In fact, in Shelby’s fury and storming out, she conveniently blocked everyone out and did not hear the little voice that rang out after her own. As she walked along the corridors back to her quarters, a small hand slipped into hers.
The unexpected touch jolted her from her thoughts, bringing a warmth that cut through the storm of her emotions and anchored her in the mont. The anger that had consud her suddenly began to fade, like a fla extinguished by an unexpected tranquility. She was astonished to realize that Ingrid had managed to keep up with her pace! Ingrid was panting and had a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.
Shelby paused and looked down, surprised to see a pair of expectant, worried eyes looking up at her. The child’s innocent face stood in stark contrast to the turmoil she had just experienced. Her surprise softened her expression as she gently squeezed the little hand, offering silent reassurance despite her internal struggle chaos.
She wanted to ask why Ingrid had followed her out when her mother was back in the room, but Shelby was a little overwheld and could not even understand her own actions at that mont.
"What’s wrong, Mummy?" Ingrid asked, voice small but brave. In that mont, Ingrid was back to being her little childish self, but in the span of a few seconds, she flashed a confident smile and then said,
"It’s going to be okay, Mummy!"
That shocked Shelby! It was enough to remind her that, no matter how tangled her emotions, there were little hearts relying on her steadiness.... As well as little hearts in the form of the children, who provided her with the stability she needed.
With Aliya’s presence, Shelby had thought that the children would be gone for sure but never in her wildest dreams did she think that they would beco that close to her. It both gave her comfort and terrified her because she could understand a mother’s sentints.
Shelby went down and squeezed Ingrid into a tight hug as the two of them then walked hand-in-hand away from the receiving room.
Shelby was unbothered that she had left their guest in that room. She knew that Suzie would not follow her but had the tactical understanding to take care of their guests. That was the unspoken understanding between the Mistress and her chief maid.
And she was right!
In the receiving room, they all looked a little surprised at Shelby’s exit. For Alex and Geneva, that was the first ti that they had seen such a willful Shelby, but they were not angry... not in the least.
In fact, the next ti they would et Shelby, they would beam with pride, their expressions glowing with approval. This would take Shelby aback, making her swallow any apologies that had been at the tip of her tongue, especially after their statents.
"I knew you wouldn’t let her walk all over you," Alex would say, his chest puffed out with satisfaction, while Geneva would nod vigorously, her tone firm but laced with admiration. "It’s about ti soone stood up to that woman. You beat to it though.... Hahaha! I never knew that you had that side to you. Besides, catering to her whims would only feed her arrogance!"
This would be later stories, though, making Shelby surprised and appreciated at the sa ti. The thing was that all these would be said in front of Aliya. Their support, though unexpected, would go a long way to boost Shelby’s resolve and would also make her departure feel less like an impulsive act and more like a victory in its own right.
Ian was the one who took the biggest hit with Shelby’s departure. There was an acute sense of loss that he could not comprehend much. He had experienced it before, but that did not an that Ian liked it.
He wanted his Elfin with him but also understood that whatever happened in their relationship from then on, depended on him and that was quiet scary for him. He was also very unsettled, maybe more so because of the bond between them. He tried, to no avail, to get into Shelby’s head, but that was impossible. This inford him of how angry she really was.
’Let give my Elfin so ti to co around,’ Ian thought to himself, even though his uneasiness continued to rise. Ian had never been in a situation like this before. To the people around, he was trying to be as rational as possible, but the question remained,
’Is there a need for rationality in love?’
Ian sighed and then sent a mind command to Murray, ’Make sure that she is okay!’
After Ian confird that Murray had acknowledged this, he turned back to the room and focused on Aliya, but Ian did not say a word! He was giving so real hot and cold vibes!
Ian’s worries disappeared off his gaze connected with Aliya, and she smiled at him, however, one could see the worry marring her features. It was as if she was trying to show her sentints over Shelby leaving the room.
Geneva used all of her self-will at that mont to ensure that she did not blow up, but it was obviously failing from her expression.
Tension filled the room, creating an atmosphere that was impossible to overlook for anyone including the two children. Gabriel whimpered and leaned closer to Samantha. One could see his longing gaze that stared in the direction that Shelby had gone out through.
Everyone present unconsciously exchanged shaded glances at Aliya, their silent judgnts cutting sharper than any words. It was painfully obvious that they all itched to throw her out of the house. But two issues presented themselves to this possible decision: Did they have to do the sa to the children, who had long since been embraced as part of the family? And what would Ian do?
At the sa ti, their hearts, ached for Shelby, who had stord out, dignity intact but emotions likely in shambles. This was the reason that they called Ian on the night of Alex’s birthday when they heard of Aliya’s peculiar survival!
This aside, the real shock was Ingrid’s reaction. This had marked the second ti that she had ’left her mother’ and chosen her stepmother.
It was indeed peculiar, but the unspoken truth was plain for all to see—Aliya was there with an agenda, an audacious one directed squarely at Ian. Aliya did not seem to even consider Shelby’s presence in all her actions, and frankly, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to connect the dots.
Her every move reeked of calculated intent, and while the children’s presence offered her a flimsy shield, it was clear her ambitions were far less maternal.
"I am glad that you’re well, Aliya. So, would you care to answer my wife’s question?"
For a mont Aliya was caught by surprise and looked to be feigning ignorance,
"Question?"
"Why are you here right after your discharge?"
The question stung! Aliya had wanted or expected Ian to ask this in private and to the whole audience of his family!
"I have nowhere else to go, Ian...."
"That’s simple.... I can get them to give you one of the old hous-"
"I want to stay here!" She interrupted Ian suddenly.
"Please....P ... Ian. My children are here-"
Again, they had all heard the ’P’ endearnt before she had dropped it.
Samantha rolled her eyes and stood up abruptly. This caught the adult’s attention and Aliya’s too. Her eyes widened,
"Samatha? What have you done to yourself? You were not like this the last ti you cam- Ah yes, you left your phone-"
Aliya reached into her handbag for the phone, and Ian narrowed his eyes.
"Mum bought a new one, so you don’t have to worry about that. If you’ll excuse ..."
Samantha started walking out of the place, and Aliya froze with Samantha’s old phone still in her hand.
"Sam! Wait for ! I want to go to Mama too!"
Aliya’s hand tightened on the phone as she struggled to hold her emotions in. Everyone’s thoughts were the sa.
The children had tried to visit their mother several tis with the hopes that they could bridge the gap that had been created between them since that unfortunate accident but at the end, because they had tried to give as much leeway between mother and children, they held no fault in how the three children perceived their mother.
They had all mutually decided without ever talking to each other to let the estranged family re-connect on their own. As a result, it was not their fault that the relationship was crumbling.
"Young lady! I am not done talking-"
"Didn’t you say that you were going to stay here? So why should i listen in to this talk? You can find when you settle in later!"
Geneva gaped. She did not like Samantha’s attitude in many things, but at that mont, Samantha, as well as the other children, beca Geneva’s hero. As a mother, she knew how a nonchalant attitude from children would hurt, but in Geneva’s point of view, Aliya had done nothing to command any level of respect from these children. To her, even coming back from the dead did not have to cut people that much slack in anything!
"Is there anything else, Aliya?"
*********
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