Seventy Five - Reception

Adian's POV

With my room being opposite the girls they leave the door open against my better judgement.

"Why do you allow yourself to be a pushover?" I heard Chubbs asks, as I was about to enter their room.

"I don't" Hailey chuckles. "I just don't believe in fighting and talking back" she tells Chubbs.

"Except with AD." Chubbs chuckles. "Have this happened before?" Chubbs asked.

"Uh, in high school, it was difficult. Being the girl without parents. I was a punchline for their jokes. I was excluded all the time until I stopped trying to fit in and focus on my school work. When I was fourteen, things changed. I was studying so much, that I got tired and restless quickly. Then I started have scary dreams that got me sick, so I ended up at a hospital. They said it was for kids with mental problems. Then a lady came and told them to give me medication and sent me back home, to nanny Peirce." Hailey paused and as I was about to go into the room, a hand held me back.

Basil stood behind me encouraging me to listen, but what Hailey was sharing was too painful to hear.

"What were you remembering?" Chubbs asked.

"They said it was just dreams, but when I got into college, I was so busy studying that there were times that I forgot to take my medication. Then the dreams came back. One of the girls in my dorm took me to meet a professor who taught psychology and she taught me things that the doctors lied to me about."

There was a long pause, "Hailey?" Chubbs said. "are you okay?" and then I heard Hailey sob.

Without a moment's hesitation, I ran into the room.

"What's going on here?" I asked a bit too harshly.

They turned and stared at me as if I'm crazy.

"What is wrong with you?" Chubbs asked me, but my eyes were on Hailey.

"You guys aren't dress yet" I observed, "and why are you crying?" I asked Hailey.

Shaking her head,"it's nothing" she says, looking behind me with a small smile.

"Why are you guys dressed up"Chubbs asked, looking at Bas and I.

I strode angrily to the closet, pulling out the bags with the dresses I ordered earlier for the girls.

"Get dress and meet us downstairs" I instructed the both of them and stormed out of the room angry with myself.

I allowed myself to be caught eavesdropping on my wife and my sister.

"Who do you think the lady is that told the doctor to put her on medication?" Basil mused, with a beer in his hand as we sat on the patio.

I can see Bas brain ticking, "You tell me" I responded.

He just shook his head and looks around. "Hmm there are the cats that wanted to maul Hailey earlier" he said, standing up and walking away towards the women.

Mr. Storm" Mrs Bradford approached my table, "everything is ready, I even got a cake done. I hope your wife likes it" she said, enthusiastically.

"My wife loves everything, especially what's done in love" I tell her. "I guess that you already know our true identities by now and I apologize for that, but we wanted a quiet vacation" I told her.

Smiling knowingly, "I understand" she says, as I look to the side of her where I saw Hailey and Chubbs walking down the Victorian staircase.

"Excuse me," I told her, standing up, I picked up a single white rose and a single yellow rose before walking back inside to meet my wife.

Chubbs was dressed in a purple , thin strapped knee length dress, while my girl wore a white floor length gown that clung to her body. Did I miss her size, because I want to be the only one to appreciate my wife curves like that.

I approached a laughing Chubbs and a nervous Hailey as they pause looking down at me.

Chubbs moves past Hailey, joining me at the bottom of the stair, plucking the yellow rose from my hand and kissing my cheek.

"Love you big brother" she says moving past me.

I laugh before turning my attention back to the girl standing on the steps above me.

With a smirk, "are you coming down or do I need to come up and get you?" I asked her.

She looks around her nervously, before she slowly made her way down the remaining stairs, with one hand on the banister and the other lifting the length of her dress.

I walked up the one flight of step to meet her on the landing, presenting the single white rose to her.

Grinning nervously, she takes it from my hand, inhaling the sweet fragrance, I leaned forward, kissing her lightly on her lips.

"Thank you" she says looking around us, "what's going on?" she whispers.

"Mr and Mrs Knights, this way please" Mrs Bradford came to usher us to the garden, where I had organize a small dinner for the guests.

"Knights?" Hailey asks and I nodded.

We walked outside to a hearty round of applause. I was totally blown away. There were people standing, welcoming us that I didn't expect to see here.

Hailey stood, shocked as I am to see not only, the guests from the B&B, but my parents, uncle Jerry, Mr. Knox and his wife, along with Mrs Pierce.

Looking to my side, Bas raised a glass to me. He organize all of this.

I nod to my best friend, before turning to Hailey who tugged my arm.

"You did all of this?" she asks as my parents came to congratulate us.

This is the first time I looked at my dad in years and really saw him. His bright happy smile always evident when I was in the room.

Releasing Hailey's hand, I reached across and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I love you dad" I cried