Addison
1 Year Later...
Today is November 28th, the date my grandfather died as well as the date I gave birth to twins. My heart is heavy for a variety of reasons, and I'm at a loss for words. I haven't seen Anthony since the twins' arrival, and as much as I'd like to see him at night, I'm often left with empty dreams. The best part about everything that happened though, is my sisters and I have an unchanging bond now. I moved in with Alana and her family since she insisted on me being closer for her to help with the twins. Mind you, she's a wife and mother of 4, but she ensured me she had plenty of room for me, along with her niece and nephew. I wish Anthony was here with us, but I'm grateful I had Alana and Aria. I cry almost every night remembering mama, grandma and grandpa, and most importantly Anthony. I instantly sat up hearing the cries of Eddy come through the baby monitor.
I quickly got out of bed and headed to the nursery to tend to him before his cries awakes Audrey. When I opened the door, to my surprise Alana was in there already with Eddy in one hand while she made his bottle with the next.
"Here let me help you" I said to her reaching for the bottle
"I got it" She chuckled "I've done this four times already, pretty sure I got this down pack"
"Happy Birthday baby boy" I whispered to Eddy "Why are you up anyways" I asked her, sitting on the sofa
"Brian just left for work. I was seeing him off" She smiled
"Hmm, sounds like the two of you had some morning fun" I say smirking
"We're grown" She blushed checking the temperature of the bottle before giving it to Edmund
"I know you're grown, bu-" I began to say but got cut off due to the ringing door bell "You're expecting someone?" I ask standing up
"No, you?" She asked me as I stared at her dumbfounded
"Who would I be expecting?" I rhetorically asked myself walking out of the room
I headed downstairs with her behind me. As we got to the door I was about to open it before Alana stopped me.
"We have a peephole, use it" She stated sternly
I did as told and when I looked through the hole, I couldn't believe my eyes. I gasped and looked back to see Alana's focus was solely on Edmund.
"Uh, that's Avery out there" I whisper to her as the bell began ringing yet again
"Open the door"
"Who is it?" I yelled
"Addy, open up" Avery said calmly
I did as told. He looked down at me as if he'd seen a ghost but I just glared back at him.
"The two of you are gonna just stand there like so?" Alana asks
"Addi-" He began but I cut him off
"I'm going to check on my daughter" I said before quickly storming upstairs
Just as I suspected, my noiseless princess is up and looking around the room. I smiled down at her as she reached up to me. "Happy Birthday mommy's princess" I mumbled to her as Aria came in the room without Edmund in her hands.
"He wants to talk to you" Alana states
"I'm dealing with Audrey" I shrugged grabbing her empty bottle
"Go downstairs" She said taking both Audrey and her bottle out of my hand "I'm not asking you to protest either" She scolded lowly
"I'm calling Aria" I said
"She's already on her way" She retorted
"Whatever" I say exiting the room
I got downstairs to find Avery, my older brother in the living room with Edmund in his hands playing. I sat on the couch opposite of him because I needed space with all the awkwardness looming inside the room.
"Are you still mad at me?" He asked never taking his eyes off of Edmund
"Bet your ass I am" I glared at him
"You cursing now?" He questioned
"I'm grown" I shrugged
"I'm sorry." He blurted out
"Sorry for what?" Aria asks coming out of the kitchen
"Where did you even come from?" Avery asks her
"Perks of being neighbors to your family. Oh wait you wouldn't know anything about that" She said glaring at him
"I must admit, it was my fault" He says
"Damn straight" Aria nodded coming to sit beside me "How are you doing?" She asks me
"I'm good" I shrugged looking back at Avery
"The thing is Avery, you didn't just abandon family, I was protecting YOU. I stood up for you, I put my hands on a woman who nearly caused you go to jail. When Aria discovered she had been cheating on you months prior, we tried to get you to leave her alone, but NO. You wanted to play captain save a hoe, and told us to stay out of your business" I state
"I admit, looking back I really made some poor decisions" He nodded
"Poor decisions?" Aria asks "You're lucky you got out of that when you did, thank goodness you got deployed" She shook her head
"Yeah but he only spoke to Alana since the incident, nobody else in this family, grandpa died a year ago and you didn't even come home for the funeral" I pointed out
"I didn't think I would be wanted around the family" He said looking up with tears in his eyes
"Excuses! You know regardless of any situation, we put family first" Aria cut him off
"I know" He mumbled
"Are you still with her?" I ask him
"No he's not. He doesn't even have any form of contact with her" Alana interjected
"Better not be" Aria mumbled
"What did you do?" I ask her lowly
"Look, you three know me well enough to know I don't cut corners. She's HIV positive" Aria states taking Edmund away from Avery as if he's infected himself
"You know I'm clean right?" He asks glaring at her
"I don't know where you be sticking your prick" She shrugged
"Alright who wants breakfast?" Alana asks handing Audrey to me
"As long my coffee is mixed Baileys I'm down" I say
"Are you not breast feeding?" Avery asks me scrunching up his face
"Thanks for your concern, but I weaned them both off of me 3 months ago" I shrugged
"That's cool." He nodded
"Look, I'm sure Addison forgives you, but I'll tell you this... what you did to us was very much wrong" Aria said straight up "I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you yet"
"I swear, I don't know how Vince deals with your crazy ass" Avery stood up
"I should slap you" She stood, sizing him up
"Hold up, you have my son in your arms" I pointed out
"Here take him" She said resting Eddy in my free arm
"Hit me" Avery said looking down at Aria and she did. She swung on him so fast, my eyes nearly missed it. The slap was so hard it caused Alana to emerge from the kitchen while the twins had a fit of laughter.
"Ain't no way" I said shocked "AIN"T NO F-" I was about to yell
"Kids ma'am KIDS" Alana cut me off "You two, cut it out"
"You got it all out?" Avery whom didn't budge at the hit questions with a smirk on his face
"I did" She shrugged calmly before hugging him and he held her tightly
"Swear she's just like him" Alana stormed back into the kitchen
"Riri" Eddy babbled before popping his hand in his mouth
"He talks already?" Asks Avery
"Isn't it obvious?" Aria says taking Eddy back "That's right Riri is here boo" She said kissing his cheek
"The coffee pot is done" Alana calls from the kitchen
"That's me" I say standing up adjusting Audrey on my hips
"I'm right behind you" Aria states
We all went into the kitchen to make our coffee, I was rummaging through the mugs to find a big one while Aria went in search of the liqueur. Smiling triumphantly, I spotted the mug Alana hid from me due to my new found coffee addiction.
"Fill me half way please" I say handing my mug to Avery. He did so and was about to hand the mug back over to me but Aria took it away and began filling it with Baileys.
"I'm sick of you two already besides it's not even 8 a.m." Alana said shaking her head at Aria and I
"Hey, I need it. I have a full day with the party" I say before taking a nice long sip of my concoction.
"Oh shoot, I nearly forgot... HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTY'S FAT MAN" Aria bent down kissing Eddy which made him chuckle "And to you, my Violet" She said taking Audrey out of my hand "Happy birthday to the sweetest baby in the family" She smiled before looking between the two in her hands "Happy birthday twins"
"She really is the sweetest baby though" Alana chimed in
"How?" I chuckled
"Vi doesn't even cry much, the most you get out of her is a pout" Alana points out "When you and Eddy leave, I can keep my Vi" She chuckled
"Leave to go where?" Avery Asks
"She might be returning home soon to her husband" Aria says excitedly
"You ready to be rid of me already?" I ask her faking hurt
"No, but you know why I'm excited" She chuckled
"Wait, Addy... you're married?" Avery asks to which I nodded
"I ran away from him though, I wanted a normal life once more" I half lied to which both my sisters backed me without me asking. I love them so much
"She married a Duke and got tired of the royal life, so she came here last year but it's only a matter of time before he finds her" Alana told him
"Does he treat you well?" Avery asks
"He really does" I smiled thinking about my husband.
"Put them in their high chairs please" Alana says turning with two small plates of decorated birthday pancakes
"My children are spoiled" I shook my head
After breakfast, Aria went back home to get ready, while I left the twins with my oldest niece Bria who's 11. She's basically their older sister as well and she loves helping out. Alana did well raising her, I hope I can raise Audrey as well as Alana raised Bria.
After I was basically ready, Bria helped me with getting the twins dressed. After that, I fixed both of their hair, and when they were finished, we placed them on my bed to play for a while. I then followed Bree to her room to take the curlers out of her hair that I put in last night. Not even half way through, I heard Audrey's faint cries.
"That's Vi" Bree said as I quickly went to see what happened
When I got in my room, my heart dropped, only a crying Audrey was on the bed. I rushed to see if Eddy fell off the bed on the opposite side, but to my surprise Eddy was not there. I checked under the bed, and in my bathroom before Bria came into my room.
"What's wrong aunty?" She rushed out "Where's Eddy? And why is the painting above your bed glowing?"
"Go get Alana for me quickly" I said to her before turning to the painting "There's no way" I say to myself picking Audrey up out of the bed "Where's Eddy Vi? Where is he?" I asked crying along with my 1 year old
"Antee" She pouted
"Huh?" I asked wiping her tears
"Antee" She says again this time pointing to the portrait of her father
"What's wrong?" Alana asks rushing into my room
"I-I think Edmund we-went through the painting" I rushed out quickly
"Shit, run across the street and get Aria, then I need you to tell your father Rora is leaving" Alana says to Bria
"Whose Rora?" Bria asks
"This ain't the time for questions hurry up" Alana rushed Bree out the door
"I don't know what to do" I cried harder
"How do you know he went into the painting?" Alana asks
"Antee" Audrey says again before resting her head on my shoulder
"Violet, Eddy went to Antee?" Alana asks touching the painting as Audrey sat up and nodded
"You think she's bluffing?" I ask sniffling
"Doubt it, she's smart as hell" Alana shrugged
"What's going on?" Aria asks rushing into the room
"Edmund went through the painting" I said to her as her face dropped
"Say it ain't so" She mumbled looking at the glowing painting "You touched it yet?" She asked me
"No" I shook my head
"Here, give me Vi" She said taking her away "Touch it"
Without a second thought, I did as told... but nothing happened. I looked back to see Alana with a tear-stained face, and a neutral face Aria.
"Why the hell would you let her touch it just like that?" Alana whisper yelled to Aria
"I knew it wouldn't work" She shrugged simply "Get in your last hugs" She said giving both me and Alana a knowing look
I hugged her a tight hug and cried in her arms for about 5 minutes, then swapped places with Aria and Audrey. I held onto Aria and cried for a while as well, before I felt something being placed on my neck.
"What is it?" I questioned looking down
"Your missing melos" She smiled cheekily "Here's the earrings" She said opening her palms
I looked down at the earrings and then back up at her before hugging her tightly. A few moments later, I felt Alana joining the hug. I smiled relishing in what could be the last few moments with my sisters.
"Okay girls, I could do this all day but I have to find Edmund" I said pulling away and going to the closet
"What's that?" Aria asks looking at the bag I hid
"Grandpa's gift to me" I said looking between my sisters "And these are my gifts to you all" I said handing them both stacks of letters among other things
"What are these for?" Alana asks looking confused
"Some are for yall, and the rest goes to my nieces and nephews. Oh and Aunt Viv and Aunt Lex" I say to them with tear stained eyes
I picked up the bag I got from grandpa along with a duffel bag full of necessities. I hugged both my sisters one more time telling them how much I loved them and took Audrey into my arms.
"It's time to meet your daddy" I smiled at Audrey
"It's time for Anthony to see that spine tattoo of yours" Aria says and this time she's crying
"Shut up" I chuckled walking over to the painting
"I love you" Alana says first
"I love you too grandma" Aria smirks "I know you would be sticking your middle finger up if your hands wasn't so full" She giggled the last part
"Please you two, tell Avery I'm sorry and I love him as well. His letters are under my mattress" I said to them "Thank you so much, both of you for everything you did for me and the twins, I'll always love y'all and the rest of this family. Even two worlds apart... now I shall embark on the journey to jump start the Hannah bloodline" I chuckled
"You rehearsed that shit ain't you?" Aria asks walking over to me
"You know she did" Alana pipes in following Aria
With one final hug from my sisters, I finally heard that familiar sound of the singing ladies. While embraced by my sisters, I touched the portrait as best as I could and prayed to end up wherever baby Edmund was.
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A/N: Addison is finally leaving the 21st century