Letting the twins settle into their home, Nina and Lain took their girls up into their room for a private chat of their own.
"Why do they have to stay?" Faye asked as she jumped onto the couples bed with her arms crossed.
Sighing the women placed the other two girls at her side as they stood in front of them. "Because mama hasn't seen her brothers in a long time and she wants some time to catch up with them." Lain answered for Nina.
"They scary." Lauren said truthfully.
"Why do you say that Laur?" Nina asked with a frown.
Shrugging her shoulders the girl didn't have any specific reasons not to like the twins besides the fact that they were new. That fact alone was scary enough. The fear of not knowing their intentions was mind consuming.
"Well I can assure you, my brothers are the softest guys you girls will ever meet. Nicky's always been a goofball, and Nelson can be stuck up sometimes but it's always in the best possible way."
Keeping their arms crossed Faye and Lauren didn't seem impressed.
"What do you think Kaila?" Nina turned to her littlest in hopes of getting a positive incentive from her. Both Faye and Lauren stared at Kaila waiting to see who's side she would be on.
And as the little girl pondered the idea herself she came to shake her head.
"You girls know mommy and I would never put you in a position where you can get hurt. This is no different. My brothers are fun, I promise. Just give them a chance." Nina pleaded.
"Hm...can we get ice cream after?" Faye asked with a smile.
Rolling her eyes, Lain couldn't believe her girls. "If you try and give them a chance then sure. We can all go out for ice cream tonight."
"Yay!" The three little ones celebrated as they accepted their end of the bargain.
"They're certainly your girls, babe." Lain laughed as her wife gasped.
"There's nothing wrong with being a foodie! Isn't that right girls?!" Nina looked towards her girls for backup which they all graciously nodded in approval.
After sharing a laugh the small family upstairs made their way back down where the brothers were surely making themselves at home as they were in the kitchen preparing everyone some dinner.
"What're you guys making? It smells delicious." Lain curiously walked over following the trail of the colorful aroma.
"And she didn't think she's a foodie too." Her wife rolled her eyes as the three girls giggled before running off into the living room to play for the time being.
"Something mom used to make for us as kids." Nelson replied as he went between frying different types of vegetables in two separate pans, occasionally pushing Nickolas out of his way.
"Nelson seriously?!" His brother said annoyed as his eyes stayed fixated on the phone in his hands. "I'm standing here."
"We'll then move Nick. You're in my way, I'm trying to cook here."
"I was standing here first!"
"No, I'm pretty sure the stove was here first. You just so happen to be standing in front of it."
"Seriously do you two ever stop bickering." Nina rolled her eyes.
While her wife was growing impatient from their constant bickering, Lain hummed in sweet memory. "Just like the good old times." She chuckled.
"The good old times..." Nelson exhaled deeply. "Back when we didn't have so much going on. I'd give anything to go back to those simpler times." The younger twin shut his eyes briefly as he reminisced in his childhood. "Life nowadays is so busy."
"Way to get all sappy Nelson." His brother reprimanded.
"What it's true." He shrugged turning the fire on the stove off as the vegetables were left to sit on the hot pans for a few minutes to finish.
"I mean he isn't wrong." Lain sighed in Nelson's defense. "Speaking of life nowadays, how have you both been?" She tried to get them away from a coming argument.
Which worked as Nickolas put his phone back in his pocket before putting all his attention on their conversation. "I actually have some big news." He smiled largely. "Viella and I are going to be getting married next year!" He announced.
"You're joking!" The women gasped in celebration. Bringing the man in for a hug they congratulated him together. "Good for you Nicky." His sister said. "About time you tied the knot with her."
"What about you, Nelson? Any luck with finding someone yet?" Nina asked somewhat expecting a good response.
"Nope. After the last breakup, I'm done for a while. I just want to focus on work and call it at that."
Nickolas smirked as he threw his hand upon Nelson's shoulder. "You're right Nelson. I'm glad you're taking all the time you need. That's much better than rushing into anything." He leaned closer. "Like the last three times you're relationships have failed."
"Hey!"
Everyone bursted out into eruptions of laughter as Nelson blushed. "At least I can get dates. How long did it take you again to get Viella to say yes to going out with you Nick? Wasn't it almost two years?" He fired back making Nina sigh in disapproval.
"It was only one and a half!"
"You know what, as much as I love laughing at your life stories, I'm tired of this arguing. I'll be in the living room with the girls."
"You know what, I've had enough of Nelson too. Mind if I join you sis?" Nickolas asked as he stormed away from Nelson who was laughing in victory.
"Leave your attitude here and then let's go." Nina said before giving her wife a kiss on the way out.
Meanwhile, Lain stayed in the kitchen to keep Nelson occupied while the other siblings went to check on the girls.
"Sorry about that, N. You know Nelson and I don't mean any harm."
"I know Nick. But I've heard enough of your arguments to last me a lifetime. I don't need to hear anymore."
Chuckling her brother agreed.
Coming into the living room where all three girls were coloring, it didn't take long for all three pairs of eyes to nervously land on the man's presence. "Are you sure it's alright for me to be here?"
"I wouldn't have let you come with me if I didn't think it was." She smiled. Looking down at her girls sitting in a triangle formation she pointed to two open spots between them. "Do you girls mind if mama and Uncle Nick sit with you?"
Nervously looking around at one another, Lauren eventually looked up as she nodded her head.
While Nina sat between Faye and Lauren, Nickolas had the opportunity to be between Lauren and Kaila. Making one large circle they sat in the center of the room adjacent to the kitchen.
"What're you girls coloring?" Nick asked timidly.
Holding up her coloring book Faye displayed her beautiful rendition of Rapunzel for the man to see. "Wow! You colored all that?" He asked.
"Mhm." She answered softly putting her book back on the floor front of her.
"Well it looks great!" He warmly smiled. "What about you girls?"
After seeing the gentle response he gave Faye, Kaila wanted some praise as well. Pushing her book towards him, Nickolas chuckled as the scribbles all over her page made it near to impossible to tell what was behind it. "It's...great."
Giggling as he slid it back, Kaila looked at Nina for her approval as well. "Keep up the good work baby." She said simply. "Lauren, it's you're turn sweet pea. What're you coloring?" Nina asked as she rubbed her little girls arm as Lauren leaned into the woman's side.
"I color fishies." She said putting her much neater sheet on for show.
"Seems like you have an artist here, sis."
"She definitely is."
"Do-do you want to color?" Faye hesitantly asked Nickolas as she turned to a new page in her book.
"I would absolutely love to."
Smiling as she tore her page out, she set it in front of the man as he shared the colors that were laid out in the center of the circle with the girls.
"Mama?" Faye turned to Nina. Not wasting any time the woman nodded and before they knew it, everyone was coloring together.
As time went on and the girls got to chat more with Nickolas, they started to realize he wasn't as bad as they initially thought of him to be. Even though they were warming up to him, there was still much room for progress.
While the girls and siblings made themselves comfortable in the next room, Lain and Nelson were working hard to get dinner made. After cooking some and slicing some meat, Lain was surprised to have never heard of this recipe before. "I still can't believe that after all this time mom never told me this was how she made her homemade stew."
"Guess it slipped her mind." Nelson chuckled as he began to finish up his portion of dinner. "Oh the pie!" He remembered rushing to grab the pie from off the kitchen counter. Slicing the pie into several slices he smiled happily. "Nothings better than following something savory with something sweet."
"Thanks again for dinner Nelson. The girls are going to love this!" Lain cheered excited to see her girls reaction to the dish.
"Not at all. I usually like experimenting in the kitchen but this will do." He said before anxiously clearing his throat. "Can I ask you something Lain?"
"Why'd you ask? Of course you can. What's on your mind?"
"Well a while back mom called me and said she had done something awful. I was worried so I asked her about it but she wouldn't say. She just said it involved you and Nina. Is everything alright? Have you guys been avoiding mom on purpose?" He warily proceeded.
"Look Nelson, Nina and I aren't mad at mom for anything. She didn't do anything wrong. There's just been a lot of complications lately and it's been taking a toll on us. Mainly me."
"Is it about your parents?"
"How'd you know?!"
"Lucky guess I suppose...and I remembered you used to come over all the time crying because of stuff that happened at home."
Lain sighed wanting nothing more but to keep those suppressed memories where they were. In the back of her mind.
"You know you can talk to me, Lain. I may not always be around but you're still like an older sister to me."
"I technically am."
He laughed. "Fair point. But still, I mean it."
"I know Nelson." She gulped before looking down as she shut the fire off on her finished half of dinner. "Maybe tonight. After the girls have gone to bed we can all talk more about this."
"That's perfectly fine...well then I guess we should get these plates made quickly. I want to find out what's going on." He chuckled as did Lain.
Finding the company comforting the two of them plated everyone's meal before they all gathered at the table for dinner.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off