It Should Have Been Like This

Book Eight: painful memories

Lavender's viewpoint

   I wanted to scream and yell from the earlier incident. I blame him for angering me and making me come after him. The fortunate reward is that he didn't die, that should be good enough as sorry for him. But what I saw...

   I groaned and sank into the car seat, fighting the urge to bury my face in my knees or turn to mud. As much as I was trying to be bold, I knew it wasn't something I wanted to live with. It's not like I haven't seen it before, but I had always been a big time prude and it had been years since I saw a naked man, especially one as well-built as him. I don't know if it's possible for him to get bigger, but it looked like he did and his muscles were...

Stop it!... I screamed to myself... Get yourself together!

   I glanced at my side when he groaned from pain. He was holding the back of his waist, his eyes were with tears. He was in a whole lot of pain, and it was my fault... No, it was his fault, not mine.

God, why do I have a conscience!

   The car pulled over in the garage, steady and slow. I didn't wait for a second before I grabbed my bag and bolted. I ran into the house, almost forgetting in my haste that Serenity would be standing there and waiting. I was going to bulldoze her and hurt my baby. I pulled myself to a stop with a gasp, so close to running my daughter down. The funny thing is that she just blinked, totally unfazed.

   "Serene," I said under my breath. She squeezed her toy tightly and grinned.

   "Jolly day, mother, isn't it?"

   "Yes, baby, swell," I said sarcastically. She giggled and stretched her hands out. I smiled, dropped my bag and lifted her small body into my arms. I pressed my nose to her ears, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

   "Mommy, you know I'm ticklish,"

   "That's the point, my little sunflower,"

   "Mommy, mommy, look what I drew!" Zayne shouted. I pushed my nose away from her ear to look down at my son. He was eagerly and excitedly holding up his coloring book, bouncing as if he was planning to rocket himself to the moon. In his book was a nice drawing of... You know that squirrel in ice age that is still chasing his nut till today? That's the one.

   "Wow, you drew that?" I gushed in awe. I slowly dropped Serenity, going down on my knees to get a closer look. The squirrel didn't look exactly like it, but enough for me to know that it was the squirrel. I took the book and gently brushed my thumb over the drawing. "It's beautiful, really, Zayne, I'm so proud of you."

   "I can be a artist, right, mom?" I nodded with equal excitement, tears brimming in my eyes. "I'll practice harder so I can draw you and daddy too," my smile faltered for a second but I covered it up quickly.

   "Look, mom, I drew a donkey!" Serafina shouted excitedly. I looked over Zayne's head and saw her own... Wow. "What do you think, mom?"

Is that a donkey or a carrot with three legs?

   "Er... It's... Urm..." Zachary burst into laughter, falling off the couch he was sitting on. Zyaire joined him while Serene tried not to laugh. Sera threw them a dirty look or maybe a scowl, she turned so I'm not sure. It only made them laugh more.

   "Mom," she snapped her head over to me and frowned, waving her book, "so?"

   "It's, creative," I said evasively. She scoffed, "I don't know what you want from me," I sighed, hoping to stop myself from laughing.