Adaline
“Ayato, have you finished dusting off the carpets?” I screamed from the kitchen, where I was preparing the food for the family reunion. No answer came so I called back again.
After a few seconds, in came Ayato, holding a white rug in his hands. I looked at him, a bit puzzled about the situation, but then my eyes rendered the large mud spotches on the rug.
I pointed at it in true horror and yelped.
“Ayato, what the actual fudge?!”
He sheepishly smiled at me, rotating the tip of his toes on the floor, similarly to a child.
“You know you love me, right?”
“No, I don’t know. Now explain.”
He pouted. “I just dropped it in the mud while I was dusting it off. You told me to dust it off well and I tried my hardest, but somehow this small rug is such a sneaky one that it slipped off the clothesline, flew for a bit and fell right in the mud. It’s not my fault!”
“Not your fault…” I muttered while shaking my head, but continued my cooking nonetheless. “Just leave it there, on the ground. I’ll clean it after I’m finished with this.”
“Sorry…” He came behind me, letting his arms wrap around my waist. He tucked his nose in the nape of my neck and sighed. “Can I help you with anything?”
I pondered a bit before answering.
“Yeah, vacuum clean the floor in the living room, please.”
“Will do!” He unwrapped his hands and started to walk away, before being stopped by me.
“Hey, hey! Where’s my kiss?”
He grinned and pecked my lips before retreating. I smiled and went back for a kiss, but I abruptly pulled back, shocked. His grin suddenly switched to a mischievous one and I licked my bottom lip.
“Why did you bit me?!”
He shrugged while chuckling and left the room. I glared at him and promised myself to get revenge on him sometime soon.
“Make sure not to break anything!”
“Can’t promise that, sweetheart!”
I clicked my tongue, but still continued my cooking, fighting the urge to go and kick his ass.
Whilst pacing around, balancing plates and seasonings on my arms, I briefly looked at the clock and, out of shock, almost dropped everything that I was holding. It’s 3 PM already?! Everybody is going to come soon!
“AYATO!” I shouted, leaving all the things in my arms down on the counter beside the stove.
“Yeah?”
“IT’S 3 PM!” I proceeded to masterfully mix the food in the saucepan.
“So?”
My eyes bulged out of their sockets, stress levels being at maximum capacity by now. So, of course, as every engaged woman who so dearly loves her soon-to-be husband, I snapped.
“THE GUESTS ARE GOING TO COME HERE IN NO TIME. ARE YOU CRAZY? THE FOOD IS NOT DONE, THE LIVING ROOM HAS NOT BEEN DUSTED, THE RUG IS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM,” I shouted, not minding the pain in my throat that I was going to receive in no time. “AND IT’S STILL DIRTY!”
“Yeah, that’s your fault,” He answered back, no fear or shock in his voice regarding my sudden outburst. I asked why in the calmest tone that I could muster, I swear. “You are the one who offered to clean it.”
He was right.
“And, also, why are you screaming at me? It’s not like the concept of time is my fault, right? Please, don’t scream like that, you’ll just hurt yourself, baby,” As he was speaking, he stopped the dusting and came to stand right before me. My lips pouted unconsciously, and the only reason I came to know that was because of the brief look he gave them. The corner of his lip has slightly gone upward while he was pursing his lips. “I’m sorry that I didn’t help you better. I’ll go and take care of things now, okay?”
I nodded my head and he shot a full smile towards me, before leaning in to kiss my forehead.
“I love you, Cherrypops.”
I grinned at the nickname and bid my apologies, along with a highly deserved I love you back.
Some time has passed since the small commotion. The food was already done and Ayato has successfully dusted the living room, placing some snacks on the coffee table in front of the television. The rug wasn’t clean, but just out of sight, hiding in a good place, as Ayato oh-so-liked to put it.
The door clicked and, from the couch that we were sitting in, our heads turned around to see who it was.
The front door opened and in came a stunning woman, holding an expensive bag and dressed in everything that was expensive, as well: long, flowy dress, medium heels, jewelry for days.
She stopped in the living room, scanned the room for a bit before spotting us. She took of her black glasses, snapping her head to let her hair flow back in waves of a marvelous shiny brown.
“Did you miss me?” She said in a jokingly arrogant tone of voice and my face broke into a full, happy, Christmas-like excited smile. I rose up on my feet and sped up to engulf her in a long-awaited hug. My grip was strong and she breathed out in shock, but laughed afterwards while wrapping her arms back around me.
“I missed you too, sis!” She caressed my back with her palms, then retracted to take a better look at my face. She kissed my forehead. I grinned in response.
“Now, where is my bitch?” She looked around, seeming ready to fight someone. Her eyes moved to the couch and I turned around to see Ayato shrinking to the floor.
She marched towards the couch, her dress flowing after her.
“You, bitch! I’ve sent you tons of messages and you have been ignoring all of them! You’re such an incredulous human being that I want to kick you in the nuts!” She turned towards me. “But I won’t do that because I want to be an aunt!”
And then she went on to fight with him. I let out a laugh, happy that those two still have that kind of hyperactive energy around one another, even after six years have passed.
Jemima changed, a lot. She applied for a modeling school in the spur of the moment, when Finnegan had given her the idea. She became one of the most famous models in the country, stealing hearts even all over the world for her beauty and joyfulness. Reporters have always said that interviews with her were light and fun to do, they compared them to something like hanging out with an old friend who just didn’t seem to age.
She became more calm and collected and wouldn’t do rash decisions anymore: i. e. beating someone up because she was angry.
A cry of pain made me rouse from my reverie and I watched as Ayato pleaded me to help him with his eyes, while Jemima was on top of him, pressing her elbow into his back.
I smiled.
Of course, Ayato was an exception.
“I’m happy that those two still get along,” A voice said right beside me and I snapped my head to the right, where my eyes spotted Finnegan with a smile plastered on his face. He moved his attention towards me, his smile enlarging. “How are you, Addy? All good?”
He leaned in for a hug and I gladly offered it.
“Yeah, of course. Apart from the occasional headaches Ayato gives me, all good.”
A snicker left his mouth and he was the first to end the hug. He raised his arm and gave me a bag full of snacks.
“Oh, thank you! Let me serve them right away.”
I retreated to the kitchen where I took some bowls and plates for the snacks. Not even a few seconds later, the doorbell rang. I was prepared to go out and invite the guests in, but Jemima beat me to it.
“I’ll get it!”
I returned to the living room with the snacks and smiled at Sam who was sitting down on the couch, turned towards me. A man had his arm wrapped around her, and tilted his head up in acknowledgement.
“Sam, Lucas! How are you?” I asked when I approached them, placing the bowls and plates in the free spaces of the coffee table.
“Just came back from the honey moon, you know. We are so happy to see you, guys! Give me a hug, Addy!” I leaned down to kiss her cheeks and engulf her in my arms.
I sat down on the armrest of the couch in which Ayato was sitting in, after I’ve retracted from the hug. He put his hand in my lap, palm upwards, silently asking for my hand which I, of course, immediately gave it to him.
Finnegan and Jemima, as always, sitting on the floor, even though they had elsewhere to sit, and Jemima was embracing the living lights out of Finnegan who didn’t mind it at all. Even after so many years, they still had that childish love about them. They were pure and innocent in their romance and they valued affection to the maximum.
On the other hand, Sam and Lucas, they’ve met just a year back and I remember Sam telling me and Jemima how it was an instant spark between the two of them. Their love was fiery and strong, and even though arguments would always rise, they would get over it pretty fast. I was skeptic in the beginning, marrying a person who you haven’t known for so long, but Lucas has proven himself worthy, as Sam also did. Even after ugly fights, they always found a way to come back together and forgive each other. They were a rollercoaster of emotions, but that’s what kept them going.
“What about Zach?” Ayato suddenly asked, his eyebrows raised. “Have you been talking to him?”
Sam pursed her lips and shook her head, a hint of regret combined wit guitl written on her face. Lucas tightened his grip on her shoulder. Sam gave him a small smile and patted his hand, probably to show him that she was alright.
“I haven’t. Last that I’ve heard of him was that he was in a hospital for suicidal attempt, and receiving special care. But that was half a year ago. He isn’t answering my messages, nor my calls.”
A tense atmosphere fell over us, silence reigning in the room.
Ever since the incident when Sam was shot, he started developing bad habits, probably due to guilt and stress. We’d tried to talk him out of it, trying to convince him that he didn’t have anything to do with his foster mother, but he couldn’t savvy that kind of thing. It was impossible for him, it seemed. He was afraid that, after her sentence ended, his foster mother would’ve gone after him and after Sam, again.
He loved Sam a lot. He most probably still does, and I do know that when he heard about her engagement, he tried to commit suicide. But I won’t tell Sam that. Based on her facial expression, I think she was also thinking about this.
No one but me and Ayato knew this: Zach had sent me a text message right before he was about to commit suicide and mentioned that, at last, he could leave this world in peace, knowing that Sam was happy. Luckily, the police and the ambulance were able to trace his whereabouts and now he is in a medical centre, getting treatment.
I have also sent him a few text messages, but his answers were always kept short. I was sure he would come back around some time later. Right now, he should concentrate on himself and on his well being.
“Hey! You got The Last of Us 2?” Lucas cut the tension in the room, watching the pile of PS4 games Ayato had.
“Oh yeah, I pre-ordered it! Want to play?”
“For sure!”
“After eating, guys,” I laughed and raised up from my seat. “Come on, let’s go and eat first.”
All of the people in the room got up and walked towards the kitchen, apart from Lucas who wanted to use the bathroom first.
The guests sat down at the table, praising how good the food smelled, even though it wasn’t set in front of them yet. I poured them a portion each, and sat down myself.
“Let’s wait for Lucas,” I smiled and the rest nodded, besides Sam who just started shouting for him.
“Lucas! Get your ass here! The food is getting cold! Have you fallen into the toilet or what?!”
A few moments later, a response.
“I’m trying to figure out how to not get my feet dirty!”
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion at his words. Dirty? Why dirty?
I looked towards Sam and her expression matched mine. As if on cue, we both got up and bolted towards the bathroom. We knocked and Lucas gave us permission to enter.
Horrified was an understatement as I watched the image in front of me. The rug was placed in the bathtub, soaked and still a bit dirty, and the floor, the bathtub, the sink, the toilet, the walls, everything was muddy. Everything! Ayato told me he had already taken care of it, but of what?! Of getting the bathroom dirty, because he didn’t know how washing a carpet works?! I didn’t even ask him to wash it because that takes a lot of work! Oh… my… God…
I was on a killing spree, my body temperature gradually rising. For sure, my face was beet red by now.
Sam widened her eyes and clicked her tongue. She exited the bathroom and stood in front of it, face turned towards the kitchen.
“Yo, Ayato!”
“Yeah?”
Hearing his voice just made my blood boil even more. I spun on my feet and marched towards the kitchen.
“You should run for dear life,” A hint of laugh was present in Sam’s voice.
“Why?” Ayato asked back, but didn’t get an answer. If so, I was the answer itself, because when I entered room, the color on his face drained. “Oh, the rug…” he realized.
The chair screeched on the floor and he fled.
“WAIT UP, YOU IDIOT!” I picked up after him and ran, the laughter of the guys following me, gradually becoming quieter as I got further away from them, hot on Ayato’s heels.
Even though I was mad, it was fun. It was always fun with Ayato, and I could’ve never asked for a better soon-to-be husband. He was my everything and I knew he saw me in the same manner. We were perfect for each other and I know we will always be.
I love you, Ayato, and, until death breaks us apart, I will still love you. And even after that, even after we leave the Earth, I will love you in another world.
I love you.
… But not right now. Right now I want to kill you for ruining my bathroom, you bad boy idiot.