You'd miss me if I weren't around

I stepped back, brushing off my hands as if I had done a particularly dirty job. "There you go. Home sweet home."

Aeliana, looking grumpy as ever, huffed and opened the door to her house. I followed her inside, curious to see how she lived. Despite her sour demeanor, I couldn't help but be intrigued by this little peek into her life.

The interior of Aeliana's house was simple yet charming. The living room was cozy, with comfortable-looking furniture arranged neatly. The walls were painted a soft cream color, and there were a few framed photographs of her family on the walls.

A large, well-worn bookshelf stood in the corner, filled with a mix of novels and what looked like old tomes of magic. A small dining area was off to the side, with a wooden table set for dinner.

"Aeliana, is that you?" a male voice called from another room.

"Yeah, Dad. I'm home," Aeliana replied, her tone still tinged with irritation.

Her parents emerged from the kitchen, smiling warmly. Her father had gray hair and striking green eyes, and her mother, looking surprisingly young, had black hair and blue eyes.

"Aeliana, welcome back! And who's this with you?" her mother asked, looking at me with curiosity.

"This is Ciara," Aeliana said, not sounding particularly thrilled about it.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield," I said, putting on my best charming smile. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Not at all, Ciara! Any friend of Aeliana's is welcome here," her father said, extending his hand for a shake.

I took his hand, giving it a firm shake. "Thank you, sir."

Just then, a little girl bounded into the room. She had the same black hair as her mother, but her eyes were a bright, curious green. She couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old.

"Aeliana!" she squealed, throwing herself at her sister.

"Hey, kiddo," Aeliana said, her grumpy expression softening for a moment as she hugged her little sister.

"And who are you?" the little girl asked, looking up at me with wide eyes.

"I'm Ciara. Nice to meet you," I said, crouching down to her level.

"I'm Lily!" she said with a big smile. "Are you Aeliana's friend?"

I glanced at Aeliana, who rolled her eyes. "Something like that," I said, ruffling Lily's hair.

"Well, dinner's ready," Mrs. Whitfield said, leading us all to the dining table.

As we sat down, I couldn't help but notice how warm and inviting the atmosphere was. The table was set with a variety of dishes that smelled absolutely delicious. It was a far cry from the formal, often cold dinners I was used to.

"So, Ciara, what do you do?" Mr. Whitfield asked as we started serving ourselves.

"I'm a bit of a jack-of-all-trades," I replied with a grin. "But mostly, I cause trouble."

Aeliana shot me a glare, but her parents laughed.

"That sounds interesting," Mrs. Whitfield said. "We could use a bit more excitement around here."

"Oh, I'm sure Aeliana provides plenty of that," I said, winking at Aeliana.

"She does, indeed," Mr. Whitfield said with a chuckle. "Especially when she was little. Did you know she once tried to cast a spell to make herself taller because she thought she wasn't growing fast enough?"

"Dad!" Aeliana groaned, her face turning red.

I laughed. "Really? I would have loved to see that."

"It didn't work, of course," Mrs. Whitfield said, smiling fondly at her daughter. "But she was so determined."

"Always so determined," I said, smirking at Aeliana.

Aeliana glared at me, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips. Despite her grumpiness, I could tell she loved her family deeply.

As dinner went on, the conversation flowed easily. Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield were full of stories about Aeliana's childhood, each one funnier than the last. Lily chimed in occasionally, mostly to ask me questions about the demon realm and my own childhood.

"Did you know Aeliana once tried to fly off the roof with a makeshift pair of wings she made from cardboard?" Mr. Whitfield said, chuckling.

"Dad, please!" Aeliana groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"I did something similar," I said, laughing. "Except I used bedsheets. Didn't work out too well for me either."

Mrs. Whitfield smiled at me. "It's nice to see someone who understands. Aeliana's always been so adventurous."

"And stubborn," I added, earning another glare from Aeliana.

As we finished dinner, Mrs. Whitfield stood up. "Well, I think it's time for you to take Ciara outside, Aeliana."

Aeliana looked confused. "Why?"

"Because she's been cooped up in here all evening. Show her around a bit. And it'll give us a chance to clean up," Mrs. Whitfield said, giving me a conspiratorial wink.

I stood up, stretching. "Sounds like a good idea. Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Whitfield. It was delicious."

"You're welcome, Ciara. Come back anytime," she said with a smile.

Aeliana grumbled something under her breath but stood up as well. "Fine. Let's go."

We walked outside, the cool evening air a welcome change from the warmth of the house. Aeliana led me around the garden, showing me the various plants and flowers her mother tended to.

"Your family is great," I said, breaking the silence.

"They're okay," Aeliana said, still sounding grumpy.

"They're more than okay. They're wonderful," I insisted. "You're lucky to have them."

Aeliana sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's just…complicated."

"Everything's complicated," I said with a shrug. "But you've got a good thing here."

Aeliana looked at me, her expression softening slightly. "Thanks, Ciara. I appreciate that."

We walked in silence for a while, the sounds of the night filling the air. Despite Aeliana's grumpiness, I could tell she was happy to be home, surrounded by her family. As much as I loved teasing her, I had to admit, I was a little envious. My own family was a far cry from the warm, loving home she had.

"So, does Grumpy Aeliana come out to play every time you come home, or is it just for me?" I teased, nudging her with my elbow.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not grumpy."

"Could've fooled me," I said, smirking. "Your parents are great. How did they end up with you?"

Aeliana shot me a glare. "Watch it, Ciara."

"Oh, come on, lighten up. You know, I think your little sister has more sense of humor than you do."

"Lily is a kid," Aeliana replied, but I could see a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"Maybe you should take notes from her," I suggested. "You might actually be fun to be around."

"Ciara," Aeliana warned, but her tone lacked any real menace.

"Yes, yes, I know," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "You love me deep down."

"Keep telling yourself that," she muttered, but I could see she was struggling to keep a straight face.

I leaned in closer. "Admit it, Aeliana. You'd miss me if I weren't around to annoy you."

Aeliana stopped walking and turned to face me, giving me the middle finger. "Go back to your own house, Ciara."

I laughed, holding up my hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. But you know where to find me when you need someone to liven things up."

"Goodnight, Ciara," she said, turning away.

"Goodnight, Grumpy," I called after her, grinning as I watched her walk back to her house.