Chapter 14

Aly didn't know what to. Will she leave? Will she stay and pretend nothing happened? All eyes were on her and she wanted for the ground to open and eat her alive.

"Oh, what the hell I'm thinking?" Aly said inwardly.

Brett, on the other hand, after realizing what Aly have said, smiled ear to ear.

"Are you two together?" Scarlet asked irritably but hide it very well.

"Yes!" "No!" "Not yet!" Harper and Aria, Aly, and Brett spoke at once. Scarlet was puzzled. Dave laughed. Tyler and Caden smiled because of the chorus they witnessed.

"She will be our second mommy soon." Aria said proudly that made Scarlet fuming inside.

"Really?" Scarlet said.

"Yes! Am I right, Auntie?" Aria said sweetly that made Aly tomato red in color. Scarlet was waiting for Aly's response but heard her phone ringing.

"Yes, cousin?" Scarlet said on the other line.

"Your visitors are already here and they are waiting for you." Scarlet's cousin said.

"Okay, I'll be there. Give me ten minutes." Scarlet said and ended the call.

"I'll be going now, my friends were already at my cousin's restaurant." Scarlet said.

"Bye Brett, see you around." Scarlet said seductively and then winked at Brett but the latter only nodded. Scarlet looked at Aly but to her dismay she was busy talking to Harper and Aria.

"Aria, it's not good to make a gossip in front of other people. They might spread it and make a rumor about it." Aly said.

"I'm sorry Auntie but daddy is courting you and one of this day you will give him answer, right?" Aria said that made Aly kept quiet.

"I really like you, Auntie. I want you to be my mom." Aria said with tears in her eyes.

"Oh my sweet, don't cry." Aly said then hugged Aria.

Aria looked at Harper and made a thumbs up sign. Harper giggled. Tyler and Caden looked at them curiously.

Scarlet arrived at her cousin's restaurant in a bad mood.

"Where have you been? And what's with that face?" Scarlet cousin asked.

"You're single now, right?" Scarlet asked not answering her cousin's question.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be part of your wicked plan again. "The man said.

"Oh come on, she's gorgeous and sexy." Scarlet said that made her cousin raised his brow.

"I see them a lot everyday." The man said.

"But I think, this one will make you drool." Scarlet said.

Even though, Scarlet had a bad feeling towards Aly, she can't deny the fact that Aly is beautiful and more alluring when she smile. She frowned on her own thoughts.

"Please, Cousin. This will be the last. I think this will be the one for me." Scarlet said sweetly.

"That was also the words that you said before." The man said shaking his head.

"No, no, the first time I saw him, I heard wedding bells." Scarlet said that made her cousin laughed.

"I'm serious!" Scarlet said pouting her lips.

"Promise, you will like her a lot." Scarlet continued.

"Go to your friends. They were really bored waiting for you." The man said.

"Okay! You'll do it, right?" Scarlet asked excitedly.

"We'll see." Her cousin said that made Scarlet rejoice inside. Every time she will ask her cousin a favor, he will not disappoint her.

Brett's days became hectic. Two of his staffs got sick and the shop was jam-packed with cars not only to be wash but also to be wax, exterior and interior cleaning, under wash, and the likes. He had no choice but to help. He wasn't able to come and join Aly and her staffs for lunch but he didn't fail to buy their desserts. Aly, after fetching Harper and Aria to the shop, will only bring Brett and Dave's snacks and will immediately leave because the two can't accommodate them. Brett will look at her apologetically but she will smiled at him saying "it's okay".

"Dad, tomorrow is our retreat. We'll be departing at exactly four in the morning." Harper said.

"Okay, sweetheart." Brett said.

"Dad, are you okay?" Aria asked noticing her dad was not full of vim and vigor as before.

"I'm okay, just tired." Brett said and continued walking going to his room.

"Let's eat dinner, Dad." Harper said.

"I have no appetite. Go and eat." Brett said.

Brett laid on his bed. He only changed his clothes without taking a shower because he's feeling cold. He fell asleep immediately.

Harper woke up early, took a bath and went out of her room carrying her luggage. She creased her forehead when she saw the lights were still off.

"Is daddy still sleeping?" She asked herself. She then knocked on Brett's room.

"Dad?" Harper said. "Dad?" She repeated. Harper opened the door and was shocked seeing his father's body shaking.

"Dad!" Harper said worriedly.

"Hhhmmm..." Brett's only response.

"What's happening to you?" Harper asked but Brett didn't answer.

Harper touched her father's forehead and was alarmed. She got the digital thermometer on the first aid kit and put it on Brett. After few minutes, it beeped and Harper felt like crying when she saw the monitor. Brett's having a high fever. Harper woke up Aria.

"What do we do, Big Sister?" Aria asked with tears in her eyes.

Brett was still shaking because of high fever. Without answering her sister, Harper dialed a number.

Aly was already done preparing Tyler's breakfast when her phone rang.

"Hello my sweet, morning." Aly said.

"Auntie..." Harper said and start sobbing.

"Hey, what happened?" Aly asked worriedly.

"Daddy...is having...a high fever...right now." Harper said between her sobs.

"Okay don't worry. I'll be there." Aly said and hurriedly called her two sons.

Tyler was already prepared while Caden was still half asleep going outside his room. They immediately drove going to Brett's house.

Aly brought her medicine kit filled with everything she needed. She called Jackson to bring Harper and Tyler to school.

They reached the house and they went immediately inside the house.

"Auntie!" Harper and Aria spoke at once and ran towards Aly, hugged her and star crying.

"Don't worry, your dad's gonna be fine." Aly said stroking the girl's heads.

"Harper, go with Tyler. Big brother Jackson will bring you to school. You can eat your breakfast on the car. Tyler brought his breakfast and yours too. Don't worry about your dad, I'll take care of him." Aly said smiling. Tyler pulled Harper towards the car. They have fifteen minutes more before the said departure time.

"Bye, Mom." Tyler said.

"Bye, son. Enjoy and take care of Harper." Aly said giving a peck on their cheeks.

"I will, Mom." Tyler said and went inside the car.

"Don't worry, my mom is a good nurse." Tyler said patting Harper's back. Harper nodded and smiled.

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Lessons from quotes (source unknown)

Love never grows when it's secretly kept locked in our hearts. Love will only find it's fulfillment when it finds its way out and dwells in the heart of that person destined to keep it.

Loves strives in hurting. If you don't get hurt, you don't learn how to love. Love doesn't hurt all the time though the hurting is there to test you and help you grow.

Love thoughts of tenderness, tried in temptation, strengthened by distress, unmoved by absence and yet more in all, untied by time.

Love...it's kind of complicated but I'll tell you this...the second your willing to make yourself miserable, to make someone else happy, that's love right there.

Loving, knowing you're going to be hurt is like living, knowing you're going to die. But not loving so you won't get hurt is like killing yourself before you die.