EDITED
This was the perfect last chapter but the writer doesn't like even numbers.
Mira woke up, in her bed, wrapped in Avery's arms.
There was a bit of a ruckus downstairs, getting her attention. Avery tossed a bit, adjusting to the shape of Mira's body. She kissed the back of Mira's neck.
"Morning, Lilith," she mumbled softly.
Mira giggled and turned to face Avery, who then leaned down to kiss her. Her hands shot up to block their kiss. Avery gave her a strange look as she wriggled out of her grasp going into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Avery got up after her.
"What are you doing?"
"Brushing," she pointed at the toothbrush in her mouth.
Avery shook her head. "I'll never understand."
She walked up to Mira wrapped her arms around her and trailed a bunch of kisses down her neck. Mira watched Avery behind her.
"What oo waana doo uay?"
Avery narrowed her eyes and chuckled, resting her chin on Mira's shoulder.
"Did I ever tell you just how adorable you are," Avery said mockingly, looking at her in the mirror.
Mira tried to elbow her in the abdomen, which she quickly dodged by sliding away. Mira leaned down to rinse her mouth. Avery began to undress. Mira straightened up, staring at Avery's reflection, as she hopped into the shower.
Avery chuckled, tilting her head to the side and looked down at Mira.
"Are you waiting for an invitation?" she teased. "Come here." She beckoned Mira forward with her finger and switched on the shower.
Mira walked up to her as she instructed. She bit her lip, gazing away, still too shy to look at Avery's body.
Avery took Mira's chin in her hand, forcing her to meet her eyes. She used her other hand to pull Mira into the shower with her, allowing the water to soak them. Mira's clothes clung to her skin as she watched the warm water trail down the curves of Avery's body.
Piece by piece, Avery removed Mira's damp clothes as they took a shower, their skins, pressed onto one another the whole time. The shower turned out to be a lot steamier than Mira initially intended it to be, which led to it being longer, causing them to be late for breakfast.
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Aiden was downstairs scoffing down the flapjacks Ray kept piling onto his plate.
He had returned to Mira's house this morning after being discharged by his mom, who had the displeasure of stitching her sun up the night before. Giya had brought him and Claudia over.
He glanced up, hearing Mira's footsteps approach and tried putting on his angriest face. She walked in, her eyes fell on him and she burst out laughing.
Aiden scoffed. "Oi, stop laughing. Can't you see I'm mad at you?"
Mira laughed harder as his stuffed cheeks made him look like a chipmunk. She shook her head and gave him a good morning kiss as she sat next to him.
Avery walked in, giving her brother a disapproving glance. Aiden stuck his tongue out at her as he smacked away Mira's hand closing in on his pancakes. Avery rolled her eyes, sitting opposite him, pulling his whole plate towards her. Aiden whined in protest but Ray placed a new plate in front of him to fill up, keeping him quiet.
Mira got her plate of pancakes. She looked at Aiden. "What was that book you gave Adam?"
He swallowed the large gulp of food. "It was Líla's old diary. She left a message for him. After Avery's breakdown the other day–"
"You cried to you big Baby!" Avery fired back.
Aiden ignored her and continued, proud of his master discovery that ended up solving everything.
"I was suspicious about how the things happened two years back since there was a lot we didn't know, nor did Adam. So, I decided to look for a common source between Adam, Avery, you and Evelyn, because she seemed to say things at times like she knew something we didn't, and eventually Líla came to mind. I recalled she told me she writes too but only in a diary back when we were younger. I asked Adam for the diary in hopes to find something about Mira and that's when I found out Evelyn was the one who got Líla on the drugs and the warning Líla gave you," he raised an eyebrow at Mira. "Do you remember that day?"
Mira nodded, absently tearing one of her poor flapjacks to pieces, much to Aiden's distress. He contemplated rescuing it so he could devour it properly.
"I'm getting some of it back since the incident. I remember Líla and I spoke when Avery went to use the bathroom. She warned me that Evelyn would do anything to get Avery. During her time away at rehab, she figured out that whenever her life fell apart, Evelyn was always in the picture against her."
Mira slowly momentary looked up to see Avery's reaction. Avery looked at her, dejectedly, as Mira continued, "She loved you, you know."
Avery gave her a sad smile."I know. However, I couldn't help the fact that the love of my life was my little brother's best friend."
Mira cooed at Avery's sappy words. On the other hand, Aiden was not as amused.
He huffed crossing his arms. "About that. You owe me big time for breaking the rules, backstabber."
Avery rolled her eyes for the seventh time. "I promise I'll make up for it when you guys come to Greece this summer."
Mira stopped tearing her flapjacks apart, much to Aiden's relief.
She had forgotten about Avery returning to Greece.
Ray spoke for the first time since morning. "Speaking of which, you go back tomorrow, right?"
Avery gazed at Mira, apologetically, sensing her shock. "Yes, unfortunately, I didn't make plans to transfer back home since I didn't expect," she paused to glance at Mira, "to find my happiness here again." She smiled watching Mira drown her pancakes in chocolate sauce.
"So, you leave tomorrow?" Mira said bluntly. She gulped down the ball stuck, at the back of her throat.
Avery clenched her jaw and nodded. "I'm sorry, I know I should have told you but I guess I just got caught up in everything."
Mira placed her hand out and took Avery's in hers, across the table, squeezing it reassuringly. "What's me waiting for three months to see you, when you waited for 2 years." Avery visibly relaxed and took in a deep breath.
Mira glanced around at the one person who may have a problem, she frowned.
"Where's Mom?"
Ray accidentally flipped a flapjack, from the pan, too high and it landed on the counter next to him as he chuckled nervously. Mira furrowed her eyebrows. That was totally out of her father's character. Aiden, still stuffing his face, answered her.
"She's sick."
"What do you mean?" Mira demanded getting up. "Is it serious?"
Ray sat at the table with his pancakes and a glass of orange juice. "Heavens, no. She's fine. Phoenix, get your facts straight," Ray mockingly scolded him as Aiden raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. "Claudia's with her now."
Avery poured herself a glass of orange juice from the jug that was lying on the table.
"Mama's here?"
As if they had known the conversation was about them, both Claudia and Giya emerged. Claudia sat next to Mira and Giya next to Ray.
Giya looked taut.
Mira bit the inside of her cheek. "Mom, are you okay?"
Giya looked at her, nodding, as her usually beam grew on her face. "I have a gift for you and Avery." She reached for the pockets of her jersey. Avery leaned over to glance at her.
Giya placed a small packet on the table. Ray covered his face in shame as Claudia dropped her head in her hands. Aiden choked on his flapjack and Avery stuffed her fist in her mouth, to stop herself from laughing as Mira's jaw dropped, looking at the pack of condoms her mother placed on the table.
Giya, the only one composed, stole pancakes off Ray's plate drenching them in chocolate sauce, something she rarely did because she wasn't a fan of sweet things.
"Mom!" Mira yelled at her and Giya shrugged indifferently.
"What? You were the one who refused to give me details and tell me if you were safe. So, I had to bring in some precautions. Plus, you said you were in this together forever and always." Her mother's eyes sparkled mischievously. "I thought I'd provide the rings." She gave her an exaggerated wink.
Avery glanced at Mira. "Forever and always?"
Mira glared at her across the table and Avery, who went back to drinking her juice.
Ray gave Giya a defeated look. "How long were you waiting to crack that joke?"
"Hehehe, why else would I have had a kid if not to embarrass them," Giya confirmed.
Raymond removed the pack from the table now that Giya's little inside joke was done and seeing as Avery and Mira had no use for such items.
Claudia cleared her throat, not letting this chance escape her. "Giya."
Everyone looked at Claudia.
"I think you and Ray should keep that to prevent any more mishaps?"
Giya's stared at Claudia disdainfully, warning her with her eyes as Claudia gave her a smug look. Ray's orange juice flowed back into his cup as he spat it out and then he placed his head in his hand.
Mira grimaced, offended. "Are you referring to me?"
Claudia chuckled. "Mira, dear, think about it. Why do you think your parents have been so eager to let you stay over at my place lately and your mother has been dropping me at the hospital more often?" She pointed accusingly at Ray and Giya, who looked down at their plates like children being reprimanded by their mother. "These cowards are too scared to tell you."
Mira and Aiden were still lost. However, Aiden, being raised by Giya's mystery-solving addiction, figured it out. He gasped. "You aren't sick. You're pregnant!"
Avery couldn't hold back anymore.
She let her laughter out, falling off her chair, wheezing and Mira stood up, her chair screeching on the floor. "WHAT, WHEN, HOW?! Never mind, I don't need the last two answers but what?"
Giya sheepishly turned to Ray to answer. He gave her a blank look and she fluttered her eyelids, giving him an innocent smile. He gave in.
"We've known for about three months now but we didn't know how to tell you."
Avery climbed up to her chair again as she stared at Aiden and Mira, each had the opposite expression; one of joy and the other of despair.
"You guys didn't know?"
Mira gave Avery a betrayed look. "You knew?"
Avery held her hands up defensively. "Why do you think I came back to visit in the first place? Mama told me that I should visit, before the baby is born, to pay my respects."
"Geez, I'm pregnant not dying, Avery," Giya said appalled as Avery pointed at her mother.
Mira scoffed pointing at her mom, scrutinizing her. "Why didn't you tell me? What about the wine you've been drinking?!" Mira demanded.
Claudia gave Giya a shocked look. Giya quickly explained herself. "Grape juice. Ray got it for me because I missed my wine. Also, we didn't want to tell you until we passed the 13-week mark in case there were... complications."
Despite Giya's smile, Claudia and Ray shared a knowing look.
"Also I'm 44, Mira. I mean look at me. By the time the child is in school, I'm going to look like a grandmother." She laughed causing a ripple effect around the table.
Mira looked at Avery out of the corner of her eye as she stared down at her plate. Mira felt like Giya's age wasn't the only factor that put the foetus at risk.
Aiden was the only one who hadn't spoken. He got up, as the news finally kicked in and everyone faced him. "I'm getting a little sibling! Hell ya!" He squealed as Mira scoffed at the traitor, for not interrogating her parents. Claudia frowned at her son's statement but didn't correct him.
Ray and Giya chuckled. "At least we know one child is ecstatic."
"What took you guys so long?" Aiden whined sitting back down and Claudia shot him a look but Giya just laughed.
"There were some bumps along the road," Giya said and gave Ray a peck.
They glanced at Mira, who pouted as she sat back down. "You guys are replacing me?"
Ray vigorously shook his head as Giya nodded her head with playful regret. Ray gave his wife a stern look as he cleared the air. "Mira, we would never. It's just you are going to graduate soon and maybe you'll leave and so your mother and I thought about it and we always wanted to give it another try."
"What part of this is trying to convince me you aren't replacing me?"
Giya placed a hand on Ray's shoulder. "My love, you are a horrible liar. We slipped up, caught up in the moment. I forgot to take my pill, we didn't wear protection," she stated with a straight face and went back to eating.
Claudia shook her head. Mira, Avery and Aiden cringed. Giya suddenly looked up.
"One more thing, Phoenix, catch."
She tossed something to him. He caught it and opened his hands to see it. Avery fell off her chair with laughter again. Aiden stared, repulsed, at the pack of condoms Giya gave to him this time. He looked up at her as she winked at him.
"One never knows when the occasion will arise."
"But I don't –"
"I say, Adam would beg to differ."
It was at this point, that Aiden was sure Giya was truly the devil's right-hand woman.
After that, breakfast went on as normal. Well, as normal as it could get in this family.
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The last chapter here we go!