NOELLE
"Hey, mum" I turned to look at my thirteen year old daughter as she sauntered into the kitchen, dressed in a pink dress and a bow tie on her hair. "Hey, sweetie" I said as I closed the cupboards.
"Dad isn't home yet" she said, leaning on the counter.
I shrugged.
"He'll be home soon. Hope you remember that we're heading to your grandparents' home for Thanksgiving dinner?" I said and she beamed.
"Nope, I haven't forgotten. Rick is being such a lazy boy. He wouldn't get ready for dinner" she frowned.
"I'm not being a lazy boy, Hayden. You're just being insensitive" Richardo, my eleven year old son said as he strolled into the kitchen wearing a pair of dark blue jeans.
"Mum! Richardo just called me insensitive!" Hayden exclaimed.
"Rick! That's not a nice thing to say to your elder sister!" I scolded.
He frowned, staring at the floor.
"Apologize to her" I said.
"But-"
"I said, apologize to her"
"I'm sorry" he mumbled and ran out of the kitchen.
"Dad isn't home yet. Won't he come with us?" Hayden sighed, propping her chin with her palm.
"Why would I miss thanksgiving dinner with my family?" A familiar voice said from the entrance of the kitchen.
"Dad!" Hayden exclaimed, running into her dad's outstretched arm.
He laughed and kissed her head. "You look beautiful, pumpkin" he said, his gaze sweeping over her pink dress.
"Where's Rick?" Val said.
"I'll go and get him" she said and left the kitchen.
I felt him embrace me from behind, his arms around my waist with his head buried in the crook of my neck.
"You look gorgeous" he said, closing his eyes.
I blushed, biting my lower lip.
"Everything went fine at the office?" I said.
"Yeah, Dre and Xanthis had to leave early" he said and I nodded.
"Did you actually wear this dress to tempt me?" Val whispered in my ear and I blushed hard.
"No need to get all shy on me, love" he whispered.
"Val stop it, we're in the kitchen and our kids might come in any minute from now" I said.
He laughed, kissing the corners of my lips. I gazed into his eyes, my heart fluttering. My thumb stroked the scars on the side of his face. "I love you" I said.
"I love you too"
"Awwwn, that was awesome" our daughter's voice made us jump apart, cheeks flaming pink. Even though we've been married for thirteen years, we still behave like teenagers caught in the process of making out by their parents.
"Ewww" Rick shuddered as he walked into the kitchen whereas his sister was grinning from ear to ear.
"Busted" Val whispered in my ear and I lightly hit his strong bisceps, laughing hard.
..
TASHA
"Hazel? Xavier? Diane?!"
"Where are those kids?" I muttered under my breath as I left their room. I was about to open the door to the porch when I heard the voices of my daughters and son.
"Do I look beautiful?" Hazel said. "Of course, really beautiful" Diane replied.
"You look nervous, what's it about?" She asked.
"Don't tell anyone this okay? Even you, Xavier" Hazel said.
"Depends on what you want to say and what I would get in return for keeping your secret"
I chuckled softly.
Typical Xavier, a carbon copy of his father.
"Come on, Xavi. Please"
"Okay, fine"
"I'm nervous because of Giovanni" Hazel said.
Xavier and Diane gasped.
"You mean hot Giovanni?" Diane asked. "You do realize that he's our cousin, Hazel" Xavier said.
"Yeah, I know. He's just really hot. Uurgh- it's my friend, Doreen..... she wants me to introduce her to him"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, but I have a teeny weeny crush on him"
"He's our COUSIN!!!"
"keep your voice low"
"Sorry"
"Well, there's nothing I can do about it, then. What about you, Xavier. Do you like a girl?" Hazel asked.
There was a brief silence before he replied.
"I do like Joanne"
"Joanne? Uncle Alex's best friend's daughter? For real?" Hazel said.
"Yeah, she's hot"
"Well, she's not bad"
I cleared my throat, gaining their attention. "Mum!" They exclaimed.
"Yes?"
"How much of it did you hear?"
"A lot"
"Mum, come on" they groaned.
"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear anything. Get ready, we're leaving soon"
"Hazel having a crush on Gio is really not surprising" a deep voice said from behind me and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Xan, honey. Don't do that again!" I said.
He laughed, leaning on the door jamb.
"I heard everything" he shrugged.
I laughed.
"Giovanni is quite a good-looking young lad" I said.
"Oh? But Xavier is just as hot. Just take a look at his father.....all solid bone and muscle...."
I laughed, resting my head on his chest as he placed his arms around my waist.
"You're such a show off" I teased.
...
ELLISE
"Mum, I'm ready" Gabrielle said, descending the stairs with Juan. "Hey, mom" he said, giving me a kiss on my cheek. I grinned, brushing his hair away from his eyes.
"Gabrielle, you look stunning" I said.
"Of course, I do" she said, smiling at me.
"Where's Gio?" I asked, raising a brow. "In his room, said he has a headache" Juan replied, plopping down on the couch as he took out his i-phone.
Sighing, I went upstairs.
I hoped he wasn't ill.
During the last thanksgiving dinner, he'd fallen so ill that we had to stay behind.
The same thing happened during Christmas Eve.
I went upstairs to his room and opened the door. There he was, typing up the side laces of his white boots.
He looked up to me, his eyes lighting up.
"Hey, mum" he said, sounding a bit tired.
"Are you feeling alright?" I asked, straightening his collar.
"Yeah, the headache's gone" he replied. I sighed with relief, watching him as he put on his maroon colored coat, hand gloves and scarf.
"Dad isn't home yet, is he?"
"No, not yet"
"I love you mum" he said, grinning. I smiled, tears filling my eyes. Giovanni looked so much like Dre in nearly every part of his life. He had a horrid temper like his father but he was so caring and loving like his father. I was proud of all my kids.
They made me feel like the happiest mother in the whole world. I heard Dre drive in and we both went downstairs.
"Are you okay, Gio?" Gabrielle asked and he nodded.
The door opened and my gorgeous husband walked in.
"Dad!" The triplets chorused, moving forward to embrace their dad.
I watched him joke with his kids, my heart fluttering at the sight of the smile on their faces.
My family.
My beautiful family.
Gio sat down beside Juan and began to chat randomly while Gaby stayed perched to her father's side. Gaby is a typical daddy's girl.
Dre leaned down and kissed me.
"How was your day?" I asked, loosing his bun.
He smiled.
"It went well. I'll go and freshen up. I see you guys are ready"
"Yeah, this time we're actually going for thanksgiving dinner, look Gio isn't icky and Sicky, right Gio?" Juan said, displaying his dimples.
"Stop being a poo brain" Gio said, a smile playing on his lips as he hit Juan's thigh playfully
"Me? A poo brain? You know that I'm the smart one, here"
Dre laughed.
"At least, we have a joker in our house" Dre shrugged and Juan's cheeks went pink
"Juan is blushing! I can't believe it!" Gaby said, laughing.
Dre laughed and went upstairs.
"Gaby has a boyfriend. She's dating Andrei" Juan said suddenly and Gaby's face went red. "What? Gaby is that true?" Gio said, his voice stern.
Gaby went pale.
"Are you dating Andrei?" Gio asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Who is Andrei?" I asked.
"Gio got in a fight with him. He beat the crap out of Andrei. They are mortal enemies" Juan shrugged.
"Gaby, you're fourteen.... you shouldn't be dating" I said and she went pale.
"Do you like him?" I asked.
She shook her head.
Gio gritted his teeth, clenching his fist.
"Did he touch you?" He asked.
"N-no"
"Why are you dating him?"
"He forced me. He said he would send some boys to beat up Gio" Gaby sobbed and Gio's temper flared even more.
"Oh, I'm so going to kill somebody. How dare he threaten my own sister?!"
"What's going on here?" Dre said, descending the stairs.
"Come on, let's go. We're probably late" I said.
Dre raised a brow but didn't say anything as he put on his coat.
We walked to the car and Dre drive off while I told him what had happened.
"Well, it seems we've got a problem" was his reply.
....
At his parent's home, Dre could not help but grin at the sight of the big Montero family. He watched our kids as they talked to their cousins.
"Everything is perfect" I said from behind him.
He kissed me, holding me to himself.
"It's awesome, isn't it?"
"Of course"
"You saved me, Dre. I'm so grateful for that" I rasped, gazing into my husband's emerald eyes.
"You saved me too by loving me just as I am and giving me a purpose" he whispered in my ear and I grinned.