Category: Diary

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

And… ummm… I’m speechless.  I really have no words.

So this morning, Robert’s wife said she was going to take me to a dress shop and get me a very fancy dress.  I didn’t really know why, but I had nothing else to do, obviously, so we went to get me a very fancy dress.  It took quite a long time for the tailor to do the tailor thing. but at the end, I had a very nice satiny lavender dress with a slit down the side.  I… well, Jack would have loved me in it.  And then she took me and Rebecca to get our hair and makeup professionally done.

They didn’t bother telling me why.

Well, I found out why.

You remember that celebrity that we ran into yesterday that I still don’t remember who it was?  Well, he invited us to the Oscars!  All four of us!!!

We went up the red carpet and everything!!!

Why is my life like this?  Why do these things always seem to happen to me?

They of course didn’t really get any photos of me because, well, I’m nobody, but we went into the auditorium, and I’ve never seen so many people in tuxedos and evening gowns!  I have never felt more like I didn’t belong!  But… they did have free chocolate, so there’s that.  I had a bit of that and felt better.

Anyway, I watched a bunch of people I don’t know and don’t care about prattling on about movies I don’t know and don’t care about.  I think Robert understood that.  But he did tell me to try to enjoy it, because it’s a once in a lifetime experience that will probably never happen again.

And…  he’s right about that.  So I tried.  It was certainly an experience.  I used all of my Japanese grace and poise.  Hahaha!!!

And here’s the funniest thing!!!

Sabby was watching the Oscars (she usually doesn’t but she was bored) and…  she saw me!  And I didn’t tell her I was going!

Hahahaha!!!!

So when it was over and we were in the car on the way back, my phone was blowing up!!! Hahaha!!!!

She called Emiko, and Emiko called Ai’s parents, and, well, everyone I knew was blowing up my phone asking me why the heck I was at the Oscars!!!

I said I don’t talk to little people.  Sabby threatened to smack me.  Suddenly I talked to little people.  hahaha!!!!

Of course I’m kidding.  I wasn’t joking when I said I don’t care.

It’s…  really a different world here.  I guess it’s fun to dip a toe in.  But…  but I will be happy to be home.  This isn’t my world.  This is Robert’s world.

Robert had to tell Rebecca to behave herself and not fangirl over all the celebrities, though.  She did a pretty good job, though when one gave her a compliment she turned beet red and squeaked.  It was hilarious!!!

Robert, well…  he asked me if I was having a good time.  I said yes, but I said this isn’t my world, and I don’t really feel comfortable in it.  He said he understood and didn’t take it personally.  That’s when he told me to just enjoy making memories.

That… was exactly the right thing to say, to me.  This may not be my world.  It may make me uncomfortable.  But no one at all can deny that… I’m making a whole bunch of memories.  I mean, who gets to say they went to the Oscars???

Me!  I do!

Hahaha!!!

Okay!  Tomorrow we’re going boating!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

Well, ummm.. .today was quite the day.

So today they decided they were going to take me sightseeing.  That was nice of them.  I honestly can’t say I’m too interested in the stuff they wanted to show me, but they’re showing me things that are important to them, and I get some stories to tell Jack and the girls, so…  it was alright.  We went to Hollywood… I saw the famous hollywood sign.  I never thought I’d see that in person.  There was a surprising amount of snow on the hills above.

They took me to see some of the famous places, like Rodeo drive, the Chinese theater, the walk of stars, all that stuff.  I…  don’t really understand.  Why is that interesting?  At one point Rebecca started squealing, and I looked around – apparently there was some celebrity walking by.  Tom Cruise or something?  I dunno.  Anyway, she was fangirling all over and I just looked confused, I guess.

Because he walked over to me.

He asked me how I was doing and asked if I wanted a picture with him.  I guess… celebrities are like cats.  They’re attracted to people that don’t fangirl all over them.  Rebecca was pretty much jumping around and squealing, but he barely acknowledged her.  So…  I guess I got a picture with Tom Cruise, or someone.  Rebecca was in the picture too – he wasn’t a jerk about it.  He just didn’t seem to be too much of a fan of all the squealing.

Then… I can’t believe this… he and Robert shook hands and he asked how Robert was doing.  Robert said fine, how’s the latest film?  They actually shot the breeze for a few minutes, and then Tom or whoever went on his way.

Rebecca looked at Robert like he grew a third head.  “You KNOW him?”

“Yeah, he’s a client, we had to work with him for an ad.”

“OH MY GOD I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE SOOOOOOO COOL!!!!!”

Truth be told… I still don’t know who that was.

But anyway…  worst part was there were some paparazzi around, so…  just great.  Beth’s gonna be sooooo jelly.  And all I really did was stand there.

Anyway, it was fun, I guess.  We had lunch at a diner in Hollywood, and then we just kind of drove around and saw a few sights.  Rebecca is…  ummm…  not like any of my friends.  She’s not a bad girl.  I can tell.  But she’s a little like a character on “clueless”.  Not dumb by any means, but a little spoiled and used to her rather cushy life.  While we were asking she asked me about Texas.  She asked me if…  cashmere came from cashmeres.  You know, like leather comes from cows.

I said… “I really don’t think so.”

“Hmm…” she said.  “Have you ever ridden a horse?”

“I’m actually kinda good at it,” I said.

“We’re going to have to go horse riding then!”, she said.  “I love horses!  They’re so… sooo…. horsey!”

I guess they are, at that.  I can’t think of a better word to describe them.

She’s not dumb.  She really isn’t.  I don’t want y’all to think she is.  She’s just… in her own world, and it’s not the same world as mine.  I live in a land of cowboy hats and ranchers and flat land and y’all and all that.  She lives in a land of mountains and big houses and nice cars and horses and fancy clothes.  It’s just how it is.  She doesn’t know my world.

I want her to come to Texas. And I think she wants to come as well.

I told her about sky as far as the eye could see and sagebrush and cows next to freeways and HEB and all sorts of texasey things.  And she was, actually, enthralled.  It’s not that she isn’t interested… she just didn’t know there was a world outside her comfortable life.

She was also really curious about Japan but that’s a whole nother story and this is already pretty long.  She told me she loves my eyes and hair, it’s so…. exotic.  I might have been offended, but… she wasn’t being racist.  She really meant it.

Anyway, it was a pretty good day, I guess.  I wasn’t so sure about it, and the whole celebrity culture thing wasn’t interesting, but it’s… nice to see how people live that aren’t me.  y’know?

I checked in with Sabby and told her to check the tabloids in a couple of days, to see if the paparazzi do something stupid.  She laughed and said “only you, Lily.”  I told her everything’s fine so far, they’re treating me well, it’s, just…  a different culture entirely.

I don’t think I could ever really get used to it.

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

And… I’m in LA.

Well, Calabasas, actually.

I got up way early and Sabby took me to the airport at around 6 AM.  She was being a real worrywart, but I told her I’d be okay.  I guess I understand, though.  She worries about me.  I’m glad she does.  But the flight itself was pretty uneventful, you know, ding-dong, crowded plane, all that.

When I got there, well, they’re two hours behind Austin, so it was something like 9:30.  Robert was there to pick me up, but nobody else was.  Okay, at least I knew him, so there’s that.

On the way back, he asked me how my trip was, you know, the stuff you ask people about when they fly.  He has a very nice car – Dave can afford a nice car if he wants one, but he has a run of the mill SUV.  Robert’s car is a BMW.  He seems very proud of it, he told me the model and how much it cost, etc.  I can’t say I was all that interested, but I let him tell me.  It seemed like it was important to him.  He’s really not a bad guy, but he’s… not like Dave.  You’ll see.

So we drove along the beach for a while, it was a nice drive.  He actually has a convertible, so he put the top down, and the air smelled really nice.  He stopped at a nice restaurant overlooking the ocean, and he bought me lunch.  That was nice of him.  I didn’t have anything fancy, but a tuna melt did kind of hit the spot.

Then we drove up a winding mountain road.  It was really, really pretty, and finally we ended up at his house.

What a big house.

It’s on a mountaintop overlooking the canyon, and the driveway itself is like half a mile long!!!  It’s a really beautiful house.  I asked him how he afforded a house so big, and he seemed to kind of preen at that.  He said he’s a director of marketing at a large company, and… he’s pretty well paid.  And his wife was some kind of high-powered executive too.  When we got in, he showed me to a guest room, and it’s got its own bath and shower, and a large window overlooking the mountains!

It really is a very nice house.  Dave and Sabby have a large enough house for everyone, you know, bedrooms for all of us and an office for him, but it’s just a normal suburban house.  This… this is not a normal suburban house.  This is fancy.

He said his wife was at work and he needed to work in his office for a little while, so I could spend time in the room if I wanted, or I could take a walk, or there was a game room he showed me with video game consoles and a television and a bunch of snacks.  It was very nice, I have to admit.  There was also a poll in the back and he said I could spend some time swimming if I wanted, and showed me the exercise room, too.  They… really do have a lot of things.

So around 3 PM, Rebecca and his wife got home at around the same time, Rebecca from school and his wife from work.  Rebecca doesn’t get off for spring break until April, so…  I guess I won’t see too much of her next week.  Though Robert did tell me he was taking her out for a couple of days so we can do some fun stuff.

So, I met Rebecca.

She’s a pretty girl, a little younger than me, dressed very fashionably, and, well… seems nice enough but a bit aloof.  She honestly didn’t seem too happy to meet me.  She just kind of said hi and then went up to her room.

His wife was friendlier.  She said it was nice to meet me, that I was a surprise, but that family is family.  I guess Rebecca is a little jealous because she was always the only child and now she has a half-sister, but she said Rebecca would come around.

They ordered pizza, and we ate pizza and chatted.  Turns out Rebecca and I have something in common – she loves chocolate too.  So, I went up to my luggage and got a chocolate bar – I packed several, of course.

That helped, I think.  She certainly ate the chocolate, and seemed to warm to me a bit.

So I’m writing this from my room with a window looking out on a starlit sky and a mountain.  It’s really pretty.  The house is so big and quiet.  They seem okay.  I…  miss Texas, though.  They have so many nice things….  but my family is there.  Everything I love is there.

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

And…  the last midterm was today!  Yaayy!!!

But…  tomorrow I leave for LA.

And I’m a little excited… but also not very.

See, when I went to Orlando, I was going with people I knew.  Liz and her parents are very much like my own family, and…  and I had no reason to not be excited.  And it was fun!  And when I went to Japan, it was the same – it was, well, I went with Liz and I already knew Emiko, and I went with her too, so at least I knew some people… and it was fun.

But this… this, I don’t know about.

I mean, I did meet Robert, but…  but I don’t really know him.  Yeah, we’ve been talking a bit, and he seems nice, but I don’t know his wife, and I don’t know Rebecca, and LA seems like such a different place than here.  I’m actually nervous.  And I don’t usually get nervous!  And they told me to bring some sunscreen, and a swimsuit, and some sunglasses… I guess it’s really sunny there!  But it’s sunny here, why is their sun different??

And plus I’m going by myself.  I’ve never travelled by myself before.

But, Lilies forge ahead, right?  I guess it will be okay.  I know if anything bad happens Sabby will rain hellfire down on anyone who causes it.. and she’ll know.  We’ve already figured that out.  I mean, better safe than sorry, right?

And I’m a Lily, so I forge ahead!

Liz is over tonight.  We’re having a sleepover before I have to go to the airport tomorrow.  I’m glad.  Sometimes I’m her rock… and sometimes… like tonight… she’s mine.  I love her, did I tell you that?

Beth is a little jealous, but I keep telling her – if she wants to trade all her memories, she can have it.  She’ll get over it.  Plus I’ll bring her back a present.  She likes presents.

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

And I didn’t write last night!  Why?  Because… MIDTERMS!!!  Beth and I were studying!  We both had tests today so we spent all last night cramming!!!

It wasn’t fun, but we did well on our tests.

I leave for LA in a couple of days, too!!!  Some more midterms tomorrow and we’re all done!!!

I’m… a little nervous, if I’m being honest.  I don’t know how it’s going to turn out.  Will I like Rebecca?  Will she like me?  How about Robert and his wife?  Everything will be so different there, I think.  Sabby and I worked out some precautions, just in case.  But I won’t tell you what they are until I come home!!! Because if I tell you what they are now, then you’ll know, and they’ll stop being precautions!!!

But I did look up their home on Google Maps.  It’s in a place called Calabasas, and is a VERY nice house.  I guess Robert’s doing pretty well for himself.  Well… so is Dave, he’s just not as ostentatious about it, I guess.  Different strokes for different folks, right?

I do hope Dave can put in a swimming pool someday, though.

I’m glad I’m Dave and Sabby’s daughter, though.  More family is always good, but…  but they’re the ones who took me in and adopted me and take care of me and tell me when I’m being a putz.

Hahaha!!!

Okay!!!  Studying to do!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

It’s midterm week!!!

Awwww!!!  Lots of cramming and studying and working with Beth!!!  Not much time for fun stuff this week!  But I’ll leave for LA on Friday!!!  So there’s that anyway.

Beth started her driving classes today.  I guess right now it’s all study.  They’ll take her out later.  She’s doing a lot better though!  Hasn’t smashed into anything in a while!  She turns sixteen in a couple of weeks too, so…  she’s got a busy month!  Sabby and I are talking about throwing her a “sweet sixteen” party.  I think she’ll like it.  We’ll even invite the boy she likes!

But I’m going to have a little talk with her first.  Not the Sabby talk.  She’s had that with both of us, and like with David, it’s not really any of my business.  But…  I do want to have the “when you find the right boy all sense will go out the window and all you’re going to want to do is do stuff that you know is a really bad idea” talk.  It’s important.  Sabby told me, and I didn’t believe her… then I met Jack in Orlando and it was really hard.  And what’s a big sister for?

But she’s a smart girl.  Maybe smarter than me.  No, definitely smarter than me.  Problem is, intelligence doesn’t fix every problem.

Speaking of big sisters, Katie is starting to show now.  She’s got the baby bump, and she’s… well, she’s a bit moody.  Sometimes she gets really giggly, then she cries, then she runs to the bathroom.  Aww.  She’s doing okay, but… not doing well, if that makes sense.  But Sabby seems determined to get her through it, and Katie is really leaning on her.  That’s good.  Sabby can be like a rock sometimes.  I just… sometimes she needs a rock too, y’know?

Okay… I’ve got a little studying to do still.

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

So, today we went to church, as usual.  It was a typical day at church.  You know, stand up, sit down, sing, chant, listen to pastor do pastor stuff, and get chocolate pancakes after. 

I think the pastor has been paying attention, because today the sermon was “Come and taste the goodness of God”, and… and… he compared God to CHOCOLATE!!!  And looked RIGHT AT ME when he did it!!!

Dangit!!!

Not gonna lie.  That was funny.  I was giggling.

It’s not a very big congregation and pastor knows his flock, I guess.

But that’s… an interesting way of putting it.  I like Chocolate!  Is God as good as chocolate???

So tonight Jack and I had a date!!! We… didn’t do anything special.  We just spent some time together, and that’s always nice.  I went over to his place, but his family was there, so we cuddled on the couch and watched a movie.  Grace and Lily (the dog) climbed all over us and then conked out.  Grace is so cute!  I hope my kids are like her!!!

They’d better like chocolate though!!!

I didn’t get to spend any time alone with him tonight, but it was still nice, and we did get to cuddle.

I’m getting ready for my trip to LA too!!!  They told me to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a swimsuit!  I’ll look like a karen!  Awww!!!  I bet I’ll meet a lot in California!  It’s karenland!!!  haha!!!

Okay!!! Bedtime!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

I think, not having memories isn’t always a bad thing.

Today, Beth told me about a memory she had when she was little.  It wasn’t a very good memory.  Not all her memories are bad, obviously, but they’re not good either.  And Jack has told me in the past that there are memories he wishes he didn’t have.  And I… I got a clean slate!  I started over when I was fourteen!  I remember my first taste of pizza!  I liked it!  I had a lot of firsts, that were probably not firsts, but to me they were!  So… so I got a first time on a lot of things twice!!!

I mean, I’m sure I had pizza before!  Maybe not, but I think I did!  I mean, what kid doesn’t get pizza at least once?  Even if their parents are strict!

And I went to Japan when I was 9, apparently.  But I don’t remember it, or even really know what I was doing there!  So…  I went again!  And I had a really good time!

I…  I have mixed feelings anymore about not having memories.  Oh, sure, I’d like them back.  But I think… I think I’m okay with not having them.  Sure, I don’t remember anything.  But I never lost my skills, I lost a family that it seems didn’t really love me (from what Mrs. Doily said), and I gained one that does.  I gained a boyfriend, I gained a trust account (at least I think that’s why), and…  and…

And maybe it was worth the trade.

Maybe it was.

I’ll still seek, I’ll still try to find out, I’ll still hope to get my memories back…  but if I never do…  I think I’m okay with that.  I love my family, I love my boyfriend, I love my life, and that’s why I have all these things.

It’s been nearly three years since I was found on the side of the road, and…  and I’m starting to be glad for that.  I wish it hadn’t happened, but…  but…  but life is so good now, and…  maybe that’s the price I pay for such a wonderful life.

Everything comes with a price, as Dave says.

Today was pretty boring, but Jack is taking me out tomorrow!! Yay!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

It’s Friday!!! And Allison had her choir concert today!!!

It was fun!!!

All those kids in their black and green t-shirts singing stuff!!! They sang “Top of the World”, “Revolting Children”, and even “Sky Full of Stars”!!  They did a good job!!!  Except some of the kids couldn’t stand still!  Hahaha!!!

Allison is a good singer!!!

Speaking of singing, Beth wants to take singing lessons!!!  I asked my piano teacher if she could recommend someone, but we haven’t found the right person.  She’s not a bad singer at all!!!

So after Allison’s choir, we had a nice family night.  The girls didn’t come over tonight, and we just watched a movie as a family.  It was nice.  Beth and I spent some time talking and doing each others’ hair too!!!  We don’t do that often enough – there’s always so much to do.  But sisters need to make time, right?

I have my tickets to go to LA!!!  I hope it’s fun!!! It’s been snowy in the LA area, but I guess it’s clear for the near future.  I hope I don’t get caught in snow!  Awww!!! I like snow, but you don’t go to LA for snow, y’know?

I’ve chatted a bit with Robert, but haven’t really met his wife or Rebecca.  I hope she’s nice!!!  She’s my half sister, after all!!!

Oh!  And everyone’s going to Japan!!!  The whole family!!!  Emiko and Aika and Mika too!!!  This’ll be fun!!! If… ummm… a little crowded?  Ai can’t wait!!  David wants to see Akihabara!!!

Anyway, was a good day.  Maybe Beth would like to join a choir!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

It stormed tonight!  I mean REALLY stormed!!!

High winds and lots of rain and some tornadoes too!  But thankfully not here!  Just very high winds!

Marie was scared!  Cat didn’t care!  Hahaha!!!

But that’s how storms are in Texas.  They come very quickly, with a lot of wind and rain, and then they leave as quickly as they come!!!

But it’s all quiet now!!!  I can even take Marie outside before bed!!!

Tomorrow is Allison’s choir concert!!!  Can’t wait!!! And my trip to LA is next week!!!  Yaaaayyy!!!

I’m kind of excited.  I’ve never been to LA except at the airport on the way to Japan.

Okay!!!  Guess it’s bedtime now!!!

Love you all!!! ❤