They managed to get the adults to agree with them going camping for Alexa's bucket list. So one bucket list got ticked off.
Even though it's just in their backyard, they'll take whatever they can and Alexa couldn't be happier.
Chris has definitely bought the most comfiest and most expensive camping tent set up. He goes all out for the kids' happiness.
They've also called Haz that night and informed him of the activity they're gonna do. And Alexa didn't forget about her cousin, Eliza.
Which leads to today,
Evans- Johansson mansion house that is full of teenagers, well technically not really full of teenagers, just 5 in total. Brian, Noah, Alexa, Axel, Eliza and Harrison (Haz)
Eliza arrived at 9 in the morning with Harrison and they start sorting out their camping site in the backyard
Scarlett, Vanessa, who were dropping off Eliza and wanted to check in on the family, and Anna just watched them from the kitchen that is connected with the backyard while the teenagers laughing as they tried to make the camping tent stand on its own
"Come on! You wanna go camping but you don't have the patience to figure out how to make your tent!" Axel said as he belly laugh at his twin sister grouchy face
Alexa's patient wearing thin since the tent did not cooperate well with her
"Mushy baby, you gotta make sure the tent strings got in properly to its compartment" Scarlett in amusement and with a soft chuckle, reading the instruction on how to build the tent
Where's their dad you may ask? He's in the backyard couch with his beer, watching the scene in amusement because he is banned from helping per Alexa request
Alexa starting to regret that decision as it seems
"Just so you know, your daddy is watching and he just needs you to say the magic word" Chris said in a sing-songy voice. Who is he kidding? He'll help them right away when Alexa even as much as pouting on his way but he didn't want to interfere because this is core memory that they're making.
He knows Alexa will figure it out and he believes she could do it.
"Eliza, honey, the tent already have the hole compartment, you don't need to add more or else the tent will never works anymore" Vanessa exclaimed with a laugh as she saw her daughter trying to make a hole to put the steel strings
It got all of the adults laugh in amusement at seeing the teenagers struggles on how to putting up the tent they're gonna stay over for the night
But eventually, they managed to put it up amazingly.
After 2 and a half hours much to their dismay.
Chris got it on camera, he recorded the whole thing up until they're succeeding on it and when they cheered excitedly, jumping up and down.
They even set up a huge projector screen for their movie night.
Vanessa stayed until after dinner, helping Scarlett, Chris and Anna handle lots of teenagers. Not that they need it, the teenagers were obedient enough as it is and they're truly having fun
Like everything was normal and no one was sick.. Dying kind of sick.
It's nice while it lasts and Vanessa wants to be in the part of core memory making.
Alexa offered for the adults to camp with them but they politely declined and saying "It's okay, you kids enjoy your time together for tonight"
After dinner, the teenagers decided to do some bonfire while they play guitar and talk about things and laughs until they forgot the time and it was already midnight
Eliza, Brian, Noah and Harrison has gone back to their tent, leaving Alexa and Axel cuddled up in the round couch around the bonfire pit
Alexa have her head rested on Axel's shoulder as they shared a blanket
"Mila" Alexa stated in the peace of quiet all of sudden between them making Axel furrowed his eyebrows looking at his twin sister
"What?"
"Mila, the girl we met at the WestEnd London program. Did you still talk with her?" Alexa asked as now she has moved her position to face her twin brother and a cheeky grin intact on her face. Mila is beautiful and she has the most stunning wavy blonde hair ever.
"Sometimes I reply to her text and her instagram story" Axel exclaimed with a shrug. It'll be a fool for anyone to not have a crush on Mila.
"She lives in New York right? She went to the same school as Haz"
"And?"
"Pupu, that's your opportunity!" Alexa said with a groan as she did not know whether her twin brother is being oblivious purposely or he really is stupid
But of course, Axel purposely to be oblivious. He didn't know how to start first or if he can do that at the moment considering Alexa's state.
"Oh" Alexa said as realization dawned on her. Not a perfect timing
"Pupu, you can try. Don't ghost her"
"Bear, I'm not ghosting her. That's a mean thing to do to someone"
"Then try to go out for a hot chocolate or to the cinema with her. Just for a few hours. Treat her something, make an effort. Girls like that. Effort" Alexa exclaimed "Everyone does actually"
"She did say she likes hot chocolate and books" Axel said as he remembered one of the conversations he had with Mila. "Hot chocolate and bring her to the bookshop, is that roman empire coded?"
"Damn right it is!" Alexa said with a wide grin "See! You're doing great!"
"Well I guess I'll try this weekend" Axel said as he decided to give it a try after some thought and pushing from Alexa
"Talk to her tomorrow"
"You're impatient, girllll"
"Axie, if I'm impatient I will ask you to send her a text right awayyyy" Alexa said with a huff in slight annoyance at her twin brother's statement, though she knows he didn't mean it and she just wants to be annoying at the moment
Axel laughed and ruffles his twin sister's hair "I love you Bear"
Alexa's face broke into a soft smile "I love you too Pupu. Us against the world" She said in soft whisper as she let out her pinkie finger. It was their thing, intertwining their pinkie finger together and resting forehead against each other
"Us against the world" Axel smiled sadly and intertwined his pinkie finger with hers. If anything were to happen, there'll be no more pinkie finger promise, forehead resting against each other. No more. Because if Alexa's gone, their sacred moves with each other will be gone too because Axel will never and ever do it with someone else.
"Let's go to sleep or tomorrow we're gonna be harass waking up with our own singing voice through dad's bluetooth speaker" Axel said, huffed out in amusement as Chris threatened to be waking them up with their own singing voice and blasted it on bluetooth speaker, knowing how much the twins hates listening to their own singing voice over and over again.
"I swear to god we gotta take his phone sometimes and delete all of the video that Anna sent to our parents" Alexa groaned as she remembered it. Anna sent their parents all of the videos of them singing, practicing lines and choreograph, all throughout the year that the twins were involved with theater.
Axel laughed and nodded his head as he got up from the round up couch "Please, I bet mom and dad saved so many of them already in various ways. It's no use for us to delete it"
Alexa smiled and rolled her eyes as well with her head shake in amusement as she got up but not moving toward the camping tent but inside of the house
"Lexie?" Axel asked confusedly at seeing where she's moving to
"I'm gonna keep Mama company on the couch," Alexa said with a laugh. They both saw the living room dimly lit and knew immediately that their Mama was there to be closed with Alexa just in case. Axel laughed in amusement and nodded his head as he retreated to his camping tent that he shared with Brian since Noah and Harrison shared the same tent.
Alexa slowly and quietly gets inside the house through the kitchen/backyard sliding door and went to the living room to see Mama sitting on the couch, laptop in her lap, glasses on and a muted television on the background for more light
"Mama" Alexa greeted casually as she rounded the couch to sit next to her Mama. Scarlett jumps a little at hearing the sudden voice and looks up from her laptop
"Mushy baby? Are you okay?" Scarlett asked as she inspected her daughter as her first instinct was to check on the girl onto why she was here but it immediately replaced with a relief when Alexa show no signs of being sick or about to get sick and also when she sit next to Mama and immediately cuddled up on Mama's side
Scarlett smiled softly and wrapped her arms around her daughter's petite figure, dropping a soft kiss on Alexa's head as well "Why aren't you asleep yet huh?"
"Why aren't you?" She asked back with her eyebrow raised at Mama
Only to have Scarlett to huff out in amusement and squeeze her daughter's nose shut in a playful manner and get Alexa to giggle before she snuggled up more on Mama's cozy side.
"I wanna be with you" Alexa said in a soft whisper as she snuggled her face in the crook of Mama's neck which got Scarlett immediately melted at the confession
Scarlett turned off her laptop and put it on the coffee table. She puts everything away as she only wants to focus on her beautiful daughter and take her to lay on the couch, sharing the blankets with Scarlett's arms wrapped around Alexa's body tightly and in the loving embrace of a mother.
"Are you happy today?" Scarlett asked rhetorically. She saw how happy her daughter is, how big of a smile Alexa let out and how loud of a laugh she gave as well
"Very much Mama. Thank you" Alexa whispered gratefully as she tightening the hug as well to show her gratitude over the physical contact
"We're just doing our best to give you everything you want, Mushy. I will always work very hard to make sure all of my kids get what they want. And Daddy is doing the same too"
"I know Mama. We're so lucky to have you both"
"I feel like it's the other way around" Scarlett exclaimed with a soft chuckle
"Oh yeah you're both very lucky to have us" Alexa retorted in a cheeky way and let out a small chuckle as Scarlett pretended to groan at hearing that as she really feels like the luckiest one in the world to be having Alexa, Axel and Rose as her kids.
"Mama" Alexa stated after a moment of quiet and peaceful in the cuddles which got Scarlett to hum in question to response on Alexa calling for her while she run her fingers on Alexa's hair softly and gently combing it
Alexa paused a little bit and then shook her head as she changes her mind over the matter that she's gonna talk with Mama
"I love you" Alexa settles on
"I love you too Mushy but I know there's more" Scarlett said as she caresses the girl's hair in gentle coax for Alexa to spill whatever it is that she wants to say
"Mama is using her superpower again" Alexa exclaimed as Scarlett chuckled and hummed in response
"What is it baby?" Scarlett asked tenderly as she gently caressing Alexa's back, in hope to make her soothe and comfortable to be speaking what's on her mind
And it worked
"Grief can be dangerous sometimes" Alexa exclaimed with a whisper as she spoke her mind while Scarlett gave her full attention to know where this is going "Grief can make you push everyone away and it can make you be so lonely. You might think you don't need anyone anymore but that's wrong. You need people in your life while you're grieving so you won't be too far to come back again"
Scarlett just hummed in response and somehow confused as to why Alexa told her this. But nonetheless, Scarlett listens to it and pays attention.
"You can grieve when I'm gone but don't push people away, Mama. Don't push Daddy away, don't push Mimi away, don't push Uncle Hunter away. Don't push yourself away from everyone" Alexa settles
And there it is, the waterworks on Mama's eyes starts
"Axie gonna be pushing you and Daddy away. Daddy probably gonna stay his best to be strong for you, Axie and Rosie while grieving on his own and you, I know you gonna keep pushing people away including yourself. You can grieve. I need you to grieve to move on but you can't push people away" Alexa said pleadingly as she looked up to her Mama who already have her tears flowing down to her cheeks vigorously
"I'm sorry Mama, it's selfish of me to say this but don't push people away, it's gonna hurt me watching it from up there when I can't do anything. I really wish I can stay, I really want to stay Mama but it's not up to me"
Scarlett bit her lips as the lump in her throat makes her wanna let out a broken sob at hearing her daughter's statement. It's Alexa's wish, Scarlett knew that.
"Allow yourself to grieve but also allow yourself to get help in the grieving from the others no matter how the others were struggling with their grieves. It's better grieving altogether rather than all alone. It'll help everyone. Can you do that for me?" Alexa asked with her own teary voice and a tear sliding down to her cheek.
No matter how hard she tries to look strong, it always doesn't work when she's in the comforting embrace of her mother.
Scarlett's heart keeps breaking at seeing the sight before her. Her daughter with her teary eyes, teary voice and her dying wishes.
"Of course baby. I'll do it for you" Scarlett said with a sniffles, hoarse voice because of the crying and tightly hugging her daughter to herself
"For me, for Axie, for Rosie, for Daddy AND for yourself too Mama" Alexa replies with a mumble on her Mama's chest to which Scarlett nodded her head in agreement
She will do her damndest best for her kids.
Even though the process of it is gonna hurt. She will do her damndest best
And Alexa didn't push for more because she knows, somehow, Mama will have a point where she will be pushing everyone away and she won't blame her for it.
This shit is heartbreaking. No human being can go through it no matter how strong you are. Alexa just hopes Mama won't destroy herself in the process. Because that's gonna hurt watching from wherever she has to watch from and can't do anything about it.
But it'll hurt more for them to lose someone they love...
So, no one will win in this case.
What a shit life as Alexa thought while hugging Mama in comfort
And that is how everyone found them the next morning, hugging each other while sleeping on the couch.
A photo of that morning was taken and immediately printed out and put in the albums the family have.
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Second last chapter. A bit sweet and sad at the same time. I tried delivering it for every character's perspective. From Axel's perspective, Scarlett's perspective and Chris's perspective. We can't forget Anna and Kimmy's perspective too since they're Axel and Alexa's biggest influence while growing up. So wait for their perspective on chapter 50. It's gonna break yalls heart, I hope so because chapter 50 was gonna be the final chapter and to be fill with heartbreak.
Anyways, Eid Mubarak everyone. I know I said that I hope I'll finish this story before Eid but eh things happen. Got busy with work and Eid preparation haha.
I hope you guys are having an amazing day/ night wherever you guys are. AND if no one told you guys this yet, hey, you're doing great today, I'm so proud of you even you're thinking that you're doing nothing / it's only a small thing. I am just proud of you guys for whatever you guys are doing.
See you soon in chapter 50.
Lots of loves!