Her Brother's Best Friend

68

"I love you, my sweet angel." Michael softly sings to a sleepy Ariel, tucking her comfortably in bed."Mommy and daddy will never leave you again. I promise."

Anastasia stood at the doorway and watched as he brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead twice.

"Sleep tight." He murmured then stood up from the pink bed and turned to walk to the door.

He stops in his tracks when she utters in her sweet, delicate voice,"Goodnight daddy, I love you."

The simple sentence instantly grasped onto Michael and Anastasia's heart.

A warm smile slowly spreads onto his glowing face."I love you more, sweetheart." He said over his shoulder then proceed to exit the bedroom.

"Did you hear that?" He smiled excitedly."She finally called me daddy. And I didn't even have to tell her to."

"I heard." She giggles at his excitement.

"Now, as for my evil angel," He said and she playfully punched him in his stomach. He chuckled then unexpectedly pulled her into a tight hug."I love you."

"I love you more, Michael."

"I don't want to lose you again." He whispered and she pulled away to look at him.

She cupped his face in both hands."You won't."

His hands cover hers and his eyes close."Anastasia—"

"You won't, Michael." She repeated.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

He hugged her again and sighed deeply."Let's get to bed."

***

It was the middle of the night and Anastasia was in the kitchen serving herself a snack. A spoonful of peanut butter in one hand and a pickle in the other.

Since the day Michael found out Anastasia was pregnant, he had the refrigerator and cabinets restocked with snacks that he was sure she would soon be craving for.

Anastasia smiled, remembering how she told him she would never, ever combine pickles and peanut butter and here she is doing it.

"He does know what's right for me." She spoke to herself, staring down at the half bitten pickle."He really does."

"Wow..." She heard someone chuckle behind her.

She spun around and saw Felix standing at the doorway of the kitchen.

She frowned at him.

What was he doing in the main house? And how the hell did he even get in?

Before she could repeat her thoughts out loud, Felix spoke up first."I'm sorry, before you go nuts on me let me explain; Michael left the back door unlocked and said we could come in whenever and help ourselves to whatever in the kitchen. I just came in here for a small snack to take along with my medication."

"That's generous Michael for you." She mumbled under her breath. She nodded her head."Go ahead."

She watched as he moved his feet to the two-door refrigerator and opened the right side.

He pulled out a small bowl of combined fruits and turned to look at her."Is it okay if I eat this?"

She shrugged, chewing slowly."Help yourself."

He closed the refrigerator and placed the plastic bowl on the marble island.

"Do you always talk to your food after you eat it?" He asked, lifting the lid.

Anastasia chortled."Actually, I was talking to myself."

He grunted with a smile."Oh, because I was gonna say you're crazy for talking to your food. But, no, talking to yourself is just fine. Totally normal."

She playfully rolled her eyes and continued to eat her snack.

"Where do you keep your glasses?" He asked and she pointed at the high cabinets beside her. He grabbed a glass and poured himself some water from the faucet and took his medication.

"If you don't mind me asking," She began and he turned his head to look at her."aren't you upset about your wife lying to you after all these years?"

"Lying to me?" He sucked on a strawberry.

Anastasia arched a brow."About her estranged children. The children she abandoned, and never turned back for. My brother and I?"

He frowned deeply."She told me you and your brother were her cousins."

Anastasia's eyes slightly go wide."Well, I guess the truth is out now."

He released a light chuckle."I'm just kidding, I know everything."

Anastasia furrowed her brows in confusion."And you're absolutely okay with it?"

He shook his head."I'm not gonna lie and say I wasn't hurt and furious that she lied to me since the very day we encountered, or how she could pull such a sickening act of abandoning her own children." He gave a weary sigh."I most definitely was. I couldn't believe it at first. I thought she was just fooling around, but as soon as I realized the 'just kidding' was never coming, I knew it was real." He popped a piece of pineapple into his mouth.

"And you're still married to her?"

The corner of his lips lift into a small smile as he stared into space."I love her." He shrugged."I love Gwendolyn with all my heart. Nothing could make me want to break away from her."

She scoffed."Not even lies and cheating?"

"Not. Even. You see..." He looks down."There is something about her, that captures my heart completely. Since the day we met," He glanced at Anastasia and their eyes lock."when I first gazed into those enchanting...deep...brown...eyes," He moved closer to her."I knew I was all hers and she was all mine."

Before Anastasia could even think twice, his lips were already against hers.