CHAPTER 4

Bella couldn't keep her eyes off from the older woman. She had asked how the talk had gone when Grandma Millia came back into the kitchen but didn't dare to ask again when the older woman only replied with a serene smile. The process of making dinner had gone with tense and awkward glances from Isabella and a happy humming from Millia.

"Go get your sister for dinner."

"Aah, okay." She put a plate of cheese in the middle of the table before sprinting out to the backdoor to fetch her twin.

She came to her sister napping laying on her front in the middle of the clearing. Kneeling beside Serraphina, Bella softly patted her sister's back and gradually became harder when Serra began to twitch. She is always careful when waking up Serra because her grumpiness actually becomes tenfold when you wake her up wrong and it could be for the whole day. And you would be damn lucky if she didn't slap you when you woke her up wrong. Serra had done it before, the victim was too traumatized to repeat the action of waking her up (it was their father, poor bloke).

"Serra." Soft tapping combined with back rub.

"Hnn."

"C'mon, dinner's ready. There's beef stew and mashed potatoes." Bella stares at her twin; "are you awake yet?"

"Hn." She takes that as a yes.

Worming her hands under her twin, she turned Serra and plopped her facing upwards. Bella bit back her grin when Serra's amber eyes fluttered open before glare at her grumpily.

"Dinner's ready." She stood up and held out her hand.

Serraphina grumbles internally being woken up from her nap. Her head felt muddly as she had slept on her anger. This is why she needs the meditations. Watching the moon and night sky is truly a medicine to clear her mind.

She let Bella hold her hands in both of hers to pull her up. Serra leaned on Bella all their way to Grandma Millia's backyard and through her backdoor.

"Wash your hands, children, and then you can eat." Millia put the third bowl of stew on the table.

Bella pushes Serra towards a bucket of water by the door and urges her to wash her face too. She left Serra on her bidding and made a beeline to the table, sitting on her claimed chair. Serra follows her twin a minute later and plops herself on the seat opposite of Bella leaving Millia on the head of the table.

"Hands clean?" They both put up their hands dutifully, showing their clean hands to the older woman. "Well then, let's eat." Millia claps her hands and throws them a smile.

Bella reaches for the bread basket while Serra digs into her stew where she knows the mashed potatoes would be on the bottom of the bowl. Millia let them enjoy their dinner leisurely before dropping the bomb.

"From now on, you two will be staying with me."

Serras' spoon drop in her bowl making her stew splatter out, her cheeks bulging with food, in front of her Bella was in the same predicament with her as she dropped her bread in her stew. They both stared wide-eyed at Millia who continue eating as if nothing happened.

"W-what…?" Isabella stutters. She saw from the corner of her eyes that Serra was trying to chew her food faster, no doubt wanting to put her own two-cents.

"I spoke with your aunt and she kindly agreed with me." Millia swallowed a snickers when Serraphina chewed harder.

"...Kindly…agreed…?!"

Isabella was stunned, she ignored Serra who swallowed roughly and reached for her water. That grumpy child was pounding on her chest, hopefully she survives, Bella can't face all this shit alone. Bella continues to stare at Millia with conflict feelings. On one point, it IS good news. On another…

"Grandma. What did you do?"

Bella turned her eyes to her twin who just now opened her mouth. Serraphina lips are pursed and her eyes sharpened on Millia's face. Oh boy, she hopes that Grandma Millia realized that Serra is in no mood of playing around. She relaxed a bit when Grandma Millia put down her spoon and focused on Serraphina.

"I did what I supposed had done a long time ago. I asked for you two the moment we met because I see that she's… not suitable… In taking care of children. And I asked again and again but she kept denying me. She locked both of you if I pressured her too much so I had to satisfy myself with what little I could do for both of you." Millia let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm not going to keep quiet anymore. So I threatened her to involve Michael when he comes home next month if she doesn't let you both go."

They were both too stunned to speak. Grandma Millia, their angelic, soft-hearted, pure; Grandma Millia… Just admit to 'threatening' their satanic witch aunt… Huh… And to know that they were wanted by someone in their life. All this time they thought that she was just pitying them… But to want to take care of them?

Bella twitch. Damn, Lucia really did numbers to them for her to be thinking like this. And she is supposed to be the 'optimistic' one too.

"I'm sorry that I didn't ask you two first before making the decision. But it seems like my patience has finally worned out after all these years. so , it is either I asked her 'nicely' or I'll involve my sons in these." Millia smiles wanly.

Isabella focuses on her twin, between the two of them, Serra's the stubborn one. She's intrigued on how her twin is going to react to this.

Serraphina looks like she was struggling with her inner turmoil. Her face scrunches up and fingers drumming on the tables. Bella straightened up when her sister's shoulder slumped down and and their amber eyes found each other. Huh, looks like Serra left the decision making to her. Nice.

"We uh… uhmm.. Don't really know what to say…? I mean, you don't have to do that, Grams."

"But I wanted to. You two are my grandchild in anything but blood. Your mother would be sad if she knew how Lucia had been treating her babies. And I don't think she would mind if I took both of you to live with me either."

"...Mom would?" Bella asked.

Serra's eyebrow raised up to her hairline. They know nothing of their mother. Only of her name and that they have her eyes. They didn't dare to ask, wary of being beaten for some questions. And just feels that it would be better of not knowing.

You can't lose what you never had.

"I think that Aurora would like it. Even though she's the younger one, she was always the more matured and responsible one. You both are soooo much like her. You two are different from each other despite your looks. And the differences between both of you are so alike to Aurora. She would be so proud."

The twins fall into silence seeing Grandma Millia being teary eyes. Bella didn't know how to proceed. They never see the old woman cry in front of them and that makes them lost. Trading looks between each other, Serra decides to take the reign.

"Thank you, Grandma. For everything." Serraphina left her chair and went to hug her. Bella follows her instantly, grateful that Serra is in the lead this time.

"No, thank you for being here with me. I'm old and I live alone, you two are a gift for me. So, thank you." She hugged them both tightly. "Thank you."

"But won't Michael and Matthew mind?" Bella's words muffled on Millia's shoulder.

"Surely you jest?"

"Hm?"

Millia let out a bark of laughter.

"Both my sons had been asking me why I hadn't kidnapped you yet from the first time they met you."

Bella giggles. She could feel the beginning of good things for both her and Serra. She hoped that they could finally live their life fully.

Finally.