The Clash, Book One

Chapter 1: The Swan-Jones Family

            

Alena stepped out of her car after finishing up at her job for the day. She had just spent the last hour discussing a placement of a homeless shelter at a vacant lot that the company she worked for recently purchased.

She walked into the lobby of her apartment building and greeted the resident handy man before making her way to her first floor apartment.

As soon as she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she called out, "Hey, I'm home!" She smiled when she heard the sound of feet running across hardwood floor.

"Mommy!" her three-year-old twin girls shouted as they enveloped Alena in a hug. When they pulled away, the sitter was making her over to the small foyer.

Alena pulled out some cash from her purse and handed to the sitter before she spoke, "Thanks, again."

"Of course," the sitter responded. She bid the girls goodbye before she left the apartment.

Alena then bent down on Emma and Lily's level and asked them, "So, what would you two like for dinner?" as she ruffled their blonde locks.

"Cicken tenders!" they both excitedly shouted. Alena couldn't help but chuckle before she told them, "Chicken tenders it is."

Alena then walked to her bedroom to set down her purse and her work stuff before she walked into the kitchen, where Emma and Lily were waiting.

"Hep, Mommy," Lily spoke as she handed her mother a bowl. "Pease?" Emma added.

Both girls then adopted a puppy-dog look as they stared up at their mother with pleading brown eyes.

Alena already knew she was going to cave. Emma and Lily were the spitting image of her, but they both had their father's eyes. This meant that she was powerless to resist any look they gave her.

She bent down on their level once more and told them, "Okay, you two can help Mommy." An idea then crossed her mind and she continued, "In fact, I have a special job in mind."

Emma and Lily's eyes lit up as they watched Alena walk over to the cabinet. She pulled out three plates and cups before she handed them to her girls.

"Mommy wants you two to set the table for all of us, okay?"

"Okay!" the girls excitedly answered before they took the items from Alena and sprinted into the small dining area.

Alena smiled and shook her head before she grabbed the chicken tenders from the freezer and plugged in the fryer.

About 20 minutes later, Alena was heading into the dining area - one hand holding the plate of tenders and the other holding a jug of apple juice.

Her blue eyes widened when she saw that Emma and Lily had covered the round table in their coloring pages.

When the girls turned to face their mother, Emma shouted, "Pretty table, Mommy!"

Alena smiled as she spoke, "It is very pretty. Thank you both." The little girls smiled brightly in response.

Alena then set everything down on the table. The girls grabbed their tenders as Alena poured their juice.

"Let's see... the pink cup for Emma and the purple cup for Tili," the proud mom spoke, using the nickname she had for Lily.

"Tank you," the girls spoke at the same time, each with their mouth full of tenders. "You're welcome," Alena responded before she ruffled their blonde locks.

She then began fixing her own meal when she was interrupted by the slight clinking of a cup - and the subsequent sound of Tili's cries.

"Piture wet," she sobbed as the juice soaked the paper.

"Oh, sweetie, it's okay," Alena soothed as she grabbed some paper towels off the roll that she kept on the table.

"Otay, Lily," Emma repeated as she hugged her sister. Alena couldn't help but smile at the sight as she cleaned up the table.

When she had finished, she walked over the garbage can and threw everything away before she came back into the kitchen and sat down.

She then soothed her little girl some more, "Hey, you can always color a new picture, and It'll be just as pretty."

"Tiger Lily favite," Lily complained.

"I know that Tiger Lily is your favorite, and I promise we'll find another picture of her to color, okay?" Alena spoke reassuringly.

"Otay, Mommy," Lily responded. Alena ruffled her daughter's hair in response. After a bit of coaxing, her two girls went back to eating.

As Alena continued to think over the now ruined picture, she couldn't help but see the irony of the situation. Tiger Lily was Lily's favorite character on Disney's Peter Pan when the real version had been Alena's fairy godmother. Hence the nickname Tili - it was short for Tiger Lily, whom Lily was named after. Emma, of course, was named after her grandmother - Alena couldn't have thought of anyone who had more strength, determination, and love for which she wanted both of her girls to embody.

While Emma and Lily were too young to understand the full extent of their heritage, she hoped that one day she would be able to tell them all about the true tales of the love story of a savior and a pirate that began on the beanstalk.

The life she had built wasn't quite what she had imagined it to be, but she wouldn't trade it for anything in this world.

Little did she know how much her life was about to change.

The ringing of the house phone pulled Alena from her thoughts. She got up and answered, "Swan-Jones residence. Alena speaking."