Seventy seven
Kamille’s POV
As the weekend sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the kitchen, I walked down the stairs with my kids already bathed and dressed.
We walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast and have some fun.
Of course I would be the one preparing breakfast.
Soon the tantalizing aroma of pancakes sizzling on the griddle filled the air, mingling with the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee for me and hot latte for the kids.
I moved about the kitchen flipping the pancakes and pouring steaming cups of latte into mugs adorned with cheerful patterns.
“Mom, can I help with the pancakes?” Reon asked eagerly, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
I smiled warmly at him, nodding in agreement. “Of course, Reon,” I replied, passing him some napkins. “You can help me give your siblings each.”
“Okay mummy,” He replied and went to his siblings sitting across the table to share their napkins.
“Mummy, thank you,” Tyris said from her seat.
“Thank you mummy, do you need help with anything else?” Torin asked, his voice tinged with concern but his attention was somewhat divided between his siblings and myself.
I shook my head, a fond smile playing on my lips. “No, thank you, Torin,” I replied. “Everything is under control.”
“Royer be seated, breakfast is ready,” I called out to Royer who was busy jumping from seat to seat.
He smiled and ran to his seat. I frowned, “No running around Royer,”
“Sorry Mummy,” He said calmly as he settled down and placed his napkin on his neck. I smiled.
As the final batch of pancakes sizzled to golden perfection, I laid them out on a white fine china plate, poured some honey over it and topped it off with some berries.
I arranged each plate before them and dropped beside them their cups of milk. Together, we gathered around the breakfast table and began to eat.
I watched with a swelling heart as my children dug into their pancakes with delight, their laughter and chatter filled the air.
This sight never gets old.
“Mummy, will we go to play today?” Royer asked between mouthfuls, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
I paused, considering our options for the day ahead. “Well, I was thinking we could stay in and have a nice movie night with pizza and ice cream” I suggested, a sense of anticipation building within me.
I saw them pass each other knowing glances before Torin spoke up, “Can we stay up all night watching cartoons?”
“If you trade it for your favorite ice cream flavors, then…”
“No mummy, we will sleep when it is time.” Royer interrupted me.
I smiled, I knew that they would never want to trade their ice cream for sleep because they would still sleep off anyway.
“It is going to be fun!” Tyris exclaimed, her eyes alight with anticipation. “I can’t wait to watch baby sharks.”
I looked over at Reon and he was calmly eating, smiling and enjoying the view.
I smiled too and we ate the rest of our meal in silence. As the last remnants of our breakfast disappeared from our plates, a soft knock echoed through the kitchen.
“Alright kids, why don’t you get to the living room now, while I answer the door,”
They nodded and left the kitchen. I walked out of the kitchen behind them and went to the door.
As I opened the door, I was greeted by Nanny Dona’s warm smile lighting up her face. “Good morning, Nanny Dona,” I greeted her warmly, stepping aside to welcome her inside.
“Good morning, Miss Kamille,” Nanny Dona replied, her eyes twinkling with affection. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
I shook my head, a grateful smile tugging at my lips. “Not at all,” I assured her. “We were just finishing up breakfast.”
With a nod of understanding, Nanny Donna followed me into the living room, where the children greeted her with excited chatter and eager hugs. “Good morning, Nanny Dona!” they chimed in unison, their faces alight with joy.
Nanny Dona returned their greetings with a gentle laugh, her warmth and kindness filling the room with a sense of comfort and familiarity. “Good morning, my darlings,” she replied, her voice filled with affection.
“Hey, kids,” I called out, drawing their attention away from their animated conversation with Nanny Donna. “Nanny Dona has some fun games planned for you upstairs. Why don’t you go and join her while I take care of a few things down here?”
With a chorus of excited cheers, the children bounded out of the living room, their laughter echoing through the halls as they hurried upstairs with Nanny Dona.
Turning to her with a grateful smile, I gestured towards the staircase. “Thank you, Nanny Dona,” I said sincerely. “They always have such a wonderful time with you.”
Nanny Dona returned my smile with a nod of understanding. “It’s my pleasure, Kamille,” she replied warmly. “I’ll make sure they have a fantastic time.”
I smiled and went back into the kitchen. I cleared the dishes and made sure everywhere was clean before going upstairs and into my room.
I got into my study and sat at my desk. I turned on my PC, allowing it’s soft glow to illuminate the room.
Having taken some time off from work, I still needed to prepare an article for the publishers. I began to type, but as I tried to focus, the words on the screen blurred before my eyes. I sighed.
My mind wandered to that video I saw of myself, then to all the events that happened and to waiting for the mail from the lawyer.
I reached for the letter that lay on the desk beside me. I flipped it opened and read the contents of the letter for what felt like the hundredth time, each word etched into my mind. Grandma’s handwriting felt heartwarming to the eyes.
But it was not going to be enough.
I awaited the mail from the lawyer, but I was yet to receive any. I felt an indescribable unease tugging at my heart.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
I sighed and returned my attention to the letter. I couldn’t shake the feeling of disbelief that washed over me, even after all these years.
The thought of finally confronting the truth, of facing the legacy left behind by my grandmother, filled me with a mixture of anticipation and a bit of fear.
My children had already been caught up in all these drama and I would not want any harm to come to them again.
I set the letter aside, my thoughts still consumed by the weight of its contents. I knew that meeting with the lawyer was the first step towards gaining strong evidences against the Manors.
Zeke would have been an amazing comforter.
“Where the hell did that come from?” I asked out after shaking my head. Thinking of him suddenly made my heart to race. I frowned and returned the letter to it’s place.
Zeke had distracted me enough. I could not allow his presence cloud my judgement anymore. Lost in my thoughts, the ringing of my phone pulled me back to reality with a jolt.
“Was it Zeke?” I asked myself. He had been sending me so much messages to meet up, but I don’t want to. At least not yet.
With a furrowed brow, I reached for the phone, my heart pounding in my chest, but as I glanced at my phone screen, a smile tugged at my lips as I saw the familiar names of my friends, Amanda and Belle, displayed on the caller ID. With a sigh of relief, I answered the call.
“Hey, Besties,” I greeted them warmly, my voice filled with affection.
“Hey, Kam!” they chimed in unison, their voices filled with excitement.