The Lost And Forgotten Memories

      It’s evening outside. Peter and Sammy, Terrence, and Edward leave Daniel’s house. MacClife, Sr., goes home, where Raquelle is waiting for him, with whom he is going to spend the rest of the day. After putting on comfortable home clothes, they lock their room, so nobody bothers them. While the man is telling what happened today, the girl is sitting on the bed with her back pressed to its back and stroking the hair of her fiancé, whose head is resting on her laps.       “So, here’s the story,” Terrence says thoughtfully, putting his hands on his stomach and setting his sleepy eyes on the ceiling. “We solved this problem once and forever.”       “I’m so happy,” Raquelle pronounces with a slight smile. “Thank God, nobody suffered.”       “Though, we had to make efforts to get what we wanted. Those two didn’t want to give up when the police pinned them to the wall, and when Ryan told us about what they did.”       “Poor guy, lost his mother because of that sick stinker…” Raquelle sighs heavily. “I’m surprised that Ryan didn’t become evil and managed to remain kind and decent after all of that.”       “The news about his father killing his mother woke up a greater hate for his family. We were afraid that he wouldn’t be able to deal with those two. Ryan looks like he’s got a bad physical education.”       “If you wanna revenge, you’ll be super brave. Even Anna got sick from all of those mockeries. Though, she also seems to be weak and unprotected.”       “She got us nicely surprised and stayed very confident and brave all the time. We wouldn’t have thought that she would’ve found the courage to knock out her offender to save Daniel, slap him in the face two times, and pour coffee over his head.”       “It’s love, Terrence,” Raquelle smiles mysteriously. “Now Anna doesn’t hide her feelings and openly hints at them to Daniel and us.”       “Yeah, but he’s stubborn and either pretends that he understands nothing or hasn’t realized that she gave him hope.”       “It’s okay, he’ll get it,” Raquelle says confidently. “Though I think Daniel understands everything. He just doesn’t wanna talk about it openly. It’s hard for him. This talk hurts him.”       “We all understand him. And we try not to press. But we don’t let him forget that he still has a chance.”       “Now I don’t doubt it,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “If you say, Anna kissed Daniel.”       “Yeah,” Terrence cracks a smile. “She hadn’t wanted to hear anything about him, but then she came to Perkins, thanked him, and kissed him on the cheek.”       “The ice is melting!”       “That’s right!” Terrence bends his legs at his knees, while Raquelle keeps stroking his hair and caresses the man’s face with one or two hands at times. “His wish to be a superhero was good to him.”       “Anna always said she wanted someone to save her the way a prince saves a princess. She still loves this type of tale.”       “And her dream came true! She found the prince, who saved her and her parents.”       “Thank God, not by sacrificing his life.”       “Yeah… We all got really scared when those stinkers almost killed Daniel. And Anna was ready to become hysterical after hearing the shot and the shout of Perkins.”       “It kind of reminds me of the case when Edward wanted to deal with Wainwright alone,” Raquelle notices thoughtfully.       “Yeah, I thought about it, too,” Terrence nods. “But when Edward asked us about it, we didn’t leave. And today, when Daniel did the same thing, the guys and I listened to him. Though, we shouldn’t have done it.”       “Cassidy said he was nervous from the beginning ‘cause you, Peter, and Edward wanted to meddle in it. Though, he knew he would’ve hardly dealt with it alone.”       “We would’ve done it anyway, Raquelle. Only one thing made us upset: the fact that we left Daniel alone. If not for Anna’s resolution, we would’ve lost him.”       “Anyway, the girls and I are proud of you and your resolution.” Raquelle kisses Terrence cutely on the temple and caresses his cheek tenderly. “You all did a great job!”       “But I think Peter, Edward, and I didn’t do anything grandiose,” Terrence smiles shyly.       “No, honey, that’s not the truth. If you hadn’t been there, the Potters would’ve really killed Perkins. You reached your goal and saved Anna and her parents, yourself, and each other.”       “I know, but I do think that Daniel played the most important role in this story.”       “Obviously, Daniel is a good fellow. He held on very worthily and wasn’t afraid to take a risk.”       “And Anna played the number one role, even if nobody thought she’d do that.”       “Anyway, you all have something to be proud of. The girls and I didn’t doubt you and knew you’d do that.”       “And we didn’t doubt it!” Terrence runs his hand tenderly over Raquelle’s cheek, seeing that she has a slight blush on her face.       “It couldn’t be otherwise!” Raquelle caresses Terrence’s head, ruffling his hair a little.       “And we believe you’ll help Anna come back to a quiet life and become the positive girl that she was. The lads and I did our business, but now it’s your time, girls.”       “Obviously, we will do our best,” Raquelle promises confidently. “Now, Anna won’t ignore us anymore.”       “Anna said she madly missed you and wanted to go somewhere with you.”       “We’ll surely do it when she comes to herself.”       Silence settles in the air for some time, during which Terrence smiles slightly as he completely enjoys the way Raquelle strokes the hair on his head, doing this so nicely that the man is relaxing with a feeling that he is about to fall asleep.       “Ah, how it’s good to be home with my beloved girl,” Terrence sighs peacefully with a slight smile. “I’m freaking exhausted after all these heroic adventures… And the lads and I also helped Daniel clean the living room. It was in the terrible condition after that hell.”       “Maybe, I can help you somehow?” Raquelle asks softly, moving a strand of hair off Terrence’s eyes.       “Keep doing what you’re doing. You know I like the way you stroke my hair or just keep your hand on my head. It calms me down and relaxes me so much.”       “I know.” Raquelle raises her knee a little, along with Terrence’s head, and kisses the man’s cheek with a slight smile, holding his face in her hands and rubbing the tip of her nose cutely against his nose. “I only need to tweak your hair, so you’re ready to do anything.”       “And this is a wonderful way to put me to sleep quickly,” Terrence laughs quietly and, closing his mouth with a hand, yawls. “I’m getting sleepy more and more… My eyes are closing…”       “Take a nap, then,” Raquelle suggests, running the back of her hand over Terrence’s cheek.       “Actually, we’re gonna sleep soon. But if I fall asleep now, there will be a high chance that I will be walking around the house until the early morning.”       “It’s almost half past nine. We can start getting ready to sleep.”       “Do you wanna put me to sleep as soon as possible?” Terrence chuckles kindly.       “I want you to have a rest. And I…” Raquelle smiles mysteriously. “I really like to watch you sleep.”       “And I love watching you sleep.”       “Or if you want, we can eat something. Cook something quickly. Or just drink juice…”       “Nope, the lads and I ate enough after the clean-up.”       “Then, let’s get ready for a sleep. Or let’s just lie.”       “That’s what I’m doing now…”       Terrence, not hiding his wide smile, caresses tenderly the cheek of Raquelle with his warm hand, takes her hand, which is placed on his chest, runs it shyly over it, and grips it slightly.       “Raquelle, sweetheart…” Terrence pronounces in a low, nice voice with a slight smile and kisses Raquelle’s hand tenderly. “I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful angel like you.”       “This angel will always be by your side,” Raquelle replies confidently. “Always…”       While Terrence keeps smiling widely, Raquelle puts her arms around his neck and leaves a tender, short kiss on the man’s temples and forehead, rubs her nose against his cheek, and touches it shyly with her soft lips, breathing in the natural smell of the male skin. At first, MacClife, Sr., laughs shyly, but then he leaves a few short kisses on her lips and corners of her mouth. However, Raquelle does not want to stop after one short kiss and gives Terrence a more continuous one after she teases him a little.       “You’re so funny,” Terrence notices in a low and nice voice.       “People say your mood may be infectious,” Raquelle smiles slyly. “So… I want your mood to be as good as mine.”       “Could it be better when you have a beloved girl that gives you a reason to live?”       Terrence raises himself on his elbow, caresses Raquelle’s head with a true smile, and runs his hand slowly over her long hair. That’s why she smiles widely with a feeling of something very nice caused by the fact that her beloved man touches her and shows his love.       “After such a hard day, I’d like someone to take care of me and make me feel like a baby,” Terrence adds shyly.       “Ah, baby…” Raquelle pronounces with a slight smile, caressing Terrence’s head tenderly. “I will surely take care of my treasure. With great pleasure.”       Raquelle hugs Terrence tenderly from behind, putting her warm hands on his chest and pressing him to herself like something dear. The man is happy to snuggle with his sweetheart and installs himself comfortably between her legs, looking like a little boy, who lacks love and care.       “Terrence, sweetheart…” Raquelle purrs, caressing Terrence’s head.       “Hey, have I ever told you that you spread a madly nice warmth?” Terrence asks with a slight smile. “That I never felt as good with someone as I do with you…”       “Many times. And you spread the same warmth. You always warm me up when I’m cold.”       Raquelle kisses Terrence’s temple with a much wider smile, caressing his cheek tenderly, putting his head on her shoulder, and rubbing her nose against his nose, while their foreheads contact.       “Okay, let’s not talk about today,” Raquelle suggests in a low, soft, and nice voice, stroking Terrence’s hair. “Let’s better think of the future. In which so many interesting things are waiting for us.”       “I thank all the gods for finally ending this story!” Terrence exclaims.       “I can’t wait for the lads and you to renew your performances and rehearsals.”       “When we come to ourselves after what has happened, we will start to rehearsal.”       “I still want to sit down in the first line, watch you play, listen to your voice, and keep my head raised proudly when telling everyone that I have an amazingly talented fiancé.”       “Soon, sweetheart,” Terrence pronounces quietly with a slight smile, caressing Raquelle’s hand placed on his chest. “Soon, you’ll hear me at a live show, sitting in the best place.”       “I hope it will happen soon.”       Raquelle’s voice is so quiet, soft, and silent that it impacts Terrence in a somnolent way. The girl’s caress is also the reason why the man does not notice how he is starting to fall asleep on her laps. Raquelle says nothing for some time, just caressing Terrence’s head and face with a slight smile and running her fingers through his soft hair. But later, she notices that the man kind of got silent, moves her eyes to him, and smiles shyly, seeing him sleep on her laps, breathing quietly and clearly, and folding his hands on his stomach.       “Yeah…” Raquelle whispers. “He fell asleep…”       Raquelle smiles much wider and runs the back of her hand tenderly over Terrence’s cheek.       “Sorry, sweetie, but I’ll have to wake you up later. To change clothes and lie in the bed.”       Caressing Terrence's cheek, Raquelle sees a small scar on it, and barely touches it. Then the girl puts her hand tenderly on the man’s hands placed on his stomach, takes one of them carefully, caresses it for some time, and puts it back. She watches her fiancé for a few seconds and caresses his head or cheek very tenderly. But then she moves her eyes to one of the pillows and puts it under MacClife, Sr.’s head, which she carefully moves off her laps. Raquelle watches him with a tender gaze for two seconds with a shy smile on her face, then lies down next to the man, putting her hands under her cheek, and just looks closely at his face, which is covered with small scars and a slight bristle and seems so cute to her.       

***

      Peter is also at home, along with Sammy and is waiting for Helene to come. The man decides to feed the retriever that is greedily eating dry fodder from a small bowl placed on the floor next to another filled with clean water. While the blond is smiling slightly as he is sitting on the kitchen table, watching the dog eat even what gets out of the bowl and falls to the floor.       Peter also takes something light from the refrigerator and eats it with pleasure. At some moment, the man moves his tired eyes to the window and watches the dark sky, seeing that the chandelier on the ceiling shows up on the glass and briefly thinking that the moon is lighting up. Rose would keep looking through the window if he did not hear cats’ meows from the up. He rolls his eyes with an irritated growl, and Sammy expresses his recentness by barking quietly.       “Don’t pay attention, buddy,” Peter says tiredly, running his hand through his hair. “Eat your dinner.”       Sammy whines quietly, as if he says, “Oh, I’m so sorry for you, man!”       “Eat. They’re gonna keep meowing.”       Sammy listens to Peter, quickly eats everything in the bowl, and starts to drink water from another.       “Good, Sammy, good boy,” Peter encourages with a slight smile.       Two seconds later, Peter hears the loud meows of a few cats.       “Oh, damn, I’m sick of fighting with it…” Peter sighs tiredly, running his hand over his tired face. “It’s worthless… Though, these cat meows are irritating me more and more. It’s something like a perforator that works all day long.”       Sammy barks quietly and comes closer to Peter, who pets the dog’s head, looking at him with quite a tired look.       “The guys are right when they say that I must get out of here. Living in these conditions is getting unbearable. And the most important thing is that everybody gives a fuck, and nobody wanna do anything. I’m kind of the only one to be irritated by this. Or only deaf old women live here.”       Then Peter hears the sound of the radio or a TV working at full volume and moans tiredly, running his hands over his face.       “Fuck, Marta also turned on a TV at full volume…” Peter says tiredly. “Again! She does give a fuck that it’s half past nine! People are actually gonna sleep!”       Sammy sits up and whines quietly with pity, and Peter exhales sharply, runs his hands over his hair, gets up lazily from the table, takes the plates that he ate from, and comes to the sink.       “I know, Sammy, I should really get out of here,” Peter says quietly, turning on the faucet and starting to wash the plate. “And I think I can start thinking about it now. If I’m able to buy a new house or an apartment, why don’t I take this chance?”       Sammy barks confidently, as if he agrees with it.       “But I’d need time to take my stuff from here and move everything to another place. And I’m afraid that I’d have to rely on the kindness of my friends. I’d definitely need their cars. Having only mine wouldn’t be enough.”       Some time later, Peter manages to wash the plates and the glass, puts them in the right places, turns off the water from the faucet, turns himself on Sammy, and leans on the sink with both hands.       “But at first, we need to come to ourselves after what we experienced. To be honest, I can barely think now…”       Sammy makes a quiet sound, and Peter smiles slightly.       “And I wanna move as soon as possible. I could at least invite my friends and have a good night with my girlfriend if she wished to stay with me. I can’t always use the kindness of Helene and her grandmother and stay with them for a night.”       Sammy comes closer to Peter and makes a sound again, looking at him as if he wants to say, “Come on, Peter! We are always happy when you stay with us! Because my owner is happy!”       “I know none of you mind it,” Peter laughs shyly. “But I want my girlfriend to spend nights at my home. Spend much more time with me. I like spending nights with her. And you know, buddy… I’m gonna tell you honestly that I would like to marry Helene someday.”       Sammy gets much more excited and starts wagging his tail happily, closely listening to Peter, who speaks it all with some gloss in his eyes and a shy smile on his face.       “Yes, yes, Sammy, I’m serious about your owner,” Peter nods confidently. “And in the future, I see her as my wife. I wanna believe that Helene wouldn’t reject me if I found the courage to propose to her. I love that girl with all my heart and can’t even imagine anyone but her next to me. Would you like it? Would you let us live together?”       Sammy barks excitedly in a jump, and Peter scratches the dog’s hair with a slight smile, squats down, and grabs his face while the retriever licks the tip of his nose.       “But now it should be a secret between you and me for a while,” Peter warns. “You became the first one to know my plans. Even the men know nothing yet. So, please, don’t betray me. Okay?”       Sammy barks confidently again, wagging his tail.       “Okay, I trust you,” Peter says amicably.       While Sammy silently looks at Peter with his tongue out, sitting in front of him, the man pets the dog’s head with a slight smile until he hears a ringing bell that makes the retriever much more excited.       “Let’s meet your owner,” Peter smiles shyly.       Sammy runs to the hall door with a happy bark as fast as a bullet, while Peter comes to it quietly with a shy chuckle. When he comes to the hall, he sees the dog wag his tail energetically and jump happily from one side to another. The blond opens the door quickly enough, sees Helene on the doorstep, and wants to greet her. But Sammy closes the way for him immediately, as if he wants to say, “No, I’m first!”.       “Sammy, my good boy!” Helene exclaims with a slight smile, squats down, and pets Sammy’s hair with both hands. “Hi! Hi!”       Sammy starts nuzzling his face into Helene’s face, licking some parts of it and trying to hug her, putting his paws on her shoulders and pressing himself close to her. The girl herself laughs shyly and scratches the dog’s hair with pleasure.       “Oh, gosh, baby, it seems like you didn’t see me for one mouth,” Helene laughs shyly.       Sammy licks Helene’s nose, showing too much happiness from meeting his owner, whom he missed so badly.       “I missed you, too, Sammy. You know how much I was worried that something could happen to you.”       “But as you can see, he’s fine,” Peter notices with a slight smile.       “He wouldn’t be so happy.”       “Okay, Sammy, okay, stop jumping like a sheep! Let Helene in! Sammy, do you hear what I am saying? How long are you gonna keep her on the doorstep? Samuel!”       Peter barely pulls the excited Sammy aside, so Helene gets up and enters the apartment.       “So, you can show your happiness now.”       While Sammy attacks Helene with attention again, Peter closes the hall door quickly and watches them for a few seconds.       “Sammy, my hooligan…” Helene smiles shyly, petting Sammy’s head and yanking him softly by the ears. “Hooligan! Hey, let me greet Peter. Sammy! Sammy, what are you doing? Sammy, stop!”       A few seconds later, Sammy leaves Helene alone, so she greets Peter.       “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I didn’t forget you,” Helene smiles shyly and caresses Peter’s cheek tenderly. “I was worried about you not less than the long-eared one.”       “Don’t be,” Peter pronounces with a slight smile. “I’m fine, too.”       “But you have damage on your face.” Helene looks at the wounds that Peter got today. “My gosh… How awful…”       “Don’t worry, sweetie,” Peter says confidently, not caring about his wounds and mild pain in the bridge of his nose, and caresses Helene’s head with a slight smile, while Sammy wraps happily around his owner. “It’s just the scars. They’ll be gone soon.”       “Are you really okay?” Helene rounds her eyes. “Or don’t you wanna make me worried?”       “Really, Helene. I’m okay.”       Peter hugs Helene touchingly with a true smile on his face, putting his arms around her waist, placing his hands on her back, and burying his nose in the top of her head with a feeling of nice warmth spreading all over his body. While she keeps her arms tightly wrapped around his neck and runs her fingers through his slightly muted but still soft blond hair. Sammy sitting down watches the lovers with great interest, getting the attention of his owner, who smiles at him widely as she hugs her sweetheart tightly, pressing to him as closely as possible and caressing his head tenderly. A few seconds later, Helene and Peter step away, share a wide smile, and pay some attention to Sammy, who watches one or the other with his tongue out.       “So, how was everything over?” Helene asks with anxiety in her soul. “Those stinkers got arrested?”       “Yes, they did it,” Peter nods with a slight smile. “The police will work with them now. It was hard, but we did it.”       “Does nobody threaten Anna? Is she able to live a normal life?”       “And her friends can help her become the same. A sanguine girl that she always was.”       “Oh, gosh!” Helene exclaims with a slight smile. “I’m so happy everything ended well!”       “We’re also happy we ended it.”       “I wanna know everything. Please, Pete…”       “Let’s go to my room.”       Peter lets Helene go forward with a gesture and goes to his room with her, while Sammy follows them with no invitation. When they come there, the man takes the girl’s hands, comes to his bed, and sits on it with her, while the dog sits on the floor in front of them.       “Speak,” Helene nods. “What happened? Who suffered?”       “Don’t worry, sweetheart, nobody suffered,” Peter replies confidently. “Everybody’s safe and sound.”       “Did the Potters do nothing to Anna? Her parents? What about the lads?”       “Anna, her parents, and the lads are fine. Yes, the lads got a couple of bruises and damages, but they’re okay, fortunately.”       “Thank God!” Helene exhales sharply.       “Wanna notice everything went… Kind of… Wrong. At first, everything was fine, but then the situation went out of control. And we got the help that we didn’t expect.”       “What do you mean?” Helene frowns slightly.       “We got the help of Anna at the last moment. She saved Daniel when Julian Potter almost killed him.”       “Saved Daniel?” Helene opens her eyes widely. “But how?”       “Your friend hit Potter on the head with a vase at the last minute, when Perkins was barely able to fight with him. The hit on the head was strong enough for that stinker to pass out.”       “Wow… Aren’t you really kidding now?”       “Not at all,” Peter shakes his head with a slight smile.       “But how did she find the courage? How could Anna do that? That was a great risk!”       “You could do anything for love, darling,” Peter smiles mysteriously. “And now Anna doesn’t hide that she still loves Daniel. And she drops the hits that everything is not over yet.”       “My God…” Helene closes her mouth with both hands with widely open eyes. “Seymour is crazy! What if she had killed Potter? What if she hadn’t hit him? That stinker would’ve defeated her!”       “I think Seymour knew it,” Peter shrugs. “But she knew if she hadn’t tried to save Daniel, we would’ve lost him.”       “Wait, I don’t understand…” Helene frowns slightly. “Where were you, Terrence, and Edward? Where were the police? Was everything so terrible that you couldn’t do anything?”       “At some moment, Daniel just asked all of us to go outside and stay alone in the house with those stinkers.”       “What? Alone? With those sick jackasses?”       “We wouldn’t have better listened to him… At first, we were all scared that the Potters had killed him when we heard a shot and Daniel’s scream. And second, when we went to the house after the two had been brought down, Perkins was lying on the floor half-alive.”       “Christ, did Perkins go insane?” Helene gets horrified. “Didn’t he understand it could’ve been too bad for him?”       “I think he was just scared when the Potters put a gun against the heads of Edward, Terrence, and me. When they didn’t let us go, Sammy was running around us and barking loudly. So, Perkins did such a crazy thing. He thought he’d save our lives.”       “But why did you three leave him? You saw he wouldn’t deal on his own! With two! With the guns!”       “I know, Helene,” Peter pronounces with sadness in his eyes. “We’re all madly sorry about letting him stay alone. Yes, we got almost kicked out, but that was wrong.”       “That guy is crazy… Just crazy…”       “He was so weak that he couldn’t get up from the floor. Daniel spent his strength on those bastards and couldn’t eventually resist as hard as he did it at first.”       “But… If you all went outside, how did Anna save him?”       “Anna came back to the house after the shot and Daniel’s scream. We all tried to stop her, but she was too stubborn and heard no one. The policemen tried to hold her down, but she broke free.”       “Oh, how awful…” Helene shakes her head. “I don’t know what to say.”       “After that, Ryan ran after her and asked the lads and me to stay when we decided to come back. And then Sammy ran after him. I didn’t wanna let him go, but the long-eared insisted.”       Sammy barks quietly.       “Ryan?” Helene pronounces surprisingly. “How did he end up there?”       “There was no need to do,” Peter smiles mysteriously. “As it turned out, that guy was secretly watching the Potters and all of their actions and words. And wishing to reveal his father and brother, Ryan found the address of Daniel’s house. Which his daddy wanted to get rid of by throwing a piece of paper with the address in a trash can. He came and gave them a hot!”       “Wow… But he seemed so sweet and fluffy and was literally afraid to say a word!”       “He doesn’t know. Besides, that reveal happened right before the eyes of the police. That’s one more reason to put those cads in prison for a long time.”       “That’s how…”       “Hey, do you remember us talking about Ryan’s mother on the day Anna got beaten?”       “Yes, I do. Why?”       “That woman died because of Julian and Ryan’s father.”       “What?” Helene rounds her eyes. “What do you mean she died because of him?”       “That stinker poisoned his wife with the poison that was usually used for poisoning animals.”       “Poison for animals?” Helene wonders loudly.       “To be clear, strychnine.”       “Oh, God! Nasty killer…”       Sammy barks two times confidently, and Helene shakes her head, looking around the room with a shocked look and putting her hand on her forehead.       “Did he really do that?” Helene frowns slightly. “Is Ryan sure about it?”       “Absolutely,” Peter pronounces confidently. “Ryan found the great proof of that, and let us listen to the record of his father’s talk with someone. On that record, he confessed everything and told him how he poisoned his wife. There was a mention of an attempt to kill Ryan himself. And… Even Daniel.”       “I’ve got nothing to say… Poor woman! I… I’m shocked!”       “Yeah, he didn’t wanna just divorce her and decided to kill her and make Ryan lonely and unhappy. Potter, Sr., denied everything at first, but he revealed it when he was pressed against the wall.       “But how did it happen that nobody knew the reason for Ryan’s mother’s death?”       “Only Ryan didn’t know it. His brother and father knew it from the beginning. And they told that guy nothing.”       “Didn’t he try to find it out before?”       “Sadly. Otherwise, that cad would’ve gone to prison earlier.”       “I hope that stinker will pay for what he did to that woman.”        “Don’t worry, sweetheart, they’ve got a place for him in prison. And his older sonny went there along with his beloved daddy. Who, however, loves him just because he’s a bastard, who’s ready to dance attendance upon him.”       “But how did Ryan get the record? Wasn’t he afraid of threats from those people? If he had been caught, that guy would’ve suffered.”       “He was afraid?” Peter pronounces surprisingly. “Come on, Helene! You know how he gave a hot to his daddy and bro! They lost their yawls! They thought Ryan wasn’t a threat to them, but he eventually betrayed those two and gave all the clues to the police.”       “Yeah… I didn’t expect it… I didn’t expect…”       “Ryan annoyed his father so much that he wanted to run away. But Sammy didn’t let him do it and dealt with the killer quickly.”       Sammy barks confidently two times with a proud look.       “He said it when the police finally caught both of the Potters.”       “So, do you wanna say that the guy and Sammy annoyed the one, and Anna saved Daniel from the other?” Helene frowns slightly.       “Yup, it happened,” Peter smiles shyly.”       “Wow…” Helene glances aside and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear hesitantly. “I don’t even know what to say…”       “You shouldn’t think about it anymore, sweetie,” Peter replies softly, puts his hand on Helene’s hand, takes it with two hands, and caresses it softly. “It’s all over. From today on, your friend is safe and able to do anything she wants.”       “Gosh, I’m so happy for her,” Helene smiles slightly. “Finally, Anna got long-awaited freedom! Now nobody will dare to tell her what to do, scream at her, or beat her if she does something wrong.”       “And her parents may do their business.”       “But there’s one thing…” Helene sighs with sadness in her eyes. “Would Anna like to come back to Daniel? Yes, she saved him, but it might be something like a case when trouble unites people.”       “I don’t doubt that those lovebirds will be together,” Today, Anna was ready to get hysterical because of the thought that Daniel died, saved him from Potter determinedly, and thanked him by kissing him on the cheek.”       “Wait!” Helene exclaims. “You said Anna kissed Daniel?”       “Aha! Of course, Perkins himself accepted that kiss as an amiable gesture, but we do know what it means.” Peter smiles mysteriously. “Anna gave him hope! Hope that she might come back to him. Her offense is getting weak. Seymour is starting to think about whether she should give him a second chance.”       “Yeah, you’re right…” Helene smiles much wider. “I think it’s really a sign… Anna is opening her feelings more and more: at first, her parents and us, and now she gave a little drop to Daniel.”       “They will be together, Helene, be sure!” Peter says confidently with his head proudly raised. “I told you it would happen! Those two can’t live without each other and won’t forget everything that happened between them.”       “You know, I’ve lately believed it more and more, as well. When we just got the problems, I thought we’d never solve them. But now, as far as we see, life is getting better.”       “It will be much better.” Peter caresses Helene’s face with both hands, hugs her tenderly, and presses her to himself, putting her head on his shoulder and starting to stroke her hair. “We’ve gotta just wait.”       “Hey…” Helene pronounces thoughtfully. “Since the Potters got arrested, the lads and you may start performing again. You kind of forgot about it…”       “We’ll do it at the nearest time. We’ll just have a rest for a few days and then start talking about the band’s work. It’s time to come back to our work and get ready to promote our album.”       “And it means the girls and I will be able to watch your live performances again,” Helene notices with a slight smile.       “Ah, I’m missing the drums and the feelings that get obsessed with me during a play. You know how much I wanna grab the drumsticks and hit the drums so hard!”       “Soon, sweetheart, soon.” Helene hugs Peter tighter with a wide smile, putting her hands on his back, which she caresses tenderly with a feeling of the nice warmth, still keeping her head rested on his shoulder. “I wanna hear your band as soon as possible. Though, we forgot about what’s waiting for us in the future. For example, the weddings of Natalia and Edward and Raquelle and Terrence. I believe nobody has lately thought about them being engaged.”       “I dunno, I’ve never forgotten it,” Peter smiles slightly. “And I think the others have done it, too. Natalia went to the stores with Raquelle to pick up a dress and argued with Edward over the wedding.”       “I think they either forgot about the wedding preparations, or they solved everything.”       “Who knows, sweetie. But I exactly know that we can give more time to that.”       “Yeah! Those lovebirds could now prepare much harder. Rochester and Cameron got the incredible rings, but they and the MacClifes haven’t even started to talk about the concept of the party.”       “Oh, the MacClifes can get married tomorrow!” Peter chuckles kindly. “The problems are solved, and now there are no barriers to a great party or a reason to see sad faces.”       “No, not tomorrow!” Helene laughs shyly. “At first, everybody should calm down and have a rest. And then they can get ready for wedding troubles. And we will help them with it.”       “Perkins and I will be happy to work on the grooms’ looks.”       “Seymour and I can pick up the best dresses for our brides.”       “M-m-m, I’m looking forward to seeing you on the wedding day,” Peter purrs tenderly, caresses Helene’s cheek softly, and, putting his hand to it, looks into her eyes closely, and puts his hand shyly on her lap. “My beauty is gonna put on a gorgeous dress, do her hair and makeup, and make me happy with her stunning beauty all day.”       “The brides will do their best for their friend to look beautiful,” Helene smiles shyly. “We’re bridesmaids. We’ve gotta look beautiful, but try not to outstand the heroines of the day.”       “Whatever you decide, I’m sure I’m gonna be delighted.” Peter runs the back of his hand over Helene’s cheek and his fingertips over the curve of her neck. “I’ll have a great pleasure to accompany you everywhere and feel proud when telling everyone I’ve got the most beautiful girlfriend in the world.”       “Oh, Rose…” Helene gets blushed, feeling how her cheeks start burning.       “It’s gonna be super hard to hold myself down not to give my sweetheart a caress before everybody’s eyes. And you, girls, do love teasing men and dressing up, so they want you.”       “We just wanna be attractive,” Helene purrs, shyly stroking Peter’s hair. “I want you to admire me… And never see me unkempt and disheveled.”       “I shall like you even if you are. And I think you can sometimes let yourself relax and look a little sloppy. In a home way.”       “That’s how…”       “And actually… Being a hooligan at times is very interesting. Being constantly good may sometimes get you sick.”       “M-m-m, a hooligan…” Helene puts her hand on Peter’s cheek with a shy smile, looking into his eyes.       “Why not?” Peter wonders, kisses Helene on the cheek cutely, and leaves a couple of kisses on the area behind her ears, making her smile shyly. “That’s good when a girl can be unpredictable. When you don’t know what she wanna do. How she may surprise you.”       “Are you hinting that I should be a bad girl? Huh, Rose?”       Helene gives Peter a tender, short kiss on the lips, while Sammy is sitting in front of the lovers with his tongue out and watching them with a great interest.       “Maybe…” Peter purrs with a mysterious smile, hugs Helene, presses her close to himself, and cutely rubs the tip of his nose against her nose. “You could play a little. Much more… Freer.”       “M-m-m, that’s how…” Helene pronounces in a low voice, while her tender gaze slides slowly over Peter’s face.       “Have you never wanted to become a hooligan for a while?” Peter grabs Helene softly by the chin and raises her face. “Do what you would hardly do…”       “Let me ask you, since when have you decided to be a bad boy?” Helene asks, looking into Peter’s eyes confidently and letting her fingers slide slowly over his chest. “You’ve always been so shy and sweet, but now… Is that the men’s bad influence?”       “That’s my feelings’ influence…” Peter replies in a low, soft voice, caressing Helene’s knee and thigh tenderly. “My feelings for you… That I can show freely.”       Sammy barks shyly, getting the attention of Peter and Helene, who look at him for two seconds.       “Calm down, Sammy,” Peter says confidently and pets the head of Sammy wagging his tail. “Your owner won’t feel hurt. She’s gonna be delighted.”       Sammy barks a little louder again, while Helene caresses Peter’s shoulders and chest with a sly smile, biting her lip playfully.       “Do you really want it?” Helene asks in a low voice.       “Variety is always good when it gives you pleasure,” Peter replies and leaves a tender kiss on a curve of Helene’s neck.       “So…” Helene raises her head with a sly smile and nods confidently. “Okay. I did not start it all. You asked for that.”       Not waiting for Peter’s answer and not giving him time to understand something, Helene grabs the blond’s face with one hand sharply but softly, puts her free arm around his neck, and kisses him on the lips with a loud breath, inclining her head strongly and starting to make quiet moans full of enjoyment at some moment. At first, Rose gets a little confused with the feeling that his heart stops for a moment, while the girl kisses the man passionately enough, caresses his face, the nape of his neck and head with both hands, strokes his soft hair, and pulls it out slightly. However, the blond comes to himself quickly and answers her kiss with a stronger passion, grabbing his girlfriend’s face and starting to caress her back, head, waist, and legs. And the excited Sammy watches what’s happening with a greater interest and runs from one to another with a loud bark, while the lovers are too busy with each other to pay attention to the dog.       “Hey, whatcha doing?” Peter laughs shyly.       “What you wanted,” Helene replies confidently in a low voice and leaves a couple of kisses on the area behind Peter’s ears, holding his face with both hands. “Or did I get you wrong?”       “No, right…” Peter smiles blissfully when Helene leaves a couple of short kisses on the corners of his mouth. “Very right…”       “It’s just the beginning.”       Helene smiles slyly when she pushes Peter so that he lies on the bed with a louder laugh. The girl lies over him, gives him a much more passionate kiss on the lips, and runs her tongue confidently over his palate with a sensual moan. While the man’s hands slide over her back, the curves of her waist, thighs, and buttocks, which his fingers squeeze tenderly and determinedly at some moment. The breath slowly gets heavier and deeper, and their heartbeat gets more frequent. A smile gets much wider and truer, and there is a little blush on their faces.       “So, pretty boy, don’t you regret expressing a wish to see me much sassier?” Helene asks in a low voice with the feeling of a fast heartbeat.       “Nope…” Peter says hoarsely with a heavy breath and realizes that his heart misses a beat after Helene barely touches the skin on the curve of his neck with her lips and leaves a few tender kisses on it, breathing on it with hot and cold air. “Oh, damn, babe, keep doing this…”       “Today, I won’t go too far.” Helene touches the edge of Peter’s ear playfully with her tongue. “But next time, you will know who Helene Marshall is.”       “No, no, I want more! Wanna more!”       “You’re tired. You’ve got no energy to overcome everything I’d like to do to you.”       “Not tired, not tired!”       “Relax, Pete, don’t be so tense.” Helene runs her hand slowly over Peter’s chest and keeps it on his stomach, which she caresses tenderly, while her lips still confidently caress his neck, ears, and the area behind them. “I’ve done nothing yet…”       “Do anything you want to me…” Peter purrs with closed eyes, feeling goosebumps run all over his body.       “I get immediately excited from just one glance at you. You’re so sexy…”       Helene gives Peter another continuous kiss on the lips, raising the man’s hands above his head and pressing them to the bed. She sometimes makes quiet, sensual moans, caresses all the most sensitive areas in his mouth, feels that something hard is getting into her stomach, and rubs her thighs against it on purpose. The lovers, whose faces got red from the excitement, do not pay attention to Sammy expressing his jealousy by barking loudly and harshly, and only focus on how to satisfy each other. At some moment, Peter easily rolls Helene onto the bed, raises himself above her, and gives her such a dizzying kiss that she immediately makes a loud, sensual moan with an uneven breath, getting her thighs tense, scratching his back with her long, almond-shaped nails and pulling strongly his soft to touch wheat hair.       “Oh, gosh, Rose…” Helene bends her back with a sensual sigh. “You’re imitable…”       “I can’t miss a chance to relax a little,” Peter replies confidently with a wide smile and leaves a few short kisses on Helene’s lips.       “Well, if you still have strength… I can help you with pleasure…”       “I’d find the strength for my beauty even when I’m lying half-dead on the ground.”       Peter slides smoothly to Helene’s neck, caresses it with his lips, and covers it with tender kisses that make the girl moan sensually with a feeling of dizziness and a fast heartbeat that echoes in her throat.       “Oh, my gosh…” Helene rolls her eyes with a blissful smile and sticks out her breasts when Peter’s hand ends up on them. “Peter…”       Sammy barks again not to let the lovers forget that he is still here. But Peter and Helene do not care about the dog now. The girl runs her hands confidently over the man’s spine, his big and tough arms, and wide shoulders, and bends backward slightly when he runs his hand through her hair at the roots and caresses tenderly her neck and collarbones with another hand, leaving short kisses on some most sensitive parts of the lady’s velvet skin. At first, Sammy does not try to prevent the lovers from relaxing after a hard day. But when Peter gives attention to Helene’s breasts, which he caresses with both hands and lips, and runs his hands slowly over her belly, on which he leaves a couple of kisses, the dog decides to end it in any way. He jumps on the bed, licks Rose’s ear, grabs the edge of his t-shirt, and pulls it on himself. But the lovers do not react to it, and the blond smiles smugly after he tenderly pulls and caresses the sweet lips of his girlfriend breathing heavily.       Then Sammy nuzzles his face into the faces of the two as if he wants to join their foreplay. That’s what makes Peter step away from Helene. They move their gloomy looks to the dog looking at them innocently with his tongue out, as he is sitting comfortably on the bed and putting his front paws on the legs of his owner.       “Sammy!” Peter resents. “Sammy, jump off the bed now! How many times have we told you that you are not allowed to jump on beds, tables, sofas, and other things?”       Sammy makes a sound and puts his face on his paws folded in front of him, looking innocently at Helene, who is still lying, and Peter, who is sitting on the bed with his legs bent under him.       “Samuel, get out of here!” Peter demands much harsher and tries to push Sammy off the bed. “Hear me, long-eared? I am addressing you! Jump off, I said!”       But Sammy makes a sound again, refusing to leave this place, which he really liked.       “Sammy, didn’t you understand what we told you?” Helene asks quietly. “You’ve been told a thousand times that you’re only allowed to lie on floors and rugs.”       Sammy yawls nicely and shakes something off his head.       “Yes, I washed your paws and stomach!” Peter exclaims. “But you’ve got no right to jump on a bed or sofa!”       “Sammy, get off here now,” Helene demands harshly and kicks Sammy out of the bed with a gesture. “No! No!”       Sammy barks quietly and starts rolling onto his back or stomach, starting to fall in love with this bed more and more.       “Refuse?” Helene wonders and sits up slowly, putting her hands behind her back and starting to keep her weight on them. “Alright! Then, you will live without your favorite dog treats.”       Sammy looks at Helene questioningly.       “Yes, yes, no threats. Peter and I will just feed you, judging the schedule. No more!”       Sammy starts whining with pity, looking at Helene with sadness in his eyes.       “No, Samuel, don’t try to pity us,” Helene says confidently. “If you don’t jump off, you will get no treats. No toys, in the worst case.”       Sammy barks quietly and looks at Peter in a begging way, as if he is trying to say, “Do something, friend! Make my owner sure not to do such a cruel thing to me!”       “Why do you stare at me?” Peter wonders. “I will give you nothing, too! Since you refuse to listen to us, we have to take measures.”       Sammy starts whining with greater pity, closing his face with his paws.       “So?” Peter crosses his arms over his chest. “How long are ya gonna lie on my bed?”       “Either you jump off the bed, or you will live without treats,” Helene threatens with her head proudly raised.       Sammy whines quietly, but then jumps off the bed with reluctance and sits on the floor in front of Peter and Helene.       “Good boy,” Peter pronounces confidently. “Don’t dare to jump on it again!”       “Remember once and forever, Sammy, even if you’re absolutely clean and smelling well, you aren’t allowed to lie here,” Helene adds. “You got it?”       Sammy barks very quietly and inclines his head slightly.       “Alright,” Helene smiles slightly. “But now, if you get so excited when Peter and I do something, you can play with something.”       “Go to the hall, there are some of your toys in a carton box placed in a corner,” Peter adds confidently.       But Sammy refuses to leave and keeps looking at Helene and Peter innocently with his tongue out.       “What?” Helene wonders. “Are you jealous again?”       Sammy lies slowly and looks at his owner as if he is letting her know he will watch her boyfriend, so he does not hurt her.       “Sammy, be a good boy, get out of here,” Peter smiles slyly and caresses Helene’s knee tenderly. “I’ve gotta focus well to give pleasure to my queen.”       Sammy barks quietly, looking at Peter and Helene with sadness in his eyes.       “We are waiting, Samuel,” Helene pronounces harshly.       Nevertheless, Sammy whines quietly, then gets up slowly, shakes dirt off him quickly, and leaves the room lazily. Then Helene and Peter start laughing shyly and shaking their heads, and the girl falls to the bed and closes her face with both hands.       “Oh, gosh, this hooligan can’t stop being jealous of you and me,” Peter notices through a laugh.       “I believe he tried to join our kiss,” Helene chuckles. “He wanted a kiss of the three of us, you know.”       “I don’t understand why the long-eared gets so excited when someone kisses before his eyes.”       “Be sure, if Sammy meets a good doggy and gets on well with her, you and I won’t see him for a long time.”       “I don’t doubt it.”       “Hey, when do you think Sammy’s gonna run here after he stayed us alone?”       “I hope he won’t come back soon.” Peter runs his hand over Helene’s belly with a mysterious smile. “First, I wanna relax a little. And second, I don’t like that the long-eared one took a fancy to my bed.”       “He jumps on beds and sofas at home. Thank God, he doesn’t come to the kitchen furniture or the table.”       “I’m kicking him out for the hundredth time! He doesn’t understand it, no matter how many times I tell him.”       “It’s okay, if he jumps on it again, he’ll get his ears slapped with newspapers.”       “I’m afraid it won’t stop our jealous doggy,” Peter chuckles kindly. “He’ll jump anywhere when he sees you and I kiss.”       “As they say…” Helene raises herself on her elbows. “There are no limits for love. Even Sammy won’t stay in our way, no matter how hard he acts like a jealous man.”       “I’d bet anything that he runs here and starts to bite my ears, legs, and ass if we start to kiss.”       “Don’t worry, sweetie, I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Helene promises with a slight smile as she caresses Peter’s cheek tenderly. “Sammy won’t hurt my beloved man.”       “He uses my kindness insolently. I love him with all my heart and take care of him, but that pig behaves like this.”       “It’s okay, someday he’ll realize that you won’t get off me as well as he won’t get off you.”       “But what do I do before?” Peter caresses Helene’s cheek tenderly, runs his hand over her belly again, and slides to the inside of her thigh, which he caresses confidently. “I can’t hold down my wish to hug and kiss you!”       “You don’t have to ask Sammy for permission,” Helene notices confidently as she strokes Peter’s disheveled hair down. “And I don’t have to do it when I wanna give you some attention.”       “I wasn’t gonna. I wouldn’t just be able to focus if that hooligan bit my ass and tried to nuzzle his face in our faces while we kissed.”       “Close the door of the room, and Sammy won’t come here,” Helene purrs with a sly smile as she walks her fingers shyly over Peter’s chest.       “Good idea…” Peter smiles widely, moves closer to Helene, and presses her to himself, putting her head on his laps, starting to caress her face and neck with both hands, and caressing tenderly the girl’s breasts at some moment, while she makes a quiet moan. “But… A little later.”       “That’s bad, Pete. For you, it won’t lead to anything good.”       “May Sammy do anything he wants! I’ve got a more interesting thing. Which I don’t wanna distract myself from.”       Peter fixes Helene’s hair slightly, kisses her cutely on the nose, and rubs the tip of his nose against it, while the foreheads of the lovers smiling widely contact, and they feel how their hearts stop for a moment. At some moment, this idyll is disrupted by a loud, heartbreaking cat meow from the up.       “If only someone lets us finish it,” Peter says gloomily, exhales sharply with rolled eyes, and runs his hands over his face.       “I guess they don’t know Sammy is here,” Helene assumes.       “Oh, damn… Someday I shall gift Marta a book about cat care and let that crazy woman know that they aren’t a decoration.”       “Don’t pay attention to them, sweetheart,” Helene replies in a low, nice voice, grabbing Peter’s face tenderly with both hands and making him look at her. “Let them do what they want.”       “Besides, it’s an evening! Many people are sleeping!”       “You know how loud Sammy can be! When he was a puppy, he didn’t let me and Grandma sleep and was running in the whole apartment at night.”       “Oh, sorry about this crazy house…” Peter grabs his head and exhales sharply. “I… I know living in this place is impossible. But…”       “Please, Peter, don’t think about it,” Helene raises herself a little, brings her face to Peter’s face as close as possible, and looks confidently into his eyes with a shy smile. “It’s okay…”       “I promise I will surely look for a new place to live. And I will be able to invite you home and kiss and hug you as much as you want.”       “Let’s not pay attention to anything around and let ourselves relax,” Helene suggests in a low, soft voice, caressing Peter’s shoulders, running her fingers through his hair, and running her hands over the male's tough chest. “It’s been such a hard day… And I can help you get better…”       “It’s impossible to resist such an attractive beauty,” Peter purrs with a wide smile, running his fingers through Helene’s hair at the roots and letting them through her black, soft strands. “Looking at her, I do wanna piss everything off and make her happy.”       “Do this then,” Helene touches Peter’s soft lips shyly with her finger and puts her arm around his neck, on one of the curves of which she leaves a couple of tender, short kisses. “Do anything you want to me. Everything that could give you pleasure.”       “M-m-m… Would you make me happy with something?”       “Only after you, Mr. Rose.”       While Sammy gets busy with toys from the box in the hall, Peter looks into Helene’s eyes with a wide smile for some time and caresses her lap or the inside of her thigh. Then the man gets the girl involved in an assertive kiss full of love, to which she answers with great pleasure, running her fingers through his hair on the back of her head. At some moment, she lies down and brings his head closer to her, making her boyfriend’s ear happy with sensual moans. A little later, Rose caresses Marshall’s face, every part of which his lips are caressing, and covers her neck generously with exciting kisses, which make goosebumps run over her skin. Tender touches of the warm masculine hand to her belly, which Peter opens slightly and does not leave without kisses, give her a feeling of unearthly pleasure. His fingertips kind of have an electric charge that makes her body shake. And the incredible kisses on her neck, collarbones, and breasts make Helene forget everything in the world and press her sweetheart much closer to herself, caressing his neck tenderly with both hands, stroking his hair, and giving attention to his tough torso, hips, back, and buttocks. In reply, Rose applies much more effort to please his beloved girl, thinking about relaxing himself as well as making her feel comfortable and nice.       

***

      Meanwhile, Natalia is impatiently waiting for Edward at her home. The excited girl walks from one room to another, often checking her mobile phone in the hope of getting a call or a message. At some moment, she receives a message from her mother, Letitia, who lets her know that she and Anthony will stay for a night with Adriana. The girl sighs heavily with sadness in her eyes and replies back, saying she got it. Then Natalia grips her phone in her hand and starts looking through the window, near which she has been standing. To be clear, she watches the city, which is lighted with bright, colorful lights, and in which life does not top even at such a late time because people keep going somewhere, and transports are driving on the free road and following all the rules.       Natalia thinks about something good, as she enjoys the absolute silence in the apartment. But a doorbell that she hears some time later makes the girl come back to reality. She steps back from the window, puts her mobile phone on the coffee table in the living room, goes to the hall door quickly, and opens it. Then she sees Edward being a little tired.       “Oh, God, Edward…” Natalia exhales with relief.       Natalia takes Edward’s hands, pulls him on, so he crosses the doorstep of the apartment, and hugs him tightly, putting her arms around his neck and running her fingers through his hair. The man presses the girl close to himself with pleasure, putting his arms around her waist and placing his hands on her back, and caresses her head tenderly with a slight smile.       “I’m okay, my sunshine,” Edward says softly, cutely kissing the top of Natalia’s head, and putting his arm around her neck. “Don’t worry for nothing.”       “I can’t be indifferent to you,” Natalia pronounces quietly, nuzzling her nose in the curve of Edward’s neck for a second. “I was praying that nothing happened to you all day.”       “Nothing happened. Here I am, in front of you!”       “I know…” Natalia steps back from Edward, looks at him for two moments, grabs his face tenderly, and caresses it softly, giving special attention to the damage on it. “Gosh, how much damage you have on your face…”       “It’s okay,” Edward cracks a smile. “Nothing serious.”       “Gosh…” Natalia gets horrified, looking at Edward from head to foot, stopping on his arms, on the open part of which there are very many wounds and bruises, and seeing that the shirt with half-rolled sleeves put on above a t-shirt and buttoned with one button is a little torn. “My gosh… I’ve got nothing to say…”       “Please, sweetheart, don’t worry.”       “I’ve got nothing to say…” Natalia takes Edward’s hand with horror in her eyes, looks at this, and closes her mouth with a free hand. “So many bruises and wounds…”       “These are just wounds and bruises,” Edward says with a slight smile, caresses Natalia’s cheek tenderly, and takes her hand, with which she is holding his hand, with both hands. “I’ll be like new soon.”       “Are you really okay?”       “Really. My wounds aren’t deep, and I have no serious damage.” Edward chuckles kindly. “You know that everything heals quickly for me.”       “Yup, I know…” Natalia smiles shyly and sniffs quietly. “Thank God, you’re alive and healthy.”       Edward takes Natalia in a tender hug with a shy smile, while she puts her hands on his back and starts sliding them over it as if she is trying to calm herself down. A little later, she gives the man a shy kiss on the cheek and hugs him tighter. It makes him smile shyly, caress her head softly, and kiss his fiancée cutely on the top of her head. After holding each other for a few seconds, Natalia and Edward step away from each other and share a look full of tenderness and a slight smile, forgetting all the bad things with the pretense of each other.       “Okay, go to the living room or my room, and I’ll quickly close the door,” Natalia suggests shyly.       “Erm, I will better wash my hands first,” Edward says thoughtfully. “I was in a bus…”       “Okay.”       While Edward goes to the bathroom to wash his hands and make sure he looks good, Natalia closes the door and goes to the living room, where she waits for her sweetheart, who joins her later.       “Hey, where’s your family?” Edward frowns slightly, looking around. “Are you alone?”       “Yup, my parents aren’t here,” Natalia shrugs. “Mother recently sent me a message and said she and Father would spend a night with Grandmother.”       “So… Okay…”       “You wanna drink something? Water or coffee?”       “Eh-h, no, no, thanks,” Edward refuses gently. “The guys and I got Perkins’ refrigerator emptier after everything ended.”       “Okay…” Natalia chuckles. “Then tell me how it ended.”       “It’s alright, Natalia,” Edward says with a slight smile. “Nothing threatens anyone.”       “Really?” Natalia closes her mouth with both hands with a wide smile. “You’re serious?”       “Absolutely.”       “Okay…” Natalia quickly comes to Edward, takes his hands, and brings him to the sofa. “Let’s sit down.”       Edward sits on the sofa next to Natalia.       “It’s all over, sweetheart.” Edward takes Natalia’s hands and grips them tightly but softly. “Anna and her parents can do what they want. The police arrested both of the Potters.”       “Thank God!” Natalia exhales with relief.       “The fight was hard, and they didn’t wanna give up for a long time, but those cads lost anyway.”       “Is Anna okay?” Natalia asks with anxiety. “Did they do nothing to her? Are the lads fine?”       “Fine, my love. The men and your friend. I’m gonna say more: Anna behaved very worthily and was much braver than we thought. Daniel was holding on confidently and was a very good leader.”       “It was probably super hard for him…”       “Oh, yeah! That fight got him so exhausted that he was eventually half-alive. And he got much more wounds and bruises than Terrence, Peter, or me. Just because he took on a great responsibility.”       “Was it so hard for Daniel to fight with the Potters, even with the help of the four men and the dog?”       “At first, everything was kind of under control. And then Daniel was scared that the Potters threatened the lads and me with a gun. He asked everybody to go outside and leave him alone with those stinkers.”       “What?” Natalia opens her eyes widely. “Alone? With those stinkers? Did Perkins go insane?”       “We insisted on help ‘cause we knew he wouldn’t deal with it alone. Though, Perkins asked us to give up on it. And when everybody went out, Daniel almost died from a knife wound. Anna’s offender was determined to end him.”       “But why did you leave him? Without you, Daniel would’ve died on the day Anna was beaten! What were you thinking of?”       “Yup, I know,” Edward inclines his head. “We’re really very sorry for listening to him. We should’ve made Anna and her parents stay outside and dealt with those stinkers.”       “But how did Daniel solve this problem?”       “The guys and I wanted to come back to the house after we heard the shot and Daniel’s shout. But…” Edward glances aside and exhales sharply. “Anna and Ryan ran to the house instead of us.”       “Anna?” Natalia gets sharply white.       “Your friend ran away first. And Ryan decided to help her and asked us to stay with the Seymours. Sammy also ran after them. Everybody tried to hold Seymour down, but she listened to nobody and ran away faster than a hurricane.”       “Wait, Edward, wait…” Natalia frowns slightly. “How did Ryan end up there? He was with you, too? You didn’t say you warned him!”       “No, Natalia, I swear, we didn’t tell him about the meeting. Ryan learned about it when he found a piece of paper with the address of Daniel’s home and went there to reveal his father and brother.”       “Did he stop these people? That guy is so short, weak, and skinny! Harmless!”       “Yeah, weak!” Edward chuckles kindly. “He kicked his father so hard that Norman wanted to run as fast as possible! But Sammy kept him in his paws until the police got him arrested.”       “Wow…” Natalia smiles slightly. “Never thought…”       “Nobody thought. But Ryan surprised all of us. Even the Potters were dumbfounded.”       “But you thought he was suspicious and was afraid Ryan was a betrayer… Though, I told you that the guy was by our side!”       “Yeah, you were right!” Edward raises his hands. “It’s my mistake, my blame. I wasn’t right when I didn’t believe that Ryan treated Anna and her parents very well and hated his brother and father to death.”       “I’m glad you understand this,” Natalia caresses Edward’s hand softly with a slight smile. “Better late than never.”       “That’s right…”       “And as I understand… Did that guy give a lesson to Anna’s offender and his father?”       “Ha, you didn’t guess!” Edward smiles slyly. “Julian was not kicked by Ryan or even Daniel.”       “Huh?”       “You won’t believe me, but Anna kicked him.”       “Anna?” Natalia wonders loudly, opening her eyes widely. “That little, innocent girl kicked her offender?”       “Not just kicked him, but also saved Daniel when he lost all his strength.”       “No, you must be kidding,” Natalia shakes her head.       “No, Natalia, it’s not a joke,” Edward smiles mysteriously. “Sometimes even the most innocent people have a little demon inside. It may let you know about itself at any time.”       “But… How? And how didn’t Potter defeat her?”       “She hit Potter on the head. With a vase… And that stinker lost consciousness for a while. It saved Daniel and gave the police a chance to arrest him.”       “My gosh… Seymour really surprised me…”       “She was ready to get hysterical when we all thought the Potters killed Daniel. And how hard Anna begged him not to sacrifice himself! My heart was squeezing super badly.”       “I understand her. I’ll go crazy if you die.”       “And before the police took him away, Potter had started a real show!” Edward chuckles kindly. “The lads and I barely held down not to laugh loudly. Not to start to mock that talentless actor, who, as the Seymours said, was overweight and still has to keep a diet.”       “Did he start pretending to be good, so Anna believed him?”       “Aha. He yelled about loving her and being ready to gold her, so she saved him and gave him a chance to get your friend. Of course, that’s not clear. But Potter confessed that he had loved Anna since she was a child. He kind of told her about his love, but she rejected him. And from then on, Potter got mad at her. And he was happy to get a chance to mock her.”       “Oh, gosh…” Natalia shakes her head. “So, is that why he hated her?”       “Ha, nobody believes he was in love with her. Potter doesn’t know what love is! He thought he could buy Anna’s love with money, but she claimed directly that she didn’t need money. That she needed care and attention.”       “It’s the truth. Anna has never cared about how big her partner’s wallet is. She only cares about feeling like a queen next to her man. That girl would live with a beggar if she fell in love with him.”       “Potter and his father don’t have such words as ‘love’, ‘care’, and ‘caress’ in their knowledge. They only need a lot of money and people, who can give them a benefit. And they consider women slaves. Disfranchised slaves, who only must do what a man tells them like a robot. If he tells you to say nothing, you must do. If he wants a baby, you must give birth.”       “Thank God, Anna quickly realized what would’ve waited for her and was running from that family like fire. She knew her life would’ve become a real hell.”       “Now it’s all over,” Edward smiles shyly. “She’s able to talk to her parents, spend time with her friends, and do anything she wants without asking anyone for permission. From now on, nothing and nobody will ban Anna from living as she wants. Including her parents.”       “I’m so happy for her,” Natalia confesses with a slight smile. “Of course, Anna will surely need time to come to herself, but she’ll come back to her former life quickly thanks to our help.”       “The lads and I took an important step, and now it’s your time, girls. I’m sure you can do this.” Edward smiles slightly, caresses Natalia’s cheek tenderly, and fixes her hair, while she moves her eyes shyly down. “Right, my blue-eyed beauty?”       “Don’t doubt, sweetheart,” Natalia nods confidently with a slight smile. “The girls and I will do our best for Anna to become smiling, funny, sanguine, and happy again.”       Edward hugs Natalia tightly with both arms, pressing her close to himself, caresses the girl’s head, and kisses the top of her head while she puts her hand on his wide chest, which always spreads a nice warmth.       “And how did everything happen?” Natalia asks. “Tell me everything from start to end.”       “From start to end?” Edward pronounces amazingly. “But that’s gonna be a very long story!”       “I’d be happy to listen to you for hours, even if you say some nonsense.”       “Okay, if you want…” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on the top of her head. “So…”       Edward tells everything that happened today at the meeting with the Potters from start to end, trying not to miss a thing. While Natalia listens to him closely and gets deeply shocked after the long story from the man.       “Oh, Edward, I don’t know what to say…” Natalia sighs heavily. “I’m shocked by what you told…”       “Just like all of us…” Edward confesses thoughtfully.       “I’m so sorry about Ryan… Sorry about his mother… She didn’t deserve to die in that terrible way…”       “Yeah, she became a victim of that stinker…” Edward replies with sadness in his eyes. “But we can’t change anything. That woman is dead, and Ryan is alone. Absolutely alone.”       “My gosh…” Natalia sighs heavily, pressing closer to Edward’s chest. “Being poisoned by the poison for animals… How awful…”       “I hope that bastard will be poisoned in prison with drain cleaner.”       Edward presses Natalia close to himself with sadness in his eyes, kisses her on the temple, and runs his hand slowly over her soft hair, while she uses the man like a big and soft pillow, embracing him tightly with both arms.       “Anyway, I’m really happy everything is over,” Natalia says with a slight smile. “Now we can say our life is getting better.”       “Yeah,” Edward nods. “Nobody threatens anymore… Nobody would love to harm…”       “Hey, you said Anna kissed Daniel on the cheek! Did she let her offense go?”       “I think she stopped being mad at him after getting beaten, even if she said nothing about it. Anyway, Anna is madly grateful to Daniel for saving her. She said it to Peter, Terrence, and me when she was in the hospital.”       “Seems like the ice is melting…”       “It did! And what she did today made us much more sure that she would come back to him.”       “I prefer to believe it.”       “And we don’t care that Daniel himself keeps pretending that nothing happened and says that the kiss means nothing. Though, the lads and I saw how shocked he was when Anna kissed him.”       “C’mon, he understands everything,” Natalia smiles slightly. “It’s just… Hurtful for him to talk about it.”       “Or he doesn’t believe it’s possible.”       “Anyway, Daniel did what he needed. And Anna, as we assumed, didn’t leave it unnoticed. It must help her make a decision.”       “It would’ve happened early or late,” Edward smiles mysteriously. “The lads and I were sure that it would be over like this, and we were absolutely right.”       “Yeah, you were optimists. Unlike the girls and me. Unlike Daniel.”       “Daniel can think what he wants. He will realize everything when Anna comes to him someday to tell him about her wish to start it all over again.”       “Do you think they will really be a couple again?”       “I don’t doubt it. Maybe, neither today nor tomorrow, but a little later, for sure.”       “Maybe, you’re right…” Natalia glances aside. “Anna’s act gives me a little hope… So… She isn’t indifferent to him…”       “Don’t you believe me?” Edward asks quietly.       “Of course, I do.”       “Don’t be afraid to tell me the truth. Maybe, you hope for something now, but you didn’t have a belief in the best.”       “Yeah, but you made me believe in the best… You weren’t sick of reminding me that everything would be fine. And… I trusted you.”       “You really believed it next to me. But when you were far from me, you lost any hope and belief and fell into depression.”       “What?” Natalia steps back from Edward and looks at him questioningly. “What are you talking about, Edward? I don’t get you!”       “You’re afraid that I’ll be mad at you for not keeping your promise,” Edward explains quietly. “You kind of promised me, but you’d be a liar, who couldn’t keep promises if you broke it.”       “What?” Natalia’s eyes start running from one side to another, as she gets a little white and tense, starting to realize what Edward wants to tell her. “But…”       “I know everything, Natalia,” Edward confesses confidently. “I know what’s bothered you for a few days.”       “But how? How did you know it? I…”       “I recently talked to your father and mother. They told me they couldn’t calm you down for a few days ‘cause you were worried. Not only about Anna. But also because of what I said.”       “Erm…” Natalia swallows up nervously, opening her eyes much wider, looking aside, and locking her fingers tightly. “Edward, I…”       “Gosh, Natalia, are you serious?” Edward wonders. “Why did you think I’d get mad at you and leave you?”       “I lied to you…” Natalia replies hesitantly. “You asked if I believed you. Whether I believe in the best. And I looked into your eyes and said I did. I told a lie. A lie that you hate. I said it because I was afraid to make you disappointed, and… Make you think I couldn’t do what I promised. I was afraid to disappoint you…”       “My girl…”       “But…” Natalia sighs heavily and sniffs quietly, still not finding the courage to look into Edward’s eyes. “If you know everything… You have the right to get mad at me and tell me what you want.”       “Get mad? Because of that?”       “Don’t be shy, Edward. Speak. I’ll accept anything.”       “Ah, Natalia, Natalia, what a silly girl you are,” Edward laughs shyly, shaking his head, caresses tenderly Natalia’s cheek and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “You were worried about nothing! How could you think I’d get mad at you because of such a stupid thing?”       “I swore to you that I’d never lie to you,” Natalia replies shamelessly. “But… I broke my promise… And… I couldn’t get the belief in the best that you had. I didn’t want to disappoint you so badly, but… I couldn’t keep my word.”       “You’re not guilty of me, sweetheart. I have no reason to be mad at you and disappointed.”       “I know I shouldn’t have lied, so you stopped talking about it. I understand that you didn’t wanna bother and make me be next to you all the time. But you know that I’m ready to do this if I have to. I’m ready to be next to you all the time, so you feel good and are safe. I’m ready to sacrifice my free time for the one, who I can’t imagine my life without.”       “I couldn’t make you sacrifice it. I didn’t want… You to babysit me like a child. Yes, I don’t hide that I’d really love you to be next to me all the time. But I have no right to interrupt your personal time. You wanna be alone or spend time with your family and friends. You don’t have to be with me all day long, and I can’t force you to do it.”       “Sweetie, please, stop,” Edward shakes his head.       “I wouldn’t be so worried if I didn’t know the way you treat a lie. If I didn’t know how much you don’t like when someone lies to you.”       “I don’t think you lied. Yes, I’m glad you confessed. But all of it is not the reason to be ashamed and mad and fight.”       “I’m starting to regret trying to hide the truth. It would’ve probably been better if I hadn’t said anything.”       “Natalia, sweetie…” Edward grabs Natalia’s face softly and raises it. “Look at me, please. Look. Don’t be afraid.”       Natalia moves her embarrassed, little scared look to Edward very hesitantly and swallows up nervously, while he caresses her face tenderly, looking into her eyes confidently.       “Natalia, let’s forget about it once and forever and never come back to it again,” Edward suggests softly but confidently. “I didn’t even think of being mad at you and ain’t gonna find it a lie.”       “You’re just trying to calm me down,” Natalia shakes her head.       “Excuse me, honey, but you were worried about nothing.” Edward takes Natalia’s hands. “I know you’re a very vulnerable person and literally worried about everything. But that’s also wrong. Though, sometimes I also told everybody I believed in the best, but I literally hung myself from despair. All of us did it.”       “I just didn’t wanna disappoint you,” Natalia confesses hesitantly. “At heart, I understand I worry for nothing… But first, I’m too vulnerable and sensitive. And second, a fear of making you mad made me worry about every little thing.”       “I ain’t a monster, and I wouldn’t start a scandal for stupid things. And we aren’t strangers to each other.”       “I want you to believe in me… You to be proud of me… Not to regret deciding to be with me. Our breakup would be a strong hit for me that I couldn’t bear. It would kill me and…”       Natalia does not speak her mind because Edward grabs her face with a slight smile and makes her fall into silence with a tender, continuous kiss on the lips. She does not have time to realize what has happened, but she shakes slightly and feels that her heart stops for a moment. A few seconds later, MacClife, Jr., breaks the kiss but does not step away from his fiancée and keeps holding her face with both hands, letting his forehead contact hers with a slight smile.       “I have no reason not to believe in you and not to be proud of you,” Edward says quietly and softly.       “But…” Natalia pronounces hesitantly.       “Please, sweetie, stop torturing yourself.” Edward leaves a couple of short kisses on Natalia’s lips. “It’s not worth it. That’s not the case when you should make some claims.”       “Do you really think I didn’t lie to you?” Natalia asks hesitantly, staring at Edward surprisingly.       “Listen, let’s not think about it anymore and make us and the others nervous. From now on, this problem will be solved.”       Natalia says nothing and looks down for a second, but she moves her eyes to Edward when he caresses her cheeks with his soft and warm hands, moves some hair off the girl’s eyes, and kisses the girl cutely on the cheek and the nose.       “Why do we worry when all the bad things are over?” Edward asks with a slight smile in a quiet, soft voice. “Life continues… And so much interesting is waiting for us in the future.”       “Yeah, you’re right…” Natalia smiles shyly. “There are no reasons to be worried or afraid.”       “Don’t be, my beautiful.” Edward leaves a short kiss on the area behind Natalia’s ear and caresses tenderly the curves of her neck with his fingertips, making the girl smile shyly. “No reason.”       “I know.”       “Be happy, smile, laugh…” Edward says and rubs the tip of his nose against Natalia’s nose. “I wanna see a bright gloss in your eyes.”       “Me too,” Natalia caresses Edward’s cheek shyly and fixes his hair slightly, while he looks at her with a tender smile. “I also wanna know you’re happy. That you get everything you want from me.”       “I’m very happy,” Edward smiles much wider. “Much happier than ever for twenty-six years of my life.”       “Still, don’t be mad at me,” Natalia says a little hesitantly. “I promise I’ll tell you all the truth the next time.”       “Stop, sweetie, please,” Edward replies quietly. “Stop, my love, from this second on, we’re stopping talking about it, and you don’t worry about it. You got it?”       “Yes, honey, I did,” Natalia nods confidently with a slight smile.       Edward smiles much wider, not stopping to look at Natalia with tenderness in his eyes. Then he takes the girl in a tight hug and presses her close to himself, caressing her head and running his fingers through her silky hair that she recently washed. While she runs her hands tenderly over his back with a wide smile, nuzzling her nose in his shoulder and kissing her fiancé shyly on his cheek.       “Natalia, my sunlight…” Edward whispers tenderly, nuzzling his nose into Natalia’s shoulder or the curve of her neck.       “Sweetheart…” Natalia smiles much wider, putting her arms around Edward’s neck, hugging him tighter, and caressing his head.       At some moment, Natalia steps back from Edward and looks at him shyly for a second or two. Then she puts her hand on his cheek with a cute smile, bends her head slightly aside, and gives him an innocent kiss on the lips that makes their hearts tremble and makes their breath stop. The girl thinks it’s going to be a short kiss, but the man gives his fiancée a much more continuous kiss on the lips, running his fingers through her hair. However, Natalia does not resist it, moving one hand to the back of Edward’s head and placing the second hand on the nape of his neck, which she sinks her nails into. And she laughs shyly into his lips when his hands slide tenderly over the curves of her waist, stay on her thighs for two moments, and slide underneath her shirt with half-rolled sleeves.       “M-m-m, you want something hot…” Natalia pronounces with a sly smile in a low voice.       “You’re just freaking attractive,” Edward replies in the same low voice with a wide smile, and, breathing a little heavily, leaves another short kiss on Natalia’s lips. “I can’t resist…”       “Do you know a sweet dessert is the last thing to eat?”       “Didn’t I deserve it?” Edward starts caressing Natalia’s neck tenderly with his fingertips and kisses her on the corners of her mouth two more times. “I risked my life when doing a very important business. So, I should receive a gorgeous award.”       “Right now?”       “Right now! I wanna relax and get lost.” Edward barely touches Natalia’s ear with his lips and runs them slowly over the edges of her earlobe and auricle. “I wanna give some attention to my blue-eyed blonde… Who excites my mind by doing nothing…”       “You have the strength to rock on in bed? Huh, hero?”       “Next to you, I forget about any pain and tiredness,” Edward confesses and caresses the area behind Natalia’s ear with his lips, making her feel a sweet tension in her abdomen.       “Oh, MacClife, you’re crazy…” Natalia pronounces in a shaking voice.       “Relax, my sweetie.” Edward barely touches the edge of Natalia’s ear with the tip of his tongue, while she understands that her heart stops for a moment. “So, both of us feel good.”       Edward confidently gives Natalia a continuous kiss on the lips, to which she answers with pleasure, caressing his face and head with both hands. The man’s hands quickly end up on the curves of the girl’s waist and thighs and stay on the inside of them for a long time. A little later, MacClife, Jr., runs his lips over the curve of his fiancée’s neck, covers it with exciting kisses with pleasure, and bites some sensitive areas super tenderly. That’s why she sometimes makes quiet, sensual moans with a heavy breath, gets her thighs tense unconsciously, and shakes at any touch of her beloved man’s lips to any part of her skin.        “Oh, gosh…” Natalia pronounces with closed eyes and leans her head back slightly with a quiet moan.       “I want you…” Edward pronounces in a low voice with a heavy breath, while his lips caress and kiss the tender kiss on Natalia’s neck, and his hands still slide over the curves of her waist. “Right now…”       “Yeah…” Natalia smiles shyly, biting her lip slightly with a sense of slight dizziness. “Me too… Madly…”       “I don’t wanna think of anything except you…” Edward leaves a couple of kisses on Natalia’s collarbones and the front of her neck. “I don’t…”       “As you wish, my king…”       Natalia wants to kiss Edward tenderly on the lips, but she eventually kisses his cheek. But later, she grabs his face with her warm hands tenderly and gives the man a passionate kiss with a sensual moan, biting, sucking, and pulling both of his lips. In reply to this, he, putting his hand on the back of his fiancée’s head, gets his tongue confidently into her mouth, and runs it slowly around her tongue. The girl presses herself much closer to him with a heavy breath, runs her tongue over his palate, and runs her hand slowly over the man’s tough chest.       “M-m-m, oh, Natalia, you’re so imitable…” Edward purrs with a wide smile and leaves a few short kisses on Natalia’s collarbones and open part of her breasts, while one of his hands confidently caresses the girl’s thighs and buttocks, and another hand slides over her back up and down.       “You’re my strongest weakness,” Natalia confesses with a shy smile, confidently running her hands over Edward’s arms and shoulders. “If I wanna resist, I can’t do this.”       “Don’t be shy, babe. Say how nice you feel.” Edward kisses Natalia on the neck and squeezes her breasts tenderly with his fingers at the same time. “I know what you’re gonna love.”       “Yeah, you know… You know how to make me feel naked in front of you.”       Natalia grabs Edward sharply by the collar and gets him involved in a continuous kiss on the lips with a loud, heavy breath, starting to caress his face with both hands and pulling his thick head of soft, black hair, touching which is an endless pleasure. One hand of the man caresses the inside of her thigh, and another slides underneath her shirt and strokes her naked back. Later, the girl leaves a couple of super tender kisses on the area behind his ear, which she caresses with her lips. Next, she gives some attention to the curve of his neck, which she covers with kisses, and caresses his super sensitive skin with her lips, teeth, and the tip of his tongue while her fiancé smiles shyly with a slight blush on his face and a feeling of a slight shake all over his body and a fast heartbeat.       At some moment, Natalia’s hands slide to Edward’s chest, and her fingers unbutton a couple of the buttons of his shirt slowly but confidently. After this, she takes it off the man’s tough, wide shoulders and puts it aside, leaving him in a t-shirt. After looking into his eyes closely, the girl keeps seducing her fiancé with exciting kisses on his lips, neck, and collarbones.       “M-m-m, that’s interesting,” Edward pronounces in a low voice with a mysterious smile, spreading his legs widely.       “At first, I wanted to tear these clothes apart, but then I changed my mind,” Natalia promises confidently, walking her fingers playfully over Edward’s chest and starting to rub it slowly with both hands. “I’ll be dressing you slowly. To enjoy this moment longer.”       “That’s how?” Edward takes the hair clip off Natalia’s head and ruffles her hair brushed up at the roots, seeing how beautifully it falls on her shoulders.       “Relax, sweetheart, we’ve got a lot of time. We’re gonna be alone ‘till tomorrow morning.” Natalia gets her hand underneath Edward’s t-shirt with a shy smile and runs it tenderly over his tense stomach, on which she can feel his well-worked six-pack. “So, you can’t be in a rush…”       “Are you, blondie, gonna torture me ‘till the morning?” Edward chuckles kindly with a heavy breath. “Do you wanna drive me crazy?”       “I’m gonna drive you crazy on our first marriage night. But now it’s just a warm-up.”       “Okay. So, I will warm up a little, as well. I won’t show you everything I can do.”       Edward pulls Natalia easily on himself, while she makes a squeak with a shy smile. Then her head ends up on the laps of the man, who grabs his fiancée’s face with both hands and kisses her greedily on the lips, caressing her throat tenderly with his fingertips. She brings his face closer to herself with a sensual moan and, holding him by the back of his head, runs her hands through the man’s soft, dark hair, while he also strokes the blonde’s fabulous blonde hair that falls from his knees.       “You’re a beautiful gift given me by heaven,” Edward says in a low, madly nice voice, breaks the kiss, puts his hand under Natalia’s back, raises her a little, and uses his lips to caress her face from her forehead to her collarbones tenderly. “I couldn’t ask for something more fabulous…”       “And you’re mine…” Natalia pronounces with a heavy breath and makes a quiet, shaking sigh. “Oh, gosh…”       “I know, dolly, you also drive me crazy…” Edward covers the curves of Natalia’s neck with confident, assertive kisses and does the same to the front of it, while one hand of him holds the back of her head suspended, and another slides over the curves of her waist, belly, thighs, and buttocks. “I’m sure I’m gonna be more than just happy in the end.”       “Please, Edward…” Natalia makes a very sensual moan, bending her back with a heavy breath and raising the bottom of her body.       “Damn, you smell so good…” Edward pronounces with enjoyment and breathes in the smell of the skin on Natalia’s neck, which he caresses with his lips tenderly, sucks, and bites slightly. “Freaking good…”       “M-m-m… Please…”       “Quiet, baby, quiet.” Edward gives Natalia a short kiss on the lips, grabbing her by the throat tenderly. “I’ve done nothing special yet.”       “Yeah… Not saying I madly want to tear your clothes apart, push you on the bed, and kiss every single inch of your body.”       “Sounds pretty good…” Edward pronounces thoughtfully, while his pupils are dilated, and his eyes get some bright gloss.       “Not only this…” Natalia pronounces in a low, seductive voice and runs the tip of her tongue playfully over the area behind Edward’s ear, while he leaves a few kisses on the curve of her neck. “But also much more…”       “Ar-r-r, stop teasing me!” Edward runs his hand over Natalia’s belly with a quiet growl and massages her breasts with his fingers, as he carefully watches her roll her eyes with a heavy breath.       Edward leaves a couple of kisses on the area behind Natalia’s ears and runs his lips slowly over the curve of her neck and her collarbones, breathing in the seductive smell of the tender skin, which is covered with goosebumps.       “Natalia, my queen, my goddess…” Edward pronounces in a low voice and gives Natalia an assertive kiss on the lips, while his hand keeps caressing or squeezing her big, tough breasts.       “Oh, gosh, m-m-m…” Natalia moans sensually, runs her tongue around Edward’s flawlessly, and leans her head back when Edward starts covering the front of her neck with tender kisses. “M-m-m… M-m-m…”       “Quiet, baby, quiet…” Edward says with a sly smile, starting to cover Natalia’s collarbones with kisses, running his hand slowly over her belly, paying attention to the inside of her thighs, and caressing her crotch with his fingertips.       “Please, Edward…” Natalia makes a quiet moan, raises the bottom of her body, and squeezes her buttocks unconsciously. “Please…”       “You’re gonna love it, I promise,” Edward runs his lips tenderly over Natalia’s ears and leaves a short kiss on the area behind them, feeling that she shakes, while he keeps his hand on her belly. “But don’t be so tense…”       Edward’s whisper into her mouth makes Natalia’s heart stop for a moment, while her skin gets covered with strong goosebumps. Her eyes close when the man caresses the lady’s breasts and slowly stimulates her little tough nipples with his thumb. It makes the girl feel a tormenting tension in her abdomen, move her thighs smoothly, and give herself to the one, who can subdue her like a snake charmer.       “Oh, I can’t step away from you…” Edward says with enjoyment, caresses the curves of Natalia’s neck with his fingertips, squeezes her breasts again, making her make a quiet moan, runs his hand over her belly, and slides to the inside of her thighs, between which he feels a nice warmth and moisture. “M-m-m, how quickly you’ve become warm… And hot…”       Edward runs his hand over Natalia’s thigh, while his lips cover the curves of her neck with tender kisses, gets it underneath the female shirt, and starts to caress her soft, flat belly. That’s why she makes a couple of sensual moans in a row, bending backward like a cat and stretching herself slightly with a feeling of slight dizziness.       “My beauty…” Edward smiles widely, feels up the jewelry in Natalia’s belly button, plays with it a little, opens her belly much more by raising her shirt up, and runs his hand over it again. “Beauty…”       Edward gives Natalia a continuous kiss on the lips, still holding her head by the back of it and caressing her naked belly. At some moment, the girl breathing heavily puts her arms around the man’s neck, presses him close to herself, and gets the passionate kiss much deeper, while he caresses the curves of her waist, belly, breasts, thighs, buttocks, and legs like a boss.       “You’re so shameless, MacClife,” Natalia laughs shyly in between kisses.       “This is me, baby,” Edward smiles slyly. “But I can’t call you a shy girl, either.”       “Yeah?” Natalia sits up slowly, sits between Edward’s legs, and caresses his face with both hands. “But I’ve done nothing yet!”       “I get excited at just your self-confidence.” Edward runs his fingertips over the curve of Natalia’s neck, looking into her eyes deeply and seeing how strongly her pupils are dilated.       “I’m quite confident. But I feel freaking attractive next to such an amazing man like you.”       “Such a sexy man like me deserves to be next to this stunning cutie.”       Edward gets Natalia involved in another continuous kiss on the lips with a wide smile, massaging her breasts confidently with his fingers, running his hand over her legs and the curves of her waist, caressing her back with another hand, and pulling her blonde hair slightly. At some moment, he leaves a few kisses on the curve of the girl’s neck and her collarbones, takes her shirt with sleeves half-rolled off her, and throws it aside, leaving his fiancée in a thin top that barely covers the bottom of her belly and shows her collarbones much more, which he covers with tender kisses.       “Oh, gosh…” Natalia sighs sensually with a heavy breath, leaning her head back, rolling her eyes up, and squeezing or pulling Edward’s hair with quiet, sensual moans.       “Natalia, sweetheart…” Edward pronounces in a low, quiet voice with a blissful smile and leaves a few short kisses on Natalia’s shoulders, collarbones, and breasts, the bottom part of which he holds with a hand. “I want you… Wanna make love with you…”       When Edward is about to get his hands underneath the top of Natalia, the girl gets up quickly, takes his hands, and pulls him on herself, making him stand up.       “I know a much better place…” Natalia purrs with a mysterious smile and a heavy breath, presses Edward to herself, and looks confidently into his eyes, while her hands slide confidently over his chest and underneath his t-shirt. “I could do anything I want to you there.”       “Do you mean I could do anything I want to you?” Edward smiles slyly.       “Think what you want. You wouldn’t get off me easily. You won’t leave until you fuck me.”       Natalia grabs Edward’s face and gives him a continuous kiss full of love and passion with a heavy breath. While he hugs his sweetheart tightly by the waist with both arms, starts to run his hands over her back, and answers her back when she caresses the most sensitive areas in his mouth with her tongue. The man chuckles shyly when the girl feels his buttocks and thighs up, takes her fiancé’s phone from the pocket of his jeans, and puts it on the coffee table, next to which she is standing.       “Do you wanna become my slave at your wish?” Edward purrs with a sly smile.       “No, sweetie, you’ve become a slave of mine,” Natalia says confidently and slaps Edward playfully on his buttocks, looking into his eyes closely. “You agreed to give you to me.”       “Okay. Since you didn’t wanna pretend to be hard-to-reach this time, I will be happy to use this chance.”       Edward grabs Natalia by the throat tightly but tenderly with a heavy breath with one hand and starts holding her by the back of her head with another hand when he gets her involved in a passionate kiss. The girl answers it without resistance, starting to run her hands over his back, hips, or stomach and not always remembering that she needs to breathe, at least rarely.       “I can’t wait to see what’s hidden underneath these clothes again,” Edward confesses in a low voice with a sly smile and leaves a couple of kisses on the curve of Natalia’s neck and the area behind her ear, while his hands squeeze and caress the tough buttocks of the girl tightly but tenderly. “And kiss every single inch…”       “If you keep doing this, I will undress by myself…” Natalia replies in a low, hoarse voice and makes a sensual sigh, while her hands are placed on Edward’s chest, through which she can feel his fast heartbeat. “Show you my breasts… And much more…”       “It’s worth all the efforts…” Edward leaves a short kiss on Natalia’s lips and squeezes her breast with pleasure, making her moan quietly. “Worth it…”       Edward kisses Natalia’s cheek and cheekbone several times, then takes her in his arms with a mysterious smile, and goes to the room, while she hugs her fiancé around his neck with a slight blush, tenderly caresses his neck with her lips at some moment, and leaves a few short, exciting kisses on it, breathing in the smell of this one. When Edward comes to Natalia’s room, he places her carefully on the bed, sits on the edge, caresses her cheek tenderly, and lets his fingers run through the lady’s long hair, while she sits up slowly and looks at her sweetheart with great admiration. Later, the man takes her hand, caresses it with both hands from all sides, and kisses the inside of her wrist several times. The girl shyly smiles and starts to feel a slight shake and goosebumps all over her body when her fiancé covers her arm with short kisses and does the same to the second one.       At some moment, MacClife, Jr., looks into the eyes of his fiancée with a tender smile and gives her another continuous kiss on the lips, doing this very tenderly and a little shyly at first but making it deeper slowly and doing his best to hear such desired sensual moans from her. Some time later, Natalia breaks it, lies down, and caresses Edward’s cheeks with both hands, while he bends at her for another short kiss on the lips, which he caresses with his fingertips, bites tenderly, and pulls slightly. Next, his fingers slide to her neck and collarbones and caress her breasts confidently, while she looks into his eyes like charmed, makes quiet moans, and moves the bottom of her body with a heavy breath. Later, the man’s bedroom look stops on the blonde’s belly, puts his warm hand on it, and caresses the soft, velvet skin on it tenderly, raising her top slightly and playing with the silver jewelry in her belly button. Just a couple of short kisses that Edward leaves on Natalia’s abdomen, running his hands over the curves of her waist and holding them, make the blonde moan blissfully, bend her back, and press her head into the pillow.       “It’s all mine…” Edward purrs with a satisfied smile, running his lips confidently over the tender skin of Natalia’s belly. “Nobody will dare to take it from me…”       At this moment, Edward’s hands slide to Natalia’s thighs, the inside of which he caresses with pleasure, reach her knees, and slide over her long, slim legs. His fingers get determinedly into her knickers, examine her vagina to find sensitive areas, and stimulate her clitoris tenderly. While the long-haired beauty literally feels her heartbeat in her head and bends backward like a cat, not being able to hold her emotions down and showing how good she feels with this man. Literally feeling his fast heartbeat in his temples, Edward grabs Natalia’s blushed face tightly and kisses the girl on the lips passionately for a long enough time, while she runs her fingers through his hair, pulls it slightly, gets her hand underneath his t-shirt, and scratches his back tenderly with her nails. She closes and rolls her eyes when he leaves a few more kisses on the curve of her neck, collarbones, and breasts, which he squeezes tightly and massages intensively. He does not forget about her collarbones, belly, and the curves of her waist, which are also madly sensitive to the skillful caress of this man.       Breathing heavily, Edward rejoices silently and is as happy as a child that he has an excellent opportunity to caress every part of the relaxed body of Natalia, who is not shy about seeming extremely vulnerable to him. And she does not care that his hands are shamelessly sliding over everything, are about to get into her underwear, and get rid of her home clothes that do not let him highly appreciate what she was generously given by nature.       

***

      It’s five minutes before ten. Daniel took Cassidy away from the house of Terrence and Raquelle and came back home some time ago. While the girl is now sitting in her room and doing something, the man is still trying to eliminate the consequences of the meeting with the Potters. Despite his friends’ help in cleaning the living room, he still has a lot of work to do. He puts what managed to remain whole in its place and throws off what cannot be restored at all. After doing this to the last thing some time later, Perkins quickly looks around the whole room. He moves his eyes to the broken windows, some of which must be replaced. And the crushed ceilings on the chandelier do not look beautiful. As well as the dents from bullets on the walls and ceiling.       “Oh, I’m gonna have a lot of work…” Daniel sighs quietly and puts a hand on his forehead. “I’ve gotta tighten my belt and close my mouth…”       Daniel exhales slowly and runs his hands over his face, feeling especially exhausted after the clean-up. So exhausted that he does not have the energy to yell and whoop in happiness. And after making sure that he finished cleaning the living room, the man decides to go to his room with easiness in his heart. Massaging his neck and looking around with a sad and tired look, Daniel hesitates a little, then goes to the stairs lazily, switches off the light with a switcher placed near it, and goes upstairs with no rush, holding the railing and enjoying the silence settled in his house. The man slowly goes down the hall of the second floor and reaches the small room where Cassidy is now living. Since the door in her room is half-opened, and there is the light in it, he looks inside it and sees his younger sister sitting on the bed and writing or painting something in a small black notebook. Watching the young girl, the man cracks a true but exhausting smile. And after standing here for a while, Perkins keeps moving on with both arms crossed over his chest. At some moment, he glances at one of the windows and sees that it’s very dark outside. He can see the lights from the nearest houses or streetlamps. And it’s so silent in the hall that he can easily hear stray dogs barking and cats meowing.       Daniel stops near the window for a few seconds and watches what’s happening outside in the dark. It’s possible to feel a cold wind blowing out of the joints of the windows and get a slight shake and coldness all over the body. The man rubs his cold hands to warm them up, and keeps going down the hall, crossing his arms over his chest. Daniel finally comes to his room, the door of which he opens by pushing it slightly. He immediately sees the mess here. Some things are placed on one another on the table, the bed is not made, the blanket literally lies on the floor, and some shabby clothes that should be washed are placed on the back of the chair, on which the guitar is lying… And the expensive laptop, the digital photocamera, the smartphone, wires of headphones, and the changers tied to one another are placed on the bed. After Anna left this house, Daniel literally stopped watching the order, and he does not care about it. He could always clean it up for a special case, but she did not even think of closing her eyes to it. Thanks to her, this place was always perfectly clean. There was always a good smell: some chemistry or food, the smell of which was spreading throughout the whole house and literally the whole street.       A little later, Daniel closes the door of his room, comes slowly to the window, opens it, and feels the cold wind blowing up his face and ruffling his hair. At some moment, he starts to quietly sing a certain song that perfectly describes his current state. Then Perkins glances at his guitar placed on the chair near the writing table, comes to it, takes it, sits on the bed, and starts to pluck the strings, hoping to shake up with the help of this simple melody. But he understands that he gets much worse, stops playing, puts his instrument aside, and exhales sharply, running his hands over his face and clapping himself slightly on his cheeks. Later, he gets up and comes to the mirror, not being able to recognize the guy, who is looking at him. His dark, tousled hair and noticeable bristle of the same color stand up against the white skin of his face, which has small bruises and well-treated wounds.       At first, Daniel looks at his wounds, and then he tries to do something to his hair, using a hairbrush to untie it. After doing this, he puts it aside and looks at what he has worn since this morning and decides to change his clothes, coming to the door of the dressing room, finds a simple t-shirt, pants with elastic, and a soft hoodie, changes all of it, and puts the old ones on the chair near the writing table. Then Daniel decides to sort out the mess in his room, placing something thoughtlessly in the drawers and on the shelves of the dressing room and putting the laptop, the smartphone, the camera, and the things tangled with wires that he does not want to untangle on the writing table. Next, the man beats the pillows, smothers the sheet, raises the blanket up from the floor, shakes off dirt and dust, and puts on the bed quite carefully. And when he does it, he moves his eyes down and stops on a piece of something light green under the bed. The man frowning slightly squats down takes this thing from the floor, gets up, and starts looking at what he found with interest. As it turns out, this is a short woman’s silk robe. It’s very soft and nice to touch, and a quiet color does not hurt his eyes. And Daniel does not have to think a lot to understand how he got this thing at his home.       “It’s her robe…” Daniel pronounces thoughtfully. “This color fitted her so well… She looked so cute when wearing this thing… Even with no makeup and ruffled hair.”       Daniel keeps looking at the silk robe like charmed from all sides, feeling something very nice that makes him smile shyly.       “But how did it end up here?” Daniel frowns slightly. “And why did I just notice this robe?”       Daniel looks under the bed, where he found the robe, and then at the dressing room.       “Did Anna rush to leave this place and forget about this robe? Or she took it but let it go?”       Daniel looks at the silk robe again, being happy that at least a part of Anna is with him now.       “I need to give it back to her… Just go to her home, give her the robe, explain how I got it, and leave. There’s nothing hard about it… But I’m not sure yet…”       Daniel says nothing for two seconds and smiles slyly, starting to think if he should give this thing to Anna.       “Hey…” Daniel raises his head. “What if I don’t give this robe to her? Let it be with me for a while. So, just something related to her warms up my heart! But if Anna thinks of it, I’ll give it back quietly. But now, sorry, princess… I will have it for a while.”       Daniel runs his hand over the silk robe with a slight smile, feeling that he is getting better because he believes Anna’s spirit is kind of next to him. And a few seconds later, the man starts to sniff this thing and realizes that his heart trembles nicely. It starts beating much faster because of such a familiar and madly nice feeling… Because of the dizzying smell of the girl’s body that this robe still has and can make him forget everything in the world. And the more he breathes it in, the more moments related to Anna come into Daniel’s mind. And the man is ready to breathe in this smell again and again like he is dependent and not to let go of the robe all day long, imagining that the hands of the girl caress his face tenderly when he runs the silk slowly over his cheeks.       “These are not the feelings I need, but I’m happy I have just something,” Daniel says with a slight smile, puts the robe closer to his chest, and exhales slowly with closed eyes. “Just something…”       Daniel would probably keep sitting on the bed with Anna’s silk robe, which shines beautifully under the light and literally hypnotizes him, until the morning. But he has to come back to reality when he hears a quiet knock at the door, and Cassidy appears on the doorstep.       “Don’t I bother you?” Cassidy asks shyly.       “Nope,” Daniel smiles slightly. “Come in.”       “I thought you went to sleep…” Cassidy comes into the room and closes the door. “But after hearing you play something on the guitar, I decided to check you out.”       “I don’t wanna sleep at all. At first, I wanted it, but now I lost this wish.”       “Then, why are you sitting here alone? You could come to me, so we talk…”       “I just wanted to stay alone…”       “Is this a hint that I came at the wrong time?”       “No, no, you didn’t.”       “Yeah, if you decided to be awake, you could use the moment and clean up this jungle, in which it’s impossible to move,” Cassidy chuckles kindly, looking around what surrounds her.       “Actually, I cleaned it up a little.”       “Huh, is this what you call a clan-up?” Cassidy crosses her arms over her chest. “You put all your stuff on the table and are sitting happy!”       “I’m too lazy to clean it. Later.”       “Are waiting for the men to clean everything? Or ask the girls to help you?”       “If I have to, I shall call the cleaning company.”       “As long as I remember you, you’ve never wanted to clean up. You did it only when Mom was running after you with a belt in the whole house.”       “I will clean, don’t worry! Just give me time to come to myself. My whole body hurts…” Daniel massages his shoulders intensively. “Especially, my arms…”       “Okay, bro, okay…”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Cassidy glances at the window Daniel has not closed.       “Hey, don’t ya feel cold?” Cassidy asks. “It’s not eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit. You’re my heat-loving plant.”       “Nope,” Daniel shrugs without emotions on his face. “But if you’re cold, you can close the window.”       Cassidy glances at Daniel looking into the distance with sadness in her eyes, comes to the window, and closes it.       “Come to me,” Daniel suggests amicably, clapping on the place next to himself.       Cassidy comes to Daniel and sits next to him on the bed, while the man puts Anna’s robe aside.       “You…” Daniel hugs Cassidy around the shoulders. “I’m sorry about giving you a little attention lately. And not letting you come to me for two days… I was obsessed with saving Anna and her parents. I… Wanted to focus… Stay alone…”       “Don’t worry, bro, I get it,” Cassidy smiles shyly and caresses Daniel’s cheek cutely with the back of her hand.       “Don’t be mad, please. I will fix it. And finally solve the problem of your therapy.”       “I’m holding on yet, but I’m terribly afraid that I might have a withdrawal.”       “I promise I’ll call the clinic tomorrow. If I manage to agree with them, I’ll drive you there.”       “I’m ready. Though I’m afraid to leave you alone.”       “Don’t worry about me, sweetie. You should think about your therapy. About what you wanna do after it.”       “I don’t want you to give a damn about you. You shouldn’t become an old man, for whom life is over.”       “You said what I sometimes think of…” Daniel sighs quietly, looking at his hands. “Become an old man, for whom life is over.”       “Hey, Dan…” Cassidy hugs Daniel around the shoulders. “What’s wrong? Why are you so sour?”       “You know the answer.”       “But everything ended well! You must be happy that nothing threatens Anna!”       “I’m happy,” Daniel pronounces quietly, moving his eyes to Cassidy. “Really. I’m just too tired to show my happiness loudly.”       “I think you just need to have a good rest. Sleep, eat, and take a birdbath…”       “No, I won’t come to myself for a long time after that. It will definitely take a few days.”       “Maybe… But tomorrow you’ll surely get better.”       “I dunno, Cass…” Daniel sighs tiredly. “I don’t… And I’m afraid that the memories, which made me smile then and make me sad and grieve now, are gonna chase me for some time.”       “The memories of Anna?”       “Yup,” Daniel moves his eyes to Anna’s robe, takes it, and looks at this with sadness in his eyes. “This is the first time when the memories make me happy but give me a strong pain.”       “Erm, what is that?” Cassidy frowns slightly, throwing a look at the silk robe in Daniel’s hands. “Ah, robe… Beautiful… It’s hers?”       “Yup, hers…” Daniel pronounces quietly. “I just found it under my bed. I guess Anna forgot it or dropped it when she left the house.”       “Do you wanna say it was under the bed all the time, but you just noticed it?”       “I’m surprised, too.”       “Here’s one more reason why you should sometimes clean your hole! Maybe, that girl left something else, but you aren’t aware.”       “I dunno…” Daniel chuckles kindly. “There’s nothing more…”       “So, bro, as I understand, are you gonna spend whole days with this robe and suffer, thinking of that girl?”       “You know, Cass…” Daniel glances at the robe in his hands and smiles slightly. “She was so beautiful wearing this robe. Anna wore it often in the mornings while grooming and having breakfast. And before sleep. I couldn’t stop admiring her as if I saw her for the first time.”       “I think this color would fit her well,” Cassidy assumes with a slight smile and runs her hand over the light green silk. “Wow… Very nice to touch…”       “And how perfect it looked on her slim waist! How well this robe expressed her long neck! She’d be a doll with any hairstyle – hair down, hair up, or a patch of hair like yours.”       “She’s really got a very good body. As I understand, does she watch it closely and limit herself too hard?”       “Yeah, she does. And she may sometimes keep a diet if she needs to lose weight quickly. But I’ve always criticized starvation and limits as a way to lose weight. People may ruin their health. There’s nothing bad about eating much less, but I think the best way to lose weight for me is sport. Though, Anna doesn’t need it, ‘cause she’s beautiful.”       “But now she needs to get a kilogram or two.”       “Her doctor was anxious because of that. He said if she lost much more weight, she might become anorexic.”       “Well, if that girl really wanna lose weight, she’s close to getting the proud title of an anorexic girl.”       “I think she won’t become. She has parents, who will not let her destroy herself. And her friends will help Anna come back to a normal life.”       “What about you?” Cassidy asks with sadness in her eyes. “Will you forget her?”       “I don’t think she needs me,” Daniel inclines his head, sighing quietly. “When Anna calms down, she will start to call me a betrayer again. She agreed to accept my help just because of her parents. If not for them, she would’ve pissed me off.”       “No, bro, you’re wrong,” Cassidy confidently shakes her head. “Anna needs you so badly and will be ready to give you a chance someday.”       “But she won’t do this. Because of her offense. Because of the thought that I’d betray her again.”       “But you said she thanked you and even kissed you on the cheek. Terrence confirmed it.”       “Right. But I don’t wanna take that kiss seriously and have illusions,” Daniel shrugs. “I am glad she kissed me. I’m glad Anna appreciated what I did. But it means nothing.”       “Ah, Danny, it’s wrong. Do you think a girl would kiss a boy and let him kiss her so easily? If she were indifferent to you, Anna wouldn’t have moved an eyebrow for you. She wouldn’t have screamed in horror when someone wanted to kill you, saved you from the criminals, and kissed you on the cheek.”       “That was a moment of despair, Cassidy. The situation was so hard that we all started to go crazy.”       “Gosh, don’t pretend to be an idiot, bonehead! You understand everything. You just don’t wanna say it.”       “But I really hope for nothing.” Daniel puts the robe on the bed next to him. “I just did what I promised. It was my goal. Maybe, many things went wrong, but I did keep my promise.”       “Okay, get a new goal – to get Anna back. To hug her, not her robe.”       “Is there a chance? Beautiful actions don’t make you a hero.”       “Anyway, you can’t avoid a talk. You haven’t broken up forever. So, you should say it personally to each other.”       “I know. And… Honestly, I’m a little afraid of that day.”       “But your friends had a similar experience, and you know how their stories ended.”       “My friends had different situations, Cass. None of them betrayed those they loved. But I really betrayed. Yes, I… I was outta my mind. But that’s not an excuse. Amnesia is not an excuse for my act.”       “And what? There is always a second chance! Anna gave it to you, and you did everything you could to prove what was more important to you.”       “I waited, and I wait for nothing. I just must’ve stopped owning Anna and her parents.”       “Do you know that Anna’s parents are sleeping and dreaming of you being together? They’d literally dance from happiness if their daughter got married to you!”       “Alas, it won’t happen. I missed a moment.”       “They really liked you, Daniel. The Seymours wanna see nobody but you next to Anna.”       “I liked her parents, too,” Daniel smiles slightly. “I’m making sure that Anna was wrong about them. I mean… She didn’t understand them… Because the Seymours were dependent on the opinions of older people and did what they told. But now, when those people saw who they almost gave their daughter to, it’s otherwise.”       “Anyway, they’ve always wished her happiness. Yes, maybe, it was a different one, but nobody can say the Seymours didn’t love their daughter.”       “You know… It would be great to have a father-in-law and a mother-in-law like them. I’ve gotten closer to Lilian and Maximilian through time…”       “Yeah, it would be cool if you had a good father-in-law and a mother-in-law, who wouldn’t wash your brain every day and teach you how to live. It happens, you know. A friend of mine from school complained about his grandparents, who constantly taught his parents. They accepted it quietly, but that boy was irritated ‘cause they taught him, too.”       “I hope I’ll be much luckier and won’t have to listen to tons of unnecessary pieces of advice. You know I don’t like when someone controls me.”       “I’m sure it will happen,” Cassidy replies confidently with a shy smile. “You’ll be back to Anna, put you and your house in order, and find the courage to propose to her someday. It would be cool!”       “Now it’s only possible in my dreams.”       “Please, Dan, don’t lose hope. When you two get your heads straight, you’ll wish to be together.”       Daniel silently moves his eyes into the distance, swallowing up nervously, and breaks the silence two seconds later:       “Everybody says it… The men, the girls, the Seymours… Even Mother and Father…”       “Mother and Father?” Cassidy frowns slightly.       “I dreamed of them the last night…”       “Really?” Cassidy rounds her eyes. “You saw Mom and Dad?”       “Yup. We talked. Right here, in my room. I never memorize dreams, but that one… Got into my head. It warmed my soul up…”       “And… What were you talking about?”       “About Anna. They said they really liked that girl. And Mother confessed she was the best one of those I had dated before.”       “You never had a taste for girls. But this time, you hit the bullseye.”       “Our parents did swear at me for losing her. Father said I was an absolute idiot. That’s hurtful, of course, but true. My betrayal is the greatest mistake of my life. And actually, they swore at me a lot because of everything I had done. Because of everything that made me a moron for my close people. I was madly ashamed…”       “Sorry, Dan, but nobody’s gonna praise you in this case. No matter what, that thing is bad. I ain’t gonna excuse it.”       “But they told me not to give up and lose hope,” Daniel confesses thoughtfully. “To do what I should do. It… It was the only way to get Anna’s trust back. If I missed a chance, I’d lose her forever.”       “If Mom and Dad were alive, they’d tell you the same.”       “Our parents promised they’d help me and protect me when I needed it. When I… Have to fight alone.”       “Listen, what if they really sent Anna to you when you were exhausted in a hopeless situation?” Cassidy assumes with a slight smile. “You stayed alone with those cads, who sucked everything outta you, but that girl showed up like a guardian angel.”       “Maybe,” Daniel shrugs. “Anyway, I didn’t forget that dream. I didn’t forget Mother saying that if I completed my mission, Anna would forgive me and come back to me later. I didn’t believe it would happen. And I still don’t believe it. But… It warmed my soul. Motivated me…”       “You see, even Mom and Dad showed you the right track to your happiness.”       “That dream was so real… I was dumbfounded for the whole morning after waking up. I briefly thought Dad and Mom were alive. Their hugs… Mom’s kiss on the cheek… Dad’s touch of my face… I still remember those feelings. And… I felt them again in my dream.”       “And me? They said something about me?”       “Yeah, but not very much. They asked not to leave you and to take care of you. They promised to help you, too. But a bigger part of the talk was about Anna.”       “I miss Dad and Mom so much…” Cassidy sighs heavily, glancing at her hands. “I wanna see them, at least in a dream. But I’ve never done it.”       “They came to me when I needed them.”       “Didn’t you dream of our parents before?”       “Nope. So, I was a little shocked today.”       “You said you had the photos and videos of Mom and Dad.”       “Yeah. I took everything I found at their house before selling it. All the albums with photos and videocassettes…”       “I’d be upset if we had nothing that would remind us of our parents.”       “Yeah, but I’ve never held them in my hands since that moment. I haven’t found the courage to check out what I have.”       “Let’s check together?” Cassidy suggests shyly. “Right now!”       “Yeah, we could… The box is in the dressing room… In the bottom drawer. I didn’t move it.”       Daniel gets up from the bed, comes to the door of the dressing room, opens it, and quickly finds a big carton box covered with dust, which he shakes off, in the bottom drawer, places it on the bed, and sits down next to Cassidy.       “Honestly, I’m a little excited…” Daniel confesses, starting to check out what’s inside the box.       “Let’s start with the photos,” Cassidy suggests. “Grab an album!”       “I’ll take this one! And you can take this one!”       Daniel takes the big photoalbum placed above, moves the box to the other side, takes another, and gives it to Cassidy.       “Wow, there are photos from Mom and Dad’s wedding!” Cassidy exclaims happily.       “And there are photos of you and me,” Daniel notices. “We’re kids here.”       “They’re so young, beautiful, and happy…”       Cassidy gets sadness in her eyes when she runs her fingertips over the photo, in which there is a couple of just-married people. A tall, dark-haired man with a fashionable at those times haircut in a classic suit that consists of a black jacket, pants, and a butterfly, and a white shirt with a small boutonniere on a lapel… And a young woman with her hair brushed up of a little lighter shade in a snow-white big dress with long, voluminous sleeves made of thin lace with a closed throat, with a long transparent veil, and a bouquet of chrysanthemums in her hands. There is a wide, true smile on their faces and a bright gloss in their happy eyes.       “Mother… Father…” Cassidy pronounces quietly. “If only you knew how much I miss you…”       “I saw them in my dream like this,” Daniel confesses with a slight smile, showing Cassidy a photo, in which their parents of the older age stand against the Christmas tree, wearing a soft, comfortable dark red pajama. “They were what I remembered them before Dad started to fade away before our eyes.”       “Hey, that’s you!” Cassidy exclaims happily, showing Daniel a photo, in which their parents are posing in a hospital room: their mother is holding a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket tied with blue tape, and their father looks at the newborn baby with tenderness in his eyes. “A blue tape! That’s the day of Mother’s release!”       “And that’s you!” Daniel smiles shyly when showing Cassidy a photo of their parents at an older age giving attention to the newborn baby in a blanket tied with pink tape. “I remember Mom and Dad bringing you home in this blanket with this pink tape!”       “Wow, you hug me with such love in this photo.” Cassidy pays attention to the photo of her being a baby and Daniel being a kid, who is hugging his younger sister tightly, while she smiles widely. “But you said you gave a fuck about me!”       “Listen, there are so many photos!” Daniel exclaims, starting to turn the pages of another album that he takes from the box. “I was always afraid that those memories would hurt me. But now I feel kind of nice. Warm…”       “I’m kind of back to those times…” Cassidy smiles shyly. “When Mom cooked delicious food for us, Dad worked and brought a lot of money… When you annoyed me with your stupid jokes…”       “That’s good we photographed and recorded every single moment. We’d have something to remember many years later.”       “That’s good you didn’t think of throwing it all. It’s okay you sold the house, but if you’d thrown the photos and the videos, I would’ve killed you.”       “No, I wasn’t gonna do it.”       Daniel and Cassidy view the photos of themselves and their parents for some time, smiling slightly when falling into the memories of the past, laughing shyly at some of them, and trying to remember when one or another was taken.       “Oh, this photo is also from the wedding but placed here as a bookmark!” Cassidy exclaims some time later, takes the photo of her parents, in which her father kisses her mother on the lips, and turns it to another side for a second. “Oh, look, something’s written here!”       “Gimme…” Daniel takes the photo. “‘The wedding of Sharon Sawyer and Ricardo Perkins. July 14th, 1987.’”       “I wonder why Mom and Dad signed this photo? Not to forget the wedding anniversary?”       “Who knows, Cass… Who knows…”       Cassidy takes the photo from Daniel, puts it in its place, and keeps turning the pages of the albums in her hands. But at some moment, she reaches the page, on which she finds a little yellow envelope.       “Envelope?” Cassidy frowns slightly, opens the envelope, and takes the piece of paper folded several times. “Hey, what’s this?”       “We’ll see it now…” Daniel takes the paper from Cassidy and unwraps it. “Hey, that’s the letter! From Dad to Mom!”       “Let’s read it? What does he write?”       “Now…” Daniel clears his throat quickly. “Dear Sharon, the light of my life, my only beloved woman in my life! If you’re reading this letter, something happened to me. Maybe, I am even dead, and you are grieving and suffering because of me…”       “If you remember, I somehow told you I wanted to write a letter to you but asked you to read it if I wasn’t near you. And I’d like to believe it’s been at least thirty or forty years since that moment.”       “I wrote this letter to thank you for everything we’ve experienced. My biggest fear is not having a chance to say goodbye to you when the time comes. So, I want to do this in my letter.”       Daniel and Cassidy read the letter from their father, in which he talks a lot about his love for their mother. The girl gets tears in her eyes, and the man’s voice shakes from the excitement. Every single line is written with all the heart, touches the nerve, and is full of clean and true love for the woman named Sharon, whom Ricardo literally praises, not being afraid to show his feelings.       “Whatever happens, remember that I love you with all my heart,” Cassidy starts to read the last lines. “Despite nothing, you will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for being by my side through good and bad times. If I wasn’t right and hurt you somehow, forgive me. Forgive me for everything. I know I wasn’t always perfect. Maybe, I didn’t always give you enough attention and often left you alone. But all I did was for you and our future children.”       “If we have them, let them read this letter when they grow up a little,” Daniel adds. “I want them to know how much their father adored their mother. I want them to remember only good things about me until the end of their lives. My future children, I am addressing you. Your dad loves you with all his heart and will always be by your side. Even if I’m dead, I will do my best to help you. Find the right track in your life and those you would feel good with.”       “Sharon, I am thanking you for our children in advance. I am incredibly proud to call you my wife. You became the best thing that had ever happened to me. If you feel bad someday, just read this letter and think of me. I hope it will help you feel relief and find the strength to keep living. If… Something happens to me. Or remember our favorite song that you and I adore. The one we danced along to every weekend at a dancepool. Now, while I’m trying to find the words for this letter, this song is playing on the radio. It helps me formulate my thoughts. And now I want to end. I was writing it for many days. I rewrote it and added things many times. But I eventually wrote down everything I had inside. It was reread many times, and I am sure that everything is right. I gave my soul and my heart to this one. So, I hope you’ll appreciate it.”       “My dear Sharon, I love you with all my heart and will always love you. Don’t forget me, and remember that even if I am dead, I will always be alive in your heart and your memories.”       “All my love, your husband, Ricardo,” Daniel and Cassidy end.       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Cassidy and Daniel silently run their eyes over the full letter from their father, which gets both of them deeply emotional.       “It’s so touching…” Cassidy pronounces thoughtfully and sniffs quietly. “Dad wrote such a wonderful letter for Mom…”       “It’s… Daniel pronounces thoughtfully and rubs his eye. “It’s really very touching… I almost cried…”       “I’d laugh loudly if someone told me there couldn’t be a more wonderful love than the one Mom and Dad had.”       “Yeah…” Daniel shakes his head. “I didn’t even know there was Father’s letter in the album. I… Didn’t know it actually existed.”       “But I can’t remember him asking Mother to read it. And mentioning it.”       “But she probably knew it and read it all.”       “And she got a stronger depression… The letter didn’t help her come to herself. And she eventually got a heart attack…”       “Although Father said he wanted to give us happiness with this letter, it doesn’t cause this feeling. The letter is touching but very sad at the same time.”       “And knowing that Mother refused to throw Father’s stuff away, they always reminded her of him, and she suffered.”       “She never tried. Mom always said life without Dad had no meaning. As well as without his stuff.”       “He would’ve disliked it. Dad wanted Mom to keep living for us.” Cassidy looks at her hands. “Honestly, it hurts that she forgot us. And… I thought she loved you and me less than Dad. He was kind of more important to her.”       “But I can understand her.” Daniel folds the letter several times and puts it in the envelope, which he puts in the box. “Everything happened suddenly. Nobody thought Father would get a heart attack and die. Our parents thought they’d live a long, happy life together, but… They died at the age of forty.”       “I know, but she should’ve remembered we couldn’t stay alone.”       “I don’t judge Mother, even if I’m upset that she thought of Father more than you and me. But… Now I understand that we weren’t actually as close as we thought. You, Father, Mother, me… We were busy with ourselves. Our businesses. Father was busy with his job, Mother was busy with homework, I was busy with hangouts my friends and dates with girls, and you spent time with some guys… But if we’d been closer… Everything could’ve been otherwise.”       “So, I’m starting to think I’d rather be a pauper but beloved than rich but deprived of love and care.”       “That’s why I understand Anna very well,” Daniel confesses thoughtfully. “I understand why she refused to get in touch with rich people. She knew she’d be unhappy with them. And she saw a few examples.”       “Seymour is a fine fellow. She wasn’t afraid of going against their stupid rules.”       “I believe I did the right thing when I didn’t tell her that I was raised in a provided family and was by far not poor. I met so many calculated girls that I started to think of lying about my financial status. Or not saying that I’m provided enough to take a girl to a restaurant and buy a necklace with brilliants or an expensive smartphone.”       “Anna is the first one, who loved you truly. She doesn’t need brilliants and expensive shit. The important things are attention and care. She’d even be with a bald devil for that!”       “You’re right,” Daniel laughs shyly. “She never lied when she said it.”       “Mom and Dad definitely liked her if they came in your dream and said you shouldn’t have given up.”       “Anyway, I completed my mission.” Daniel glances at one of the photos of the young and happy Sharon and Ricardo and takes it. “I believe our parents could be proud of me. At least now.”       “I’m sure they are,” Cassidy smiles shyly, caressing Daniel’s shoulder softly. “You risked yourself to save the Seymours and your friends. Mom and Dad saw it and helped you.”       “I don’t talk to the wind. If I say I’ll do it, I will do it.”       “You know, Daniel, you’re like Dad in this case. He didn’t think much of him and gave himself to his close people. Dad worked so hard just to provide for Mom, you, and me. Even if he sacrificed the time that he could’ve spent with us.”       “As you age, you stop being the middle of your universe. In childhood, you care about your score on your test and the punishment that your mom and dad may give you. But then you want to make sure your close people are happy and don’t need anything.”       “The important thing is not to end up in the hospital and to know when you should stop. And don’t fall into despair because of Anna.”       “I’m trying to hold on, but I can’t always do it.” Daniel puts all the photos in the album and puts it back in the box, which Cassidy places next to herself. “I can’t forgive myself for destroying what I appreciated so much.”       “At least you’re honest in this case. You don’t hide you cheated. You don’t press on pity, saying you remembered nothing.”       “I have no choice, Cass. It would be worse if I tried to find excuses.”       Daniel inclines his head slightly, locking his fingers tightly. Cassidy holding some photos of her parents looks at her brother with pity in her eyes, then puts the pictures in the box, hugs him around the shoulders, and kisses him cutely on the cheek.       “Don’t worry, bro, it’s gonna get better,” Cassidy smiles shyly. “You did what you should’ve done – wait. Wait and come to yourself. The past few weeks have gotten you too exhausted.”       “You know…” Daniel sighs quietly, hugs Cassidy with both arms, presses her against himself, and kisses her on the temple, looking into the distance with sadness in his eyes. “Maybe… We would’ve gotten married… Anna would’ve become a wife of mine if we hadn’t broken up because of my stupid mistake.”       “But you didn’t propose to her!”       “I was ready to propose to her and thought of a good moment. I thought about getting a ring… A place where to propose…”       “And the girl was waiting for my bro… She was probably waiting for too long that she decided to accept the fact that she’d never become his wifey.”       “She never told me to marry her and was happy with just living in my house.” Daniel chuckles quietly. “But the lads always kicked my ass and tortured me with the question about when I was gonna propose to Anna. And I always said I’d do it soon…”       “They realized that the girl was perfect for you! That you wouldn’t find anyone better.”       “I know, Cass… But I’m an idiot. The idiot that played time ‘till the end.”       “Were you afraid to lose your freedom? Did you think marriage would end it?”       “Yeah. Freedom has always been very important to me. You know about my toxic relationship, in which I was constantly under control.”       “But you saw Anna wasn’t that type!”       “I was afraid she’d reveal her real side someday. But the further, the more I realized I was able to do anything even in a relationship with her.”       “You’d feel very good with her. She would take care of you and make beautiful babies from you…”       “Before I met Anna, I hadn’t thought about marriage, children, or anything about a family. I felt cool! I lived alone, was doing what I loved, earning money, hanging out with my friends in my free time, meeting young cuties, and dating some of them. But now it’s different: I want a family… To have a beloved girl by my side. Children from her.”       “You’re growing up, bro,” Cassidy smiles shyly. “You’re really no longer a little boy.”       “And I would be happy… If Anna was with me. If she came back to me, I’d take care of her like no one else. I’d love and protect her much more. I’d do anything for her.”       “It will happen,” Cassidy replies confidently with a slight smile, puts her arms around Daniel’s neck, and presses herself close to him, running her fingers through his hair. “Anna is not silly to leave such an amazing man. She understands that she won’t be happy if she says, ‘goodbye’ to you when she still loves you. What’s the point in leaving someone, who you love, and who loves you?”       “Trust me, Cassidy, sometimes people break up even if they love each other very much,” Daniel replies quietly. “There are situations when a person isn’t able to be with someone. Terrible character, some demons, or something else…”       “But that’s not the case! You’re a wonderful man. Anna is also a cool girl. Good people must be together.”       “Anyway, even if we reconcile, we’re gonna have to spend a lot of time forgetting everything.”       “Hey, were you and Anna able to agree?”       “At least, we tried.”       “And fought?”       “It’s a part of the life of any couple. When people can’t solve a problem together, there’s no point in being together. When they want a serious relationship, they should solve conflicts and accept some shortcomings. You can’t change someone by force. But it’s possible to accept them the way they are.”       “I know…” Cassidy thinks about something, looking into the distance with sadness in her eyes, while Daniel hugs his sister cutely and kisses her on the temple.       “Don’t think about it, sis,” Daniel says softly. “Now you should think of different things. You’ll fall in love later. You’re only nineteen. Your life is just starting.”       “But I wanna see you happy.” Cassidy moves her eyes to Daniel. “You know how it’s hurtful for me to see you so broken. I want you to hug and kiss your beloved girlfriend, not her clothes. You to stop pretending that nothing happens, and you don’t care about Anna's situation. You to start smiling, laugh, and have fun ‘cause you really feel good.”       “I also want it. But if Anna doesn’t wanna come back to me, I’ll have to accept it and get used to life without her. I can’t suffer all my life because of her.”       “Your current condition is killing me, Daniel,” Cassidy caresses Daniel’s cheek softly and kisses another.       “Don’t worry about me, Cass,” Daniel caresses Cassidy’s head with a slight smile. “I will take it.”       “Danny…”       “No matter what happens to my relationship with Anna, I will keep working on your therapy, my band, and the improvement of my skills at playing guitar and singing.”       “Life may be very unpredictable! I thought I’d never see you, but you and I are sitting here together, talking, and viewing the photos of Mom and Dad…”       “Oh…” Daniel sighs quietly, looks around the room with his sad eyes, and runs his hands slowly over his face. “Maybe… At heart, I believe I have a chance. But I’m trying not to comfort myself with dreams and illusions. As they say, get ready for the worst, but hope for the best. Besides, nobody canceled a sod’s law. You expect one thing, but you get something else.”       “Gosh, Anna has given you so many hints, but you, idiot, made yourself think she’d never come back to you!”       “Let everything happen as it wants. I did my business.”       “But why do you get ready for the worst now?”       “To make the time of taking it up less bad. I banned myself from living my fantasies. Dreams give me pain.”       “And won’t you even try to talk to Anna, going to her home or inviting her here?”       “No, I will leave her alone and give her a chance to relax and come to herself,” Daniel exhales slowly. “And I need to put my brain in order after the hell I’ve lately experienced. Which I will never forget.”       “Okay, do what you want,” Cassidy shrugs. “But I wouldn’t like you to break down. If there were nothing to hope on, so many people wouldn’t confidently tell you that Anna may come back to you.”       “I don’t wanna think about it…” Daniel replies thoughtfully, looking into the distance. “And talk. Let some time go, and something’s gonna be clear.”       “Anyway, you can always count on me.” Cassidy kisses Daniel cutely on the cheek with a slight smile and puts her head on her brother’s shoulder, which she also caresses. “I’ll always be by your side and do my best to help you. You’re not alone, bro. You won’t be while I’m with you.”       “Thanks, sis,” Daniel smiles shyly. “I’m so happy to have you… And you’re living with me… Although I’ve always loved living alone, sometimes I wanted to talk to someone in the late evening before sleep or during dinner. A working TV can’t replace a person and give me the feeling that I have someone by my side.”       “Yup, loneliness is great, but sometimes you get sick of it.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Cassidy and Daniel smile shyly and take each other in an amicable hug. And after stepping back from her brother some time later, the girl moves her eyes to the silk robe lying next to the man.       “Hey, what are you gonna do to Anna’s robe?” Cassidy asks. “You’ve gotta give it back.”       “I don’t want to do it now,” Daniel smiles slyly, takes Anna’s robe, and runs his cheek slowly over the incredibly soft, light green silk. “I want a part of her to be next to me… Me to have just something that smells like her…”       “So, do you refuse to give it back to her?”       “I don’t think Anna cares about this robe now. Well, if she understands that I have it, I will give it back with no problem.”       “Gosh, don’t tell me you’ll be sleeping with it,” Cassidy chuckles kindly.       “Why not? If I don’t have a chance to sleep with Anna, her robe will replace her.”       “Ah, Dan, Dan…” Cassidy shakes her head with a slight smile. “Love made you so sentimental and vulnerable. You used to think only about hangouts with your pals, with whom you always mocked someone, and didn’t refuse casual sex with any beautiful girls.”       “Maybe…” Daniel pronounces thoughtfully. “I just wanna keep a part of my beloved girl with me… I wanna feel her smell for as long as possible. If I knew the brand of the perfume that she uses, I’d definitely buy it.”       “Okay, my bro in love…” Cassidy laughs shyly, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “If you wanna sleep, snuggling her rob and sniffing every single inch of it, I won’t mind it.”       “Nobody will ban me!”       “I really wanna see your face when you sleep with this robe and try to sniff something.” Cassidy glances at a photocamera placed on the writing table. “I’d take your camera and photograph you. And then show all your friends. So, they’ve got a reason to laugh at you.”       “Being in love is not a reason to laugh!”       “But sleeping with a lady’s robe is a reason to laugh!”       “Okay, okay, hooligan, when you’re in love and sleep with a photo of your boyfriend or his clothes, I will be happy to take a couple of photos. But I’ll show them to the whole world, posting the best pictures on Instagram.”       “Ha! I will think if I’ll tell you about it!”       “As your older brother, I must know who you talk to and who you fall in love with. I won’t let you talk to anyone to seem suspicious.”       “Don’t worry, Dan!” Cassidy claps Daniel on the hand with a slight smile. “You won’t have to kick out anyone or chase someone with a mop in your hands for a couple of miles.”       “Okay, okay.” Daniel caresses Cassidy’s head and ruffles her hair. “We will see it, my little girl.”       “Hey!” Cassidy claps Daniel on the hand. “I’m not little!”       “Little! A baby!”       “You’re stuck in the time when I was thirteen!”       “Eighteen-year-old people are children yet!”       “Ha, you’re old then. While you’re quickly getting closer to thirty, I’m gonna be only twelve the next year.”       “Not old, Cass, but an adult man,” Daniel smiles slyly with his head proudly raised. “A provided one, I think.”       “You just don’t wanna confess that you’re about to join a club of thirty-year-old people.”       “Age doesn’t matter to me. I’ve never cared about it. And I’d say I like being at my current age much more. When I’ve reached something and can depend on nobody.”       “Okay, okay, I’ll look at you when you’re fifty. When you’re a too old man.”       “I’m gonna be a cheerful and funny old man, who will be playing with his band even when I’m fifty.”       “If only you creep on the stage. What if someone has to carry you in their arms. Though, even in this case, all old ladies are gonna be yours!” Cassidy runs her fingers through Daniel’s hair and ruffles it.       “Hey, my hair is dirty!” Daniel moves Cassidy’s hand off his hair.       “You look good anyway!”       “Get your hand off my hair! Get off me!”       After a few unsuccessful attempts to move Cassidy’s hand off his hair, Daniel tries to ruffle her hair with a sly smile.       “Hey, leave my hair alone, idiot!” Cassidy makes a loud squeak. “I was trying to garter it for a half an hour! My arms still hurt!”       “Next time, you will listen to me!” Daniel exclaims, trying to tickle Cassidy’s most sensitive laces. “If you don’t, I will kick your ass!”       “Hey, stop, I feel a tickling!” Cassidy demands loudly. “You hear what I say? Get off me! Daniel!”       “You have nobody to complain to! We don’t have Mom and Dad! So, you won’t complain about me!”       “I will tell the men! They’ll protect me!”       “The men are gonna be by my side!”       “We will see it, idiot!”       “Hey, don’t swear!”       “Okay, Dan, stop! Stop! Hey, you want me to die? Daniel!”       Because Daniel does not want to stop and keeps tickling Cassidy and ruffling her hair, she grabs a pillow from his bed and starts beating her brother with a loud laugh. At first, he closes his face with both hands, but then he takes the second pillow and starts protecting himself from his sister, thrilling with a laugh alongside her and not caring that they look like children now.       

***

      Two days later. It’s impossible to say everybody feels a great relief and is ready to jump with happiness. After everything they experienced, they are still kind of empty. Kind of tired. But despite this fact, all of them started to come back to their businesses slowly. For example, Raquelle, Helene, Anna, and Natalia come together for the first time in a while and are going in the car of the blonde to check out dresses for the bridesmaids. The weather is warm and sunny enough. Even hot, it’s possible to say. The friends are driving on almost a free road with open windows and good music, along with which the girls sometimes sing with pleasure. Their loose hair or hair brushed in a tale is blowing, and sunglasses protect their eyes from the bright sun.       “Excellent day, girls,” Raquelle says with a wide smile, sitting in the backseat, shaking her head with the rhythm and clicking her fingers. “That’s so good we’ve finally gone somewhere all together.”       “Yeah, it seems like it’s been forever since we came together the last time,” Helene notices, sitting in the passenger seat and moving her body along with the rhythm.       “Ah, girls, I can’t believe it…” Anna sighs quietly, leaning back in the backseat. “I missed our hangouts and talks so badly…”       “And I’m terribly glad you two are helping Raquelle and me to get ready for the wedding,” Natalia replies cheerfully, watching the road closely and sometimes knocking at the steering wheel with her fingers. “Without you, we won’t do this for sure.”       “We’re always at your service,” Helene says confidently. “We’ll do our best for your wedding to be the event of the year.”       “At first, I thought everything would be easy, and Edward, Terrence, and Raquelle and I would do it without someone’s help. But everything is much harder…”       “Yeah, we can’t do this without someone’s help…” Raquelle adds thoughtfully.       “I see Edward also realized it and asked the lads to help him,” Helene notices thoughtfully. “I heard they talked a lot about music.”       “I know,” Natalia nods and changes the speed with a gearbox. “Rose and Perkins treat their roles too responsibly.”       “And what about a ceremony place and a celebration place?” Anna asks. “Many guests will come to the wedding. So, we need a large place.”       “Edward said Terrence somehow recommended a good place for a ceremony.”       “What if you have a ceremony and celebration at the home of Mr. and Mrs. MacClife?” Anna suggests.       “I think it’s a good idea,” Raquelle says thoughtfully, running her hand through her hair. “We could save some money thanks to this. Renting a place for a wedding ceremony may be too expensive.”       “I agree,” Helene nods.       “Anyway, it’s possible to move something in the living room to get enough space for all the guests.”       “So, let the lads do it!” Helene chuckles kindly.       “Ha, serious?” Natalia exclaims. “It’s a job for boys!”       “Right!” Anna laughs shyly. “Let them warm up a little!”       “And let them use their energy for good things,” Raquelle adds.       “And we, girls, will think about how to look beautiful,” Natalia smiles innocently and changes the speed with a gearbox. “Think about hair, makeup, dresses, and shoes…”       “Hey, have you and Raquelle picked up a dress?” Anna asks. “You kind of went to look at dresses, as far as I remember.”       “Yeah, but we got so confused… There are so many beautiful dresses…”       “If I could, I’d wear all of them,” Raquelle adds.       “But do you know what you want?” Raquelle specifies.       “Yup, but I don’t see my perfection anywhere.       “There are dresses with what I want, but they may have what I dislike,” Natalia adds.       “There are many wedding salons in the city, not only the one where you were with Mrs. Rochester and me,” Helene replies confidently. “We need to pick up time and go to a different salon.”       “I wanted to do it a long time ago. But I wanna go with someone to hear the others’ opinions. I wanna look imitable.”       “My darling, you’d be imitable in any dress!” Helene exclaims. “Consultants at that salon said Raquelle and you had perfect bodies.”       “Besides, we have so much to do: we’ve gotta pick up a hairstyle, makeup, jewelry, shoes, a bouquet… Gosh, my head goes around!”       “Anyway, we’re all yours, friend,” Anna says confidently. “And don’t care about your makeup: I will do my best for you to look incredibly beautiful.”       “And I’ll work on your hair with pleasure,” Helene promises with her head proudly raised. “You’ll be so incomparable that Terrence and Edward will lose their heads when they see you.”       “Huh, Edward loses his head every time he looks at Natalia,” Raquelle laughs shyly.       “And if we make our Raquelle an eternal beauty, Terrence will surely go crazy,” Natalia adds.       “And you also need to pick up dresses, girls.”       “Yeah!” Raquelle exclaims. “You’re gonna be our bridesmaids. And you should look beautiful.”       “So, we’re gonna try on some dresses,” Anna notices.       “Although Raquelle and I don’t know what type of dress our bridesmaids should wear, I promise you will get everybody delighted by your beauty.”       “But we must look incredible on that day,” Raquelle smiles widely. “A bride must be the most beautiful and outstand everyone.”       “Don’t worry, Raquelle, I will do my best to drive Edward crazy,” Natalia promises confidently. “He won’t move his eyes off me when he sees me on the wedding day.”       “I will do my best for Terrence not to stop looking at me.”       “Moreover, I have such amazing helpers like my friends, my parents, and my grandmother.”       “Trust the taste of your mother, Natalia,” Anna advises with a slight smile. “She has amazing taste in clothes and wouldn’t advise you anything bad.”       “I’ve talked a lot to her about my wedding look. And I’m so lucky that our tastes are the same. But when Mother has a different opinion, she doesn’t insist on it and allows me to do what I want.”       “Judging by the dresses that she liked at the salon, she wants your dress not to have too many sparkles, laces, and other things,” Helene says thoughtfully.       “Why do you dress up like a Christmas tree?” Anna wonders truly. “You can be a beauty in a simple dress! But knowing Natalia’s strong love for sparkles, I won’t be surprised if she’s shining one mile away.”       “My dress is definitely gonna have something sparkly,” Natalia says. “I can’t refuse sparkles.”       “So, we’ll make sure you won’t pick up something too sparkly and tasteless,” Anna laughs shyly. “When you look at your wedding photos in ten or twenty years, you should have no regrets about your wedding look.”       “If Edward likes something, I won’t regret it. I love what he likes with all my heart.”       “And we know that Edward is our lover of nature,” Raquelle notices thoughtfully. “Simplicity is the best way to seduce him.”       “I know, but I’d like to surprise him and show… The other side of me. So to speak, to add a little bit of spice.”       “That’s how…” Helene nods with a shy smile. “So, do you wanna be sexy?”       “I always try to be like this,” Natalia smiles mysteriously. “And I often try to wear shorts and crop tops that MacClife adores.”       “Crop tops really look super sexy,” Raquelle notices. “You kind of open something, but something remains closed. Terrence adores them, too!”       “I believe all the men love them,” Helene assumes and laughs shyly. “Rose had his jaw on the floor when he saw me in a crop top for the first time.”       “Gosh, seducing men is easier than doing the nails on your left hand or zipping up a dress on your back!”       “Edward doesn’t know what’s waiting for him on our first marriage night,” Natalia smiles slyly. “He doesn’t know how I’m gonna drive him crazy.”       “I get it,” Anna laughs quietly and caresses Natalia’s shoulder softly, while the blonde changes the speed with a gearbox. “Okay, friend, don’t worry! Marshall and I will make you raving beauties that would make the MacClifes speechless.”       “The most important thing is that they remember how to speak when they’re asked whether they agree to get married,” Raquelle chuckles kindly.       “The most important thing is that you and Natalia can speak and say, ‘yes,’” Helene notices confidently. “And you shouldn't worry about the MacClifes: Rose and Perkins will quickly teach them to speak.”       “Aha, they’ll start to give them ammonia.”       “C’mon, the lads would probably say, ‘yes’ for Edward and Terrence sooner!” Anna chuckles kindly. “Peter and Daniel will do it! They’re kind of waiting for the wedding of Edward and Natalia and Terrence and Raquelle much more.”       “That’s right,” Raquelle smiles. “Perkins and Rose are so happy as if they’re gonna get married.”       “They’re marrying their best friends off!” Helene exclaims. “So, they’re not less excited than the parents of the brides and the grooms!”       “Gosh, I can’t believe it’s all really happening,” Raquelle replies, fixing her hair with a slight smile. “And I still can’t believe Natalia and I are gonna be a family.”       “Yeah, who would’ve thought!” Anna exclaims cheerfully. “The school friends are gonna be relatives…”       “That’s cool!” Natalia smiles widely. “I wouldn’t have to get on well with my sister-in-law ‘cause she’s my best friend.”       “It’s our fate, Rochester,” Raquelle laughs shyly. “As people say, you can’t run away from your fate.”       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which the girls look at each other with a slight smile and watch what’s happening behind the window. However, they see nothing but cars driving quickly on the road, interchanges, bridges, road signs, and indicators.       “Oh, how long do we have to drive?” Helene sighs tiredly, leaning back in the seat.       “We’ve almost arrived,” Natalia replies confidently and moves to another line carefully. “Since the roads are free today, we’ve come quite quickly.”       “Yeah, we’ve gotta do something while the lads are having fun somewhere.”       “Hey, is Sammy with them?” Natalia asks.       “No, Sammy stayed home with Grandma. He’s lately been too loud… I don’t even know how to calm him down. And he started to be jealous of Peter and me again. When we kiss, that long-eared hooligan starts to annoy us, bark loudly, and nuzzle his face in our faces.”       “It’s so funny to watch the doggy get jealous of you and your boyfriend,” Raquelle chuckles shyly.       “Yeah, it’s funny when he doesn’t bite you or destroy anything. When you don’t hold yourself down not to slap him on the ears with a newspaper or the face with a slipper.”       “No, Helene, he won’t hurt you,” Anna replies confidently. “Peter is gonna take all of that.”       “Yeah, poor Pete,” Natalia shakes her head with a kind chuckle.       “That’s right,” Helene agrees. “Sammy listens to me ‘cause I’m his owner, whom he must obey. But sometimes the fluffy makes Peter’s life hard… But then he starts jumping around him and whining. He is kind of very sorry.”       “Thank God, he understands what his fault is,” Raquelle laughs shyly.       “Ah, girls…” Helene sighs quietly. “I’m afraid that we may lose control of Sammy, he’ll start doing anything he wants and what Peter and I forbid him to do.”       “Relax, Marshall, it will hardly happen,” Natalia says confidently. “If he has to, that doggy acts very worthily and does his best for people to literally fall in love with him.”       “Let’s hope…”       The girls fall silent for a few seconds, watching what’s happening on the roads and wrinkling at times because of the shots of the bright sun that get into their faces.       “Oh, gosh, the sun gets into my eyes,” Anna complains, fixing her sunglasses.       “Agree, and it’s very hot,” Helene moans quietly, waving at her face.       “Gosh, I can’t wait to come to the store…” Raquelle pronounces thoughtfully, leaning her head back. “Maybe, it’s a little colder there… We could buy some water with ice…”       “Turn on some music…” Anna says thoughtfully. “It’s boring to be in silence…”       “Let’s see what’s playing on the radio,” Helene replies. “Maybe, we’re gonna be lucky.”       Helene turns on the radio and starts pressing the buttons to change the radio station.       “Maybe, we should turn on an album?” Raquelle suggests. “Are there musical albums here?”       “Alas,” Natalia shakes her head and changes the speed with a gearbox. “I’ve wanted to take something from what I have at home, but I always forget it.”       “Oh, listen, I think I found something good!” Helene exclaims.       An energetic song by a certain girl starts playing in the car.       “Hey, that’s Brianna Armstrong?” Anna rounds her eyes.       “She is!” Helene nods with a shy smile. “Her new single, ‘Shooting Star’!”       “Oh, I love this song!” Natalia exclaims, starting to shake slightly with the rhythm.       “Yeah, it’s amazing!” Raquelle agrees with a slight smile, clicking her fingers.       “Turn it louder!” Anna exclaims. “Much louder!”       Anna, Helene, Natalia, and Raquelle have a lot of pleasure singing along with the song of the famous singer, clapping their hands, shaking their bodies with the rhythm, enjoying the time that they spend with each other, not stopping to joke about something and laugh a lot, and not thinking about anything that got them super nervous.