I MISS YOU ALL

Aristia quietly and carefully opened the door to her room and peeked out. She tiptoed out of the room while looking left and right.

She saw no one apart from the occasional passing servants who bowed respectfully as she passed and giggled when she gestured with her hand for them to keep silent and not call her name. They had heard about how the Madam, the Young Miss and Young Master were all hiding and the Duke was looking for them.

Before she could turn the corner, she heard Alaric giggling and peeked out only to see that he had been caught and so had Catherine. Just then, Wilson looked up just as she moved back. She held back a gasp and turned around as quietly and slowly as she could but she felt a pat on her shoulder.

"Found you, Tia." Wilson said as he burst out laughing and Aristia smiled helplessly. She was about to suggest that they continue but Alaric spoke up before she could.

"Let's play another game Tia," and Catherine nodded, liking how her family was happy spending time together.

"Let's return to the garden, then." Aristia said, ignoring the servants who were watching them curiously but discreetly, as they went outside the mansion and soon, news had spread around the mansion about the scary Grand Duke playing with his wife and children.

Back in the garden, Aristia pulled off the cloth covering the snacks and spread out the different plates containing the various snacks and drinks on the blanket. She picked up a doughnut and took a bite, happy to finally get a taste of the familiar snack.

She gestured to her family to dig in and Catherine apprehensively took out a chicken nugget and took a bite. Her earlier look of apprehension changed to an expression of surprise and she took a larger bite.

Wilson, on noticing her change in expression, picked up a chicken nugget too and took a bite, nodding his head in approval and praising, "Tia, this is delicious. Where did you learn to make this?"

Thankfully, Aristia had already prepared an answer beforehand just in case, "I read it Papa. In a book I found in the library when I was studying with Al."

The said Alaric paused his actions of picking up a chicken nugget when he heard his name being mentioned but continued when he understood the topic of discussion.

Unfortunately, Aristia had only baked two snacks; the chicken nugget and doughnuts. This was because the cooking was unplanned and Aristia didn't have the time to arrange for the needed ingredients. She told herself that next time, she'd cook whatever she wanted to her heart's content.

"The next game is called 'This or That'. You can also call it 'Would You Rather'. It's played just as the name implies. I'll show you an example." Aristia said, before turning to Alaric.

"Would You Rather eat a chicken nugget or a doughnut?" She asked Alaric.

Alaric thought a little bit and then he said, "I would rather eat the doughnut."

She then turned to Catherine, "Mama, Would You Rather live in a small house with your family in the commoners' district or live in a large mansion alone?"

Catherine answered, "I would rather live in a small house with my family than live in a mansion alone."

"Okay." Aristia turned to Wilson, "Would You Rather leave mama or cook?" Both Wilson and Catherine's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question, before Wilson answered.

"I would rather cook a thousand times in public than leave your mother." He declared heavily with his hand on his chest like he was uttering an oath or a pledge.

This made Aristia chuckle, he had verbally confirmed his love for his wife.

"So solemn. Papa, you look like you're making a pledge of loyalty." Aristia teased and Catherine laughed.

"I am making a pledge of loyalty to my wife." Wilson stared deeply at Catherine and she blushed and looked away.

[Uh... At least consider us please. Before you start getting all lovey-dovey]

"Now it's your turn to ask questions, Al.] She raised her voice a little to alert her parents who were still staring at each other.

[I can almost see the sparks.]

"Okay. Tia, Would You Rather not take a bath or let me sleep in your room?" He asked.

Aristia couldn't hold back her laughter; the boy was indeed smart.

"Hmm. I would rather not..." She trailed off making Alaric impatient.

She shook her head with a smile, "I would rather let you sleep in my room."

"Okay. Mama, Would You Rather not speak to Papa for a day or carry me around all day?"

"I would rather carry you around all day." Catherine answered with a smile and the questioning went on.

At the end of the tea party, the family went about their various activities. Alaric pulled Aristia toward the library for their usual study.

[I've been getting a lot of business ideas. The cheat is that I won't have any competition since nobody from this world has any knowledge of what I have in mind.] Aristia thought with a smile. She would continue to use the former method of writing a word on paper to teach Alaric as she still hadn't gotten the book made.

"You've made good progress Al." Aristia praised Alaric who smiled brightly. "Come on. We'll continue with the lesson another time. Perhaps, the materials I need will be ready by then." She said as she stood up and stretched her limbs.

***

"What are you doing here Al?" Aristia asked in surprise as she held the door to her room open. They just had dinner some hours ago and had all retired to bed so she was surprised when she heard a knock on her door. She opened the door only to find Alaric standing at her door.

She moved to one side to allow Alaric into the room.

"You said you would rather let me sleep in your room than not take bath." He explained and Aristia stared at him in disbelief.

[When I said that I would rather let you sleep in my bed than not take a bath that was to answer the question. We weren't playing truth or dare.] She sighed.

Nevertheless, she said nothing. She went back to her bed and laid down tapping the space next to her for Alaric to lie down.

"Goodnight Al." She said to him when he got on the bed and closed her eyes, ready to drift off to sleep. After some time, she heard rustling beside her and turned to face Alaric who was tossing and turning.

"What's wrong Al?" She whispered softly, concern laced in her voice.

"I cannot fall asleep." He replied.

"How about I tell you a story?" She suggested, recalling what her mother always did whenever she couldn't sleep back when she was a little girl.

"Okay." Alaric replied, nodding his head.

Aristia decided to tell him the story of the sleeping beauty. "I have never heard that story before." Alaric told, eliciting a nod from Aristia. She expected it.

She was halfway into the story when she heard light snores. She turned to Alaric and found him fast asleep. She smiled and covered him with the blanket.

Her mind went back to the night she read the novel. What startled her was the strange words written just after the last words of the book. It was 'The end.' written in bold font, but that wasn't the point, it was the 'This is is the end of the story. Now, it's time for you to make your story.' She read.

That time, she had thought while shaking her head, 'What the heck?! is this some sort of joke or trend when a person is done with writing a story? Weird people and trends these days.' She was in the middle of thinking this way she lost consciousness and then woke up in this world.

Now she only had one thought, [Is this what that anonymous writer meant? How did such a sick joke become a reality? And it wasn't funny at all. It's not everyday you read a novel and find out that some strange words at the end of the novel could really happen to you.]

It was only now that the gravity of her situation came crashing on her and she burst into tears.

"Mummy, Daddy, El, Suzy, Little Andy, Little Mae, Little Summer. I miss you all." She cried silently covering her face with the pillow, her shoulders trembling. Andy, Mae and Summer were her five year old twin nieces. They were birthed five years after her brother got married to Susan, when she, Aristia, was nineteen years old.

Even though they were quite a handful and a mischievous pair, she still loved them. Remembering that her sister in-law was currently pregnant caused her to cry harder.

[I didn't even get the chance to meet my little unborn nephew. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?]

She wasn't wishing for it to happen to anybody else but she just couldn't take it, and the thoughts of the picnic only made her cry harder as she remembered the times when she'd have a similar one with her family. She turned into her pillow to muffle her cries. She didn't know when she fell asleep as she dozed off, dried tears on her cheeks.