This Time...Maybe - Anderson Family Series Book 2

Chapter 2: Questions and Evading Answers

"Mama!" A chorused yell rang throughout the house at her children's shout followed by a couple of rapid footfalls. Her twins Nate and Ally just came home from school and it's their daily antics to shout and ran into where ever she was. Though it would appear like it is irritating, them yelling and shouting for her gives her joy and fulfillment only a parent knows and feels.

When they found her on the kitchen, they started talking at once. The other completing the statement that the other started without pausing. How they do that? She doesn't know. Their topic for today was the school bus driver who had been very fond of them. Though she always warn them not to talk to strangers, she cannot refute the fact that the driver really dotes them like a grandfather would, which in their six years of life is absent. The grandmother they grew up and known all their lives, died just two years back, which put a great toll in them. So them being back to their talkativeness was a great relief to her.

Indulging them to their chatters, she asked. "So, what did he gave you two this time?"

"It's a wristband mama that his daughter made." Ally said, showing her's. It was a beaded wristband in lavender color - her favorite.

Nate showed his as well, an identical wristband in startling blue color, the same color as their eyes. She blinked rapidly, something she always does when she stares at their eyes, eyes they inherit from their father. She stopped herself to go down the memory lane for she doesn't want to cry in front of them.

To mask her discomfort, she asked them as a reminder. "Did you say thank you?"

"Of course mama, we did." Nate said which Ally immediately appended.

"Like you always taught us."

"Good." She praised and kissed them.

"Go change your clothes and let's eat what I prepared, okay?"

"Okay mama." They chorused and went to their respective rooms, all the while chatting and bickering. She smiled to herself and thought, she may have done something great to deserve them.

While they were changing, she prepared and laid out the food she made. It is their favorite.

"Pizza!" They chorused again when they went back to the kitchen, went to the sink to wash their hands and quickly sat on the stool.

She put pizza slice on their plates which they ate immediately with gusto. It's not something she always made for they want them to eat healthy and nutritious food. It's actually their reward for they both behave well at school and got high marks as well.

"Mama, are you going to work late again?" Ally asked.

"Yes, sweetheart. I need to make the beadwork for the wedding gown."

"But we do not want you to always stay up so late, mama. We do not want you to get sick." Nate said solemnly.

"I will not stay up so late then, I'll stop before midnight so that I can have enough sleep. Is that alright?" She said which the twins agreed.

She cannot help but think that they always thought she will get sick by working too much. They have this fear that she will get sick and leave them like their grandma did. She already seek a doctor for them to talk to and said that it is normal for them to feel that way especially since she is a single parent. Their fear of being left alone if something happens to her as well is what triggered it. So she always make sure that they cannot see how tired she feels to lessen their anxiety.

Her musings were cut by Ally's sudden question.

"Mama, where is our father really? You always say that he works far that is why he is not with us. But how about his family? Are they living far as well?"