Chapter Forty-Five

The slight clanking of glasses and the soft trickle of water flowing from the pipe enveloped the room. Standing with her favorite apron tied around her person, Helena was engrossed in washing the dishes after preparing lunch. 

Tapping her foot to the soft tunes from a small television attached to the wall, she was creating plans for her late afternoon in her head. 

After washing up, she would move towards her room to enjoy a thrilling nap. In the evening, she would go to the living room. There she would kick AJ out since he was always there. 

She would then sit back and relax while watching a few disinteresting television shows on Netflix. Maybe she would resume her napping in that area for the rest of the evening.

Sighing when she realized her afternoon and evening were boring, that is, until Sharlene arrived home, Helena swiftly began to dry the rinsed plates. 

"One, two, three, four, five." 

She counted as she placed them in the cupboard above her head. Again, she sighed. Leaning against the counter, she gazed out the window. So, deep in thought, she hadn't heard AJ enter the kitchen. With his hands in his pockets and whistling the school anthem, his mind only on fetching something in the fridge. Pulling the silver doors open, he began his search and was eager to find the object of his attention.

The loud shuffling sound and his loud muttering drew her attention.

"Where is it? I swear this is where it was last night. I hope she did not eat it all."

Blinking thrice, for she had spaced out far longer than appreciated, she glanced behind her to find the slouched AJ rampaging through the compartments below in search of something. 

"Where is what?"

Glancing up from his search, AJ whined.

"The small container of chocolates Rita had brought last week."

"Ah, that."

Helena hummed as she recalled the time Rita came over the last time. She had spent the weekend after she had tasted her homemade food that had brought tears to her eyes. Shaking her head at the silly girl's theatrics, she inquisitively asked. 

"And you are searching for this because?"

Looking at his mother with the are-you-kidding me look, AJ muttered while an embarrassed blush appeared on his face. 

"Because it is special."

He hurriedly returned to searching through the fridge as if the container would magically appear. He also wanted to hide his blushing face from his mother. 

Frowning, for she found his statement odd, Helena scoffed.

"What is so special about dark and tasteless chocolate?"

"It just is!"

Unimpressed, Helena pursed her lips for whatever he was searching for, she was not sorry to tell him it was all gobbled up. 

"The container of chocolates you are so eagerly searching for has already been eaten."

Frowning as he slowly pulled his face from inside the fridge, AJ was not pleased to hear that.

"What? I had a feeling she would. I was looking forward to eating that."

Grumbling, he closed the door with a soft bang. 

Returning to do the finishing touch of wiping the water off the sink, Helena turned to face him, satisfied her work was complete.

"Did you think your sister would leave chocolate in the fridge without eating it? Why would Rita bring it here? Did you think it was for you?"

Pouting, AJ folded his arms while leaning against the wall. 

Muttering, he pouted. 

"That was my first attempt at eating sweets. It was special."

"If you wanted it so much, you should have taken some and stored it in your room. Instead of delaying eating it, you should have asked Rita if you wanted some when she bought it. Did you forget you have a chocolate-eating monster living under the same roof as you? I am surprised she did not eat the container together with the chocolate. You are lucky to know there was chocolate in the first place."

Helena left the kitchen after her flamboyant scolding with pouting AJ trailing behind her. Upon arriving in the living room, she found that everyone had left. She left Tristan and Clarice watching a movie and Lily napping on the empty sofa to attend to the dishes. Finding the place empty, she inquisitively asked.

"Where is everyone?"

Sighing as he fell on the sofa in front of the television, AJ felt dejected. Grabbing the remote of his PS4 he left on the coffee table, he leaned forward on his elbows.

"Clarice carried Lily to the room, most likely to join her napping, and Tristan left for the back porch. He said he would stay there for a while because he enjoys hearing the tunes of the chimes, observing the view, and feeling the wind on his skin."

"Oh, okay. Then I will be going to take my nap. Do not disturb me."

With one glare in his direction, for she knew he tended to disturb her when she was napping, Helena left grumbling AJ to enjoy his fighting game in his lonesome. 

Padding towards the guest bedroom, she pushed the door open as slowly as possible to not disturb the two sleeping angels. 

Lily happily nestled in Clarice's arms, her little legs adorably twitching, making Helena smile.

Walking over to Clarice, she bent and kissed her forehead. 

"Thank you for spending the two weeks with me."

Murmuring, she leaned away and was surprised to find her eyes open. The smile on her face was dazzling as she gazed up at her with glassy and sleep-induced eyes.

"Thanks for having me, mom."

Sleepily murmuring, Clarice snuggled closer to Lily and closed her eyes.

Smiling, Helena kissed the forehead of Lily before straightening up. Walking out of the room, she closed the door behind her. 

Sighing, she felt a little down, for her eldest daughter and her family would be leaving tomorrow afternoon, but she did not dwell on it too much, for they would soon return.

Walking towards the staircase, she was about to climb the stairs when the front door opened, and Sharlene entered the house. 

"Mom, I'm home."

Turning around, Helena watched as she removed her shoes, put them in the small shoe wardrobe near the door, and replaced them with her favorite bunny slippers. She also took off her coat and put it in the coat wardrobe. Next to her feet were two bags which she had put down.

Smiling, for her bundle of joy had finally arrived home, Helena walked towards her.

"Hi, sweetie. How was your outing with your friends?"

Beaming, Sharlene lifted the light bags into her hands and began to walk into the living room, where AJ had perked up after pausing his game.

"Hey, pipsqueak. How was doing nothing today?"

He blatantly teased, and she scoffed.

Ignoring him, she excitedly exclaimed.

"It was great! I bought a few things for everyone!"

As she spoke, she placed the bags on the coffee table before sinking herself into the space next to AJ.

Pointed eyebrows as she scanned the area, for she saw no sight of her cute niece, sister, and Tristan, Sharlene murmured.

"Where is everyone?"

"Two are sleeping, and one is appreciating nature."

Pouting, she sighed.

"Well, that's sad. I wanted to show what I bought as soon I reached home."

"Can I see what you brought for me?"

AJ asked, but he was already shifting through the bags. Slapping his hands away, Sharlene rolled her eyes. 

"I am sure you have already seen them."

Laughing, he shrugged, his eyes gleaming from the object that had caught his eyes in the first bag. 

Pulling the first bag upon her lap, she pulled out her first item.

"This is for you, mom."

Helena was fascinated. And a little flustered as she held it as if it was glass.

"Really? You did not have to, sweetie."

"Of course. I should buy something for the most understanding, precious, and loving mother in the entire world."

Sharlene boasted with a wide smile.

A slight blush tinted Helena's cheeks.

"Stop it with your sentiments, or you'll make me cry."

Sharlene smirk.

"That is the main point of my sappy nonsense, Mom."

"You silly girl."

Helena tsked before kissing her on the forehead. 

"Wear it, Mom."

Sharlene said, her eyes gleaming with encouragement.

"What? Now?"

Helena gasped with wide eyes.

"Of course, now. I did buy it for you to wear daily if possible."

"Fine."

Murmuring, she walked out of the living room towards her room upstairs.

"Just pretend I am not there."

AJ sarcastically remarked, and Sharlene wanted to laugh but quickly hid it behind a cough.

"Are you jealous, AJ?"

"What? No."

Scoffing, he returned to playing his game, but Sharlene knew better.

"I am ignoring you because you have already seen what I bought for you, haven't you?"

"Maybe."

He mumbled, and she finally let out a laugh.

"You naughty boy. Okay fine. Here. The second edition of whatever game you wanted and your very own laptop. By the way, I saved up quite a lot for those two items. They are also my advanced graduation gift to you."

Instantly pausing the game, he snatched the items from her hands as if it were the moment he was waiting for.

"Sweet."

Murmuring, he examined the game, then the laptop.

Clearing her throat when she realized he was about to open the laptop and spend hours exploring inside of it, Sharlene raised an eyebrow while tapping her hand on her lap.

"Are you forgetting something, AJ?"

Fake coughing, AJ placed the laptop and game in the space near him.

"It looks like I owe you."

Smirking, Sharlene nodded.

"That you are."

"Thanks."

"You are most welcome."

Grinning, she wrapped her arms around him, but he quickly detangled himself and stood up.

"Hey! Don't touch the hair!"

Rolling her eyes, Sharlene fixed herself on the sofa.

"What is up with you and your hair these days?"

Teasingly, she added with wiggling eyebrows.

"Did you somehow manage to find a girlfriend?"

As if he had chewed on a pepper, AJ blushed beet red. Just by his reaction, she knew her assumption was correction.

"Wha...what are you saying? Wha...what girlfriend? You are out of your mind."

He cutely stuttered, which caused her to laugh.

"Oh my god. It is true."

"What is true? Just because I appreciate my hair does not mean I have a girlfriend."

With a sly grin, Sharlene continued to tease him.

"Oh, ho. Is that right? Then why are you blushing?"

"Don't you suddenly feel the heat in here?"

Quickly redirecting the conversation, AJ began to fan himself with his hands.

"I am sweating."

He added further as he walked over to put on the ceiling fan. 

Smiling at his innocent lie, she was about to tease him further, but her mother's stern voice prevented such.

"Leave your brother be, Sharlene."

AJ and Sharlene turned towards her, and their mouths fell wide open at the sight of Helena.

Clarice, who had entered the room with her hands nestled in her unkempt hair and a hand to block an incoming yawn, gasped.

"Who are you? And what did you do with my mother?"

"What? Does it look bad?"

Helena asked with a frown as she gazed down at her dress.

Sharlene was stunned at the sight of her mother.

"No. It is far from that. You look..."

She could barely get the words out.

"Beautiful."

Clarice inputted.

"Hot."

She heard AJ say, and they all looked at him with scrunched eyebrows.

"What? It is the truth. Can't deny mom looks a day over 30."

He spoke with an unbothered shrug.

"Sexy."

All heads turned to the door, where Rita stood with an awed expression. She had entered the room without their knowledge. And yet they were not surprised, for she was a regular visitor. 

Sharlene had briefly seen the sadness in her eyes when she looked in her direction, but she brushed it aside as she turned her attention back to her mother. 

Something was wrong, and Sharlene made it a goal to question her after sharing her gifts. 

"I told you that dress would look smitten on Mrs. C, Shar."

In her peripheral, she saw AJ tense, the blush returning on his face when Rita came into full view.

Mmm. It seems her little brother had a crush on her best friend.

Smiling, she pretended she did not see anything. 

"You are all exaggerating."

Helena snorted, her hands flattening the nonexistent creases on the skirt. She was feeling shy. 

"No, we are not, Mrs. C. You look beautiful in that dress."

Rita added as she walked over to sit near Sharlene, who quickly made space for her. 

Helena's blush intensified. 

"You all are just teasing me."