Leila's POV
Lifetime
I watched as the beast disappeared around the corner, her sword of death hanging in her hands and a menacing grin plastered on her face and she let out a maniac cackle. Slowly and cautiously I crept down the dark and narrow hallway, my eyes zoning in on the other beast that appeared by her side, but this time her sword of death was slowly beginning to peel away from her body.
The creaking of the floorboard beneath me had both their heads snapping in my direction and I pressed my back against the wall and cupped my hands over my mouth. Their cackles filled my ears once again and when I turned to look in their direction they were gone. "Shit!"I muttered under my breath as I checked the time on my watch.
The dragon slayers will be here in ten minutes and my dragons were no where to be found. I pushed myself off the wall, my own personal swords in both my hands as I crept down the hallway. When I bent the corner that they disappeared onto my eyes fell on them both as they conversed in their language that I had yet to decipher.
Before I could get my hands onto them, an inhuman yet familiar roar erupted from behind me. I spun around quickly on high alert and saw the first dragon that I had to encounter in my lifetime. His sword hanging from his fingertips as he stared at me menacingly. "Kyle! What happened!?"I exclaimed as I made my way towards him.
He looked up at me sheepishly, his pearly white teeth on full display and he shoved his underwear in my face "Mummy! I did a poopoo on the bathroom."He grinned and I frowned deeply as I assessed his overly excited face "On the bathroom or in the toilet?"I asked. He giggled and disappeared down the hallway, his tiny feet carrying him as he made his way towards the bathroom.
I swore under my breath and dashed down the opposite end of the hallway and towards the giggling voices. When I arrived they both looked up at me, ready to make a run for it but I quickly scooped them up in my arms "Not today little ones"I tutted as I dragged them with me towards the bathroom that Kyle disappeared in.
When I stood in the doorway, a foul smell that I have took in too many times in my lifetime filled my nostrils and my eyes bulged out of its sockets when it landed on the brown substance sitting on my tiled floor.
"Blake!"
"Blake come here please! Blake I need you!"I practically screamed. Eveline and Ivory began giggling hysterically in my arms and I let out a frustrated cry when I realized they were both butt naked on my hips. They finally got rid of the pampers I had just placed onto them both.
The sound of Blake's heavy footsteps erupted around the house and soon he was barging into the bathroom adorned in his cute apron. A spatula was gripped in his hand tightly as his eyes snapped around the room cautiously "What happened!? are you Okay?"He asked concernedly and before I could reply Kyle had already began tugging at his apron "Daddy, I made a poopoo on the bathroom."He said cheekily and Blake turned towards me perplexed.
"Do I want to know?"he groaned and a chuckle escaped my lips "Better put that spatula to good use"I laughed and the colour from his face drained as I motioned towards the pile of poop on the floor. When I rushed out of the bathroom and down the hallway, I couldn't help but continue laughing as I heard the string of curses that escaped his lips softly.
I made a beeline towards the twins room and placed them down in the crib. I grabbed two pampers and stared down at my two chubby cheek daughters as they grinned up at me. "No taking them off again okay, mummy won't be happy"I scolded them as I put both pampers back onto them and quickly dressed them both in cute strawberry shortcake dresses that I purchased at Walmart last weekend.
When they were both dressed I scooped them up in my arms and onto my hips. As if on cue the doorbell rang and I hoisted them both up as they both decided that it would be in their best interest to play with my hair. I knew I should have put it up in a bun.
"Be good okay girls?"I mumbled and they both nodded their heads simultaneously. I sighed and called out to Blake as I slowly and carefully made my way down the stairs. The sound of the soft pitter patter against the tiles filled the quiet house and Kyle dashed down the hallway and towards the door. "Kyle what have we told you about that already!"Blake exclaimed as he rushed past me and scooped Kyle up in his arms.
He giggled hysterically and face planted Blake in the face–or more like slapped him–Blake grunted in response, grabbed a hold of his finger and nibbled onto it as Kyle screamed in amusement, his cheerful laughter reverberating off the walls of the house. Blake gave him an amused smile then turned towards the door when the doorbell rang again, he looked through the peep hole then pulled the door open. "Uncle Peter!"
I could see on Blake's flabbergasted face that he didn't expect Kyle to leap out of his arms and into Peters own. If someone recorded this and put it in slow motion they'd think this was when superman discovered he could fly.
"Hey little man!"Peter squeaked happily as he stepped into the house. I placed the twins down and they both walked away from me and towards Blake who picked up Eveline in his arms. Fatima stepped in, adorned in a white dress with roses patterned on it. Her brown hair was pulled into a bun and a welcoming smile was plastered on her face. A tray was perched up in her arms and I quickly moved towards her. "Hi Fatima"I grinned happily as I took the tray from her grip.
"Hello Leila. I still can't get enough of your house"She chuckled and then thanked me for taking her tray. Ivory had already acquainted herself with Fatima as she lifted her arms and smiled "Hi"Ivory mumbled in her sweet little voice. "Hi sweetheart. How's my baby girl!"Fatima exclaimed as she scooped Ivory up in her arms.
Blake made his way towards me and took the tray from my hands. A smile etched on his handsome face as he eyed me up and down slowly undressing me with his oceanic blue eyes"Hey"He grinned as his free hand winded around my waist and he pulled me down the hallway and towards the kitchen with him. "Hi"I smiled sheepishly and he rolled his eyes. Chuckling under his breath.
Somehow even though Blake and I have been together for eleven years, married for seven. Have a three year old boy and one year old twins. I still felt giddy and nervous around him like it were the very first day we met. Well I mean the first day we met he treated me like shit but you know what I mean.
I could still remember the day he proposed to me, Sam and Midge couldn't help but add their two cents before I could even reply yes. Midge had shot out of her chair, fist pumped the air and screamed "I called it!"Loudly for everyone who ate dinner that night to place down their forks and look at our table annoyingly.
When Sam had settled her down we thought we'd resume to the cheesy moment but Michael began to cry like a woman during menopause and Sam had to calm him down, he couldn't stop muttering how proud he was of his son–Blake–and eventually Riley had to escort him away from the table.
Blake had resumed to asking me to marry him and with tears rolling down my cheeks and most likely snort down my nose, I was on the verge of saying yes when Brandon sneezed loudly to which Sam screamed out in frustration, going on a five minute rant as to how everyone was ruining the moment for us.
Eventually Midge had to escort Sam away from the table when she began to cry out of frustration. I was really confused at the moment, wondering if Blake was still proposing but he broke out into a fit of laughter and said "Just say yes already before something absurd happens again."
So I said yes as quickly as I could and he slipped the ring onto my finger. Scooped me up in his arms and planted a kiss on my lips that I'd never forget.
"Hey! earth to Mrs Kingston"Peter's British voice sang in my ears and I smiled up at him "hello there George Washington"I chuckled and he rolled his eyes as he pulled me into a hug. "I guess Blake has never taught you how to crack funny jokes."
"I guess Fatima has never taught you how to keep your mouth shut"I deadpanned and he placed his hand over his chest, feigning hurt "Did you hear that Mr Kingston?"He said to Blake who shrugged and placed a soft kiss on my temple "that's my girl"He chuckled, winked and placed the tray onto the table.
"Guess who's in the house!"A familiar and very annoying voice erupted in the house and bounced off the walls. Peter sighed and we both shared a look before simultaneously beginning to count down "In five, four, three, two, one."
"It's uncle Michael and auntie Sam in the house mother truckers!"He squealed as he appeared in the entrance of the kitchen. His arms out wide as he spun around and strike a pose. "Who invited him?"I groaned and his mouth fell open in shock. "Well nice to see you too Leila"He rolled his eyes as he walked into the kitchen muttering how ungrateful we were of his presence."Wassup Blake man, I haven't seen you in a whole year, where's my hug?"He asked and pulled a scowling Blake into a crushing hug.
"Oh my god Leila!"Sams voice filled my ears and before I could reply she had leaped onto me and dragged me into a tight hug–I mean as much as she could reach–her bulging stomach created an awkward distance between us and soon she pulled away from the hug and placed her hand on her stomach "The last time I saw you there was only a tiny bump, now look at you!"I said to which she smiled and shrugged.
"He's growing alright."She said and Michael made his way towards her before dropping a hand over her shoulder and pulling her to his side proudly "Because my fertilizer is good you see"He winked and a disgusted groan caused all our heads to snap towards the doorway where Midge stood with her five year old son Gabriel and her three year old daughter Jenny.
"Oh look the devil made it up from hell!"Michael exclaimed and Midge flipped him off. "Auntie Leila!"They both bellowed out simultaneously and I was crushed by both their tiny hands as I pulled them into a hug. "Hi babies, how are you guys?."
They both went on a full story about their day and how a rant about how tired they were from the flight and how the flight attendant didn't have chocolate pudding. When I dismissed them by convincing them both to play with Kyle and the twins in the living room, I turned my attention to my friends who all conversed around the kitchen "So Peter, when are you gonna have the little bundles of joy?"Hansen asked and I could hear the sarcasm at the end of his voice, they were a bundle of joy for sure.
Hansen was Midges husband of five years, they met after Midge and Damien broke up. Midge was devastated because Damien and her had a long term relationship since college. She decided to hit a bar after their break up and drank her sorrows away and that's where she met Hansen. They hooked up that night and thus Gabriel was born. He married her three years later and they conceived the little angel Jenny.
"When Fatima here decides that I'm worthy of impregnating her."He exclaimed as he draped a hand over her shoulder and pulled him flushed against his chest before placing a soft kiss against her rosy cheeks. After Peter had checked his ex girlfriend into the asylum, he thought she'd get better but she never did. We always gave him hope that one day she'll be the same girl she was when they first met but, a year later she hung herself in her room.
Peter fell into immense depression and I completely lost contact with him for an entire year. One day he reached out to me on Facebook and told me he was in Los Angeles and asked if we could meet up. When we did I did not expect my long term best friend to be as devastating as he was. I had originally planned to scold him about not keeping in contact with me for an entire year but when he told me what happened I had to make things right.
So one night I invited him to my staff party and one of my employees brought a plus one. I decided to introduced Peter to that employee thinking he'd be interested in her but her plus one was the one who caught his eye.
He told me it was like love at first sight and now they've been together for more than two years.
"Okay a simple answer would have been better than that"Blake grumbled in disgust and he slipped his arms around my waist and placed his face in the crook of my neck, kissing it softly and hugging me against his chest protectively "But if you do have kids, please don't call us"He said and everyone erupted into a fit of laughter.
Amen to that Blake Kingston.
~~~
"Hey! Kyle I said no playing in the mud!"Patricia shouted as she hopped off the chair and dashed towards Kyle who giggled hysterically and slapped his hands into the mud. "Oh my god"I groaned in frustration as I hopped off my chair and made my way towards them "it's okay Leila, let him dirty himself. I'll clean him later."She smiled up at me genuinely but I shook my head "I insist, go sit down and enjoy your time with your family."
"Are you sure?"I asked unsure, I didn't want to leave my troubles for her especially when she was visiting my house. She gave me a genuine smile as well, the crinkles below her eyes on full display. "I'll clean the little man."
I turned around and smiled up at Brandon who stood there gazing down at Kyle amusedly. Brandon was already seventeen and he attended college at UCLA. Because of this I saw him more often than I've seen any of my family which meant we weren't really on that family reunion level. I visited him at his dorm with the kids–when he asked of course–he even introduced me to his girlfriend Ronda and let's just say I don't like her.
I can sniff out a cold digging leach from a distance but I wasn't gonna tell him that. I didn't want to be that overprotective sister. I wanted him to figure out his life on his own just like I did.
"Thanks Baby but I wanna have some time with my grandson, no ulterior motives"Patricia said and Brandon sighed heavily "always so stubborn mom"He groaned.
"Leila!"Blake called out to me and I dismissed myself from them. I made my way towards Blake who sat on the beach chair near the pool. A malt was perched up in his arms as he placed a watchful eye on the twins who was playing in the garden with the yellow butterflies that flew around them. They looked absolutely adorable with their brown pigtail hair styles, strawberry shortcake dresses and white sandals, thankfully they weren't stuffing their faces in the mud.
"Yes?"I asked and he snapped his head towards me. With a longing smile he outstretched a hand towards me and interlocked our hands together. He pulled me onto his thighs and I squealed as his arms wrapped around me protectively. He nuzzled his face in my neck, his stubble scratching against my cheek and I giggled as he peppered kisses on my neck.
"You wanna know something?"He suddenly asked and I turned to face him slightly, letting my hand fall over his shoulder as I stared at his side profile. "What is it Baby?"I mumbled and he tilted his head towards me. He set the malt down and pulled me against his body once again which caused me to slip into a cradling position.
He slipped his hand under my thigh and pecked me on the lips before pulling back and smiling softly "I'm so happy."He muttered and I frowned, a chuckle escaping my lips as I let my hands trace his soft cheek. "For what?"I asked.
"Everything. This family. I'm happy because I have them. I have you, Our three beautiful children. Our crazy friends. Our parents"He said as he motioned towards the end of the yard where his mother and dad sat at the table with Patricia and my father. Laughing their heads off at a joke I knew that my father cracked which wasn't so much funny to us but to them it was.
A smile stretched out on my lips as I turned to face him once again. He motioned towards the twins who was now staring down longingly at their hands and I only now realized that ladybugs were crawling onto their skin. They giggled hysterically, looking at the ladybugs like it were the love of their lives.
He then motioned towards Kyle who was running around the yard with a laughing Brandon chasing after him. A hose in Brandons hands spraying water onto a screaming Kyle which I knew was not the slightest terrified of.
Then he motioned towards Sam and Michael who stood near the grill. His arms were winded around her waist as he slowly caressed her stomach. He leaned forward to grab a piece of chicken off the grill but she slapped his hand away. I could see the grimace of pain on his face as Sam shot daggers at him then suddenly placed a kiss on his cheek and went back to grilling the meat.
I chuckled and turned towards Midge and Hansen who were in the same position as us. Midge was propped onto his thighs and he was whispering something into her ears as she laughed softly.
Fatima and Peter were playing hide and seek with Gabriel and Jenny who didn't know what the definition of hide was. They hid behind plants and chairs but Fatima and Peter acted as if they wore invisible cloaks and I couldn't help but laugh as Gabriel and Jenny laughed hysterically like they were doing something so clever.
"This is why I'm happy. You see it too don't you, all of this, it's our life. Years ago I never imagined being with you, especially being so lucky to have a family like this. I'm beyond happy actually. Words can't even explain it baby and it's all because of you. You brought these people together."
"No"I shook my head softly as I raked my hands through his hair and brought my nose towards his in a somewhat Eskimo kiss. Our eyes staring deeply into one another longingly, speaking the words we spoke to one another a thousand times "we brought this family together."Then I kissed him longingly. It was every other kiss that we shared. The ones I could never get enough of.
My family was all here.
The one I prayed for my entire life.
The one I always wanted to have. The one I prayed some day would have included my brother gazing down at us from heaven along with my mother. I wish they were both here, I wish I had fixed the wrongs in my mothers and I relationship. I wish my brother was here to see what I had accomplished.
But I was in content with my life.
With how things turned out.
If I could go back in the past I wouldn't change anything. Everything happened for a reason, everything was fate set out by god. Maybe god wanted Kyle to be with him, maybe I was supposed to be assigned to my professors dorm room instead of my own. Maybe I was supposed to bump into Sam in the hallway and listen to Midge agreeing to how annoying our class was.
Everything happened for a reason and they all set my family into motion.
I wouldn't change it for a thing.
The sound of an ear piercing scream caused us to pull away from the kiss and I snapped my head towards Jenny who grimaced at the two of us "Boys have cooties!"She exclaimed disgustingly and I chuckled loudly as I turned towards Blake who couldn't help but bellow out in laughter as well.
"Maybe they do, but I don't care."