One Plus One Equals One

Chapter 18 - Gwen's POV

"Guess what Gwen!" Charlene exclaims excitedly as she bursts into my room like a firework, causing my pen to skid along my page.

"Oh, Charlene! You scared me!"

"Sorry Gwen, I am just so excited! My dad's parents and sister are arriving tonight for a surprise visit for a week!" She squeals.

"Aww how wonderful, I am excited to meet them."

"You will love them! Especially my aunt Amara, oh she is..." And that is how my next half an hour is spent until dinner, with Charlene chattering my ear off all about her family. She is such a dear, animated little thing!

The family does not arrive until the early hours of the next morning, and I do not want to scare them with my 'walking dead' looks, so I decide that I will just greet them when I wake up for the day. I accidentally have a long lay in that Saturday morning, as I am so exhausted from a week of school, and do not end up crawling out of bed until quarter past nine! Hurriedly I get dressed into some mom jeans and a blush silky top, tame my hair and apply some makeup to make me look less dead, then venture downstairs to meet the family.

Heading down the spiralling stairs, I instantly know where everyone is congregated because coming from the first lounge is a loud concoction of noise to rival that of the school canteen, decorated with bountiful laughter and love. Suddenly I am nervous, wondering if I should go in considering I am not actually a part of the family, although I have never been treated or made to feel like otherwise. Deciding I should give the family some time alone, I start to retreat when I bump into someone's hard chest.

"Going somewhere Princess?" Cohen whispers into my ear as his hands come to rest on my hips, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

Oh! Cohen!" I gasp, swiftly moving out of his tempting touch. "Stop that, and I was just - just going back to my room." I declare.

"Why? Sleeping beauty has finally arisen, and now you're not going to gift us with your presence?" He mockingly teases me.

"Well, I thought maybe it is not my place." I shrug awkwardly.

"Don't be silly Gwen, come on, come in with me." Cohen decides, slinging one of his arms around my shoulder and pulling me along the hallway with him, despite my disputes.

As soon as we enter into the dining room together, the conversation all dims down until two beautiful bronzed women start cooing over me and make their way over.

"Oh, she's beautiful!" The older of the two declares before pulling me in for a hug.

"Darling, it is most wonderful to meet you! I am Luciana, Ellison's mother, and over there is Antonio, Ellison's father." Luciana introduces me to the room, gesturing to her husband who nods in response.

"And I am Amara, Ellison's sister! Oh my, you two are so cute! You remind me of when Archer and I were young." Amara sighs dreamily. "Oh yes, this is my husband Archer, and our twin boys, Franco and Felix. It is wonderful to meet you darling."

"Oh, it is wonderful to meet you all too!" I announce, smiling merrily at them all.

Cohen directs me to come and sit down next to him on the beautiful embroided blue silk sofa opposite his parents who are snuggled together. Felix and Franco can only be about ten, and completely ignore me for the most part, too interested in their toys on the carpet. It is almost scary looking at them, since they are carbon copies of each other from their little button noses to wavy brown hair upon first glance! They literally look like clones. Amara's husband Archer seems very nice, laughing at every joke, and obviously adores his wife as he hardly keeps his eyes off her. Antonio and Luciana are just the same, although older, sitting as close as possible to each other and giggling to secret jokes together. It is most endearing.