Chapter 22: Uncles and Grandparents

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Ellie is busy with the last minute preparation for the twin's birthday party tomorrow. She's been on the phone since morning, checking and rechecking if everything is complete, that those slight mishaps that happened have been resolved. Time might have slipped from her mind because when she stared at her window, it's already dark outside.

She just finished a phone call when Ally approached her with a question, Nate in tow - but silent.

"Mama, about our birthday party tomorrow, we just want to know if grandma Alessa is still invited with grandpa Nathan? "

Ally's question made her think.

"Yes, they are, I did not remove them from the guest list. Why? Is there a problem?" She asked while glancing between the two. Ally is clearly pondering what to say next while Nate is quietly observing.

"What about our father? Is he invited?" Her question caught her off guard.

Will she invite him? If she will consider her feelings, she will not, but, it is not her's that needs to be considered, but the twin's feelings, is it not? If they want him and his family to be there, then who is she to hinder things that will make them happy especially on their big day? She is their mother, she will put aside anger and pain for the sake of their happiness.

"Yeah, he can come if he wants." Her answer made them estatic, especially Nate, whose silence bothered her, is now wearing a wide smile.

"Call them mama." Ally urged her.

"Who?" She asked bewildered.

"Grandma and grandpa." Nate answered.

"Oh."

"You still have grandma Alessa's number, isn't it?" Ally asked

"Yeah."

"Call her mama, please." Ally pleaded with puppy eyes.

"Okay, I will call her." She finally conceded which made the twins shout with glee.

She took her phone and dialed Alessa's number.

---

"How about you Sean, do you know where Oliver is?" Alessa said.

She is currently interrogating her two youngest sons if they know their second eldest brother's whereabouts.

"No mom." Sean answered.

Alessa looked at her youngest, but Zach only shook his head, mouth full of pasta.

They are currently having dinner and she's been worried for her second eldest. He's been missing - nowhere to be found, and no one knows where he is. Though this is not the first time that he will leave for several days or weeks, he always call her to update that he is okay. But this is different, he did not call or even texted her to assure her like he always does, so it is bothering her so much.

"Stop worrying, okay. Ollie is fine." Nathan said, pacifying her.

"I know he is fine but I want to hear it from him, and this is not the only thing that worries me."

At her husband's questioning look, she supplied an answer.

"Tomorrow is the twin's birthday party. Do you think Ellie will withdraw the invitation for us?"

"No, I don't think so." Nate said.

"How sure are you?" She asked.

"If we will base it on Claire and Lucas' friendship with her, then she won't likely do what you think she will do." Nathan said assuring her.

"I hope so." She said and resumed eating.

When they were finished, Sean volunteered to do the dishes. So Alessa and Nathan both went to the living room, while Zach stayed to help Sean. The couple are watching a tv show when the ringing of her phone caught their attention. A gasp escaped from her when she saw who is calling and a shriek followed suit.

Nathan was startled when his wife shrieked. Even Sean and Zach both ran from the kitchen at the sound of their mother's scream.

"What happened?" - Sean

"Are you both okay?" - Zach

"I am fine, but I don't know what happened to her." Nathan's answered was laced with confusion.

"Mom!" Sean shouted while slightly shaking her.

"She is calling." Alessa said, now teary-eyed.

"Who?" The three males asked at the same time.

"Ellie, she is calling." Alessa answered while showing her phone.

At her answer, everyone exhaled a breath of relief and understanding.

With a shaking hand, Alessa answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hi Alessa, this is Ellie. I called to remind you about the party tomorrow." At the statement, Alessa cannot control the emotion that overwhelmed her, she sniffed and tears started to fall. Ellie may have heard it for she suddenly asked.

"Is everything alright?"

She cleared her throat first before answering.

"Yes, yes, everything's fine. It's just that, your call made me happy. I - I didn't expect that you will still let us come despite everything."

"I am not cold-hearted - " She interrupted Ellie's comment and immediately explained.

"No, that is not what I meant. I'm sorry if what I said made you think that way. It's just that, others will definitely not involve the estranged family for occasions such as this, well, I guess you are not like other people."

"I guess I'm not." She heard Ellie chuckle, clearly making way to lighten up the mood.

"Uhmmm..Do you want to talk to the twins, they've been hanging in my arm and are both excited to talk to you."

"Yes, please."

"I'll turn the speaker on, and if your husband is there, you can put yours on the speaker as well."

"Yes, he is here as well as my two youngest sons. Thank you very much Ellie."

"You're welcome, I'll put them on."

Alessa turned the speaker on and the voices that came made her weep once more.

"Grandma!"

"How are you grandma?" The sweet voice of a little girl came, followed by a boy.

"Is grandpa with you?"

She sniffed once more before she can answer.

"Yes, he is with me, your two uncles are with me as well. You can say hi."

"Hello grandpa!" They chorused and followed with "Hi uncles!" with a giggle.

Alessa turned to face her husband and sons and she can clearly see from their faces that they are in awe, and her husband has misty-eyes.

"Hello kids." Nathan croaked.

"Are you okay grandpa?" The boy asked, worried.

"Your voice sounds funny." The little girl commented with a giggle.

Nathan smiled at the comment and answered. "Grandpa is just happy that I am able to talk you. How are you?"

"We are both fine grandpa. How about you?" - Nate

"I am fine, especially now."

"Are our uncles really there?" - Ally

"Yes, two of them actually. Your other uncle is not here right now."

"Where is he?" - Nate

"He is at work."

"So, we have three uncles?" - Ally

"Yes." Nathan quickly replied.

"Cool." - Nate

"Now we have five uncles, including Uncle Lucas and Uncle Drake." - Ally

"What are their names?" - Nate

"Hello kiddos. This is your Uncle Zach."

"And I'm your Uncle Sean."

Their gasps are audible at the voices of their uncles before they both greeted them.

"Hi Uncle Zach!"

"Hello Uncle Sean!"

"Happy birthday to both of you."

"Thank you." The twins said and another gasp was heard.

"Mama, can we invite them also?" They heard Nate's voice over the speaker followed by Ally's.

"Yes mama, please."

They held their breath while silence filled the other side.

"Of course, they are invited. I already wrote their names." They expelled the breath they were holding at Ellie's statement and the twin's shout.

"Yehey! Thank you mama!"

"It's time for our favorite tv show." - Ally

"Bye grandma and grandpa!" - Nate

"Bye uncles!" - Ally

"See you tomorrow!" - Nate

Their retreating footfalls can be heard then Ellie's voice came over and what she said next made them completely relieved.

"But, I'm sorry, I cannot send your invites anymore, is that okay?"

"Sure. It's fine, we are already glad that you considered inviting us, given with all the circumstances." Sean said pacifying her.

"Well then, see you tomorrow." She heard Ellie saying goodbye when she remembered something of import.

"Uhm, Ellie, if it isn't too much, can I ask you something?" She started, nervous, her husband and son's brows rose in query.

"Yes, what is it?" Ellie asked.

"Uhm, is Ethan invited as well? Can he come?" She asked the question with bated breath. She waited for several seconds before Ellie made a response that made her weep again.

"Sure, he can come. He is still the twin's father after all."

"Oh, thank you Ellie." She said sniffing.

"Uhm, can you just give the message to him, we didn't talk properly when he came by yesterday."

"Oh, - " She was about to say yes when an idea struck her.

"How about you tell him Ellie? He may not believe me. I will forward to you his number, okay? Bye Ellie, thank you so much. We'll see you and the twins tomorrow." She said rapidly and immediately turned off her phone, then she looked up Ethan's number by her contacts and sent it to Ellie. She even clapped her hands like a child with her idea, she then noticed everyone around her have a shocked face but satisfied grin.

---

Ellie cannot believe it. Alessa just cut the call with that ridiculous idea and really sent her Ethan's number.

"She wanted me to call him?!" She asked herself.

"Will it not be awkward?" She asked before sighing. "Yeah, it will be awkward." She said and huffed a breath.

She thought for sometime but her attention was caught by her children's laugh. She listened how it sounded and felt thankful that she had this, that she had them for eight years. With a deep sigh, she dialed the number that Alessa sent. She tried dialing several times before someone finally answered.

"Hello?" The voice made her heart skip, the way it does all those years ago. It may have took her long time to answer because another hello came laced with irritation.

"Hello?!"

She willed herself to calm down before answering.

"Hi Ethan, it's Ellie."

---

Ethan woke with a pounding headache coupled by the incessant ringing of his phone. He decided to just let it be and return to sleep, but whoever is calling is surely very persistent.

He's still experiencing a hangover - a remnant of the drinking spree he did the previous night or can he say early morning today. So standing up is tedious, much more walking and finding his phone into somewhere he cannot remember putting.

When he finally found his phone, he answered it first with a detached tone followed by an irritated one when the caller did not answer the first time. He was about to cut the call when the voice that came over put him on alert mode - headache and hangover completely forgotten.

"Hi Ethan, this is Ellie."

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