Protect My Heart

EPILOGUE

Clover

"Mom! Nora took my favorite dress again! She stole it!" my daughter yelled as she rushed down the stairs, with her sister following suit.

I let out a frustrated sigh while I stirred the sauce. "Well, then take it back."

"But she won't give it back!" Mia exclaimed, stomping her foot.

She was twenty-one and acting like a child.

Nora glared at her sister. "That was my dress first, it was supposed to be mine because I saw it in the store first. She was the one who stole it from me in the first place!"

"Jesus. Why are you two fighting over a dress? There are honestly much more better topics to fight about," I said.

"Ugh. This is so unfair!" Nora shouted, before stomping up the stairs again, letting me hear the slam of the door.

"Go make up with your sister."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mia roll her eyes, flicking her blonde hair behind her shoulder. "If I do that then can I go out with a friend tonight?"

I gave her a pointed look over my shoulder. "You do know that you can say you're going with Jason? It is not like I am going to be upset."

"What? I am not going out with Jason. I am going out with... Joland," she lied.

Mia was a very bad liar. The worst liar.

"What kind of a name is Joland even?" I asked. "I must admit, you are as bad of a liar as your father is."

"Ugh. Can I go? Please," she pleaded.

I sighed. "You are twenty-one, you don't need my permission. But if you are asking, then you can go, but only when you make up with Nora. You know how sensitive she can get."

"Yeah. Well, she gets it from you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Say such a thing again and I will put you on house arrest for weeks. I don't care how old you are. Our rules stay while you're living under this roof."

Mia gasped, mouth popping open. "You can't do that! Besides, your house arrests never work, they never stick. And I am moving in with Jason soon. We are looking at apartments."

You're not together, but you're going to live together – the irony of that.

"Maybe my house arrests don't stick. But the one's your father makes, they do. So unless you want him to put you on house arrest then I suggest you to keep quiet."

"Fine! I will apologise!" Then she added, "Why do you have to have such a hold on him?"

I twirled on my heel and smirked. "What can I say? Your dad loves me, that's all there is to it. Now go apologise and let your brothers know that dinner is almost ready."

I was disturbed yet again when the backdoor opened. Landon walked in with Paco, the German Shepherd. "Hey, Mo –"

"Nuhuh. Go back outside and clean him. He is all muddy," I ordered.

My son groaned before going back outside.

"Jesus. Those damn kids will drive me to my grave one day," I muttered, put the mince in the pan once the onions were done. Then Lancelot, Landon's twin brother waltzed in from the living room.

"Hey, Mom. A couple of my friends are coming over before the football game tonight," Lancelot exclaimed, stepping inside the kitchen. "What's for dinner?"

"Lasagne. You couldn't have told me earlier? Before last night even? So that then I would have had the time to clean the house?"

Lancelot swiped his dirty blond hair out of his eyes. "Umm, no? Besides, I think it looks perfectly fine."