#3 Again, my life

The alarm clock rang again, this time louder than the first time. Leilani Seymour frowned, murmuring some words as she stretched her hand to switch off the alarm clock. she paused for a while before shooting her eyes open, surveying the familiar room from her memories. 

"Where am I?" 

"No, why am I here?" She asked, correcting her initial question. Her mind flashed back to the accident scene, which in turn brought shock and goosebumps all over her body.

"Am I dead?" She asked, her eyes still scanning every corner of the room. She froze as her eyes found a picture hanging above the gigantic couples bed.

"Why is this here?" Leilani asked, staring deeply at her family portrait. She was particularly focused on her twins' smiles, which cause a tear to drop from her eyes as she remembered the last day she set her eyes on her kids.

It was a bright Monday morning. The Russell family just finished having breakfast, which she had prepared, and all of a sudden, Vincent refused to take the twins to school that morning just as he usually does every other day. Leilani had no choice but to take the twins to school herself since the matriarch of the family, Mrs Madeleine Russell, didn't do anything to help her convince her overall proud and instinctive son. But unfortunately for them, they were met with a ghastly accident which claimed the lives of her twins and kept her in a coma for three months. 

Leilani remembers vividly that she had smashed the family portrait when she regained consciousness and realized that her twins didn't survive. The rest of the year was a complete mess for her.

Leilani sniffed, wiping the tears in her eyes. This was no time to cry. She needed to figure out where she was and what was going on with her. 

The room looked exactly like her room, just that it made some minor, strange yet familiar changes which shouldn't be and she just didn't understand what she was doing there. 'Is this how heaven is meant to look like?' Leilani thought. 'Taking you back to the most memorable time of your life,' she thought. Again, her eyes scanned the room for the umpteenth time. 

"My heaven looks nice and comfortable, just what I thought I had." Leilani said, and her lips curved in a smile. If there was a time Leilani was happy, it would definitely be the time her kids were alive and healthy. When she thought she was the only woman, her husband smiled at not knowing that he had gifted her the family portrait on their fifth year wedding anniversary to gain her trust even more and to ensure that his little dirty games isn't exposed.

Leilani paused as her eyes found her ringing phone on the table. She was momentarily stunned, visibly not expecting to see a phone in her heaven talkmore of the phone ringing.

She stood still looking at the phone ring without making any effort to reach for it. After a while, the phone stopped ringing, and almost immediately, it started ringing again. This time, it was as if a force swept her off her feet, and the next moment, she was holding unto her phone, staring deeply at the caller ID. 

'Sugar' Leilani froze at the spot, still staring deeply at the word which was too heavy for her mouth to utter. 

'Diane Timmer, did she follow me to the afterlife as well?' Leilani couldn't help but ponder. 

"Why aren't you answering that?" Leilani turned sharply, hearing the very last voice she ever thought she would hear. 

"Vi...cent," Leilani stuttered, goggling at him. Her left hand, which was holding unto her phone, lost balance, and her phone fell down, scattering on the floor. 

"What are you doing?" Vincent asked, coming closer to her, but Leilani took a couple of steps back while screaming the words, "Don't come close to me," which in turn scared Vincent to the bones. He stood at a spot staring at her while wondering what had happened to his wife.

Her voice so loud that it attracted the attention of everyone in the Russell family villa, and they came running upstairs with the thought that something terrible must have happened but on getting to the room, they were shocked to see Vincent and Leilani standing far from eachother and Leilani phone scattered on the floor. Aside from the scattered phone, the room was neatly arranged, and there was no trace of violence or fighting.

"What's going on here?" Mrs Madeleine Russell asked, looking at Leilani as if telling her that the question was specifically meant for her. 

Leilani glanced at her for a while before shifting her gaze to look at the rest of the family. They all looked strange to her, the way they dressed, their hair, everything about them was strange. Something was definitely not right, and Leilani could feel it, just that she couldn't place what it was.

"Answer me!" Mrs Madeleine Russell yelled, not sparing Leilani any empathy. Right from the very day, Leilani was married into the Russell family, Mrs Madeleine Russell has always hated her as she found her unworthy for her favorite son.

Leilani opened her mouth to talk, but no sound came out. Her entire body was trembling. It didn't take long for her leg to grow weak, which made her lose her balance and feel down. 

"Mum, don't be harsh on my wife," Vincent cautioned his mother before walking towards Leilani to help her up, but immediately he touched her, Leilani pushed him so hard away from her and quickly ran out of the room ignoring everyother person in the room.

"Leilani!" Leilani heard Mrs Madeleine Russell scream her name after her, but she didn't reduce her step nor look back. 

Running downstairs, Leilani was stunned by what she saw. She had thought that living the room would get rid of the so many thoughts in her head and also clear her curiosity, but it only made it worse. 

"Grandfather?" Leilani called. Again, tears clustered in her eyes as she stared at the gray-haired man sitting on the wheelchair who in turn flashed her a heartwarming smile.

If there was anyone who genuinely loved and welcomed her into the Russell family, it would be her father-in-law, Mr George Russell. 

"Grandfather!" Leilani called again, this time allowing the tears to flow freely from her eyes as she ran towards him to hug him. 

Unlike his wife, Madeleine, who found Leilani unworthy for her son, George loved Leilani and has treated her like one just as he does to his other daughter-in-law. 

"I missed you," Leilani said, making Mr. George frowns his brow before letting out a small laugh.

"What do you mean, Leilani? This old man hasn't been too far from his family," Mr George said with a deep smile plastered on his face. 

"Besides, yesterday was your anniversary, and we spent the whole time together as family," he added, smiling even harder.

"Yesterday?" A frown appeared on Leilani's face. "How come?" She asked, not sure she understood what Mr George just said.

"Why are you acting so weird, Leilani? Yesterday was your anniversary, and you don't even remember it," Linda asked sarcastically. 

Leilani turned towards the direction of the voice and saw everyone standing there. They all had a mixed expression on their faces, which hinted that they must have heard her conversation with Mr George.

"Yesterday was my anniversary... five years wedding anniversary?" Leilani asked again. She wanted to confirm if she was hearing the right words or if her head was playing tricks on her.

Stephanie scoffed, sparing her a stiff look. "Are you looking for attention right now? Haven't you had enough attention yesterday?" Her tone was harsh, and the question sounded more like a mockery than a question

Leilani glanced at them one after the other, placing the puzzle piece together. It was gradually making sense to her, her room, the house, the family portrait, her phone type, Mrs. Madeleine young looks, everyone else young looks, and Mr George as well. Everything was just as it was years ago, when she celebrated her fifth year wedding anniversary. 

"Don't you really remember?" Vincent asked, studying her stunned facial expression. Moments ago, when he walked into the room, he noticed that he had stared at him as if he was a ghost, but he just waved it aside as nothing but seeing her act this way got him very worried.

"I know there was a lot to drink last night, but you didn't look drunk to me. You were in your right senses when I gave you the portrait as a wedding gift, and you even hanged it above our bed before we slept off, so why are you acting as if you have amnesia?" Vincent asked, getting frustrated.

Leilani glanced at him. Yes, he had gifted her the hand drawn family portrait as their wedding gift, and everything else happened as he said. She remembers vividly every single thing that happened, and everything happening in front of her looks so real. It can't possibly be a dream. 

Everything finally made sense. She came back. She really did come back, and Mr George also came back, even though she didn't know how it happened. All she knew was that, she's back. The diety heard her prayers and gave her a second chance at life.

"Does that mean...?" Leilani paused, hearing the most soft voice on earth calling unto her.

"Mum," she turned towards the direction of the voice and saw her little prince and princess smiling at her.

'Of course, they came back as well.' She smiled, spreading her arms and allowing them to run into it.

Everyone stood there staring at her as she hugged her twins' kids passionately before breaking out of the hug.

"Wow, are we watching a soap opera? What's with the emotions?" Linda scoffed. Leilani glanced at her, unhurt with her sassy and rude behavior. Perhaps if it was in her first life, she would be, but not anymore. She knows better now, and she knows how corny everyone could be.

Leilani stared at each of them one after the other and let out a deep breath before she said. " I'm sorry, I must have had too much to drink last night at the anniversary party, and the side effects just came in this morning, I will go take some rest now," Leilani bowed respectively. Her lips curved in an evil smile. 'Isn't the deity wonderful? Everyone is here even though I don't know how she did it, but I must thank her and also compliment her effort. Thanks, and I promise you, this life, I would make sure they get a bitter taste of their medicine, just sit on your throne and watch me punish them all, I promise you, I won't spare any of them, not even a single soul that has hurt me shall go unpunished, just wait and see"