sigh before running his fingers through his light brown fringe. "Now do not get annoyed at me for this." He started, causing me to roll my eyes and cross my arms already, to show some form of dominance here between us. "I knew about you when I was growing up, I too was adopted but information about you and your whereabouts had always been retained from me. That was until recently, the last six months- since then I have been trying to find you on social media, but I couldn't find you. I had to find experts in finding relations and even then there were doubts yet they found me a photo of you, one where you were grown up and I knew then I could find you. Eventually I did, in the weirdest coincidence." He let out a dry laugh, replaying the lift scene in his mind.

"So you've been looking for me?" I asked, shocked that all this time my unknown brother had been searching for his baby sister, wanting to reunite the remainder of the family.

"You have no idea how difficult it is to find you, and I'm glad I did. I've always wanted to know about my family, the little of it I have." He smiled to me brightly, I still felt a little bit cautious.

"What was it like for you? When you found out about your parents dying? I mean our parents dying." My voice seemed to lack any sympathy towards these two people who have been simple figures to me, now having been given names. "Sorry." I told him, reflecting on how it may have sounded unreasonable and thoughtless. He merely shook his head, now not daring to avert his eyes from the locket which remained still in front of me.

For a while Peter did a lot of explaining, he told me all about his life growing up, how his adoptive parents were honest with him about what they knew, what they had been told when they adopted Peter at 3 years old. Peter had been almost three when our parents had passed, he told me there was a car accident and they burned in the car, causing me shiver. He also told me something I had no knowledge of, that I too was in that car. He paused after telling me this, as I blankly stared to him, bewildered that I was present, a baby to witness the death of my parents barely a few months old and yet I suffered next to nothing in terms of trauma. Did my parents know this? Or did they decide to keep it from me? Peter apologized relentlessly about the accident but I told him to continue, it didn't bother me that we were the only ones in the cafe, the radio faintly playing in the background or that the sun was setting. I was determined to get answers before returning home, to face the horrid state my parents will be in. He told me about the day they took him away, we were kept separate and he barely had any memories of me for some reason and when he was old enough, around sixteen and curious about the rest of his family his parents gave him the case, but kept out the information about a sister believing it wouldn't be healthy for some unknown reason. His adoptive parents didn't know where I was, or even my name, so it was left to Peter.

By the time he was caught up to date I was now informed on his past, he still knew little about me but I wasn't quite ready to open up, he got to keep his surname, he was a Mitchell, just like our parents whereas I was a Sugg, this was all I had ever known how to be a Sugg, the name Alison Grace Mitchell sounds alien. I reached my hands out to the locket, the cold silver in my fingers as I carefully open it up, the small clasp opens and I can see two pictures. Both leave me breathless, it's my family. The family I could've had if my parents didn't die, it was me, Ali sat in between my parents on one side with Peter sat on my fathers lap, and I felt my eyes becoming teary.

I looked just like my mother, she had long blonde hair, and a warm hearted smile across her face resembling my father who sat proud holding his son on his lap who was the image of him, on the other side me and Peter, smiling together and I was left vacant of words. My glistened eyes looked to Peter who had a sad smile on his face, "When they died things were packed up, our fathers sister, Taylor put the locket in the box, to be kept safe for you, this was always meant for you Ali. If you turn the locket over you'll see what I mean." He gestured for me to turn it, I sniffed and wiped my face before closing the locket and turning it over, running my finger over the engraved words.

'To our precious daughter Alison, we love you. Mum & Dad'

Tears continued to fall freely, the more I held the locket then placed it around my neck, wanting to keep this close, something to be treasured. I gave Peter a watery smile, "Thank you." It was barely a whisper. I never was given anything that belonged to my birth parents, that there was nothing for me to have, that Joanne and Mark were just some names written on a piece of paper, no evidence for me to believe that these two people were important figures having never truly known them.

We continued to talk for a while, sharing stories when we were growing up and laughing about times spent with the families we have, glancing to the clock in mid laugh I noticed how late it was getting. "I'm sorry Peter but I'm going to have to get back home, but can we meet up again soon? Say two days giving me time to read all of this?" I nodded to the case that I now kept a tight grip on and he smiled, we shared a hug and it felt right, a brotherly hug.

As he let go he just had this smile on his face, mirroring the one I wore, "I'm so glad I found you Ali." He said causing me to light up inside, I had a blood relative, something I had never thought could be possible.

"Same here, it's nice to slowly learn about my family, my blood family that is." I let out a soft chuckle and we both departed, I wished Natalia a good night and walked back to my car, waving Peter off in the opposite direction.

Starting the engine I let out a long sigh, feeling a headache coming on after a tsunami of information came to me, picturing a whole life I may have had and where I would be right now. As I pull away from the car park I see the cafe fairy lights go out, and head back home suddenly feeling a pit of dread forming in my stomach realizing what I am going home to, liars.