"Mommy..."
"Mommy, wake up."
Lola groaned, her brows crinkling at the light shake on her body. Slowly, her eyes cracked open, catching two little heads hovering over her. She blinked and blinked, her brows rising when Chacha and Second’s faces ca into view.
"Good morning, Mommy!"
"Morning, Mommy!"
As usual, the twins bead and showered her with kisses. When they drew their heads back, Lola just blinked, confusion clear on her face.
"Chacha, Second," she whispered. "What are you—"
"I told you your mother is still sleeping."
Lola stopped as her breath hitched, whipping her eyes in the direction of the voice. There, coming from the walk-in closet, was her husband, already in his suit and tie.
"I allowed you in, and you promised you wouldn’t bother her," ca his cold voice, scolding their children in his usual tone that made it hard for anyone to discern what mood he was even in. "She’s tired."
"Huh?"
Lola slowly sat up, just staring at Atlas with wide eyes. He soon noticed the strange look on her face, making him march to the bed and sit on the edge.
Atlas raised a hand and planted it on her forehead, checking her temperature. Then, he drew his hand back.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "You don’t have a fever."
But she didn’t answer.
Lola just stared at him blankly before she glanced at her children, who were looking at her with deep curiosity.
"Mommy, why are you looking at us like that?" Chacha asked. "Did you see a ghost?"
"Mommy, Chacha was practicing voodoo and used Daddy’s hair strands," Second shared, moving closer to Lola and adding in a whisper, "Did a vengeful ghost attach to Daddy?"
"If there is, I can exorcise it," Chacha also whispered, because that was the point of everything she did. She created a problem for herself so that she could solve it. "Can you see it now?"
Lola gazed down at the children. If they were practicing sothing like that, how could they not think they should see the otherworldly creature first before dealing with it?
The thought crossed her mind, making her brows knit before she pinched her cheek.
"Ouch," she whispered, then looked up to see the trio watching her with even more curiosity. "Hah..."
"Why are you pinching yourself?" Atlas asked. "Are you alright?"
"Mhm," Lola smiled as she looked at the kids and then at him. "I think... I think I just had a really bad dream. A very realistic one."
"Does that dream have dragons?" the twins asked in unison, while Atlas glanced at them as if they had beaten him to the question. "Whenever Daddy dreams, he slays dragons and monsters, then sacrifices everyone else for greater power!"
Lola laughed as she placed a hand on them before looking back at Atlas.
"It’s nothing like that," she humd, smiling, her eyes stuck on her husband. "It’s just... a really, really bad dream. But I’m glad I’m awake now."
Her lips quivered sohow, despite her heart feeling at ease that everything was just a dream.
"I see," Atlas nodded, smiling subtly. "I was worried you got a little sick."
Lola shook her head. "Atlas, should we leave today?"
"Hmm?"
"With Chacha and Second," she said. "Let’s go sowhere else or... maybe just stay ho with the children. Just so family ti."
Chacha and Second blinked while Atlas tilted his head to the side.
"Mommy, did you forget?" the twins asked, causing her brows to knit. "Today, we’re leaving."
Lola was confused. "We are? Where are we going?"
"To the park!" the twins echoed together. "You planned it."
"Oh," she rocked her head. "I did, huh?"
"We’ll wait for you to get ready," said Atlas, then turned to the children. "Co, get ready, both of you."
"Okay~!"
With that, the twins climbed down the bed while Atlas stood beside it. Looking at Lola, he gave her his usual reassuring look.
"I’ll get them ready," he said. "Co down when you’re ready."
Lola smiled and nodded, watching her husband take the children out of the bedroom to prepare for the day. Once the door shut behind Atlas’s back, a deep exhale escaped her.
"It was just a dream," she nodded, heaving a sigh of relief. "Just a dream, after all."
She repeated those words over and over until she was half convinced that all of it was nothing but a horrible dream. And this one? This one was the reality. Atlas was alright, her children were healthy and just as bubbly, and Lola was in a place where her heart belonged.
With that thought, she flung her legs out and went to the shower. As she stood under the warm spray, she smiled in satisfaction. She felt the hot water trickling down her body, her hair ssy and tangled after shampoo, smoothing it with conditioner.
She took her ti rinsing off the slippery residue and scrubbed her body clean. She felt everything, slled everything—even the contrasting coldness of the mirror when she wiped the moisture away with her hand.
"It was all just a dream," she whispered as she went to change. "Just a bad dream. A very bad dream."
And before she knew it, she was finished dressing up. Lola blinked upon seeing the dress she was wearing and the black veil over her head. Everything about her was black from head to toe.
"Huh?" she blinked. "Why did I choose this attire?"
But before she could change, a knock ca at the door. When she turned, she saw Allen, wearing black as well. Lola’s brows tightened at the look on his face.
"Madam, everything is ready," he said. "Everyone is waiting for you."
"Waiting for for what?" Lola quipped, letting out a laugh as she looked away. "Right. Atlas and the twins are waiting for to go to the park. Tell them to wait a bit. I’ll just change into sothing else. For so reason, I chose gloomy colors like I’m going to a funeral or sothing."
"Madam."
Lola paused from removing her veil and slowly looked back at him. The mont she t Allen’s eyes, all she saw was conflict and sadness. And sohow, that made her heart drop.
"Allen," she said. "Don’t look at like that."
"We need to send the master off."
Her breath hitched, her neck turning taut as she shook her head. "That’s impossible. Just now, Atlas was here—with the kids."
"..."
"They told we’re going to the park. That he’s going to wait for . This—this—" she looked away, tears already spilling from her eyes. "Go away."
"Madam, please."
"Go away!" she shouted, glaring at him despite the continuous tears falling from her eyes. "Go! I’ve had enough of your lies, Allen. This is not a good joke. He even checked my temperature, and I pinched myself—it hurt! Even the water from the shower was real! Enough with your nonsense now. I’m going to change."
Lola denied everything as she slamd the door in Allen’s face, telling herself she was probably hallucinating. But when she ca down, everyone was dressed in black—even the children.
Haji carried Chacha while Second stood beside Slater. The Bennets were also there, though clearly a few were missing. All of them—the family, the children, the Order—looked in her direction as she wore a baby pink dress.
Then Lola’s eyes shifted to the driveway, where a hearse waited with a casket.
The tears she had managed to stop earlier began forming at the corners of her eyes before falling uncontrollably.
"No," she choked. "Please..."
Her face twisted as she looked back at everyone, hoping soone would tell her this was just a huge prank. But the tears threatening to fall from their eyes were the only answer she received.
"This is just a dream," she whispered to herself. "God... please, let this be just a dream."
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