"Not to ruin the moment," Randall finally spoke. "We've been hugging for quite sometime..."
"Can't blame them for finally meeting you," Tanner said to him.
"Yes, but Tanner." Randall started looking around the room. "Where is the love of our life?" Tanner blinked a couple of times to noticed Marie wasn't in the room.
"I thought she was holding your hand?" Tanner said looking at him.
"How could we let her leave the room without letting her meet our parents?" Randall said. He tried to get out of the circle but Dena held him closer. "Oh come one we've been like this for like five minutes."
"I haven't gotten to hold you in twenty-six years," Dena said. "Don't take this from me."
"Oh honey, they want to show us their other half or third or whatever," Hunter said letting go and like a chain reaction Tanner let go and so did Anthony but Dena didn't let go of Randall.
"Mom," Randall said. "Please let go."
"No."
"Childish," Randall said. "I want you to meet our girlfriend and you are being childish."
"I think it's childish that you are depriving me of holding the baby that I thought was dead," Dena said.
"I see where you get your stubbornness from," Randall said looking at Tanner. "Did you not just come and bang on our door for one not meeting me and two not meeting our girlfriend?"
"I did but this is something unbelievable," Dena said. "She probably looks just like all the other women that you two have dated."
"Now how would you know that you haven't met her," Anthony said in confidence. "You've always set up a date for Tanner/ Randall, this one he found on his own maybe she is their final."
"Why do you sound so sure Anthony," Randall said suspiciously. "You haven't met her either."
"Well, she would have to know about you before you left his head," Anthony said. "You never tell your past toys that you had another person living in your head."
"Actually, we weren't the ones to tell her," Tanner said trying to pry their mother off of Randall.
"Who told her then?" Hunter said in confusion. Randall watched as Anthony's eyes shifted. He raised an eyebrow. Why was Randall the only one noticing his movements? Maybe he just has more alertness than Tanner.
"Enough of this talk, where is she?" Dena said looking around the room.
"That's what I was asking but you didn't want to let go for me to find her," Randall said looking at his mother. Can't believe he was birthed from her... it be like that sometimes he guessed.
"Hold on," Tanner picked up the phone that was located in the room. "Truman, are you with Marie? We can come where you are." He wanted a few moments. He had heard Truman ask her if she was ready. She must have said yes because Truman told him they were in the sitting room upstairs. "Okay, we are on the way up."
Marie sat across from Truman confidently now, he had calmed her nerves and told her to be herself. It had only been right for her to feel comfortable around Truman. He had cared for her ever since she step foot in the house. They became closer and closer every day she stayed. He was always reassuring her that she was okay with them. That she was safe with them and she could say that other than Villa and Her mother she really trusted him.
Truman was a real one.
Marie heard a knock at the door and soon both of the twins walked through the door and their family followed behind them. She stood up and greeted them and the twins instantly came by her side and kissed her on her cheek.
"Baby, why did you leave the room?" Randall said.
"When did you leave the room?" Tanner said rubbing her cheek.
"Well, y'all were having such a family moment that I thought y'all needed time alone. So, I left with Truman." Marie said to them. Then she looked at their mother who stared at her in awe.
"Son, you didn't tell me," Dena started. Dena looked Marie and smiled she was different from the rest of the girls that she put Tanner and Randall with.
"I did," Tanner said. "Remember at the party? You thought I was lying to you?"
"Hello," Hunter introduced himself first. "I'm Hunter Ayers and as you can see I am their father." She put her hand out for a handshake but he pulled her in for a hug. She was soft too, the boys had adopted his trait on loving bigger women and black women at that. The boys noticed he was holding on... too long for their taste. Randall grabbed her hand and pulled her gently away from him. He raised an eyebrow at the old man.
"I'm Dena," Their mother started slowly. "I am their mother and I must say you are beautiful..." she couldn't finish her sentence she was so shocked. She under a trance.
"Thank you," Marie said and smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you too." Then she turned to the younger man that stood beside her. Really they could have been triplets but she could tell he was younger.
"I'm Anthony," Anthony said grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it. "You are quite stunning. I think my brothers did a wonderful job."
"Why, thank you, Anthony," Marie said. "You all seem very nice and pleasant. I'm Marie Philips,"
"Ayers," Hunter said interrupting her a little bit. "You are an Ayers now, I don't think these two would let you go anytime soon."
"Well, you aren't wrong," Marie said looking at Randall and Tanner. Randall cleared his throat and Tanner ran his fingers through his hair. "But, nonetheless, I am very happy to finally meet you. We've gone through a lot before we could get to this moment."
"Oh we know honey," Dena said. "That's been on my mind, how did you find out about Randall?" Marie froze she didn't think she would ask that question. "You must have been with Tanner at the time of the Annual Party he has every year. So, that means Tanner and Randall hadn't been separated yet."
"Well, that's a long story but the summary of it is that I was sitting in my office and a person dropped off a box in my office with some files inside about Tanner. Left me a note saying that I was his final and I should know all the facts about him. The letter U to call themselves when they wrote the letter." Marie said finishing.
"Did you get a good look at their face?" Hunter asked. "That must of been when the files from the house went missing."
"No, they were wearing all black, including a face mask," Marie said.
"How did you handle this?" Anthony asking but not in concern but it was like he was analyzing her.
"Well, I was already upset because somethings were said from Tanner but that sent me," Marie said. "I didn't talk to either of them for..."
"Three months and two weeks," Tanner said. "I couldn't stay away from her though even though Randall was in my head and he had to take some control sometimes."
"What did you say?" Hunter asked.
"I was being an asshole," Tanner said."No, need to bring up those old wounds."
"At least you know," Marie said rubbing his face and he kissed her palm.
"It seems I always remind him that he's an asshole," Randall said. "Our Marie has shown us great strength that she can handle both of us and I have now made it my obligation to handle him if he does something to her. I don't want to bare that pain I felt when she left us."
"And I'll do the same to you," Tanner said snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "You haven't done anything but trust me you will and I will be there to return that energy you gave to me."
"Oh please," Randall said brushing him off. "You don't phase me, I know when I'm wrong and when to apologize to our lady. " Randall pulled her away from him and wrapped his arms around her. "You mean the world to me, and if I hurt you I would hate myself for it." Randall said to her.
"I know baby," Marie said laying her head on his chest. "Don't beat yourself up though. Your mouth isn't as reckless." Randall smiled against her forehead.
"Aww, how sweet," Dena said. "It's like she knows how to function with both of you naturally."
"She is the one," Hunter said. And Anthony nodded approvingly.
"Well, I and your mother are going to go downstairs." Hunter and he grabbed Dena's hand.
"But I want to stay here longer," Dena said. "I'm in shock can't you tell?"
"Come on, I'm sure they want to be alone with her," Hunter said. "You can set up a lunch date with her soon."
"Son, or SONS," Dena said look at them. "You didn't tell me you were into-
"Black women, I was surprised too," Marie said jokingly.
"I was going to say, big women," Dena said. Marie turned into that surprising white man gif so fast. "I never thought you would be into those, you know how many plus size women in America would feel? They'll buy your products more."
"Stop it," Tanner said. "You think she's some business move. I can see it in your eyes."
"You don't think she's naturally made for us you think she's a move," Randall said. "That means you don't fully don't accept her." Randall squinted his eyes at her.
"You think she's a joke because she's big," Tanner said. "I don't appreciate that at all."
"I'ma head out," Marie whispered to Truman. Truman lifted his arm and she looped her arm around his but Randall didn't let her leave so easily. He tugged her arm along with him.
"Where do you think you're going?" Randall said pulling her in his arms. "Now I see how you slip out the room half the time." Randall finally noticed apparently. He nuzzled his face in her neck sending a shiver down her spine.
"No, that's not it at all," Dena said. "I'm thinking in the long run."
"She's staying for the long run," Tanner said sitting down and grabbing Marie's hand. Randall sat down leaving the space between them. And together they pulled her down with them cuddling her in front of their parents and brother. Anthony stared at them in awe like he was fascinated. Randall took noticed of that.
"Why don't you leave the room," Randall said. "We need to talk to Anthony by himself."
Hunter grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her out of the room. Truman stood by the door and Anthony stared at his now two brothers. Then he stared at Marie, she really had a hold on them.
"Why do you keep staring at her like a science experiment?" Randall asked.
"It seems you already know," Anthony said. "You are the smart one after all."
"You were the one that told her," Randall said. "You are the one that took the files from the house."
"Well, brava," Anthony said clapping his hands slowly.
"Wait, what?!" Tanner said stood up in anger. "How did you figure that out?"
"My intuition kept telling me to watch him," Randall said. "It seems he's picked up Grandfather's habit of experimenting."
"From a single letter?" Tanner said.
"Think about his middle name Tanner," Randall said holding on to Marie tighter now.
"Ulysses," Tanner said to himself. "What the fuck Anthony?"
"You've always been slow to admit things brother," Anthony said adjusting his watch. "I've been watching you from the beginning when you first found her. When I noticed you going into this one single shop every morning just to watch her. I knew that she was the one that had gotten your heart and mind." Anthony sat in front of Marie and stared at her and she could only stare back.
"So, you've been watching me too?" Marie said jokingly. "What? Are you in love with me too?"
"I mean, I wouldn't mind having a taste," Anthony said. They were waiting for him to laugh. He didn't. Tanner didn't hesitate to wrap his hand around his neck. "Can you blame me?" He croaked.
"Get the thought out of your head," Randall said. "Or I won't stop him from something that I want to do at the moment."
"Fine, Fine," Anthony said. "Yes, I have been watching you as well but mostly for scientific purposes. When Tanner kept taking longer to tell you about Randall I got frustrated."
"I was letting her get comfortable with us," Tanner said. "Well, with me first."
"When you said those arrogant things to her it sped up the process," Anthony said. "Really Tanner, She would be in the same place if she didn't meet you? How ridiculous." Anthony looked at Tanner who was flushed in red.
"I was a different person back then," Tanner said.
"Did you not just run to mother and father for the same situation?" Anthony said. "A woman of her caliber with her IQ and GPA she was bound to find success from the beginning. She's had a rough life she was about to find her momentum." Anthony said. "But you couldn't handle the thought of her living without you."
"Shut. Your. Mouth." Randall said.
"But who knows, maybe when Randall left your brain he left some if not most of his arrogance with you. Making you unfavorable with Marie thus making her break up with you and leaving her to Randall all by himself." Anthony said. Randall gritted his teeth.
"Stop instigating," Marie said. "It's quite ugly on you."
"I'm sorry," Anthony said. "I'm just asking the real questions."
"Get out," Tanner and Randall said at the same time. Like in sequence. "I can't even look at you right now." Marie stared in shock at how in sync they were.
"Fine. Fine." Anthony said putting his hands up in surrender. "I'll leave. It was nice finally meeting you Marie. Maybe we'll have our own conversation too that is if you are going to be my sister-in-law."
Marie could only stare at him as he left the room. Tanner stood with his hands clenched and Randall still held Marie closely. Then they both looked at her and she jumped. Both of their eyes were abnormally huge. They furrowed their eyebrows at the same time. Then they looked at each other.
Maybe they were still connected. In a way.