Finding Evelyn A Home

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

But something- or rather someone- shakes me back to the present with small chubby arms.
'Evey? Evey?!' Cam asks me, his eyes filling with tears.

I snap back to the present, my eyes blinking rapidly as I try to get a hold of myself in my surroundings. This is the first time since I have been in this place that my old memories have come to haunt me. That girl is definitely bad news.
Cam tightly hugs me round the middle, burrowing his tear stricken face into my tummy as I feel his tears soak into my blouse.
'You left me' he mumbles, his voice trembling.
'I'm sorry Cam, it won't happen again' I say, hugging him tightly back.

The next thing you know, the rest of the children pile one after the other onto our hug with worry on their cute faces. I try to share my love around, but it's especially hard when you have a little boy wringing the life out of you.
Suddenly, flashes of light and loud 'clicking' noises fill the air, and our love fest session comes to a grinding halt as we freeze in apprehension towards the cause of the sound.

'You guys are absolutely ADORABLE!' Nancy squeals loudly in an uncomfortably loud voice, resulting in everyone to wince and cover their ears. With another round of clicks from her camera, she takes another bout of photos of our wincing faces, which have now turned into annoyance.
'Naw, don't look like that! This is SO going on our Facebook page!' She says excitedly, clapping her hands and beaming happily. Many of the pack members look like they want to bash her camera up to pieces, with some grumbling 'since when did we have a Facebook page?!', but Nancy wasn't having any of that as she dodges away from the hands swiping at her camera. The swipes are so fast that they are basically all a blur to me.
Before she leaves, she manages to somehow wriggle her way right in front of me where she pulls me in close for a tight hug.

'Selfie!' She shouts, and the camera flashes before my eyes. I'm sure I look like a bewildered idiot standing next to the petite beauty next to me. If she wasn't the alpha's sister, I'm sure many pack members would've smashed her camera by now. She kisses my red cheeks and takes another bout of snaps, blinding me in the process.
'Don't we look fab!?' She says with excitement as she looks briefly at the photos, her small frame wiggling up and down.
'Now now, give her a break Naomi, the girl needs some space.' Nancy's grandma scolds, her eyes glinting with humour.
'You too pups, you don't want to overwhelm her' she says gently to the young ones.
'Yes granny Beth' the kids chorus, curtsying to her and some even bowing. It's a cute inside joke between them as 'granny Beth' rises with fake anger and brings her walking stick in the air, charging forward to the kids, growling out playfully 'I'm not a granny!' Which was obviously untrue, because she's the last remaining grandmother to alpha Jackson, Nancy and Colton- whom by the looks of it, have inherited her natural cheek and good looks.
The pups all squeal loudly and scamper playfully outside to play in the playground- with the exception of one as per usual.

'You should go' I say, picking him up and attaching him to my waist, pretending to groan at his weight.
'You're so heavy little man! I think we might have to put you on a strict broccoli only diet' I say to him jokingly, smiling at the way his face lights up at the thought of his 'mini trees'.
He pouts as he realises I was joking and pokes me on the cheek with annoyance. But his face morphs into the epitome of seriousness as he exclaims, 'You promised me you'll stay!
'I- I did!' I exclaim hurriedly, seeing the way his eyes narrow disbelievingly.
'I promise I won't go anywhere' I say to him firmly, trying to appease his slowly watering eyes.
'But that's what you said last time!' He says sulkily.
'Alright then.. I'll pinky promise- how about that?' I ask, pulling out my pinky as I try to keep Cam balanced on my waist which was no easy feat!
'Ok!' He says happily, and our little pinkies unite together, interweaving tightly as our thumbs meet. To Cam, pinky promises might as well be the unbreakable vow.

After I finally succeed in getting him outside to play, 'granny' Beth pulls me in to have a 'gossip sesh' as she calls it.
'My my, the amount of make up that girl uses!' She shudders despairingly,
'Now you on the other hand, not a speck of powder on you and your face is still as soft as a baby's bottom!' She exclaims, pulling my face into her hands. Much to my displeasure, she invites more of her friends to fawn over me, and so it as I am sitting here now- with reddened cheeks and stammering thank yous uncomfortably to Beth's gang- that the alpha finds me. I peek uncomfortably up at him through Bathilda and Arabella, begging him with my eyes to rescue me from Beth's friends whom are now forming a tight circle around me and pinching my cheeks every now and then.

His earlier frown disappears quickly and his lips twitch into a full blown smile. It is the most mesmerising thing I have ever seen in my life and I'm helpless to do anything except keep watching him as he tries to stifle his laughter unsuccessfully. Thankfully, I manage to look away as Bathilda distracts me by running her hand over my plaited brown hair, commenting that red would really suit my skin tone. I look at her in horror and am not surprised to see that this week, she has dyed her hair a light blue. And I am meant to be the teenager!

Finally, the alpha steps in saying hurriedly, 'Evelyn is needed somewhere else' he says, putting an arm around my shoulders and dragging me away. The grandmas protest, this time dragging the alpha into their tight circle as well, crying out loudly,
'I haven't talked to you in years dear! Bathilda says, although I swear saw them talking just this morning.
'My my, you've grown so tall my boy!' Arabella comments, sliding her glasses further up her nose.
'She needs to take a break munchkin, look at her pale face' Beth says, peering uncomfortably close into my face.
'You look as dashing as your father when he was your age' Muriel exclaims happily, pinching his reddened cheeks.

We are so in trouble.