Alpha pouted her lips and stole a look at Zachary. “So you’re Aunt Charlotte’s husband?” she asked weakly.
Beside her, Beta red at the man and nodded fervently. “It’s him! He’s the one who snatched Robbie, Ellie, and
Jamie away at the vineyard.”
“You’re one big brat!” Gamma interjected, sticking out her tongue at Zachary, “My daddy will beat you up!”
Zachary sniggered looking at the children. “Is this a threat? You guys can do much better, kids. Y’all are still
babies.”
“Hmph! We’re not babies. You are!” Alpha shouted back, clenching her fists, “I want Ellie and Robbie back!”
“Yes! You’d better bring them back!”
Beta flexed her fists too, snarling at Zachary.
“Don’t be rude to my daddy!” A girl’s stern voice suddenly broke the tense ambient.
“Ellie!” The three girls screamed in excitement and ran toward Ellie. “We miss you so much!”
“I miss you guys too.”
Ellie hugged each of them and pulled them toward the courtyard to y with them.
“They are a fierce lot,” Robbie said, looking at the girls calmly.
Despite his detached demeanor, he actually missed the girls.
“Tell me about it,” Jamie said in agreement, “They are worse than Ellie when she was younger.”
“Worse, worse!” Little Fifi parroted her masters as she followed the two boys.
“Is that Little Fifi? She’s so cute!”
The three girls looked back when they heard the parrot.
“Be gentle with her, girls. Little Fifi is also part of our family,” Ellie reminded them as they ran toward the parrot.
“Where’s Fifi?” Ellie asked.
“Fifi’s resting in the attic. It’s probably not used to the new environment,” Morgan replied.
“Poor Fifi. We shouldn’t bring it along when we travel. Fifi always falls sick at a new ce,” Ellie said sadly, “I’ll go
check on itter. Fifi might feel better seeing some familiar faces.”
“It’s okay. I will ask them to bring her over.” With that said, Morgan went over to one of the men and asked him to
bring the eagle over.
The children went on to y in the courtyard while waiting for Fifi. Meanwhile, Zachary went upstairs to look for
Charlotte. It did not take him long before he found her room. She always preferred rooms facing the sun, so he
guessed it must be the second room from the right.
Zachary was about to reach for the door handle when Lupine stopped him, but Ben was faster than her.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Lupine seethed at Ben.
“Give them some time to talk. Nothing can go wrong,” he replied.
“But…” Before Lupine could resist, Zachary had already pushed the door open.
The bright sunlight pierced into his view the moment he entered. Inside the room, Charlotte was sleeping soundly
on the bed with a photo album in her arms.
A gentle breeze blew by, wafting the curtains against her slender legs as warm rays of the sun beat against her fair
skin, yet Charlotte slept on soundly.
Zachary tiptoed over to close the window. He drew the curtains and looked back nostalgically at the woman in the
bed.
He could not recall when thest time was he watched her up close, let alone thest time the two shared a quiet
moment together.
Zachary suddenly felt being in her quiet presence was a luxury.
Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
He went over and pulled the nket over her before he took the album from her hands. He walked over to the
couch and sat down, watching her silently.
This was enough for him. His heart was full to the brim just by looking at her.
Watching her brought back all the fond memories they had together. He remembered the first time they met and
how they fell passionately in love.
They had their happy and bittersweet moments together—but in hindsight—they were all moments he cherished.
Although there were insurmountable hurdles along the way, those barriers that prevented their rtionship were
beginning to lose ground. This was the best time for them to get back together, but life was never this easy.
q