Duh..

Duh..

*knock*

*can I come in?*

*door opens*

.

.

.

SURPRISE *squealing*

_______*******_______

🎶 My happiest moments weren't complete if you weren't by my side (you weren't by my side)

You're my relation in connection to the sun (connection to the sun)

With you next to me there's no darkness I can't overcome (I can't overcome)

You are my raindrops, I am the seed (I am the seed) 🎶

Song by Beyonce.

Chapter 30

The couple sent out for the day activities after their breakfast and little chats here and there, knowing about each other's likes and dislikes.

Nathaniel gave a new camera for Angelina to make their time together cherishable even though all would be imprinted in their memories and he had gotten the same face caps with colorful print on them for both of them. Nathaniel's cap was printed 'Hers Forever' with 'fuckoff Assholes' written underneath the headings with a middle finger while Angelina's cap was printed 'His forever' with 'fuckoff Bitches' written underneath the headings with a middle finger also. Angelina widened her eyes comically asking Nathaniel was it necessary but he shrugged it off, pecking her on her lips with a sly smirk playing at the tip of his lip.

"So where are we going?" Angelina asked, beaming widely, she couldn't wait to explore the whole Victoria even if not all but most of the main places as she played with the camera with her. Their assigned had come earlier to take them to wherever they were heading to because she had no clue where Nathaniel told him. They had been sitting in silence for almost an hour except they shared a few glances and smiled at each other before getting lost in each other's thoughts.

"We are visiting a family friend" he responded, staring at the lady beside whose happiness was radiating to him and he couldn't help to smile.

"A family friend?" she raised a brow while he hummed in response, nodding his head.

"I don't know you have a family friend around here" she voiced her thought.

"Aunty Sally prefers family-free - problems that's why she doesn't associate with family except in some rare cases" he spoke, "She's Nicholas' mother twin sister" he filled her in when he saw the confusion etched on her cute face.

"Oh," realization drew to her, shaking her head in understanding.

"Yeah" he grinned, "She's kind, nice but very possessive of her kitchen" He smiled, relishing a memory. "I remembered when I and Nick snuck into the kitchen after dinner to steal cookies" he chuckled lightly, "Nick was guarding the door while I was trying to find where she kept the cookies but trust me, it ended badly for us" he cringed, closing his eyes shut.

"What happened?" her lips curled up in laughter but her lips stopped.

"We thought she'd already gone to bed because she was always the first to go to bed" he tried to defend their actions, shrugging his shoulder, "But… she was still inside the kitchen without the light on, kneading her beautiful dough" he snickered.

"Oh my" Angelina laughed, she could feel the end wouldn't be nice.

"I took the plate of cookies out and called Nick to come nearer so that we could devour" he grinned, "as we took the cookies to take a bite, then… puff… She one-ed the light, we were like a deer caught in the light". He shook his head while Angelina erupted in laughter.

"For a whole week, we helped her with baking nonstop, and the cookies we were caught stealing were eaten by her without batting an eyelash or giving us a taste and telling us to wash the plate" he narrated.

"So hilarious" she guffawed, uncaring of how it wasn't ladylike. That woman…. She couldn't wait to meet her.

"Sorry dear" she mocked, covering her mouth.

"It was very embarrassing and….".

"We are there" the driver injected, pulling them out of their reminisce.

The driver stopped at a well-known pastry shop, igniting the car off before coming down, opening the door for Nathaniel and Angelina while Angelina murmured a thank you.

Nathaniel turned to the driver, "Go, we will find our way home" he ordered before walking to Angelina, holding her hand then bringing it to his lips, and kissed.

"Are you ready?" he reassured her when he noticed her tense back.

Angelina inhaled then exhaled loudly, calming down her nerves. She got nervous whenever she was to meet someone new.

"Yeah" she responded in a small voice.

They walked to the small building as the door chimed alerting there was a new customer whereas the sign had been turned to close.

The smell of bakery and brew coffee invaded Angelina's two nostrils as she was engulfed with the warm coziness of the shop. It felt like home.

"We are close for…" the boy, no less than seventeen years old, words caught in his throat as his eyes widened in recognition as he lunged himself at an already grinning Nathaniel.

"Uncle Nate" the boy's voice appeared manly deep for his pretty face.

"Hayden" Nathaniel greeted, ruffling the boy's hair which displeasedly shown in the boy's voice. Hayden wore an orange polo that had the name of the shop printed on it and black pants. His grey eyes stood out as his blond hair looked unkempt with a charming face. A female killer.

"Hayden, won't you tell the customer we are not open for today?!" a loud brittle voice of a woman came from the kitchen, "If I'm…" The woman trailed off as she saw the person who visited her shop.

"Oh, Nate my boy" Her voice coated with emotions, opened her arms "How I missed you," she said, hugging him. She rested her head on his chest as his height towered against her.

Aunty Sally was petite like Nathaniel's mother with brown eyes and black shoulder-length hair. She wore a white knee-length gown with her apron on top.

"You've changed so much since last time" Her voice cracked, she patted his cheek, "You are now a grown-up man" she teased, wiping her tears. It had been so long Nathaniel had visited her after the death of her twin sister, she had withdrawn from the family. And had secluded herself at Seychelles away from everything.

They continued to exchange greetings as Angelina stood behind, twirling her leg in anxieties as Hayden beamed at the woman in front of him, gracing her his swoon-worthy smile that could make any woman drool but that didn't work on Angelina who shook her head.

That can't charm me, she sniggered internally. And I only have eyes for one man and that's him there, she blushed at her thought. When did she become this, she thought.

Angelina laughed at Hayden's sour face, showing him her wedding ring than her cap. "Damn!" he muttered dejectedly before grinning cheekily, "the first female my charm doesn't work on except my mom" he took Angelina's hand and placed a kiss on her ring finger. She shook her head tsking.

"She's off limit" Nathaniel proclaimed, breaking away from the hug and going to where Angelina was, kissing her, showing his claim to already mischievous Hayden while Angelina looked flush before introducing her to aunty Sally who looked amused.

"Aunty Sally" he called to the woman who was already gawked at Angelina in amusement," She's Angelina," he said in adoration, bringing her closer to him, "My wife" before glaring at Hayden who was staring at his wife with respect and adoration after even kissing her in front of him. He shook his head, this boy!.

"Woah" Aunty Sally pulled her into a motherly hug, crushing her in a hug. She smelt like vanilla mixed with strawberry. "You are beautiful" she whispered, "… a rare gem," She said, touching Angelina's cheeks adorable as tears glistened in her eyes. "You've beautiful eyes, my child" she complimented, pulling Angelina to sit near the glass window.

Her hands were warm and soft like fluffy fresh baked bread.

"Hayden!" she called, "Get the lady our number one coffee" she ordered his son who grumbled about cutting his time short from talking to the lady.

"You can't get that anywhere except here" she smiled, "That's my magic recipes" she added, winking, "And I'm not telling you because it's a secret" she whispered, giggling like a young lady.

"I'm Eliana but prefer Aunty Sally" She beamed, smiling widely while Angelina bowed her head in respect.

"How old are you dear?".

"I'm 22" she responded.

"Woah, you look younger than your age" she blurted out before she widened her eyes, "I'm sorry.. I tend to blab a lot" she grinned.

"Hayden!" she called, she didn't know what was taking him long.

"Coming!" he responded.

The scent of milked coffee whiffed into Angelina's system then Hayden put the cup in her front then muffins as support.

Nathaniel stared how his Angel was mostly silent as Aunty Sally fawn over her like a newborn baby, he came forward having a sullen look on his face, "I'm hurt" he itched, "You've forgotten about me" he muttered, "I'm jealous" only to be smacked by Aunty Sally who gave him a nasty look.

"Don't give me that look to guilt me up" she scolded, "You've been stealing my cookies since a young age".

"Oh… ImI'm hurt" he said, touching his chest in fake-hurt, "Aunty Sally" he whined, "It was only a one-time thing… Just one time" he raised his index finger to defend his point.

Angelina watched how Nathaniel continued to follow Aunty Sally around with his arms around her shoulder, pleading with her but she did bulge until they disappeared to where she thought to be the kitchen. Angelina smiled, she saw another part of Nathaniel… His childish part and it was fun.

"So… You are married to my uncle" Hayden said, sitting at the available booth at her front while she nodded.

"Woah… I'm really surprised" she voiced out.

"Why?" She asked, curiously.

"I thought it would be that bitchy devil Clara '' she winced when she heard the woman's name "… I hate her, she is a pervert" He muttered, stealing the muffin in his mouth. "You are nothing like her though... You are innocently delicate" his ears turned red and scratched the back of his neck.

She opened her mouth to ask a question but was cut off by Hayden who held her hand abruptly, "Can we have a selfie" he gave her his puppy eyes.

"Why not…" she shrugged her shoulder as Hayden looked like a child given a present and came to her with his phone.

"How is your mother?" Eliana asked as they entered the kitchen.

"She's fine… She sent her regards asking when you'll be back" he answered.

Everything changed since the death of Nicholas's mother. Nicholas' mother, Aunty Sally, Leonard, Mathew - Nicholas' father, and jasmine were friends since diapers because of their family business but an incident happened which made them shattered and made Aunty Sally decide to cut ties with everyone but her and Nathaniel's mother still talk from time to time.

She sighed, "She knows, I can't come back... That hell place doesn't have my best memories" She pinched her nose to stop herself from tearing up.

"But… Everything is there... That place is your home" Nathanial tried to reason with her. "Your family, your nephew, friends, and everything".

She shook her head, "That place is not my home because a home is where there's comfort and that place only brings unwanted memories… it's a nightmare" she whispered the last part but he heard it perfectly.

"What of Hayden - your son needs is family".

"His family is here and that's me" she responded, "I don't want him to mix up with the family".

"But remember Aunty…. A DeLuca always remains DeLuca no matter what… family sticks together. The first rules." he smiled tight-lipped.

"I know" her body shook with tears, "I don't want this…" she cried.

"There's nothing you can do because you are already being born in it" he soothed her in a soft voice.

Since she had lost her twin sister, she hadn't been herself. It was like a part of her had gone with her twin sister... Well, they did share the same womb and umbilical cord. And her parents were a sore topic. Her parents only cared about their family dignity, their children's happiness meant nothing to them. It was only two of them her parents had and they'd lost one to death and they'd lost her too. She cut ties with them, she didn't want their bloody money or properties. To hell to their fame because it couldn't bring back her lost sister.

Nathaniel saw the pain look on Aunty Sally's face and hugged her, comforting her. He didn't know much about the past incidents but there were still some clues and he vowed to find out.

"You have got a rare gem as a wife" she swiftly changed the sore subject to another.

"Yeah... I know" he responded, smiling at the thought of his beautiful Angel.

"Make sure you keep her well".

"And that's what I'm doing".

____****____

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