Everything comes to a head as Allele is revealed to be the youngest brother of the Gray brothers. He is also linked to the murder of their father Emery Hunter, along with his two newfound siblings. White Locus and Lotus want him and his two brothers...
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Cilia proofread her text and nodded her head in approval for the hundredth time, before putting the phone down on the bed. She didn't press send—too nervous to do so. Instead she stared at the message on her screen with large and alert eyes. She reread it one more time, thinking to herself, Okay that's good, as she rocked her weight from side to side.
Breaking out of her trance, she went over to the walk-in closet to finish packing. She chewed on her bottom lip anxiously as she grabbed a crème silk blouse to put in her suitcase. The triplets were in their room napping and Allele was asleep downstairs in the living room with their newborn daughter Casi, who was less than a month old.
Cilia had delivered Casi three weeks ago. Her feet had been swollen and hurting earlier that morning, so Allele was rubbing them for her as they relaxed on the couch. During the foot rub her water unexpectedly broke, so they called Lisa over to watch the kids.
Once Lisa arrived Allele drove Cilia to the hospital. Everything went smoothly and she gave birth in four hours to a healthy baby girl. Allele snipped the umbilical cord and the nurses washed Casi off and brought her back. The moment the baby touched her hands Cilia felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and dread.
She didn't outwardly show it that day; but she hadn't been thrilled to hold her daughter. It was this inexplicable feeling of deep depression. It could've been postpartum—she didn't know; but what she did know was everything in that moment felt despairing.
It was sad, but the first thought she had wasn't about being thankful for having a healthy daughter. It was being reminded this was the life she never wanted for herself. Crying, screaming and clingy kids for twenty-one years.
She had been depressed since she came from the hospital and had hardly held Casi. It wasn't noticeable because she was able to use the excuse of staying in bed all day due to being tired from just having a baby. When in actuality she was in bed all day due to being depressed about having another baby.
After three weeks Cilia had had enough and needed to get away. She zipped her suitcase and picked her phone up with the other hand. She left her text messages and opened the internet browser. Online she had been looking at plane tickets for places to go. She didn't even know where she wanted to go, but told herself she would figure it out when she got to the airport. Cilia's luggage was light but still full enough to show where she was going wasn't a quick stay.
She went down the hall making sure her steps were light. The hallway upstairs sometimes depending on the area you stepped on, the floor creaked. She gently turned the boys doorknob and walked in. The air conditioner was blasting so she went over and turned it off. She didn't want them to wake up with stuffy noses.
Cilia walked over to the bed and gave the three boys light kisses on the cheek. Alix slept on the right closest to her. He was on his side while Phenix was in the middle on his back, his mouth slightly agape and one leg thrown over Jaxon who was on the left facing Phenix, one hand under his head like a pillow.
