Reyona had no intention of having the wedding while she was still pregnant.
"It is called 'walk down the aisle', not waddle down the aisle'. Thank you."
That had been her argument and everyone had agreed with her.
Not after Toria had added that their dad could carry her.
"Then it will be 'float down the aisle'" she had said in jest.
They all came to an agreement that the wedding preparations would start after she had given birth in about two months.
They spent the night in the hotel, and they all visited The King's Creek to pay obeisance to Grams before their parents' and Toria's departure.
Maxwell, Reyona and the kids will stay back in Boowag until the jet got back.
Stefan and his co-pilot were to carry Gladys and Carlisle to their destinations before coming back for them.
It would take Gladys home first, then make a stopover at Milan to drop Carlisle before coming back.
Toria had a standby jet that had brought her to Boowag and Kayooma for the preparation of the surprise and all.
Of course, Maxwell could have just got another means of transportation for them, but then he suggested they play tourist in the land where her grandma had grown up before they all left.
Reyona agreed with the splendid idea.
After all, all they had done back then had been more like dashing in and out.
They had not even stayed out long after laying Grams to rest.
They couldn't get the ferry back that day to the closest city where the airport was, so they had stayed the night mostly wrapped in their grief, companionship and the fulfilment of having achieved Grams' last wish.
So, Reyona was more than glad that they could explore some places in the town.
She knew she would comfort herself with the thought that she was taking the path that Grams had taken literally.
After reminding them that they would be missing school that day, Allysyn seemed fine with the idea, especially after Maxwell told them they could choose any souvenir they might want to go back with.
"Anything at all?" she asked eagerly.
"Anything," Maxwell said warily.
Reyona was more than sure that that statement might come back to bite him in the ass.
Toria had to go back to work though.
Gladys also needed to get back as early as possible.
The twins couldn't come because they had exams that day and George, who had stayed with them while Gladys came to Boowag the day before, also had a business trip to make that day.
Carlisle also had a prior engagement that wouldn't allow him to stay an extra day.
Madeline wasn't in Milan to handle it for him. She travelled from time to time as a freelance researcher for renowned authors.
So, after they saw off their families, they had a leisurely breakfast before setting out for their tour.
********
"Maxwell!"
"What?!" He responded in the same tone.
Then they looked back at the sleeping kids to see if they had woken them up.
The only one awake was the shimmering-eyed, three-legged furry friend that Allysyn had made.
The result of Maxwell's "anything at all"
It was love at first sight when Allysyn saw the battered-looking scrawny dog.
Not in any of the many stores they had visited on their tour of the town, but at a corner.
One of the women had just chased the dog out of her store.
For a moment, Reyona panicked when she looked around and did not see Allysyn with them again, but then Junior quickly pointed at the corner where Allysyn was trying to approach the trembling dog.
The dog was warily coming to meet her when they got to them, and then he darted back into the corner again.
"Aww, you scared her!" Allysyn said in an accusatory tone as she looked back at them.
Then she turned back to the dog and started calling to it in the gentlest voice Reyona had ever seen her use.
Reyona told the others that they should back away.
Soon enough, Allysyn had the filthy dog held against her body.
She came towards them with hopeful eyes as she eagerly said "She is scared. I think they beat her. Can we have her?"
"Allysyn, you can't just take…"
"You said anything." She said with glistening eyes. "You said I can have anything I want as a souvenir. I want her."
"You can't have a whole animal as a souvenir, Allysyn. It…."
"I can return that hairpin I got from that store."
"Allysyn" Reyona said firmly, as much as it broke her heart to be a bearer of bad news. "She has an owner. The owner is probably looking for her right now, so set her down and…"
"I don't see anyone looking for her." Allysyn hurriedly said as she looked around at the busy traders. "See? Nobody cares, you can ask them."
Prepared that the girl would have to learn that people can't always get what they want that day, they asked.
She was right and wrong.
The dog was not a she. It was a male dog.
But the dog didn't have an owner.
It belonged to a local drunk who had finally done himself in when he fell and broke his neck after a night of his normal drinking bout.
People only found him in the gutter close to his house the next morning.
He had locked his dog in.
Since then, the dog had become a stray that people merely threw scraps of stone they felt like, and shooed away when they got nothing for him.
The market square had become his new home, yet nobody wanted to claim what they termed a useless dog.
The rest of the day had been spent going to the local police station to make a statement about the dog, then they took a trip to the vet where the dog was treated, bathed and fed.
Allysyn was right once again. The dog had been beaten.
Many times too.
By the time they got to the helipad where Stefan had been waiting for them for more than thirty minutes, it was later than the time they had intended to leave Boowag.
They had all been understandably tired.
Junior had fallen asleep in the jet and was carried into the car when they arrived at Kayooma.
Maxwell dismissed the driver and drove.
Allysyn had carried the small dog along and had continuously whispered God-knows-what to him where they were at the back beside the sleeping Junior.
Soon enough, they stopped hearing any sounds from the back and turned back to see that Allysyn had slept off too.
Curled around the dog, who looked like he was ready to bolt anytime soon.
When they looked back this time, the dog was still as alert as ever. Not lying down, just standing in the crook of Allysyn's arm.
Reyona looked at Maxwell and he shrugged.
She narrowed her gaze at him.
She had not forgotten what they were discussing before.
For now, she tried to calm the wary dog by raising her hand in a little wave at him with a smile.
That backfired quickly as the dog immediately burrowed deeper into Allysyn's arms as he let out a keening sound in his throat.
Reyona quickly turned away as Allysyn held the dog even in her sleep.
Did the dog think she was going to hit him?
Pain filled her heart as she wondered how the world could be so cruel that they wouldn't even spare such a little creature.
"Are you okay?" She heard Maxwell ask just as they turned into the estate.
Right. "I would be fine if you tell me who the anonymous man is."
Maxwell shrugged and said "No idea. Why are you angry? Shouldn't you be happy that the donation would help the kids get what they need more?"
"I am happy about that, but…"
"Then that is what matters. Don't sweat it, Reyona" he said with a smile as he parked the car and winked at her before stepping out.
As he went around to open the door for her, she just knew he had something to do with the anonymous donor who had sent the ten million dollars that the orphanage manager was so glad about.
But how had he learnt about Patricia Dexter's Orphanage?