Don't give up on me ✓

[42] Reunited

We don't remember days, we remember moments - Cesare Pavese

Chapter 42: Reunited

"Tonight's the big night!" Emily exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Your first time having friends over!"

Why do I feel like a five-year-old about to have my first play date?

"Let's discuss the dinner menu. I went to the farmer's market this morning and got plenty of fresh vegetables. Since you're vegetarian, I was thinking of making a mushroom risotto. How does that sound?"

I was getting so distracted by the delicious smells from the pots and pans she had cooking on the stove. Emily always seemed to be cooking and I wasn't going to complain about that.

"Sounds delicious. Sid is very calorie conscious," I said, "Is there a low-fat option?"

"I can make a healthy edamame salad as an alternative. Now for starters, I was thinking we could celebrate the fall season and have a creamy pumpkin soup that I can make from scratch?" She pointed at the pumpkins lined up behind her.

Didn't seem like much of a question. "Perfect."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I got ready for dinner that night, paying extra attention to my outfit. It was my first time having friends over. I wanted them to have a good time. In the space of a few months, this place had really turned into a home.

I thought of my mother. I hadn't spoken to her in months, since she left me. I started to regret that as well. I made a resolution to call her soon. It was about time I amend the broken bridge between us.

I had now understood why she had to leave me here.

The heavy knocker sounded at the front door of the mansion.

"Georgia!" Mohan yelled, "Your friends are here."

I hurried downstairs and found the three girls in the main hall. They were gaping at the decorated ceilings and at all the big oil paintings that hung on the wall.

"Wow," Cleo gaped.

"This place is... like a nineteenth century castle."

Isla walked up to me and handed me a bouquet, "Thank you for inviting us. We brought you these, but they're probably a bit pathetic next to...those."

We looked at the giant vase filled with sixty flowers.

"No, they're beautiful," I thanked her for the dozen.

"We'd never been invited to a castle before, so we thought we should bring something," she said.

Emily rushed out, both to greet the girls and to take the flowers. She brought us to the dining room and placed the flowers in the center.

"Where should we sit?" Sid asked me.

"Anywhere is fine. Mohan sits at the head now, since Mrs Maythorne's been gone."

The boys started coming in. First Hugo, then Zane, Jesper and Mohan... As each one entered, the girls stiffened more and more. 

It was almost like they hadn't quite believed it until they saw the boys.

"You live with all of them?" Sid whispered to me.

"And one more," I answered.

As if on cue, Nate walked in. 

Handsome, unpredictable Nate. He couldn't have know the girls were invited but, as usual, he didn't show it. The girls were staring at them, practically drooling.