Fred and Lucy's drive to Doris' home was done in the nightfall, Doris had told them to wait for her at the airport while she come to pick them but they told her not to worry and stay safe inside that they'll take a cab.
Fred paid when the cab pulled up before the Mansion and they alighted and entered. The whole compound were still glistering as ever, the building so luxuriously built and beautiful. They got to the front door and when Lucy was about pressing on the doorbell, the door flung opened and Doris instantly threw herself on her and hugged her so tight
"Hey Mom, I'm choking" she breathlessly said and Doris released her.
"I'm sorry Baby" she said amidst smile and threw herself on Fred again
"I missed you both, I missed you so much" she said while Fred patted her back and they disengaged.
"How do you know we're at the door" Lucy asked as they entered
"I've been here all day checking this" she said pointing at a small screen beside the door used for checking whoever is it outside by the door.
"Oh my God, Mom. You can be so dramatic" Lucy chuckled
"Yeah, when you denied me of coming to pick you" Doris said feigning annoyance
"That doesn't matter Mom, at least we're home now" Fred said
"To me, it do"
"Oh Jeez! I'm so tired and hungry" Lucy yawned with a trick to change the topic
"Oh my baby, you must be so exhausted" Doris quickly said, her feigned annoyance instantly gone. She called the maid, Kim to take them to their rooms each.
"I'm sorry I need to microwave your food back cause it's become cold, I was thinking you guys will arrive earlier" Doris said to Fred and Lucy
"It's okay Mom" Fred said as they followed Kim up
"Make sure you shower and change so your body will be refresh and energy renewed" she said after them as they climb the stairs
"Okay Mom"
She smiled staring at them as they alighted at the second floor, then she turned and rushed to the kitchen.
"Oh Mom, I've missed your cookeries" Lucy said as she entered the dining room where Doris was busy setting the table.
"Really?" Doris flushed
"Yes Mom" she said.
"Oh it's my favourite!" She beamed eye widened at the table as she stared at the French toast with syrup and some French fries which she guessed its for desert
"I told you I'd made it, though I cooked it myself. I can't remember the last time I cooked in this house but I just want to cook for my children" she smiled while Fred entered
"Awwn... Thanks Mom" Lucy beamed and leaned to kiss her Mom on the cheek
"Here Fred, I made your favourite too" she said gesturing at the fried rice and salad with the fried chicken
"Hey Mom, you cooked all these yourself?" He said as he'd overhead her saying while he was entering the dining
"Yes dear" Doris smiled as she made to sit
"You shouldn't have stress yourself so much but nevertheless, thanks Mom" he said pecking her on the other cheek and Doris felt flattered and blushed
Fred pulled his seat and settled down while the whole dining time was done in silence cause Doris has the phobia of talking while eating.
Fred was the first to finish eating and he'd left for his room while Doris called Kim to pack the dishes and she and Lucy went to the living room.
"Where are the other maids?" Lucy asked as they sat on the couch
"They're no more here. They're way too much so I told Bryan to reduce them I mean what keep three maids for when its not a castle"
"Oh" Lucy winced and laughed
"So Mr Benjamin fired all of them expect her?" She asked nudging at the kitchen where Kim was watching the dishes. By Mr Benjamin, she meant Bryan as his full name is Bryan Benjamin. She and Fred don't get use to calling him by his first name or informally and Doris could notice this.
"No, I did that myself actually. He said I should suit myself with them"
"He gave you the power to do so?" Doris asked as if surprised
"Can you imagine? He actually introduced me to them as his wife and told them that that also mean I'm their Boss"
"That's nice" Lucy shrugged
"Yeah. So I picked just Kim among them, I just like her and her character, she really differs from the other two" she explained and Lucy nodded, she'd perceived that from her when she took them to their room, her talks, acts and courteousness. She's really nice, though young, she should be of her age or less judging from her appearance
"That's good Mom" she said and yawned
"Are you feeling sleepy already?" Doris asked and she just smiled and shook her head
"Oh my dear, I'm sorry for disturbing you, you should be in bed by now cause you'll be tired from the trip"
"No Mom, I will just end up spending hours rolling on the bed without catching any sleep if I'm to go to bed now" Lucy said. Truthfully, sleeping late has become a custom to her ever since they'd come to Paris or should we say ever since she'd realized Arthur presence in Paris, the same city she also dwell now. She'd spent most of the night rolling on the bed thinking and at the same time wishing sleep fall on her so she could sleep instead.
"Oh really!" Doris alarmed
"What's wrong with you? I hope you're not sick?" She asked worriedly
Lucy shook her head and replied "I'm okay Mom, I'm only saying I already had a nap in the flight so I wouldn't be able to sleep earlier" she lied
Doris sighed "Oh! Okay"
"Yeah" she smiled, took the remote and put the TV on
"So you two were robbed?" Doris asked unexpectedly
"What?" Lucy's head tilted to her
"You said your phone were robbed"
Holy shit! Did she want them to talk about this now?
Lucy gritted her teeth and gulped down the lump that form in her throat. She only lied about it and discussing this with her. She knew herself and her mother, she'll interrogate her and talked about it until she'd choke it out
"Yeah Mom" she replied and quickly continued
"Oh that reminds me, those guards you said Mr Benjamin situated to guard you, where are they?"
"They should be outside or in their flat" she said pointing out at the right hand side
"They live in the next building by the right"
"Oh" Lucy muttered
"They do escort me if I'm going out but they spend the rest of the day with themselves or checking on the compound and the garden"
"How many are they?" Fred who'd been in the room for a while without their notice asked as he walked up to sit on the couch beside them
"Fred? I thought you are asleep" Doris asked
"No, I went to get this" he said raising the cup of water in his hand. That has been his habit Lucy had get to realize when they were in the penthouse and Doris had realized from his childhood.
"Well, they were five" she answered feeling happy to have both her children sitting together with her again and discussing together
"But Mom" Lucy called. She'd started to get more interested in the topic she'd introduced casually just to change a former one.
"Can we know about him? I mean Mr Benjamin"
"Oh! him. Well, Benjamin was..."
"I'm done my lady" Kim said with a slight bow
"Okay Kim, you can go to bed dear" she nudged at her but quickly called her back again when she was about leaving
"I'm sorry can you help with the album from my room, it should be on the cabinet" she explained
"Okay ma'am" she replied and left for the stairs
"What's with the album?" Fred asked confusedly
"It's Bryan's, he gave me the following day I came here to check on his pictures when were discussing about times in school" she explained
"Okay" Fred replied
"You went to the same school?" Lucy asked
"I think I told you that before" Doris replied and Kim arrived and gave her the album
"Thanks Kim, goodnight" she said and Kim left
"Here" she said extending the album to Lucy
"Don't let Bryan be too much a stranger to you, especially Fred. I know you guys don't feel too comfortable with him but maybe by the time you go through some of his old and life pictures, you'll get to know he's just a human being like us" she giggled and Lucy took the album and started going through it reluctantly while Doris will make sure she find something to say about some pictures especially the school's own, she made them know that Bryan was stubborn and one of the naughty boys in class but regardless of that he was still brilliant and friendly. Fred will take a peak at the picture Doris is talking about from Lucy's hand, maybe the picture was taking on the sports day(he was wearing the sport's wear) or during any activities, she'll talk about the activities and how fun school was during her time.
"But what about your pictures Mom? You never show me any of your old pictures" Lucy asked
Doris face fell and the brightness on her face suddenly disappeared "That's because I don't have it with me, I'm sorry"
"Oh it's okay, I don't know" Lucy replied feeling guilty of changing her good mood, she doesn't bother to ask where the pictures are then.
"You said he played basketball?" Lucy asked to lighten her mood again
"Yeah he do. He was the best player in school at our time" she naturally replied and turned her head to the TV
Lucy knew by this time that she'd loosed it again, maybe her question had probably reminded her of some bad moments and she knew how that could take effect on her Mom. It'll take a cumbersome deeds to lighten that mood again.
She bit her lower lip in regret as she turned over the page of the album then she stopped and staring at one of the picture, her expression turned confused, there were five students in their highschool uniform, she could recognized Bryan very well as she'd seen some of his teenage pictures, he was there at the end by the left and someone she could recognized to be her Mom, Doris was beside him nestling her head on the guy by her right's shoulder. Getting to know the five of them shouldn't be the problem now but the fact that the guy beside her Mom seems to be twins, there at the end of the right is another guy that look strikingly familiar with the one besides her Mom.
She could remember Fred telling her their Dad was twins.
Could this be Dad?!!!
To be continued....
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