Love Hurts, Doesn't It? ✔️

Chapter 34

I was frantically bouncing my legs under one of the window tables in a popular hangout spot in Fresno called The Annex Kitchen.

I chewed helplessly on my nails while checking the time every five minutes waiting for them to arrive.

Today was the day Alistair and Hope would get to sit down with each other after years of separation, I was anxious as to how this day was going to go but it needed to be done sooner or later.

It's been a week since we got back from the cabin, my dad and Ian went on a business trip the very next day and wouldn't be back till the end of August which was in two weeks.

My heart was weeping at the fact that summer was coming to an end but I didn't want to dwell on that right now.

Nana has been guarding my mom like an eagle watching it's prey ever since she found out mom was pregnant, apparently Nana didn't know either, she just assumed my mom has been having too much to eat.

Which is doable because mom has been stress eating lately, asides that things were smooth in the Matthews house.

I smiled inwardly and momentarily forgot about my nerves when my mind wandered to my boyfriend, Cole, everything has been perfect.

Ian and I have been getting distant over the past week but Cole made up for it, I didn't even realize the strain on Ian and Is relationship until he pointed it out and told me we needed to talk by the time he was back.

I shook my head clear of those thoughts as I saw Hope bustling down with a whiny Aiden behind her, "Sorry I'm late, I couldn't get across to any of his friends to drop him off", she pointed at a near tantrum Aiden.

I took a good look at her and if it was possible for her to look worse than when I last saw, she did.

My heart broke at her state, she wore a faded green shirt, her blue jeans were acid washed and almost white, her hair looked like it hadn't been combed out properly in weeks which was explained because she kept running her hand through it.

Her white pale skin was lacking its natural vitamins and glow that it looked sickly, they were huge circles and bags under her eyes and her lips were chapped almost cracked, she looked sick and I almost cried out at her beat down state.

She sat down at our four chaired table opposite me and seated a ranting Aiden on her lap who jolted and wiggled out of them to the floor with an ear piercing shriek.

She gave apologetic looks to everyone around her and tried getting her little brother off the floor who wasn't giving in.

I didn't want to intervene but when I saw the tear run down her face I lost it, I stood up immediately and walked around to them, I opened up my purse and brought out a lollipop before crouching down putting it in front of Aiden.

He got quiet at the sight and was watching it intently, "You love lollipops don't you?", I asked him.

He looked at me before sucking on his thumb nodding once, "I love them too, but you see lollipops are only meant for kids who behave themselves", I dragged smiling down at him so he'd be calm, "Now I've earned my own lollipop when I was your age, but do you think this is what a good boy should do to get his own?", I asked pointing at him still sprawled on the floor.

He instantly got up and shook his head, I straightened his shirt and took his thumb out of his mouth as I knelt down in front of him, "That's right, so what are we going to do?"

"Be a good boy!", he exclaimed.

I laughed at his cuteness before getting up, "That's right! Now guess what?".