William hummed, noting the way she blushed a little and the way her eyes twinkled as if she was remembering the memories too clearly. “So it was a boy?”
She laughed lightly and for a moment, he was surprised. She had never laughed like that in front of him.
“He’s not a boy,” she defended. “He’s a man.”
“Who?” asked Bea who entered the kitchen room wearing a loose shirt and shorts. She walked towards the kitchen counter and leaned against it, one eyebrow lifted as she looked at Anna with a suspicious face. “Who are we talking about?” she asked, smiling a little.
“She said something about a Prince Charming,” William mumbled, his back turned to them as he cooked on the stove.
“Prince Charming?” Bea echoed, a smile playing on her lips.
Anna nodded slightly and a bright grin came over her lips. “A tall, dark, and handsome man,” she admitted, remembering the outline of his shadow in the dark. “We talked… But then he had to go.”
“Anna, weren’t you supposed to speak to strangers?” came Ben’s voice. He stood at the doorway leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.
“But he’s not a stranger,” Anna protested, emphasizing the word stranger. “We’ve met before.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “Who is this man then?” he demanded.
Anna shrugged. “Just some man that I met.. in a dream.”
“Too bad,” said John who stood next to Ben on the doorway. “Dreams are for sleeping.”
“Then I’d rather not wake up,” Anna muttered lowly under her breath, almost in a soft whisper.
“I heard that,” said John.
“I think you were supposed to,” Ben told him.
Both men shrugged then in between came Catherine. She entered the kitchen room and stood next to her husband who was cooking. “Is breakfast ready, Darling?” she asked.
Turning around, William kissed her on the lips then pulled back and winked. Anna watched them and thought it was romantic. It was the first time she saw two parents showing affection to each other.
Growing old together and still loving each other until then was probably the most romantic thing she could ever think of. Although beside her, Bea was pretending to vomit whilst John and Ben were clearing their throats.
Soon pancakes were placed on the kitchen table and everyone was attacking. The funny thing was, it had always been like a war zone in the kitchen. Laughters and screams of delight had made it their oath to deafen her ears every morning.
“Hey, don’t steal mine!” Bea yelled, interrupting her thoughts.
“Hey, don’t yell at me,” Ben warned. “I’m older than you. Remember that.”
“You are so unfair,” Bea growled in gritted teeth.
Ben shrugged nonchalantly then stuffed his mouth full of pancake pieces. “Life is unfair,” he said matter-of-factly. “Get used to it.”
Sighing a frustrated breath, “Don’t I know it,” Bea mumbled under her breath.
“Now, don’t fight, children,” William scolded then looked at Anna. “Sorry about this.. again.”
“No. It’s OK,” replied Anna, smiling. “I’m used to it.” In fact, she found it very entertaining. She had never been to a big family before so she was unfamiliar with such happy moments between siblings.
Absentmindedly, she chewed on her food as she silently watched the family whilst eating their breakfast. It had always been like this everyday.
John and Ben always talked about business whilst eating.
Her Uncle William and Aunt Catherine always flirted with each other.
And Bea.. Well, Bea always tried to cheer her up at every chance she got. Anna thought it was very sweet of her. She was very glad she had Bea and the company as her family.
“So,” Bea chirped beside her, interrupting her trance. “Tomorrow’s your birthday, huh?”
Suddenly remembering, Anna groaned to herself and sighed. “Is it really necessary to have a birthday party?” she asked in a soft whisper.
“FYI, we all had the best parties at eighteen,” Bea informed. “It would mean everything to your whole being. You’ll finally feel the heat of the moon and it would make you feel fully connected to your surroundings. In that way, things will be a whole lot different.”
“Is it a good different or?”
“Since you’re human, it might be a good thing.. or not.”
Anna frowned. “What ever did you mean by that?” she asked, confused. “You know I’m still all new to the werewolf world and yet you speak in riddles.”
“Oh, you’ll understand at the right time, Annie,” Bea assured. “And only at the right time. When you’re ready.
Anna sighed. “Fine.”
After breakfast, she stayed in her bedroom reading a book. She was so lost in it that she didn’t notice someone opening her door. When she heard someone clearing their throat, she averted her eyes from the page she was reading and looked up.
“Hey.”
Her heart began to throb loudly immediately. Her lips parted but no words escaped as she sat frozen still. But it wasn’t because of the man who stood in front of her. It was because of the little black kitten he held in his hands.
A surge of homesickness washed over her in an instant. She gazed at little Luna then looked back up at the savior.
“Jake.”