Chapter 151

Chapter 151

Dad laughed. “Exactly. Same night, same chaos. Only difference? Your father snuck out to a party. You drank under supervision. And somehow, you both ended up hungover,” he said with a laugh.

Alexander looked between us, a little panic creeping in. “Wait… you called him, Dad? Not… not Great-Grandfather?”

I swallowed. My chest tightened slightly. “Yeah. I… well, back then, I was scared. I didn’t want to call Grandfather; Alaric was… well…. He was serious, and I couldn't trust him. If I called him, he would get angrier, so I called Dad.” I said,

Alexander’s jaw dropped slightly, horrified and fascinated all at once. “So… you’re telling me Dad was just like me?”

I smirked, leaning against the counter. “Pretty much. And you survived it, so that’s all that matters. Take it easy today, hydrate, and maybe just lie low until the effects wear off.”

He groaned again, flopping into a chair like it might support the weight of his hangover and his pride at the same time. Lila appeared in the doorway, giving him a look of mock sympathy. “You look like death warmed over,” she said. “Karma’s a bitch, huh?”

He glared at her through half-lidded eyes. “You’re laughing, aren’t you?”

“Maybe a little,” she said, smirking. “I warned you about Uncle Xande’s little plan.”

I laughed softly. “It wasn’t a plan. Just… tradition.”

Arthur joined in, chuckling. “Yeah. Survive the night, survive the day. That’s what it means to turn eighteen in this family.”

Alexander groaned one last time and buried his face in his hands. “I hate you all,” he mumbled, though I caught the little smile tugging at his lips.

I shook my head, leaning down to ruffle his hair lightly. “No, you don’t. You love us.”

He peeked up, groaning, but nodded. “Fine. Maybe. But never again.”

“You’ll say that every time,” I said, smirking. “And every time, you’ll survive. And someday, you’ll laugh about it, just like we are right now.”

Lila sat beside him, handing him a glass of water. “Hydrate, zombie boy,” she said. “I’ll make sure you don’t puke. Maybe,” Lila said with a smirk.

He groaned again, but I could see it, the tiny spark of gratitude, the part of him that knew we’d been through it before and survived, that knew he wasn’t alone.

Dad patted me on the shoulder, his grin softening. “You did good, Xander. Let him stumble a little. He needs it. He’ll be okay, and honestly? He’s already more prepared than I was at that age,” he said.

I exhaled slowly, watching Alexander lean back in his chair, still groaning but slowly coming back to life. “Yeah,” I said. “He’s eighteen now. He’ll learn and he’ll survive, just like we all did.”

And in that moment, watching him, hearing the kitchen chatter, smelling the faint traces of last night’s grill smoke… I realized that growing up in the Thorne family wasn’t about avoiding chaos. It was about surviving it, laughing at it, and coming out a little stronger every time.

Alexander was eighteen now. He’d survived his first beer. He’d survived a weekend with all of us. And I knew no matter what came next, he’d survive whatever else life threw at him.

Because that’s how we Thorne men and women rolled. Chaos, laughter, and a little bit of pain, all in the mix.

The house was alive in a way that only happened when everyone was home at once. It was the weekend before classes, and the Thorne clan had taken over every corner of the estate. I was in the kitchen, sipping coffee and listening to the subtle hum of energy buzzing through the rooms: laughter, shouted instructions, and the occasional curse from someone navigating a too-small hallway. Alexander and Lila were upstairs, probably plotting their next conquest of the house.

I shook my head, smiling. Adults now. Legally. But still… chaotic as hell. Adults or not, they moved through the house like it belonged to them, which, in fairness, it did, but the way they dominated it? That was all Thorne energy, pure chaos with charm.

By late morning, they had commandeered the terrace, claiming it as their strategic base. Alexander had somehow convinced Lyra and Lucas to be his “field operatives” for a Nerf gun exercise that looked suspiciously like a full-scale mock battle. Lila was coordinating logistics, clipboard in hand, barking orders and laughing as though this was all perfectly normal.

I leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, sipping my coffee. This wasn’t babysitting. This was supervising the next generation of adults who had decided adulting was optional.

Alexander caught my eye and grinned. “Dad, are you coming? We could use your tactical input.”

I chuckled. “I’ll pass. You two are adults. Handle it yourselves.”

He rolled his eyes, but the smirk on his face told me he already had plans that involved bending rules. Lila winked at him, clearly in on it.

By afternoon, the terrace had devolved into a controlled chaos of competitive games, arguments over who was winning, and strategically deployed Nerf darts. Alexander and Lila were in perfect sync antagonizing each other, teasing their cousins, and still somehow managing to keep everything from collapsing.

I walked over, shaking my head. “You two really think seventeen and eighteen mean you’re invincible?”

Alexander shrugged, eyes glinting. “We’re not invincible. Just… highly adaptable.”

Lila laughed. “Yeah. Dangerously competent. Watch and learn, Uncle Xander.”

I smirked. They were adults, sure. But the way they carried that youthful mischief into every moment? Classic Thorne. Dangerous, brilliant, impossible. I loved it.

By evening, we’d shifted to dinner on the terrace. Everyone was around: Zia, Isabella, Dad, Angie, Lucas, Lyra, Aunt Serena, and Uncle Julian. Plates were full, conversations overlapping. Alexander leaned back in his chair, sipping a soda, laughing quietly with Lila across the table, and tossing sarcastic comments at each other that only they fully appreciated.

I caught Dad leaning toward me, shaking his head. “You know, Xander, I was exactly like this. Eighteen, sneaking out, experimenting with everything. Your grandfather had to sit me down a few times himself.” he said

I smirked. “And you survived.”

“Barely,” he said, voice low, amused. “But the lessons stick.”

Alexander and Lila were the same now. Smart and capable, but still teetering on that edge where fun and trouble blurred. I kept a watchful eye, silently proud and a little terrified.

The rite of passage: watching your kid become a young man right in front of you.

Alexander and Lila were sprawled across the terrace, still teasing each other, still plotting their next move in this endless game of life. I watched them, knowing that soon they’d be back at college, navigating the real world with the skills we’d given them and the chaos they’d been born into.

But for now, the house was theirs. The laughter, the noise, the mild destruction, they were adults, yes, but still ours ,chaotic and brilliant.

I poured myself another drink, smiling at the ridiculous, beautiful mess around me, I knew that no matter what came next, college, careers, challenges, this was the heart of it. The family, the chaos, the Thorne spirit.