Akito and Estelle at the Plaza

chapter 14

Darla was still in Paris, but right now, she was packing all of her bags in the hotel room she often stayed in while visiting away from home with her daughter and Nanny.

"Good girl." Drell said about the decision she made.

"Drell, I'm twenty-two, I'm not a little girl anymore." Darla laughed a little.

"I know, I just wanted you to know that you're making the right decision." Drell said.

Darla then struggled to close her last suitcase. "Ugh, this one is always so stubborn!"

"Allow me." Drell gently shoved her over, then stood over the bag before sitting right on top of it.

Darla then was able to click it shut. "Ah, that's more like it."

"Just need a little muscle power." Drell said, showing off one of his muscles.

"Oh, brother..." Darla rolled her eyes to that.

Drell chuckled.

"I should call Eloise to let her know I'm coming home early..." Darla was about to go to the phone.

"She's in the city, giving Leon a tour." Drell told her.

"WHAT?!" Darla asked. "How do you-"

Drell showed his crystal ball to show Eloise was traveling the city with her new friend all around with Akito, Estelle, Vincent, Felicity, Larvitar, Teddy, Vulpix, Misdreavus, and Ditto following them.

"Oh, right." Darla said.

"Never underestimate me..." Drell chuckled.

"Oh, but I must tell her I'll be home sooner than anticipated..." Darla looked unsure.

"Didn't you promise her a surprise over the phone last night?" Drell prompted.

"Well... Yes, but..." Darla rubbed her arm.

"What better surprise than her mother coming home early?" Drell suggested.

"You're right." Darla smiled.

"Of course I am." Drell smirked smugly to that.

"Don't make me call Atticus." Darla smirked back.

"All right, all right, I kid, I kid." Drell laughed, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Hm... How to get a flight on such short notice?" Darla asked.

"How about I bring you to the hotel just as the ball finishes and Eloise has her own personal best night ever with her own prince at the hotel's Debutante Ball?" Drell offered.

"You'd do that for me?" Darla smiled.

"Hey, you're Atticus's family," Drell smiled back. "You deserve it, plus your daughter misses you like crazy when you're not home."

"Tell me about it..." Darla sighed. "Sometimes I feel like a bad mother because I'm barely home with her. I think Pierre just wanted to keep me here all to himself."

"Well, now you won't ever have to deal with him anymore." Drell smiled.

"I suppose that's true..." Darla smiled.

"When you're ready, I will take you," Drell said softly as he watched the crystal ball to the hotel now and saw that the head chef of the kitchen and a laundry woman were complaining to Mr. Salamone about the burnt and soaked dinner dishes and now pink laundry due to Leon's boarding school uniform accidentally being mixed in with white sheets about Eloise's shenanigans. "I see your daughter takes after her father, no?"