Chapter 12: .•7•.

Turning the knob, she quietly entered the small hallway of her own home, gently putting the roses over the small table sitting by the hanger as she started to take off her jacket and boots, unintentionally also knocking a decorative plastic bowl over.

"Baby, is that you?" She heard that familiar feminine voice call from upstairs, right before two sets of footsteps thudded over the carpeted stairs.

Crap. There goes my surprise...

"Oh! Baby!" Her mother cried as soon as her eyes fell upon the young girl standing in the hallway with a warm smile displayed upon her features, running to engulf her into a loving embrace.

"Hi mom," She soothingly said as she returned the hug and gave her mom a few kisses over the top of her head since she was a little bit taller than her parent, taking a moment to rest her cheek atop her head and breathe in her familiar calming scent.

"I've missed you so much..." She quietly said.

"I've missed you too, baby," The woman quickly replied before they pulled back, the girl now moving to give her best friend a hug as well.

"Hi Di," He sweetly smiled as they pulled back, the girl instantly remembering about the gift she'd brought for her mom.

"Here, these are for you," She told her as grabbed the bouquet and handed it to her with a beaming smile.

"They're from Mr. King's garden," She said as the woman gazed at the deep red flowers with admiration, gently taking a whiff.

"Wow! They're beautiful! And they smell amazing too!"

"I bet he has one of those huge fancy gardens like rich people have, doesn't he?" The woman casually said as together they walked into the living room, the girl and the young male stealthily giving each other a knowing look behind her back.

Huge? Maybe. Fancy? Unfortunately not so much.

"Mm...yeah, something like that,"

"How's everything going over there so far? Are they treating you well?" Her mother asked as she walked to the kitchen to grab a vase and pour some water in for the beautiful roses.

"Yeah, mom. Miss Nancy is very nice to me since we're basically the only ones roaming around the house. Mr. King barely comes out from his lair," She told the woman with a subtle shake of her head, completely failing to notice that naughty grin now spreading upon Dan's childish features.

"Has he asked you to clean up his piano naked yet?" He joked, the girl immediately letting out a small gasp along with a look that told him "Really? Doing this in front of my mother now?".

"Dan!" She lightly slapped the laughing young male's chest, quickly noticing the appaled expression marring the woman's features.

"No, mom! Don't worry! It's just a stupid joke Dan apparently enjoys way too much," She rushed to assure her, giving Dan an angered glower.

"Come, let's sit. You've gotta tell us everything!" The woman ushered them both back to the living room, together going to sit and start chatting.

.••.

Humming an upbeat tune to herself as she dragged on a large hoodie and a pair of fuzzy socks, she then danced her way to the adjoining bathroom to put up her caramel waves into a messy bun at the top of her head, bobbing her head back and forth and even rocking a few twerk moves as she had woken up in such a good mood this morning, after that visit to her home yesterday.

She had spent the whole afternoon laughing and lazing over the couch with her mom and Dan, watching some romantic comedies as they ate tons of snacks and goodies.

Smiling at herself in the mirror, she then exited her room and skipped all the way downstairs as she was going to have her breakfast with miss Nancy, as usual.

She kept on humming joyfully as she eventually reached the kitchen, watching miss Nancy prepare the breakfast plates for them both.

"Morning miss Nancy!" She beamed at the old woman, the latter being quick to respond with a smile of her own.

"Good morning, sweetie! Here, help me out," She kindly asked, pointing to a pitcher filled with freshly-squeezed orange juice.

The girl immediately complied and grabbed it from the island, following after the old maid as she grabbed the plates and exited the kitchen, then made her way through a set of widely open double wooden doors, entering a dining room.

Neatly placing them over the dining table, they both walked back to and from the kitchen, in order to set everything they needed before starting to eat.

And once done, they both took their places at the table, the girl sitting at the very end while the maid chose to occupy a place at the side, the latter being quick to express a disapproving frown as soon as she noticed Diana's rather poorly-educated position at the table. She had practically climbed up over the chair, holding her bare knees close to her chest as she proceeded to pour herself a glass of orange juice.

"Diana! Didn't I tell you not to sit like that on the chair? You look like a stork laying eggs!"

Diana only laughed as she had heard that same sentence for so many times in these past few weeks ever since they had started eating together, choosing to disregard the old woman's scolding and continued to sit like that on the chair as she began to eat.

Silence fell upon them as they both ate, that said comfortable silence soon to be shattered as soon as they heard footsteps coming from the hallway, both the woman and the girl turning to give each other curious glances right before the owner of those heavy footsteps presented himself at the entrance.

Holy moly.