บท 23: Chase Her
"Waiting for someone?"
Pete swivelled to find Alice holding out a glass of wine to him.
"Just a friend." He said, receiving the glass.
"A friend," Alice repeated, raising her glass to her lips. Pete watched her from the rim of his glass, fully aware her interrogation had only begun.
"This friend isn't by chance a certain lady with a daughter named Serena, is it?"
"Maybe." He shrugged, vaguely admitting it. He didn't see the need to deny it as he was indeed waiting for Lina, and he was certain Alice had learned Serena's name from Max.
"I heard she's pretty. I'm curious to see what she looks like."
"You're eager to interrogate her, not curious." He corrected, and Alice chuckled, using her glass to shield the impish smile splayed across her lips.
His eyes followed her as she walked closer and leaned against the balustrade that ran along the balcony. "You really should stop using the kids as your informant. It's bad."
"Max is my informant. Madeline..not so loyal." Pete bellowed out a peal of laughter.
"No one can ever get anything out of Madeline except she wants to divulge."
"And that makes me worry. She's too serious for her age." Alice said, her eyes scanning through the lawn packed full of kids, hopping and running with giggles as they had fun till they settled on the celebrant, who was seated with her sketchbook and pencil in hand, her face too gloomy for the kids to approach.
The party was in full bloom; music, games and cakes were abundant, but there she was. Sitting alone.
Alice wearily sighed. "I thought the party would help, but apparently—" She trailed off. Pete glanced at Madeline and then at his sister, who seemed too exasperated over nothing.
"Madeline is fine. She's only growing up. Imagine she's six already."
"I know, right." Alice smiled. "Seems just like yesterday when I was cussing the hell out of you and sinking my nails into you as she tore my body apart."
"You were digging into my skin, not sinking. I still have scars from it. Care to see?" Pete held out his arm, and Alice nudged it away.
They chuckled.
She looked at her beautiful kids. "Thanks for always being here for us, Pete." She said, turning to Pete. "Thanks for always standing in for Michael and letting the kids know they have a father in you while theirs is stuck in military camps saving lives. They miss him, you know."
Pete was sure the kids missed their dad. He put his arm around his little sister and pulled her in. "I'm sure he misses them too. But don't worry too much. When Dad and mum return, I'm sure she'll be in a better mood." He assured her.
They were both locked in an embrace when a brown head no taller than 3 feet and a few inches came trotting in.
"Uncle Pete, me too." He said, opening up his arms for a hug, and Pete bellowed out in laughter as he pulled away from Alice and picked him up.
Alice smiled as she made a cute ruffle of his hair.
Max gazed at Pete. "Is Serena coming? Will her mama bring her?" He questioned. Pete looked at Alice, who shook her head, silently telling him it was his problem.
Pete shot her a mock glare and stared at the boy in his arms. "Champ, the thing is Serena might not come—"
"She won't?" The boy's face fell in an instant. "Does her mama not want her to play?"
"Champ, I'm sure Serena's mama is only busy today, and she'd—"
"Serena!" Max's voice heavily boomed across the balcony and floated across the lawn to the gate, where the mother and daughter could be seen standing in hand. He was eager to hop off Pete's arm and Sprint over to Serena.
His voice had gathered everyone's attention as they looked away from him to the little girl he was waving at and who was equally waving back at him with a smile.
"That's Serena's mum?" Alice asked, pulling Pete's attention away from the woman he was staring at.
"Yes. You know her?" He asked, registering the look of surprise on her face.
His brows furrowed when she nodded. "She's the owner of the bakeshop I'm renovating. The one in need of a shop." She told him, and Pete's eyes glimmered with surprise.
"She is?" He asked with doubt, and Alice vehemently nodded.
Pete glanced at the mother and daughter duo slowly approaching the party, and a smile upturned his lips. "You know I'm not big on coincidences, right?" He asked, his eyes fixated on Lina as she took each step closer.
"Yes," Alice answered, wondering where he was heading with that.
He turned to her. "She is not a coincidence. I want to chase her."
"You do?" Alice looked at her brother in shocked surprise.
"Mmm mm." He nodded. That was a first, Alice reasoned.
He gazed at her with a boyish grin. "We're going to say hi to our guest, aren't we, Champ?" He smiled at Max, who readily nodded, and he made a steer towards the door.
She looked over at Lina, who was wearing a look of surprise — surprise at seeing her.
"Pete, are you sure about this?" She turned back to him. She knew her brother well, and though he was a grown-ass man, she wanted to be certain he knew what he was about to do. And wasn't there Gina Wilmort? Pete was never one to cheat on a woman.
And Evelina Wilson, she wasn't sure what to think of the lady.
She sighed to herself as Pete walked away without answering. She glanced over at Lina again, and with a smile, she waved before following her brother and son.
Lina instantly rethought the idea of honouring the invitation the moment she saw Alice, and she realised why Madeline's name had seemed familiar.
Alice Wright. They shared the same last name.
She should have trusted her gut and shouldn't have given in to Sharon's persuasion. Lina raised her gaze when she heard a sharp call of Ena's name.
"Serena."
"Max," Serena called and waved at the boy running towards them with a smile. His little arms wrapped Serena in a hug, which she returned as their childish giggles filled the space.
"Mummy, look, it's Max," Serena said, happily pulling at her mother's finger.
Lina smiled at the little boy, who was dashingly cute with a smile on his face that touched his sea-blue eyes.
"Hello, Max," She bent over and waved at him.
"Hello," He waved back, his smile not leaving his face.
"Mummy, the gift." Ena gingerly beckoned on her mother, who opened the gift bag and brought out a small box she had helped Serena wrap. Ena took the box and gave it to Max.
Lina was sure she saw the boy's eyes glint at the sight of the box, which he ran back to show to the man, who had been tailing behind him.
"Uncle Pete, look! A gift!" He chirped, waving the box at him.
Pete ruffled his head. "Aren't you lucky? Go say thank you." He said, and Max hurried back to Lina and Serena.
"Thank you." He said to both mother and child, and Lina fondly smiled at him.
She raised her gaze to the brooding man now standing in front of her, and her heart skipped. Only the heavens know why and how he had such an effect on her.
"Hello, Lina." He smiled at her.
"H..Hello." She stiffly greeted back while Pete lost his gaze on her. He snapped back to reality when a sweet angelic voice weaved through his ears.
"Hello, uncle Pete."
"Hello, princess." Pete crouched down in front of her, a loving smile playing on his lips. Finally, he was meeting her.
"I knew you were beautiful, but you're much more beautiful today, just like mummy." He said, and the girl looked at her mother with a proud smile.
Pete could tell his words had attracted Lina's eyes to him, but he wasn't going to meet them, lest she set those walls again, and definitely not now when he was finally meeting the daughter.
"What's your name?" Pete asked.
"Serena," The girl gingerly answered. "But mummy calls me Ena and princess."
"Really, she does?" He raised a brow, and Ena vigorously bobbed her head.
"You're definitely a princess, and you have a lovely name." He touched her nose, and she giggled.
"Thank you."
Pete loved her big brown eyes. They reminded him of the pair he had found himself missing this past week, and staring at them was the same as looking at the ones currently hovering above his head.
"I brought a gift for Madeline." She said, pointing at the gift bag in her mother's hand.
"You did?" Pete asked with surprise, and she nodded.
"I made a bracelet for her. Mummy says we must bring gifts to a party and new places. Sorry I didn't bring one for you, uncle Pete."
"It's okay, love. I'm sure you'll make me one some other time, right?"
"I will." Ena vehemently nodded.
"Good girl." He tousled her hair. He rose to his feet when Alice arrived.
"Good afternoon, Ms Wilson." Alice stretched out a hand, which Lina accepted.
"Good afternoon, Ms Wright."
"I must say I'm surprised to see you here." She said and waved at Serena, who waved back. "I guess there's no need for introductions."
"No, there's none," Pete interjected her. "Just go attend to your guest, and I'll keep Lina entertained." He glanced at Lina, who met his eyes.
He turned to her, Max. "Max, why don't you take Serena to Maddy so she can give her her gift, and then you can play with the other kids." He told Max, who quickly grabbed Serena's hand. Serena looked at her mother for permission, and when Lina nodded, she sprinted away with Max in a flight of speed.
Alice chuckled as she watched them leave. "I think he's fond of her. He keeps going on and on about his new classmate, Serena."
"She does, too," Lina said, smiling.
"Alright, I'll go say hi to other guests. I'll see you around." She said and trotted off before Pete could shove her away.
Finally, alone with Lina, even though with a backdrop audience, he couldn't help but look into her eyes. "I thought you wouldn't come."
"You invited Ena."
"True, but you must have known it was you I wanted to see."
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