Cleopatra's POV
"Jace, Jordan, no running in the house, you'll break my expensive shit. " I scolded the twelve year old boy and fourteen year old girl who were running through my house to get to the pool at my backyard.
"Sorry aunt Cleo. " They said in unison before walking speedily to the back door, still managing to shove one another in a competition to get to the pool first.
This is why I am never having kids.
Don't get me wrong, I love Jace and Jordan, they were two of the most important people in my life. But that doesn't mean that I'm willing to have children of my own just cause I love my best friend's kids.
I'm a 34 year old woman who is currently enjoying living her life the way she wants without anyone hindering my choices.
Plus, having kids just isn't for me. Neither are love and marriage too, but try telling that to my family and my best friend Blake.
With all the dates she's set me up on that have all gone terribly, you'd think she'd give up by now. But no, Blake doesn't give up, she keeps trying until you get annoyed and either give in or kill her.
And seeing as she's still alive, I guess you can say she always gets her way.
"Oh my God, Cleo, you won't believe who I just got off the phone with! " Blake said, practically squealing in my ear as she jumped up and down in barely contained excitement.
"Who? " I asked with vague interest as I kept scratching at a particular stain on the plate I was washing that simply refused to go off.
"Hayden! " She squealed again.
If she kept this up, I'd go deaf before she finally gets to what she's really excited about.
"Oh, really? " I asked, finally getting the stain off. "How's the kid doing? "
"He's 22 Cleo, he's not a kid anymore. " She said and I have no doubt that she was rolling her eyes behind me.
"Mmhm, sure. " I said dismissively. "What'd he say that's got you all excited? " I asked, finally turning to face her.
Blake Lorraine Parker has been my best friend since we were little.
She is 3 years and some months older than me but we were neighbours and she didn't mind being friends with the weird kid with the photographic memory that started high school when she was fucking 13.
Blake is the definition of responsibility and dependability. While I was spiralling, trying not to lose myself in the chaos of high school, she was always my rock and the only thing that kept me sane.
So it came as a surprise to everyone when she announced that she was pregnant at 16 for her then boyfriend, Miles.
Thank God she let that fucker go. The only good thing Miles ever did for her was give her Hayden.
Anyway, her parents practically disowned her and my parents took her in and we've been inseparable ever since.
"He said he's finally getting discharged! " She screamed, jumping on me to give me a hug. "He's finally coming home Cleo. "
"That's great B, I know how much you've missed the kid. " I said wrapping my arms around her as we swayed side to side.
Hayden had gone off to join the marines when he turned 18, much to Blake and my dad's disdain.
Blake's quarrel with it being the obvious motherly fear of her child being hurt and my dad because he's a Navy Seal and hating all marines.
"Well, I better go get those two, Hayden's coming home tomorrow and I want to go shopping so I can make all his favourite meals and get his room ready. " She said as we separated.
Her excitement taking over her as she goes around the house packing up both her's and the kid's things.
"Why don't you just let them sleep over here so you can go about your plans undisturbed and then I'll bring them around tomorrow before Hayden arrives? " I suggest and she looks like I've taken a visible weight off her shoulders.
"That'd be wonderful Cleo. " She said, coming over to give me another hug. "Plus, with the kids gone, London and I will finally get some alone time, if you know what I mean. " She said, raising her brows and giving me what I'm sure she thinks is a pervy smirk.
"Oh my God, never do that again B. " I said bursting into a fit of laughter. "You are way to innocent to pull off a smirk of any kind. "
She pouted at my remark, further proving me right.
"Alright, I'm going to go now, just have them at the house before 1 tomorrow. " She said once she had all her things in her bag.
"No problem. "
She kissed me goodbye and went out back to say goodbye to her kids before leaving and it just crossed my mind that I was supposed to have a guy over tonight.
Fuck.
Guess I'll just have to reschedule.
I finished washing the dishes and went to my office to get some work done for a couple hours before ordering some pizza for the little heathens and I.
We spent our evening binge watching anime until 12 at night and I realised that Blake would kill me if she found out I let her kids stay up past their bedtimes.
I ended my night with my vibrator before falling into a deep sleep with the assurance that I get to give the children back the next day.
