Gregory and Shaun followed closely behind.
“Mommy.” Gregory tilted his head upward and smiled brightly at me.
I reveled in the warmth that spread through my body at his loving address. Stroking his head fondly, I cooed, “Good boy, Gregory.”
Audrey’s gaze darted between Nora and me as a frown appeared on her face. “Two mommies?”
“No, this is Mommy,” Gregory insisted softly. “Didn’t you tell me that Mommy smelled weird? Why don’t you smell her now?”
A light bulb seemed to go off in Audrey’s head as she immediately stretched her arms out toward me and cried, “I want a hug!”
I carried her with a smile on my face. Audrey wrapped her arms around my neck, and I giggled at the ticklish sensation.
“Do you smell it now?” I asked good-naturedly.
Audrey nodded vigorously and exclaimed, “Yeah!” She turned her head to face me and continued, “This is Mommy’s smell! You’re Mommy!”
I could not help but chuckle at her innocence, and I pinched her cheek fondly as I teased, “Could you tell me how I smell different compared to Ms. Nora?”
“Hmm.” My daughter pouted her lips in deep thought before shaking her head. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
“We wanted to play a prank on you two, but it looks like you knew everything from the start,” Nora interrupted as she set the cake in her hands aside. “Audrey, won’t you tell me how you knew we were different? I even used the same perfume as your mommy.”
Audrey raised her volume and replied, “It’s not the perfume! I-I- It’s just different! I know it’s different.”
As if fearful that we would continue interrogating her, she buried her head in my chest and avoided our gazes.
I could empathize with her display of obstinance; I had seen many children bottling up out of frustration at being unable to express themselves.
At the same time, I thought I understood what Audrey meant about my unique smell. Call it a mother’s instinct, I suppose.
I thought of Ashton then and the scent of his pheromones, which could not be overshadowed by the faint smell of his expensive colognes and cigars.
“Okay, she won’t ask you any more questions about that. Come on, Mommy will take you home. Daddy made a cake for you all. Don’t you want to eat it?” I subtly shifted the conversation topic to encourage Audrey to open up again.
My tactic worked, and Audrey exclaimed in glee, “Yes! I want cake!” She probably had forgotten all about Nora’s questions at that point.
As expected, food typically took center stage in a glutton’s mind.
Except when it came to Shaun. Is it possible to forge a bond so quickly with a kid to whom she isn’t related?
However, this was not the time for me to dwell on this issue.
We should leave this wretched place ASAP.
“Why are you in such a rush to leave, Scarlett? Aren’t you going to introduce me to your kids? We look so much alike, after all.” Nora looked at me with an indecipherable smile on her face, looking like she had no intention to let us leave uneventfully.
Ashton spoke up coldly, “You think you can keep me here?” The authority in his tone had Gregory and Shaun glancing at him subconsciously.
“You’re always so impatient, Ashton,” Nathaniel drawled lazily. He had picked up on the tense situation and sauntered over with his hands in his pockets. “I’ve always been helping Gregory with any problems he’s facing in his computer science studies. So much time has passed; I’m sure he must be brimming with questions. Plus, Nora and Letty are finally reunited after being separated for years. Why must we cut short the sisters’ reunion? Stay a while longer and let them have a chat.”
He had walked up to Nora by then. Standing side-by-side, I thought they made a fine pair with their matching smiles of faux kindness even if one of them happened to look exactly like me.
Nathaniel’s words brought a smug smile to Nora’s face. “Of course. I’m Nora Stovall. Don’t tell me you forgot about your older sister? We’re twins, for goodness sake.”
