CHAPTER 53
Right about that time, Evangeline was driving angrily towards their home. She was hoping to meet them all at home and give them a bit of her mind. What Jason had told her yesterday was disturbing. How was she to move past their soiled past and explore her growing feelings for him? She drove into the compound and stormed out, only to be greeted by the twins. They ran to hug her. Evan stooped down to cuddle them fondly. Whatever anger she felt dissipated temporarily while she hugged them. Their mother came out too. The kids let go, and each went to get the backpack their mother came out with.
"Hey, sis." Adriana greeted her as she quietly closed the door. She hushed the children as she dragged Evangeline to the car.
"What's going on?" Evan asked, a little thrown off by the gesture. She was in no mood for quietness. Some noise is what she craved now.
"The kids?" She eyed her twins meaningfully as they arranged their lunch bags. Adriana then walked with Evan to her car, where she parked roughly, "Why don't you park your car properly and join me? I'm taking the kids to school. I also want a word with their teachers."
Before Evan agreed, she asked, "Are they having issues in class?"
"No." Adriana said, "We're running late. Would you mind getting in the car and letting's talk? I assume there's a reason you're here this morning looking disheveled and angry?"
Evangeline looked through the side windscreen and laughed at how her hair was a mess. Her pale skin a contrast to the blond color of the hair. She hadn't checked herself before stepping out. The instant Jason had left, she had dressed up hurriedly and driven down here. He had explicitly told her to stay put. That he was okay with what he just discovered, plus the threat on their lives, but she wasn't falling for that. She needed to hear it from her dad. "I'm so furious with dad." She whispered, trying to get her hair in a neat bun. Her sister moved closer to help her adjust it. "What's with the parents?"
"What?" Adriana asked, feigning ignorance.
"Don't you dare." She looked at her sister with disapproval, "Either you tell me or I go storming in there like I planned to."
"Hey, Thatcher, chill."
"So?" Her quirked eyebrows asking all the questions, "Yes?"
Sighing, she said, "I saw them kissing last night."
"Eeww!!!" Evangeline feigned displeasure
"I didn't want to tell you." She teased as Evan pretended to puke.
The twins were settled in the car by now. Elizabeth peered at the adults and screamed, "Mom, we'll miss the first class."
Adriana walked back to her car while Evan parked her vehicle properly in the garage and joined them. "Shall we?" she looked at her pregnant sister, "Belt up?" She said before looking at her stomach, "You're showing."
Evan rubbed her stomach through the sheer material she had on, "Jason noticed it first. Even I didn't know." She smiled brightly.
"Wow." Adriana said and started the car. "Kids?" she peered at them through the front mirror. They were well seated and on their seat belt. "Good."
"Linne?" Elizabeth called Evan, who turned to look at her. "Will you stay with us tonight?"
Evangeline gave her sister the eye before replying, "No, why?"
"You always stay with us any time you're in Miami. But mom said we would be staying at Grandmas awhile."
"Oh, right. I won't be staying with you guys. Okay? I have a place." She dragged the last word, smiling at the little girl, "But I'll come over every now and then."
"At grannies? Good. I missed those chocolate bars." Elizabeth said.
"Okay. I'll bring them when coming."
"Thanks, Linne." She said. Ethan, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly asked, "And why hasn't dad called?" He seemed upset. His mother looked at him through the mirror. He hadn't mentioned it, neither had his sister. But he obviously looked upset.
"We can call him tonight when you get back." She told him
"We will." The boy said, looking away. He was angry.
Adriana sighed as she steered the car into their school gate. A parent saw her and honked. She did the same even though she didn't see who it was. She was a little distracted. Evan noticed this and asked quietly if he was okay. "I don't know." She replied. When she parked the car, Ethan was the first to jump out. His mother followed him immediately.
Evangeline pulled Elizabeth aside and asked what was going on. The little girl fumbled with her dress as she explained what she knew of her brother's mood.
"I think something about what grandma said got him angry." The little girl said as she started walking towards their class. Adriana and Ethan had turned a corner in the opposite direction. The two changed course, and they walked towards the place to join them. It wasn't the way to their classroom.
"What did grandma say?"
"She said dad is better off where he is. Ethan thinks he means dad shouldn't come home. Grandpa met him, I think."
Evangeline felt really angry now, "You must have heard it all wrong." She tried pacifying the little girl. "He'll call tonight. You can speak with him. Okay?"
They were with Adriana and Ethan now. The little boy was crying and, in between sobs, relayed what he had heard. Evan caught the last part. It was what his sister had said. "Shush. It's okay." his mother petted, "Grandma didn't mean that. She must have been talking about someone else."
"Yes." Evan put in, "She meant another Noah. My secretary. Not your dad."
"You're sure?" The little boy asked, rubbing his face.
"Yes." Both women said and exchanged looks. The bell for first-class rang, and Elizabeth started to fidget excitedly.
"We should go. I really don't want to miss first-class."
Worried, Adriana hugged her son. "Be good today for mommy." He smiled, and she visibly relaxed. Then she pecked Elizabeth, "You're okay?" She asked, wondering why the girl wasn't crying too.
"I'm fine." She assured her mother. "He heard it. I didn't. And I told him he couldn't have heard that right."
"Your sister is right, alright?" Evan said. The boy nodded, hugged his mother and aunt and started walking towards the class with his sister. "Bye." They waved. The adults waved back. Once they were out of earshot, Evan began to call Mrs. Swiss. Her sister snatched the phone away from her and disconnected the call.
Breathing heavily, she pouted, "She seriously needs to back off. What's with her and that attitude? Exactly why we you should have let me have that talk with her."
Adriana shrugged and pulled her sister towards the teachers' room, "I'll speak with her when I get the chance today."
"We should do it now."
"Before that, I need to speak with Ms. Thorn. The twins are always at each other's necks. I want to know if they do that in school too." she pulled her sister into towards the staff quarters. Evan was silent all the way there. At the entrance, she stood, not interested in seeing anyone right now. But her sister literally pulled her into the room. Six peers of eyes greeted them. "Hi." Adriana greeted them all. "Hi." Evan greeted them, too.
"Hello." the teachers smiled at them. Ms. Thorn recognized Adriana, and she immediately stepped out to speak with them. She ushered both women into the adjourning room so they could have some privacy.
"How may I help you?" She asked, "Did Ethan and Elizabeth do something wrong?"
"No. It's all good. I'm just worried about their performance and maybe their behavior too."
Mrs. Thorn smiled, "You have nothing to worry about those two. They are top of their classes. Both of them are exceptional. Academically, they keep making us proud. They represent us in inter-quiz competitions and debates." Looking at the mother, she smiled broadly, "Most of which you know already."
"Yes." Adriana replied, smiling.
"How about their morals?" Evan asked, seeing as her sister was busy blushing about her kids' academic prowess, "Like do they fight or something?"
"Not that I know of. Those two are well-behaved. Anyone who touches Elizabeth has to deal with Ethan. He protects her that much. I think that makes the pupils not to pick on them. So heroic." The teacher said.
It was precisely what she had wanted to know, "Thank you, Ms. Thorn." Adriana said.
"Anytime," the teacher replied. "That's it?" Both women nodded.
"Thank you for taking such great care of them." Evan said as they took their leave.
Walking them to the door, Mrs. Thorn greeted both women and returned to the larger office she shared with the others. Adriana and her sister walked by the twins' classroom to check on them. Ethan was seated in his chair reading. His teacher wasn't in class yet. He looked okay, and that was a relief. Adriana felt proud of him for taking good care of his sister. He mentally set up a treat for him sometime soon.
The next class to Ethan's was his sister's. Elizabeth was seated, listening with apt interest to the teacher. Adriana smiled. Now she knew why she had been eager to get to school on time. The first period was a French class. Elizabeth was one kid who loved saying the same word in a different language. At age five, she was able to pick up a couple of Japanese words simply by listening to the old Japanese women across their home. She loved Spanish too. French was another favorite for her.
The instant the French teacher was done explaining, her hand went up. "Mademoiselle?"
"Qui." The teacher responded.
"How do I introduce my friend in French?"
"For one, you started wrong. How do we ask questions in French?" the teacher chastised gently.
"Je Suis désóle." She apologized and switched to French.
Evangeline smiled as they walked away from the class, "She's a brainier, that one."
"Indeed, she is." Adriana replied as they got in the car. Turning to her sister, she asked, "Now, baby sis, why are you so mad at the parents?"
"They are keeping things from us. Did you hear what Elizabeth said? They met with Noah and didn't tell us. I thought we're in this together."
"Wait, what?"
"Yes. She said it. You were with Ethan then."
"Really." She sighs heavily, then sighed, "I get why he'd keep it away from me, though." she scoffed, "So, he's in town and didn't call or text."
"It's a difficult phase for you both. I'm sure there's a reason he went to them." She explained, "Like how they didn't tell me Jason's parents were murdered during the war too."
"Again?" She looked tired, "Okay, that's bad."
"I know, right" She leaned on the car seat. "And to think I just slept with him."
"Wait? You did what?"
"I know." She covered her face, "I couldn't help it."
"You're getting me wrong, Evan. I mean, it's good you guys are getting along. There's nothing wrong with having feelings for your baby daddy. And he's single, handsome. Why not?" She shrugged
Peering at her sister through her fingers, which remained glued to her face, she asked, "Even when my parents may have played a key role in his parents' death?"
"They didn't kill them!" She said, shaking her sister. "Come on." She pulled her hands away from her face.
"I know. I just feel weird about it. He's totally cool with it. But I can't wrap my head around it." She looked at Adriana seriously, "It's...."
"How was it?" Adriana asked, distracting her.
"Like, I don't know you just want me distracted." She rolled her eyes.
Starting the car, her sister insisted, "Start with the juicy part. Tell me all about it."
