The Royal Contract

She called her mother early this morning to tell them that they were joining them for breakfast. It had been a while since she had breakfast in the house where she had grown up.

Presently, she stared at the man beside him, who she believed had been too quiet since they woke up. He barely said a few words since they left the house.

“I am just thinking of what Ethan might say about the rumors,” Alex admitted to his wife, glancing at her to see her face.

This meeting with his father-in-law might or might not lead to anything since rumors tended to be false. But then again, when there was fire, there was gas fuelling the flame.

He believed that Ethan might know some truth about the rumors since he admitted to being part of the group at some point in his life. He might have stayed in touch with a few of them or kept tabbed on them even after he had left the organization.

“We will see.” She answered him. She might be slightly concerned about what she might learn about his father and his further involvement with the group. But she knew, this time, she could trust her father because he was a good man despite his past.

.....

She remembered the last time they had talked about his past. She could see how much toll it still had on his body and mind. It must have been a burden he had been carrying for a long time, a secret that weighed heavily in his heart.

Her mom had to stop the conversation and force her father to take some rest. She knew that there was more to the story, but it was left unfinished.

“I hope we can find some answers from what he knew.” His hand let go of the wheel and squeezed hers, assuring her that everything would be alright.

As much as he did not wish to entangle Ethan in this case again, he had no choice. He wanted to find the mastermind that had them going in circles. He would never believe that Dani would be safe until he was behind bars with Nick.

All he ever wanted was to get to the bottom of the truth. He knew that Ethan might hold the key to some of the answers. He just hoped that there was no more deep secret that would further break her heart.

“This is a welcome surprise, but I am happy to see the two of you.” Laura greeted her daughter and son-in-law with a smile that radiated love and longing once they entered the mansion.

She missed her daughter dearly, and every time her mind would remember the ordeal Dani had gone through, she could not stop herself from wanting to protect her again.

But luckily, she knew that her daughter had a good loving husband that would do everything he could to prevent that from happening again.

“Where is Dad?” Dani asked her mom as they entered the foyer of their house.

It still felt the same, just like when she lived in this house. Although it had undergone several renovations, it was still her home. It was big, but it always had that homey feeling.

Maybe it was because of her mother, who had filled this lifeless structure with memories of their life, laughter, and love. It could also be her father who had created a magical world for her when she was young.

“Waiting for you since you called.” Her mom beamed at her, excited to spend the morning with them. “He is outside in the garden.”

Since her daughter moved out of the house, it had been too quiet. Although they managed just fine to entertain themselves, still, it was different when she was around.

She sometimes believed it was too big for just the two of them. She could only hope that their family would start growing, so they could have little rascals running around the place again.

“You know you can always come and visit us if you miss me that much.” Dani jokingly said, feeling the longing of her mom for her company.

She made a mental note to invite her mom for a mother and daughter bonding. It had been a long time since they had done that. It would be just the two of them enjoying the day.

“Maybe we will do that more often. It had been too quiet here since you left.” Laura confided, feeling a bit nostalgic. “Ethan, they are here.” She announced once they stepped outside the garden.

She could see her husband busy with his computer. Even if she insisted he should not be working, he still found a way. She believed that old habits die hard.

“Princess, finally, you remembered to visit us.” Ethan quickly stood up and hugged his daughter. “You had been hugging her all to yourself.” He turned to Alex with a slight accusatory smile.

But all of them knew that he was kidding around. Although he missed his daughter, he knew that she had already started building her own family.

He did genuinely like Alex for his daughter. He was happy that someone would be taking care of her long after he was gone. But that would be a long time if he could do something about it.

“Let us sit down and eat. I prepared all your favorite food.” Laura interrupted the reunion and offered the meals she had done for them.

“You always know the way to my heart, Mom,” Alex responded with a boyish grin, suddenly remembering his mother. She liked to fatten him up when he was just a little boy.

He wondered why he could say Mom to Laura while he could not call Dad to Ethan. Sometimes, he would prefer to call him Sir. Maybe it was the authority Ethan commanded in his stance, making him want to salute him instead of hugging him or shaking his hand.

“When is my grandchild due?” Ethan asked out of the blue as their conversation revolved around the new apartment they had bought and the foster home project.

He wanted to have a new baby girl that he could spoil and treat like a princess. He wished the house to have young boys that would create loud noises around the hallways as they played knights with their swords or soldiers with guns.

But in this new age, he had learned that most things that young kids do were play with computers and cellphones. But his grandchildren would be different. He would fill them with hopes and dreams using his stories.

“I assure you that I am working on that.” Alex winked at his wife, which earned him a jab on his ribs.

He also liked to have kids soon. Despite all the troubles they were into at the moment, he believed that having someone to care for would always balance everything out.

He never saw his future children be a distraction or obstacle to his goals. But more of an inspiration to strive for more. He knew that Dani shared his sentiment.

He could not wait for his new family to be blessed with a few bundles of joy, hopefully soon.