I slept like a baby that night. We fell asleep with Aria's fairy lights on, so the fear of someone lurking in a dark corner didn't ruin my good mood before I drifted off to sleep. I didn't have any bad dreams about being alone, cold, or kidnapped. The only time I woke on the night was to have a sip of water. The next time I woke up was when I heart the loud sound of a car door slamming right outside the house.
Aria's ears were less sensitive than mine when we were asleep, and she only woke up when we heard the front door slam.
"Aria?" I heard a male voice shout that I haven't heard before from the bottom of the stairs. Aria got up fast and went strait to the door. She beckoned me to follow her, then opened the door. I heard the sound the of her feet running down the wooden stairs as I followed. When I got out of the room, I looked down the stairs to see Aria her arms wrapped around Byron's neck.
"You okay?" I hadn't beard Mike's morning voice before, and it was funny. It wasn't as funny as his bed head though. "It's going to be funny listening to him try and explain how we're not related."
"You're not even that funny, but you've cheered me up already." I told Mike.
"I think you'll find I am a comedian." Mike argued. We both laughed a little. It was an almost an identical laugh.
"What're you laughing at Mike." Byron called from downstairs, looking up. He couldn't see me, as I was still in Aria's doorway. "Come downstairs and see your old man."
Mike unexpectedly grabbed my elbow and dragged me downstairs with him, causing me to laugh again. I nearly fell down the top step, but managed to get back to my feet before making a not so grand entrance and rolling down the stairs. When I looked back downstairs, Byron's happy facial expression had changed to a unpleasantly surprised look. It's a good job I wasn't easily offended, as Byron was nowhere near as welcoming as anyone else I had met from this family.
"I'm just going to get my phone." I made up an obvious excuse to go upstairs and avoid the situation, as that's the cowardly sort of person I am. I reached the top of the stairs and saw Ella in her bedroom with her arms crossed.
"The man I married wouldn't have been so rude." Ella said, shaking her head. It was funny seeing fully grown adults act like teenagers.
"He's probably just confused or something, I don't know." I tried to defend Byron, even though we both knew he didn't need defending.
"Something I don't know about is why he has been ignoring and avoiding me since when I saw him in the hospital, and believe me, I will take pleasure in questioning him." Ella announced. It made me laugh how sassy she was for a forty year old mother and teacher. I loved this woman.
I was scared that Byron wouldn't want me here, as from what I had heard, Ella had an apartment nearby and if was Byron who lived here permanently. My face wasn't the best at hiding how I was feeling, and Ella took advantage of this.
"Come on, let's go down together." Ella said, smiling and linking her arm with mine.