Winner Takes All

Chapter Twenty Nine ✘ Toothpaste Advert

"You said you wanted me, no strings attached, I guess I have the Fates to thank for that."
Achilles Heel - J. Maya

"Open the door, honey."

I pause mid-chew, frowning, not sure if I heard my mom right. "What?"

"Open the door!" Nico yells somewhere behind her and I shoot to my feet, startling Bella and Faith who are laid out on the couch beside me.

Almost dropping my phone that I'm holding to my ear, I hastily put down the peach I was eating, and rush over to the front door, pulling it open.

"Mom!" I gape, my eyes widening as I take in my mother, father and little brother standing on the other side, identical wide grins on their mouths.

"Surprise!" My dad laughs, and I launch myself at them, hugging them tightly, ecstatic to see them after so long.

Bella and Faith appear by the doorway, as equally as happy as I am to see my family. Over the years of our childhood, my house was always the hangout spot, which means Bella and Faith practically lived at mine and my parents treated them like their own.

"Oh, honey." Mom smiles, cupping my face. Her silky blonde hair is in an elegant bun on the top of her head, a few strands falling over her ears. Her bright green eyes twinkle as she kisses my forehead. "Je ziet er goed uit."

"Jij ook, Mama."

An excited little bark catches all our attention and Mocha rushes towards us from my room, where she was napping. My brother lets out an excited sound as he crouches down, and Mocha flings herself into his arms.

"Aw, what a princess." Dad chuckles, referring to the crown shaped charm on her collar, ruffling Mocha's ears.

"That was all Bella's idea." I snort, helping wheel my parents suitcases inside.

Once greetings are out of the way, I usher them inside, suddenly remembering the empty bottles of vodka that Bella left out on the kitchen counter. Distracting my family by immediately steering them towards the living room, I send a sharp look towards Bella, nodding subtly towards the kitchen.

She gets the hint and rushes off to hide them
while Faith and I settle down in the living room with my family. Nico, my brother, makes himself right at home, his dark hair and clothes looking extremely out of place against the white couch and colourful pillows.

"Since you told me you have a game tomorrow, we thought why not surprise you?" Mom smiles, pushing her blonde fringe off of her forehead. "We miss you at home, honey."

I wrap my arms around her shoulder, hugging her to my side. "I miss you too, Mama."

"This place is nice, isn't it?" Dad looks around, squinting at the pictures hung on the walls. "I didn't get a chance to see it after it was fully decorated."

"It is." Faith smiles. "We love it here."

Bella walks over with drinks for my family, bottles of Corona Beer for my parents and a Coke for Niko.

"How's it going, girls?" Mom leans back, wiping off the condensation of the bottle with her sleeve. "Bella, Faith, your parents sent you some things. They're in my suitcase."