Ella’s POV
Oh! The walk was great. I had enjoyed feeling the breath on my face and my bones felt stretched. It was getting late and I didn’t want to stay out too late. I had heard a lot of the dangers of staying out late in the human world especially for a lady walking alone in the dark. Even though I knew I could protect myself, I wasn’t willing to take the risk of getting attacked. I didn’t want to generate the attention that would come if people saw a young lady flipping off an attacker on his back without efforts.
I walked back to the house and saw a silhouette hanging around the door. I wondered who that was again. Was today a day for everyone of them to come and check us out? I wondered if I had to consider giving the neighborhood gossip an allowance for the job that I didn’t send her that she was doing.
I walked faster to the house so I could check out who was at the door.
“Excuse me?” I asked as I walked behind the person I could tell was a lady now.
She turned and I gasped as I saw who it was. It was the lady from earlier. I wondered what she was here for again.
“It’s you again.” I gasped and quickly corrected my mistake when I realized that I was rude. “Gabby.” I said. I wasn’t about to say it was nice to see her again but I wasn’t willing to act like it was a bother to see her.
“I forgot to mention something.” She said.
I doubted that. She had seemed like she wanted to say something earlier before she decided against it. I didn’t think that she forgot anything.
“What did you forget?” I asked her, arching my eyebrows at her so she would know that she didn’t have to waste my time.
She opened her mouth but before she could say anything, the door opened and Kevin walked out. His eyes found mine and he smiled. “I thought I sensed you outside and came to check up on why you haven’t come inside.”
“I’m not alone.” I explained.
He frowned. “Were you talking with someone?” He said, looking around. “I heard your voice.” He gasped as he saw the lady I was talking with. “You? Gabby?”
I frowned. Did they know each other? I wondered if she had been here earlier after I had gone for my walk and had met Kevin as I didn’t think of anywhere else’s they could have met each other. He hardly went out.
“Yes, Gabby.” She chuckled. “I am surprised you still know my name after all this time.”
All this time? I was getting more confused as I realized that they had known each other before today.
“It’s not my fault I have a good memory.”
“What of the other handsome guy you were with?” She asked.
“We all live here together. How did you find me here? Did you stalk me from the supermarket?” Kevin asked, teasing her.
The supermarket? Now, I remembered that Kevin and Liam had gone out to get groceries when we first got here and everything made sense now.
She chuckled, waving a hand in the air. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I do something that stupid?”
“I had no idea I was going to see you again.”
“I know the two of you hoped that you would never see me again with how chatty I was.” She said.
Kevin exhaled. “I had no idea.”
She blushed. “I tend to be unnecessarily chatty and nervous around new people.”
I felt this reunion that made me feel left out had gone on for more than I could tolerate and cleared my throat. The two of them looked at me and Kevin had the grace to blush and look sorry for talking for so long with me in his presence. Seeing that he knew already what he had done to piss me off and felt sorry about it was enough to make the mild anger in me melt to ashes.
He pulled me closer and glanced at Gabby. “I had no idea you were the one talking with my wife.” He turned to me. “Remember the lady I told you we met at the supermarket the other day when we moved in here?”
I already guessed how they knew each other from the way they talked but it was nice of him to involve me like this. “I do.” I nodded.
“I bet he mentioned that I was a talkative.” She laughed.
“He said that you were helpful.” I said.
“That is sweet of him.” She beamed.
I nodded, agreeing with her. Kevin was sweet. She didn’t have to know that he had said she was a talkative as well.
“You said you forgot to mention something earlier when you came.” I reminded her. I was tired from the walk and would like to relax and stretch my legs. It would be a much appreciated bonus if I could get a massage from Kevin in bed.
“I want to throw a small party for my daughter tomorrow and I wanted to ask if you would be willing to attend.” She said, looking at me.
“We would be there.” I said.
She chuckled. “Good. I was about to say your husband has to come with the other handsome dude of his.”
“Are you trying to call up on what you did the other day?” Kevin chuckled.
She shrugged, not looking ashamed. “The more, the merrier. I don’t be sly if I can get a worthy crowd to the party. My girl doesn’t have many friends here and I heard that you have boys her age she could be friends with.”
I smiled at how sly and honest she was at the same time. “You don’t have to call dips on what you did. We would be at the party.”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “Good night.” She said and walked away, in the direction of her home.
“Good night.” Kevin and I said back at the same time as we walked hand in hand inside, with me thinking that I certainly had to send some allowance to the neighborhood gossip.
She was doing a great job broadcasting everything about my family to everyone. I hoped that she wouldn’t get us in trouble soon.
Children would always amaze me. Whenever I thought that I had seen the last of everything they could do and nothing else they could do could shock me again, I was more shocked.
I had seen the boys act out when they were angry, yell when they felt hurt, laugh and play when they felt hurt, cry when they were sad, sulk when they were hurt and go quiet when they were in a mood or nervous. I had thought that I had seen it all; all the expressions of their emotions but those boys never hesitated to shock their mother anytime. When I thought I had them figured out and I could deal with them, they always came up with a new level as if there were many levels to them that always had to be unlocked.
“Are we really going to a party?” Nick asked me for the tenth time today.
Oh yes, I had been counting as the question was already getting me exasperated and I was barely keeping myself from snapping at the boys. That would be a disaster if I did that as we were almost getting late and if I snapped at them, they would cry and I would have to spend a lot of time to console them. I didn’t have the time to do that.
“Oh please, Nick, will you stop asking mum that already?” Nathan sighed, getting exasperated on my behalf. “She has told us that we were invited to a party. Why do you keep making her repeat herself?”
“I’m excited about the party. That is all.” Nick said, defending himself. “Mum has only taken us to schools and supermarkets here so you can’t blame me for thinking she made a mistake when she said that we would be going to a party. I wanted to confirm the truth.”
“How many times does the truth have to be confirmed to you for you to accept that it’s the truth?” Nathan asked, rolling his eyes at his brother.
“You should understand why Nathan is excited. Mum said the party is for a girl our age so he is excited about making a new friend. We’ve only ever played with ourselves since we got here.” Neo said to Nathan, defending Nick.
I was amused at their conversation and kept my face as impassive as I could before they pulled me into it. I couldn’t believe how much they felt excited about the party as if they hadn’t been to a party before.
They hadn’t acted this way when we threw birthday parties for them back at home. They weren’t like this when they had the party to announce the start of their lectures and all the pack members had been invited. They must have been bored here more than they let on.
“What if the girl doesn’t want to be friends with us?” Nathan snorted. “He should keep his excitement down so he doesn’t get hurt.”
Neo snorted right back at him. “Have you ever met someone who doesn’t want to be friends with us?”
“A son of his father.” Liam praised Neo as he stepped into the living room and heard his words, making Neo blush.
Nathan rolled his eyes at his brothers and Liam and focused on tying the laces on his sneakers. I wanted to remind him that he had also asked me five times if I was telling the truth when I told them of the party yesterday night.
I didn’t have to rack my brain to figure out that he was in a mood and I kept still without saying anything but only watching him. He was going to snap out of his mood when he was ready to talk.
“Are we all done?” Kevin asked as he walked into the room.
I glanced at him and my breath ceased in my throat. He looked dashing even though he was trying to dress like he hadn’t made much efforts to his outfits. I could see that Liam was already done and Kevin just had to adjust the sleeves of his shirt. I was far from being done though. After helping the boys dress and answering endless repetitive questions, I was surprised that I still had more strength in me to get up and dress.
I had always known that I was a strong as a healer, warrior and Luna of the pack but now being a mother of three, young, agile boys, I wouldn’t hesitate to give myself another description. I was a superhero.
Finally, I was done dressing and relieved when we walked out of our apartment, all ready.
I had no idea it was this hard to prepare for a party. Suddenly, I missed the nannies and maids who had always helped with the boys and made my life easier. I couldn’t stop wishing that we find the girl on time so we can go home.
I missed everyone. I missed my life.