Sunset

"It looks like someone is having a backyard barbecue party." Greg made this guess. All the windows were open; thus, they were welcomed with that savory aroma of a grilled barbecue wafting their nostrils. He maneuvered the truck toward the gate, then pulled over to the front patio. He added, "We've arrived at a perfect time!"

"Hmm… It smelled yummy, Mommy!" Aisha made a gleeful comment, craning her neck at the open window and looking toward the backyard garden.

Then, Zelenia concurred. "You are right, darling. I could also smell the barbecue. It must be Kian who started grilling some without us."

She was teasing the guy, who was oblivious that he became the dish of their conversation. Luna has never been a meat lover. Therefore, there is no way that she would prepare something like this for them.

Zelenia pushed the door open and came down first, then helped her daughter to get out of the vehicle.

"Mommy…" Janus had also gotten out of the truck, holding the door in one hand to speak to his mom on the other side. "Aisha and I will go ahead first."

Zelenia smiled delightedly. Perceiving such behavior from her son, she is somewhat relieved. She was certain Janus would look out for his sister. When the time comes and she must face her punishment, she will be at ease leaving her children, knowing they are watching over each other.

"Sure, honey." Her heart filled with warmth as she met her son's gentle gaze. It was full of honesty and thoughtfulness for his twin sister. She was familiar with that kind of gaze, as she often received the same affection from her twelve brothers, who all dote on and indulged her.

Hearing her twin brother, Aisha ran toward Janus and pulled his hand. "Let's go, Janus!"

Now that her children disappeared from her sight, Zelenia moved to the back of the truck to help haul the fruits and vegetables they bought at the town market. But to her surprise, the truck was already empty.

'Have they brought everything in just one trip?' She was mumbling to herself when Greg approached her. He had just returned from carrying the grocery bags with Xanther to the kitchen.

"Zelena…"

"Hey! Thank you for touring us around. The twins are having so much fun." She made an abrupt turn and thanked the guy.

"I'm glad to hear that. I also enjoyed driving around with more company so you need not thank me. The truth is, we rarely have visitors from farther states. So I am delighted today."

Zelenia smiled and said nothing. Since Greg hasn't disclosed his real identity, she will not inquire about it yet. She will let him open up to her first and when at that time he wholly trusts her.

"Why don't you join us for supper?" She invited Greg to stay.

Greg was about to accept her invitation. But his eyes caught the man standing near the front porch railings, glaring at him. It seemed that if he stayed longer. Someone would grill him next.

So, he declines nervously.

"Ah, I would love to have some barbecue. But my boss summoned me to report this evening. It will be a perfect time for me to hand over your business proposal, then I could inquire if he could make an appointment to meet you tomorrow. Actually, he is somewhat sensitive to meeting strangers. So, I must put in a lot of effort to convince him and put a good word about your company."

"I understand. I am grateful to you for helping us convince your boss. Then, we would not keep you longer."

"See you around, Zelena." Out of the blue, Greg bowed like a knight.

Feeling awkward about such courtesy, Zelenia slightly bent her head and hummed.

"See you around, Greg."

She waved farewell as she watched the truck leave the cabin.

Even though the truck had already disappeared from her line of sight, Zelenia remained standing in the front yard, appreciating the marvelous scenery before her.

"Is it beautiful?"

Spoke behind her was Xanther, who was there the whole time but stood quietly a few meters away, enough for him to listen to the conversation without making it obvious he was eavesdropping.

"Hummed. It was indeed a marvelous scenery." Zelenia concurred with what the man had referred to.

The sun was about to set, and its orange-like yellow and red colors reflected on the lake where flamingos enjoyed swimming around. Some of them made a sudden take off to the sky, giving off breathtaking scenery like in a painting.

"The city has never given this splendid view," Xanther commented further. He was now standing next to Zelenia.

"Ah. I seconded that. The city has its own beauty. But nature's panorama is unbeatable in its ethereality."

"Hmm… It looks like the kids have fun touring today." Xanther changed the subject, and in an instant, Zelenia's face even brightened up.

"You are right. They were happy being this free. I was strict with them back in Dell City. It was crowded and packed with vehicles. Accidents are reported every day. Although we were living nearby the Academy and a school bus could pick them up during school days, we still do not know when the accident would occur."

Zelenia was confident that her children would not get injured that easily; with the familiars inside their bodies and the magic spell she cast in them—the twins would not be hurt by car accidents.

However, it is a different story when evil beast creatures attack her children, like a few days ago. Someone attempts to kidnap the twins.

Even though they were only after Janus, she was afraid they would include Aisha for a reason—they could threaten him to harm his twin sister if he would not submit to them.

Janus may be only ten years old. Somehow, she had already noticed how protective he was of his family. He always had that look in his eyes, and she could sense his grit that he had the desire to put up a fight every time their neighbors insulted her for being a single mother and getting pregnant at a young age.

Whereas women in this city were competent, and many had promising careers and outstanding occupations. Therefore, they would compare her job to their children or someone they knew in a higher position. Those people questioned why she could afford to enroll her children in that exclusive academy when she only had the position of Warehouse Inventory Deputy Manager. She was stuck between overseeing the number of goods and submitting weekly reports.

However, she would not argue with them when no one knew the truth. She can actually apply for a higher position as it was a piece of cake for her to absurd the knowledge of every occupation on this planet.

However, if she was assigned to a higher position, it would lessen her time for her children. She was afraid to be transferred to another department because she might often have business trips across the country.

Therefore, she often reminded the twins to ignore whatever those people threw at them. They don't know their story, and they contribute none to her work as well.

Gladly, her son did his best to calm down most of the time and let their neighbors and those parents at school lashing her will only be passed through their ears.

"I'm actually proud of them. It's not that I let them bully us. Some people are crueler than those gossipy housewives."

Her children had to face the worst; thus, they must be trained to be calm and endure hurtful words. They were going to walk an even tougher path in the near future.

What if she wasn't in the picture anymore? Her children must stand on their own.

~

After sharing a wonderful sunset viewing with Xanther, Zelenia proceeded to the kitchen while the former checked out Kian.

Zelenia was standing on the island, cutting some kiwis and celery, when Xanther entered through the kitchen door.

He asked, "Are you making some salad for the kids?"

"Hmm… I'm fixing something light. Janus and Aisha have been eating a lot today. I'm worried they will have indigestion tonight."

"You are right. I've also noticed that they've enjoyed the lunch we have today."

"I'm happy to see them having fun. By the way, do you need anything for me to fix for you?"

"Ah. I'm good. That salad looked delicious. I would be glad to have a bowl of it."

Zelenia glanced at Xanther, who was keenly searching the refrigerator. Curious, she asked him. "Are you looking for something?"

Xanther nodded without casting a glance in her direction. "I need some butter for the grilled corn."

"Oh. They're still in the grocer's bag. I leave it be as I plan to take them with me when I join you in the backyard later."

"I see." Xanther closed the refrigerator door and strode toward the counter, picking up the grocery bag and taking out the box of butter. "Gotcha!"