Don't Forget to Remember Me. ((Closed))

[Esmeralda Mendez]

"Yeah, I still feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be, just don't forget to remember me."

“Mari, baby I know this is a change but you’ll get used to it! London es muy linda, I promise. I just need to see go see some friends who used to take care of me. I’m sure they’ll love you.” Esmeralda cooed to her adoptive four year old daughter, Marisol. It seemed odd to most that she was a mother at nineteen, but Ezzie didn’t find it odd in the least. She was used to caring for people. She had been caring for people for as long as she could remember. It was a bit of a tough job at times, but Ezzie could handle it. She knew she could. The adorable brown eyed child looked surprisingly like her, even though Mari clearly wasn’t her daughter by birth. Her hair was a nice light brown and it was tied in one braid behind her back while Ezzie’s hung loose around her. She had to get used to this colder weather of London again. It had been ages since she had last been there, and the Caribbean had done quite a number on her tolerance for cold.

Mari looked up at her curiously. For a small child who had been raised on only Spanish, she was picking up English pretty fast. She was still too shy to speak it though, knowing that it was terrible compared to her American caretakers that used to care for her while in the Dominican Republic. “Amigos?” She asked in a ringing childish voice as she walked hand in hand with Ezzie down the old park Ezzie couldn’t forget if she tried. The park where it all began. Ezzie made a note to visit Ethan’s gravesite before she left this part of London. Mari wasn’t too thrilled with picking up and moving to London and leaving all of her friends back home. Ezzie tried to make it as easy as she could possibly make it though.

“Oh yes, you’ll have plenty of little amigos to play with. I want you to meet my God-daughter, Gwennie. And you’re going to give her the dulces that we bought from home, okay? And don’t be shy, these people are very nice.” She assured Mari, knowing her habit of being very shy around strangers. When Ezzie had first met Mari two years ago, she never spoke. Spanish or English, she was simply too shy to say a word to Ezzie. But it didn’t take long for her to warm up to her, and before long Mari was just as much in love with Ezzie as Ezzie was in love with her. She smiled slightly at the memory while trying very hard to block out the more painful ones of seeing her mother’s life simply slip away before her eyes. That wasn’t far too easy. Ezzie swallowed hard as she approached that same regal blue house she’d once lived in, all those many years ago. Now she was walking back into it as an adult. Sure she was only barely an adult, but still an adult nonetheless. She had a daughter now, and a much better outlook on life. The dark days of the past were behind her, and even though she knew there were more of those to come, she felt much more prepared for them. Ezzie knocked on the door. She knew the Jacobs’ were expecting her.

“ MISS EZZIEEEE!!!” The small house elf’s eyes widened with excitement, making Mari giggle quietly. How she missed that kind little elf. She missed everything about this place. The park, the rooms, the mahogany doors, and Ethan. Ezzie felt terrible. Ethan Jacobs seemed like such a big part of her life six years ago, but now, Ezzie struggled to simply remember what his voice sounded like. It hurt her that Ethan was becoming such a distant part of her past. Everyone in London was. Ethan, his parents, Carson Casey...everyone. That was part of the reason Ezzie was so happy to be back. She missed London, she missed Hogwarts. “Marty! It’s so great to see you again! Gosh, I’ve missed you.” She said as Mari began to hide behind the leg of her jeans. She seemed a bit scared to see Marty. Ezzie had forgotten Mari had never seen a magical creature before. Thankfully though, Ezzie had spent the last two years reading excerpts to Mari from her old spell books, so she knew a bit of what was going on. Ezzie’s old textbooks were like magical fairytales to her. “Marty, I’d like you to meet my new daughter, Marisol. She likes Mari better though.” Marty grinned widely, his ears perking up as he peered behind Ezzie’s leg. Mari looked at Marty for a good minute before she tugged on Ezzie’s leg excitedly. She pointed at Marty and then up at Ezzie’s bag where she usually carried her spellbooks and other belongings.

Ezzie smiled. “Yes baby, that’s a house elf. I told you they’re real.” She looked up at her adoptive mother with astonishment and wonder. Ezzie knew she wouldn’t hear any more complaints from Mari about staying in London. “She’s very beautiful, Miss Ezzie. And if you would permit, may I say that the Caribbean has been good to you. You look very beautiful.” Marty said with a slight blush. Ezzie smiled. “Thank you, Marty. Are they all home?” Ezzie asked, looking around for any sign of the Jacobs family or their young twins. Marty nodded. “Miss Amanda is upstairs working on a dress and the twins are in the playroom. Master Alexander Sr. will be home shortly. He’s at a press conference for his new book.” Marty spoke excitedly. Just then, Ezzie heard someone call out from upstairs. “Marty! Who was at the door?” Amanda Jacobs’ called from a room upstairs. Marty bowed before disappearing with a loud crack up the stairs. Of course, this made Mari jump. Moments later, she heard Amanda call her name. It was so strange being called Ezzie again. “Ezzie dear, please do come up! I’m afraid I didn’t expect you to be here so soon!”

Translations:
es muy linda – is very beautiful.
amigos? – friends?
dulces – sweets.

[Esmeralda Mendez]

Ezzie beamed at the sound of Mrs. Jacobs’ voice again. She hadn’t heard that voice since before she left to care for her mother at least a good two and a half years ago. It had been so long since she’d inhaled the sweet vanilla that perfumed the entire house. She wondered what Ethan’s room looked like now. Had they ever gotten up the strength to move everything out and lock it away for safe keeping? Or was everything still as he had left it, only with the minor changes his absence had left the place? Ezzie could only vaguely remember being in there last. It had not been a very pleasant experience, but that was back when her life was overcome by darkness. She didn’t know that God would have everything taken care of for her. She didn’t know the great things that were still to be done in this world. Ethan would be proud, and Ezzie would be more than pleased to step into his room again.

It was because of Ethan Jacobs that Ezzie was still alive today. That crazed stalker had wanted to shoot her, and the image of Ethan jumping in front of her to take that bullet was still imprinted in her mind. She was sure that image would remain with her forever. It was the first time someone had sacrificed themselves so openly for her. Back during the months after it had first happened, Ezzie could not understand why she had been allowed to survive the attack and Ethan was not. But she had a better understanding on life now. She knew that she was allowed to live longer to fulfill a much greater purpose. Ethan had done all he was meant to do and had touched all the lives he was placed on this earth to touch. The same went for her mother and all the other loved ones that had died throughout the short span of Ezzie’s life.

Mari clutched onto Ezzie’s leg even tighter now as she proceeded upstairs. “Quiero quedar!” She protested. Ezzie pouted for a moment. “But Mari, mi preciosa, don’t you want to meet your new amiguitos? They’re upstairs and I’m sure they want to meet you. Now come, let’s go say hi.” Mari pouted as well, but she loosened her arms so Ezzie could carry her up the stairs. She hid her face in Ezzie’s chest, hiding her face from view under Ezzie’s curtain of naturally dark brown locks. She appeared in the doorway to see Amanda Jacobs working on a stunning gold gown that was only half finished. She had a live model, who looked almost as shocked to see Ezzie as Amanda was. All the pins that Mrs. Jacobs had balanced in her mouth dropped to the floor, giving off only a small ping type of sound as they hit the ground. “Merlin’s Beard, look at you Ezzie! You look so grown up! And, with…she’s not yours is she?” Mrs. Jacobs asked, shocked to see Ezzie was carrying a small girl. Ezzie blushed. She knew she should have kept in more contact with her friends and loved ones in London. She didn’t even know Ezzie had decided to adopt. “Well, Mari is mine now, but not by birth. If you remember some of the older owls I sent you a year or so, this is the little orphan child I grew fond of at the shelter near my mother’s place. I decided to adopt her.” Ezzie explained, noticing how pronounced her accent was for the first time since she’d made her return to London.

Mrs. Jacobs smiled an almost star struck smile as Mari peered curiously around at her new surroundings after hearing her name amongst the conversation. “Well, if you were any other nineteen year old, I’d call you crazy. But I know you’ll do a wonderful job of raising this precious one. And she looks like a little angel as well. Mari, you said her name was?” Mrs. Jacobs questioned, not taking her eyes off Mari for a second. Ezzie nodded. “Marisol. But she prefers Mari. She’s a bit shy at first, but she loves to play. She’s been dying to meet little Gwen and Alex.” Ezzie said as she stroked her daughter’s hair slowly. Mrs. Jacobs’ eyes softened. “Laura, give me a moment, will you? I’ll be right back.” She assured the thin blonde woman with a smile. She nodded quietly and stood still as Mrs. Jacobs stood from her work space. Mari peeked from behind Ezzie’s hair at Mrs. Jacobs, who smiled and waved at her. She blushed and hid behind Ezzie’s hair again. Ezzie merely shook her head. “Siempre tan timida.” Ezzie whispered in her daughter’s ear as she followed Mrs. Jacobs down the familiar corridor.

Translations:
Amiguitos: little friends.
Siempre tan timida : always so shy.