Chapter 75
Lyra sat on a bench as she watched the children play in the garden. Miles, Ryan, and Miley were having a good time as they played different games together.
After their call the night before, Ryan promised to come very early so that he could play with them. Ryan wasn’t blabbering when he said that because he came extremely early he was the one that woke everybody up.
After breakfast, they came out to the garden to have some fun together.
Lyra was supposed to go to work but Tia was not back yet. She must have had the time of her life with Henri that she couldn’t make it back home last night. Just as she was thinking of Tia, the lady came into view
“Oh, so you know the way back to your house”
Tia blushed before greeting her a good morning
“Good morning to you too. The last time I checked you only told me you were going for a dinner date, what happened?”
Tia cleared her throat trying her possible best not to blush but she was failing woefully because her neck and ears were already red.
“Hen-ri wanted me to sleep over”
Lyra gave her the suspicious look before asking to tease her
“Are you sure you only slept or was there something else you both were doing last-”
Tia didn’t wait for Lyra to finish her statement, she covered her mouth. This caused Lyra to burst out in laughter attracting the attention of the three children playing in the garden.
They rushed over when they saw that Tia was back
“Aunty Tia, you didn’t come home last night?” Miley asked, shocked. She didn’t notice that Tia was not home when she woke up.
Tia smiled as she hugged her “No, I didn’t”
She moved to hug Miles also who said to Miley
“How would you know? You saw Ryan and forgets that others exist in this house” this caused everyone to laugh except Miley who didn’t find it funny but offensive.
“How can you say that? I will never forget anyone. I was just so excited to see Ryan”
“We are saying the same thing” Miles rolled his eyes before sitting beside his mother.
Ryan was standing quietly observing them. He had been playing with them in the garden but since they all ran here he has been quiet which was unlike him.
Lyra who noticed this asked Ryan
“Are you okay, dear?” Ryan nodded and didn’t say a word. He didn’t go to sit with them when everyone else did. He only stood looking at them
Miley frowned before walking over to meet him
“What is it, Ryan? Why aren’t you smiling like before? Are you tired of us already?”
Ryan shook his head in a hurry indicating that he was not tired of them one bit.
“Then what is it?” She asked in a low voice and said “You can tell me, and I will help you out” she said as she took his hand into hers.
Ryan felt warm, his eyes began to water. He sniffed causing Miley to look up at him. When the tears gathered in his eyes, she pulled him into a hug and caressed his back in circular motions like her mom always does to her and her brother.
“Ohh Ryan, do not cry” she shushed him gently and this caused Ryan to burst into tears.
When the others saw what was going on, they jumped to their feet and moved swiftly to where Miley and Ryan stood.
“What’s going on?”
“Ryan, what happened?”
“Miley, what’s wrong with Ryan?” They bombard them with questions but Miley kept trying to calm him down.
Ryan opened his mouth to speak but just because he was hiccuping he couldn’t say words they could understand.
“Ryan please don’t cry, did we do anything wrong?” Miles was the one speaking now. He hates to see his friend cry and doesn’t know how to comfort him. Ryan finally stopped, they waited for him to speak up because they could not figure out what was making the body cry
“I… I didn’t… get a… hug from aunty” everyone froze.
‘What?!’ Miles almost screamed out loud but held himself. ‘That’s the reason Ryan was crying so bitterly?’ he wondered
“Awwwwn” Lyra and Miley said it simultaneously as they looked at him with wide smiles.
Tia didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t believe her lack of affection towards Ryan caused him to cry that hard. ‘Was he in need of love?’ She wondered
“You all call me family but you don’t hug me like you hug yourselves”
Lyra paused as she looked intensively at the small boy. She could tell that he was lacking love and that was because of her sister, Ella. She has seen Bruce with Ryan so many times, he takes care of his son. He gives his son the attention he needs from a father, he listens to his son to the extent that he swallows his pride to plead with her to let Ryan come around sometimes. Bruce does all a father should a father, the love Ryan was lacking was the love of a mother.
Ella was a useless mother to Ryan, she never really cared for her child. She just wanted to use Ryan to keep Bruce with her. It was so painful that out of them all, their son has to suffer the most.
“Come here, Ryan” Lyra spoke when she saw Miley still hugging him and shushing him
Ryan walked up to her. She swat down to his level and cleaned his tears. She smiled at the boy who tried to return it and said to him
“My Love, this is your house. Whenever you need a hug or a peck ask the person you wish to get it from to give it to you. You don’t have to cry to get it, okay?”
Ryan wanted to nod but asked instead “What about if they refuse? My mommy refuses me a lot, telling me that I am not a baby anymore”
Lyra turned to look up at Tia when she heard Ryan’s words and Tia took the cue.
She moved closer to Ryan and pulled him into a hug.
“Never will anyone in this house refuse to hug you? You are our family Ryan”
Ryan smiled brightly as he hugged her back tightly as tears rushed down his cheeks, tears of joy. He was happy he could now call them family. He can’t wait to go back home to tell his father that he is now part of their family
Tia looked at Lyra and whispered sorry. She could tell that it was because she had hugged the twins and not hugged Ryan that made him feel this way. He felt left out and alone.
Lyra shook her head, indicating that it was not a problem anymore. She was good enough to remember to hug him now.
“Why don’t we all just do the family hug?” Miley asked with a wide grin on her pretty little face.
Miles and Lyra nodded before they joined in the hug, warming Ryan’s heart so much so that he teared up again.
They had a good time that day. Tia went up to her room to change her clothes, when she got back they went bicycling, playing hide and seek, and played a game with their water guns.
The fun wasn’t for only the three children, Lyra and Tia joined in the fun as they played and played till it was evening. They had even forgotten to eat lunch.
Bruce came back to pick up his son, he was instructed by the security men to go to the backyard and he would find them.
As he was walking down there, he could hear the sounds of laughter. He felt warm inside when he heard his son’s laughter as well. He hastened his steps to see what was causing him to laugh so hard
When he got there, he paused when he saw what they were doing. Lyra was hiding behind a swing, she was shooting Miley and Ryan who were partners running to take cover.
Miles was also defending them, he was shooting Tia with his water gun to distract her from shooting Miley or Ryan.
They were so happy playing that they did not notice that someone was watching them.
Bruce could not help but stare in awe at how they played together like a family. He smiled bitterly, no wonder Ryan always wanted to come over here.
It wasn’t only his age but everyone here was fun to be with for him. He didn’t even notice his father was behind him and Bruce didn’t disturb his fun either.
As they were shooting one another, Miley turned around to run away only to hit herself on a hard surface with her wet body. She almost fell but Bruce held her steady.
“Dad!” Ryan yelled in joy, he dropped his water gun and ran over to his father who caught him happily and threw him up before catching him again
“I can see you are enjoying yourself” he smiled
“Yes Daddy, I’m having the best time of my life” he exclaimed raising his hands in joy
Bruce nodded before looking at Lyra who had come out of her hiding spot with wet clothes.