I open the bedroom door to find Leo still sleeping. His legs and arms are spread apart, and his snores are soft but not loud.
I chuckle and close the door behind me. I went onto the bed and kissed his forehead. He moves and groans in his sleep.
My chuckles turn into giggles. "Come on, darling. It's time to wake up."
He groans again and shakes his head on the pillow. "Five more minutes, Mum."
"Darling, you need to get up, sweetie. I made your favorite."
He popped his head and could see the sparkle in his eyes vision in a dark room. "Chocolate chip waffles."
"Shaped like Mickey Mouse, drizzle with strawberry jam, whip cream, sprinkle with more chocolate chips along the side a glass of chocolate milk."
It is unhealthy for any kid to eat sweets in the morning, but Leo loves his pancakes, which is my source of leverage to wake him up.
"Yay!" Leo jumped off our bed and went straight to the bathroom.
I shake my head giggling.
It's been two months and two weeks since I arrived at my cousins' house. I open the curtains as the sky is dark, but the sun is about to set. I walk over to the mirror on the dresser and stop. I'm wearing a turtle neck sweater and pull it down to reveal my neck. I see the bruises fading away.
Since I ran away from Eddie with my five-year-old son Leo, we flew straight from London to Long Beach and surprised my cousins by crashing a party. I haven't told them what happened as to why I ran away from home before my wedding.
My cousin Athena wanted to discuss letting me and Leo stay with her for the time being before I find a place to stay. But they are anxious to know from seeing bruises all over my body.
The one most interested in the topic is Don. He kept asking questions like he was a fucking cop and scared the Jesus out of me. He apologized afterward and then went away to think of his actions. Then, my cousin, Athena, told me he hates men who battered women. It explains his behavior.
I have never met a man to act that way, especially to a stranger like me.
His older brother, Rex, told me he knew a woman who would get beaten daily by her husband. After a misunderstanding, she died in a car accident while riding with her husband. But the woman still killed both of them.
I had something similar to that event. I was lucky to survive. Wearing a neck brace and walking on crutches wasn't so bad.
While Leo was washing up, I went back downstairs to finish breakfast. I had leftover pancake batter, homemade orange juice, and muffins in the oven. Then I hear steps from the stairs. "Morning, Claire."
I looked over my shoulder to see Effie, the first person to wake up.
"Good morning, Effie. How are you feeling today?" I flipped the egg as it sizzled on the hot frying pan.
"I threw up," I chuckled as she took a table chair. "Pregnancy is exhausting."
I spot her baby bump.
"Here, I made something for your queasiness," I hand her a cup.
Effie took it and drank it, then made a sour face. I laugh. "What is this?"
"Lemon juice."
"So sour."
"My mom says it is good for nausea. When I was pregnant with Leo, I had to buy lemon drops everywhere." I say.
Multiple steps were heard as Athena, her fiancé Rex and Effie's boyfriend Logan came downstairs.
"Morning, dearies," I smile.
"I will never get tired of hearing that," says Logan, kissing Effie's head and her belly where their child is growing.
"I'm with you, bro," Rex agreed. "It's like I'm living in England."
"I think we could be in a Harry Potter movie."
"Weirdos," Athena scoffed. Rex kissed her cheek, and they sat next to each other. Logan grabs his seat next to Effie and mimics his older brother planting a kiss on her. "Where's my nephew?"
"Leo is washing up and will be down in a minute. How about my nephew?"
"Jacob is sleeping like a log after keeping us up all night. Rex and I took turns putting him to sleep. Effie, what is that your drinking?"
Effie looked at her cup and smiled at her older sister. "It's good. Try it."
Athena reached for the cup, took a sip, and made the same face Effie had.
Effie and I laugh.
"Oh my god! That is hella sour. Who made this?"
"Guilty," I raised my hand as Athena resent what she said. "Only because Effie is sometimes nauseous in the morning, and lemon juice is good for you."
Athena handed the cup to Rex, who put it far away. "I never heard of that remedy. Your creation?"
"No," I pour coffee and hand it to her. "The internet is always full of surprises."
"I know you love to cook, especially baking. When we were kids, you had the Easy-Bake Oven you had for Christmas, and you loved it so much you wouldn't stop playing with it."
I chuckle.
My Easy-Bake Oven. I've always wanted one, but my parents wouldn't get me one. We are not poor or rich; we are in the middle class. But because my mom would ask why I wanted something like that. I love to bake, especially when Nay Nay and I spent hours in the kitchen whipping whatever delight we made. I also learn about other delectable sweets worldwide, from American to Filipino desserts.
Oh, how I miss my grandmother. Nay Nay is what I call her because she's the only person who understands me. She's different than my mum's mother, constantly nagging and bragging. What's worst is comparing her grandchildren with others.
Although I was born in London, I understand the Filipino language entirely and have never spoken the tongue. I wish I hadn't learned to understand my native language because Lola Vicky mentioned Tita Diana about her life and family. She would bad-mouth her in front of her friends for marrying a man who doesn't have a job, the wrong man who is in trouble from the start, and wishes her youngest daughter would marry a man who has money.
That is all I hear from Lola Vicky and my mother. Money. Money. And what do you know - money.
Just because my mum married a banker doesn't mean my aunt should too.
I envy Athena and my cousins for having parents who are not as concerned as mine. They strive to raise a family and look how happy they are even those their parents are gone. They went from five to three, then three to seven, including baby Jacob and Effie's unborn child.
"The only thing I hate about it is the cookie and cake batters," I blink back from memory lane and see Athena making a face. "Taste like plastic. No taste at all."
Knowing what topic we were discussing, I nodded and drank my cup of American delight when footsteps, big and small, added to laughter from the stairs when Ares was playing with Leo, holding him upside down.
"Hello, Mum," my son's laughs filled the house as if he brought warmth here.
At first, he was shy and quiet with his relatives, but now he is open and gets along with everyone in the household.
"Ace, please don't drop your nephew," Athena scolded her brother.
"Leo and I are just having fun, right buddy." He rubs his knuckle on Leo's head, composing him to laugh more
"Oh, Mum, Tito Aces is taking me to Disneyland this weekend. Can we go?" my son asks and sits next to Effie. Ares made himself at the table, already loading his plate with food.
"Disneyland? With what money?" I sense a hostile situation from Athena toward her brother. After spending time with the girls last weekend, Effie told me about Ares' Friday night activities and how Athena turned into a she-hulk learning about it. I can't hold back a smile.
"Hey, Grandpa made me the next successor to his company once he is ready to retire," Ares explains with his mouth full of food. "He wanted you to take over because you are the eldest. But you didn't want to take the position, so I volunteered. I had to quit my job to start shadowing Grandpa at the company later. Plus, I do have money."
I shake my head.
Athena scoffs. "I didn't accept the offer because I don't plan on running a large company, especially with Grandpa's background as Lord of the Underworld. I don't want me and my son to be the target. I rather play it safe."
"Thea, you know Grandpa is not in that business anymore. Well, he still has connections and people covering his back," Effie adds. "He thinks your capable of being a CEO."
"I have my plans," Athena takes a bite of the toasted bread.
"And which is?"
"I want to run a daycare center." She announces and gulps her coffee in one motion. "Ever since Jacob and Ramsey were born, a daycare came into mind."
"You do love children," I say, then cover my mouth with the cup. "Although, as a kid, you were a troublesome child."
Ares spit pieces of his food and cracks up, holding his stomach. Rex and Logan covered their laughter. Effie lightly hit Logan in the abdomen.
"That is so true." Ares bluntly said and drank water.
Athena snarls at her brother and bends the fork in her hand. She jerks her head back at me. "C.J., you were supposed to be backing me up. What gives?"
I also crack up a giggle. It's been a while since she called me that. She only emits my nickname when she is in a desperate situation, like what is going on now. "I'm sorry, but it is true."
"I've changed."
"That is some bull-" Ares glanced at Leo, watching cartoons as he ate on Effie's phone. He is living the American life already. "That is B.S. When I do something wrong, you beat me up."
"Tita Thea, you hit Tito Aces? Mum said it is not nice to hit people." Leo looks up from the small screen and turns to his aunt.
"See," Ares embraces Leo and pouts his lips. "Leo, your aunt is a scary person."
"Scarier than monsters?"
"Not only scarier than monsters because she is one."
"Ares," Athena grinds her teeth and says her brother's name. "I'm going to kill you!"
Ares left the table quickly, and at the same time, Athena went to chase him around the house, screaming at the top of her lungs. Leo starts to crack up, watching his overgrown relatives playing chase.
"Rex, you better get your fiance before she buries him next to our pet in the backyard," Effie sighed.
"You had a pet buried in the backyard?" Logan asks curiously.
"Not a pet; he's more like a companion when I feel down. I rescued an injured squirrel, and we became close before a cat killed him." Effie leaned back after finishing her meal. "I was ten. I cried to Athena to help me bury him in the backyard next to the tree."
"What did you name him?" I asked and sat next to Leo.
"Alvin Simon Theodore Reid."
I stared at her blankly, and Logan was the person to crack up.
"Effie, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are chipmunks, not squirrels," I say, trying hard not to laugh.
"I know that. I was ten." She protests an argument. "I couldn't think of a name and thought of those."
"That is a long-ass name, baby girl."
"You're just making fun of me." Effie blows her cheeks and pouts at Logan. He draws Effie in his arms and plants kisses all over her face—Effie squeals and attempts to pull away as it turns adorable between them.
Leo sees that his aunt is in danger and tries to remove them apart, only to be caught in the middle of Logan and Effie's kisses. Leo giggles and screams for help from me.
I only chuckle, looking at them.
While they were having deep conversations, I was shocked to hear Effie was pregnant. The day Leo and I arrived, not just Athena had a baby, but Effie would soon be a mother. Though, she had Zara, Logan, and Effie's adopted daughter. It was quite a surprise for them to raise a child independently, and now she is pregnant with their first real child.
Learning about her pregnancy, I was concerned. Because she is a first-time mother with an adopted child that is not hers, I'm worried she won't manage it. She has the career she had been waiting for, to be in a musical. I talked with her about being a mother and working a job can be exhausting. I know because I used to work while pregnant with Leo, but I had to quit when I moved in with Eddie. He insisted that I be a stay-at-home mom and raise our son.
The other brother, Liam, the twin brother of Logan and the supposed baby brother of the Wolfe family, is at Lily's home. She was the first person I met when I came here that day.
Lily is Liam's boyfriend, and they are the parents of their baby boy Ramsey. Last week, the girls and I had a Netflix and Gossip without the boys except for the kids.
Jordan, who I remember as a child. I used to have a crush on her because of her boyish appearance, but later, when we shared a kiddy pool, it turned out she was a girl. Jordan looks more lady-like with strawberry-wavy hair and beautiful emerald green eyes. She turns from an ugly duckling to a swan.
We told stories of how Thea, Lily, and Effie met their boyfriends and fell in love. I was fascinated and distraught throughout their stories, but everything worked out great for them. Their love story differs from mine, and my magical romance is manageable.
My love fell out once I had a black eye.
"What is this? A kissing game?" Seth appeared to bring me back from my thoughts and surprisingly grabbed Logan's face. "I want to join!"
"Hell no!" his little brother screeched as he pushed Seth's face away.
"Leo, he hit me," Seth whined, flashing his puppy eyes to my son for sympathy, pointing his finger at his brother. Leo leans and presses his small lips on Seth's face making him delighted. "All better, thank you, Leo."
"Uncle Logan, no hitting," Leo scold the oversized man. Logan nods his head and apologizes to my son.
It's like a small bunny rabbit telling a large wolf not to eat his meal.
Picturing it seems off.
The second eldest Wolfe brother grabs his seat at the table, and while filling his plate, I ask, "Where is Donovan?"
Not that I'm scanning for him.
For the past two months, I have tried to avoid him occasionally. Sometimes I can feel my eyes behind me and see him peering as if he's back in the Marines. Logan's youngest and twin brother, Liam, told me Donovan was in the marine. It explains all the visible battle scars. It's similar to Effie's scars on her body, but Donovan fought in the war and received each of his scars.
He looks hot with scars. It's another reason I avoid looking at him. He's different from Eddie. Although, Eddie can be crushed like a soup can in Donovan's hands.
Donovan is more prominent than his brothers on the broad side. He may look menacing, like a large bear, but the way I see it, he's not scary at all.
He's an oversized teddy bear.
"He came home late because of his shift at work," He sniffs his plate and moans. "Nothing but a plate of bacon, eggs, sausage, and don't forget waffles to fill up my belly. Oh, speak of the devil, wearing nothing but his Batman briefs. Have respect, man; we have a child and ladies' presents."
I pinch my eyebrows together, turn my head, and let out a high-pitched squeal.
"Morning," my body twitches at Donovan's raspy morning voice. I look away, covering my face after what I saw and hiding the redness on my face.
"Donny, you need to put on some clothes. You're in front of a lady."
I get a glimpse of his body. I see everything, including his tattoos that cover both his arms and one side of his side. Mother said people with tattoos are violent and dangerous and that I should not interact with them. But I find Donovan's tribal marking fascinating and storytelling. I changed my perspective on people with tattoos.
Eddie doesn't have tattoos; what does it make him?
Effie clears her throat and glares her eyes at Seth. "Excuse me, what does that make me?"
"Sorry, ladies." He emphasizes the s on ladies. I giggle. Seth is the clown of the family. It always makes me laugh from his teasing and jokes. "Anyways, what do I hear about Disneyland?"
I watch Donovan take his seat next to me, and his closeness makes my body quiver, but I can respond to Seth. "Oh, um, Ares wants to take Leo to Disneyland."
"We should all go," Effie suggested. Look at Logan, who nods in agreement and then turns her eyes at me. "It's been a long time since we have gone. What do you say, C.J.?"
"Yeah, Mum," Leo says, trying to sound distraught. "Can we go, please?"
I sipped my coffee and glanced at my son's pleading puppy eyes. I couldn't resist the look. "Going there will be my first, and Leo seems excited about it. Why not?"
"Yay!" Leo surprised us with his cheer making us all smile and laugh. "We should go now!"
"Leo, sit down. We can't today, darling. Your aunts and uncles are working."
"Aw," he frowns.
"Hey, Leo," Donovan wiped his mouth with the paper towel. I cringed once he called my son's name and could feel my heart beating fast - waiting to see what would happen. "We have to work to make money. Without money, we can't have fun. We can't buy you the things that you want. Do you want to buy something at Disneyland?"
"No, not really," Leo replied. "My mum said it's better to save money than spend. That I shouldn't be spoiled. I buy what I need is important."
Leo is an intelligent boy. He always listens and remembers what to say and do, what is right and wrong.
Donovan reaches forward as I gasp silently, watching him playfully rub my son's head. "Great answer, buddy." Then he sat back down, letting my heart relax. "Yeah, we should save and not spend. People shouldn't be spoiled with how much money they have. Some aren't born rich, while others are earned by their parents. But we spend money on important things as well. It's okay if you want to spend worth buying for; don't exceed the limit, okay?"
"Okay," Leo flashed a smile at Donovan. It's been a long time since I've seen him smile like that.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing and seeing. I got worried for nothing once Leo whined. Donovan didn't get angry or hit my son for his attitude. Instead, I spoke in a clear and short understanding for my son to keep in mind, and it worked. He's completely different from Eddie. When Leo wants something and whines about it, Eddie yells at him to shut up, and when my son cries, he hits him with the belt making him cry more.
Eddie would hit his son for a small, simple demand. But with Donovan, he smooths it with an explanation.
No hitting. No belt. No fist.
Hey, my peeps!!!
What do you think of the first chapter of Donovan?
Good?
Bad?
Meh...?
What do you think of the Reid Siblings' cousin, Claire?
I will keep going back and making some fixes even tho I'm not the best writer. But still, with your guys' love and support for the brothers, I'm continuing this series until I reach the next generations.
HAPPY READING!!