“Then why did you not tell me?” Tania asked.
Grace shrugged her shoulders as she lay down back on the bed.
“I did not think it was necessary and besides, I kind of like the fresh air,” Grace explained.
Ethan quickly closed the window as firmly as he could.
“I will make sure I have it checked out in the morning because as much as you might love the fresh air coming from inside, it is still not wise to have a bad window in a kid’s room,” Ethan advised Grace as he came to sit on her bed.
“Dad, Mom, please I’m fine and I would like to go back to sleep now,” Grace said.
Tania gave Ethan a scared look which showed that she was not comfortable with leaving Grace alone.
Ethan on the other hand, saw nothing wrong with leaving Grace alone since he saw no sign of a threat or forced entry so he could not understand Tania’s paranoia.
“Alright Grace baby, we will leave you to sleep.” Ethan agreed to her request.
“Alright, Daddy!” Grace smiled.
“Wait! Grace dear, why don’t you come sleep in mummy and daddy’s room?” Tania suggested.
At that point, Ethan became more convinced that there was something Tania wasn’t telling him.
“No Mommy, I’m not a baby anymore!” Grace instantly protested at the idea her mother proposed.
“But I just want to be sure that you are safe,” Tania said in a quiet voice.
Ethan noticed the tense atmosphere and he tried to change it.
“It’s alright Tania, she can handle herself,” Ethan assured Tania.
Though she was still not convinced, Tania knew that she was fighting a losing battle and that if she pushed too much, Ethan would become suspicious and she was not ready to start answering questions.
“Alright, sweetie! But if you hear or see anything or anyone suspicious, please call us okay.” Tania requested.
“Alright Mommy, I will.” Grace agreed.
Ethan and Tania both kissed her goodnight on her forehead. They glanced around the room to be sure that there was nothing suspicious before they left.
“You know what Tania, why don’t you go to the room and rest while I clean up the mess at the dining table, we don’t want Grace stepping on the broken glass and getting herself injured you know,” Ethan suggested.
Tania saw the wisdom in what Ethan had suggested and she nodded her head in understanding.
“Alright Ethan, I do need the rest.” Tania agreed.
Tania went to their bedroom while Ethan went to the dinning room to clean the broken glass away.
Tania while in the bedroom could not sleep. She kept wondering what was actually going on. If it was discovered that Ella was still alive then it means that her six years of peace was about to come to and end.
As Tania made to lie down, her eyes noticed a writing on the wall of their room that was not there before. Immediately she read what was written, she screamed in fear.
Ethan heard her screaming and he quickly ran to the bedroom. When he saw what was written, he was also shaken.
He read the writing: I AM BACK AND I WILL MAKE YOU ALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!
***
Ella smiled with joy when she heard Tania screaming. Their reaction was more than what she had thought it would be. She had planned to make them surprised but the fear they had shown was more than satisfactory to her.
“This is just the beginning! I will make sure you both regret betraying me!” Ella vowed.
Ella knew that it was only a matter of time before they would call the cops and they will arrive so she quickly left.
By the time Ella got to her home, it was already morning and her kids were just waking up from the bed.
“Hey babies, how was your night?” Ella asked cheerfully.
“It was not fine!” Leo whined.
“Really, Leo? What about you Liam?” Ella asked her second son.
“You know I will go with whatever Leo says mom, we don’t like it here.” Liam said in support of his twin brother.
Ella rolled her eyes. What was she expecting? The twins were so close and connected to each other that whatever one says, the other was bound to accept and follow but that was only when it has to do with someone else because when it comes to things that affect just the two of them, they tend to go into survival of the fittest mood.
“Well, I promise you guy, that you will enjoy your coming here and you will thank me later.” Ella assured them.
“Don’t see that happening anytime soon!” Leo and Liam both said at the same time.
Ella smiled and drew them close to her and embraced them.
“Please, for mommy’s sake, I need you guys to bear with me for now okay and you would make more friends when you start school on Monday!” Ella pleaded with her boys.
The twins groaned in frustration.
“I just pray the school here has some fun.” Leo said.
“Yeah, and no boring teachers and students!” Liam interjected.
Ella smiled because she knew that she had already gotten to them.
“Alright boy! With that settled, why don’t you go brush your teeth while I make breakfast for us!” Ella instructed them.
“Alright.” They answered dryly.
Ella smiled ruefully. She still could not understand why the boys don’t like to brush but she knew where they got that particular character from.
They got it from Ethan. She remembered how his mother had once told her when Ethan newly introduced her to his mother that when Ethan was a kid, he did not like to brush and she would have to threaten him that she would go to his school and expose him to his classmates.
His mother then told her that she was surprised to see Ethan grow to become the neat freak that he was.
Ella laughed and could only imagine what was in the mind of the little Ethan because the Ethan she met and dated and agree to get married to was a very neat man who detested dirt.
His mother had accepted her with open arms and Ellla had been so happy to have her as her mother-in-law.
The thought of the past flooded her mind causing her to smile. Things might not have ended well between her and Ethan but there definitely was some good times to remember.
“Mom, why are you smiling?” Liam asked her.
The question quickly brought her out of her reverie.
“Oh, nothing serious, I just remembered something in the past.” Ella answered.
“Was it about our dad?” Leo asked.
***