4. Olivia

"One.. two... three.."

Just then, the door knob turned and the door opened.

"Welcome back, Oli!"

Aaron started jumping excitedly, not knowing what was happening yet still on a sugar rush because of all the sweets he had eaten not too long ago.

Olivia walked in with a grin on her face but instantly jumped back when we all popped party poppers in her direction.

"Ahh! Guys, you got all the confetti stuck in my hair."

"Aww, you look cute." Sam teased her.

I walked up to Olivia and wrapped my arms around her tightly. "M- Mom can't b- breathe."

"Oh, oops." I loosened my grip on her. "So how were your vacations? Did you eat properly? Did you have fun? Who dropped you off? I still think I should have picked you up. After all, it was your first trip-"

"Mom relax! The trip was fine. Some guy, who Granny told me is my uncle, dropped me off. And yes, like I have mentioned the gazillion times you have called me, I did eat properly."

"Wait, you have an uncle?"

"Apparently."

I bent down to her height. "Were any of them rude to you?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "No, Mom."

I gave her a once over, my eyes lingering on her stomach. "You look so slim now. I should never have agreed to send you over there."

"Mom, I just went there for two weeks."

"You are never going there again. If they want to meet you, your Granny and uncle can come here."

"But M-"

"No! End of discussion."

"Ugh okay fine. I don't even like them anyway. Can I meet the others now?" I nodded my head and gave her a last hug before leaving her.

She walked over to Sam and Anna and gave them both a hug. Then she walked over to Aaron, who was impatiently waiting for his sister to reach him.

When I say impatiently, I mean trying to jump off the sofa and make his way over to Oli kind of impatiently.

She just laughed at him and gave him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then the two started talking and playing among themselves.

Leaving the two alone, we made our way to the kitchen. Ignoring the horrible state the kitchen was in, we started taking out the takeout and putting them in the dishes.

"Why did you even bother cooking again?" Anna asked for the fourth time.

I just rolled my eyes at her. "I am an excellent cook. Today just- wasn't my day?"

This time, both of them rolled their eyes at me before the pair just ignored my reply. "More like why did we let her cook? In particular, knowing the outcome would be this. And we would end up ordering takeout."

"If you guys are done giving your compliments on my cooking skills, would you help set the table?" I smiled sweetly before deadpanning and rolling my eyes.

"I hope Aaron doesn't get your attitude."

"Like the alternative with him ending up with Valentino's attitude is any better," Sam muttered, getting a kick from Anna in reply. "Oww! What did I do?"

I just ignored the two and made my way to the dinner table and started to place the dishes as well as the plates on the table.

"Um should I say sorry?" Sam asked and I could feel Anna shaking her head.

"It's fine, Sam. I also hope that he gets neither of our attitudes." I shot her a small smile.

I still haven't told them that I saw Valentino today - I, myself, was still trying to process that or not. I was trying to forget it.

Sam let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god, you aren't mad."

We then continued to set the rest of the table in silence.

***

"So what do you want for your birthday?" I asked Oli, whose birthday was coming in two days.

My baby was growing up so fast. She was going to be 10 in two days. It was her first birthday party since her mom's accident. She didn't celebrate neither her eight nor ninth birthdays.

I wanted to make it special for her. That was the only reason why I had been taking double to triple shifts for the last two weeks or so. Today was the only day when I slept for more than 4 hours - I only woke up because of that jerk.

"Gifts. Lots of them!"

"Okay, could you be more specific please?"

"Sure. Anything and everything. Oh and chocolate cake." I rolled my eyes at her. "And I don't want anything princess related. I want to wear a panda or maybe a monkey onsie. No guests. Just the five of us."

My jaw dropped. I really didn't expect her to be this specific. Anna was the first one to let go of her shock, clear her throat and take out her phone. "Could you repeat that?"

Olivia just rolled her eyes and repeated herself while Anna typed it on her phone.

"Okay, everything else could be arranged, maybe- I meant hopefully, but the no guests thing..." I started.

"You already invited 100 people?"

"No. Um, not a 100."

"Mom!"

"What? Don't you want your best friend, Magnolia, to be there?"

She eyed me suspiciously, "I mean if it's only Lia."

"Um, Elizabeth is fine too, right? I mean she helped me shop for that day's dinner."

She nodded towards the food. "You made this?" In answer my so called best friends scoffed.

"She tried to but we stopped her at one point. Now, now, we wouldn't want you to come home only to find it burned into ashes, now would we?"

"Though the part where she was trying to cook was fun to watch."

Olivia chuckled while I just rolled my eyes at them, feeding Aaron the mashed potato.

"Well, I guess she helped you, so it's fine." She replied to my previous question.

"Okay. Are Octavia and her kid fine too? Don't look at me like that. Aaron is friends with her kid."

"Ugh, fine. I guess..."

"What about the other kids from our neighborhood?"

"Mom!"

"...I already invited them."

"Mom! Ugh! I wanted this to be private."

"But it's your first birthday with me."

"That's exactly why I wanted it to be private."

"Oh, am I putting too much pressure on you? I can still tell everyone not to com-"

"No, Mom. Don't worry about it. It's fine." I was still not satisfied, making a mental note to ask her later, I let the topic go. "I am still wearing the onsie though and Aaron is gonna wear it too." She smiled at Aaron who grinned right back at her, making a subconscious smile to tug at my lips.

"Yeah. Okay, fine. I can't come with you though I have double shifts tomorrow."

"It's fine. I will take her." Sam said, but just then her phone pinged. "Ugh, I can't. Job issues!"

"What is your job again?" I asked Sam for the thousandth time.

She gave me a deadpanning look before ignoring me. "The food is delicious. I am glad we ordered take out."

I turned to Anna. "Don't you ever get curious?"

"Curiosity killed the cat. Also, I really don't care as long as she brings home the money and food." Anna and Sam live together in an apartment. Anna is basically jobless. She tried working in a book shop and cafe but got kicked out, so to save herself from more humiliation, she just stopped trying to work. Now, she is looking for a job as a teacher.

Sam, on the other hand. She works, alright. What is her job though? That is a secret that no one has, yet, unrevealed. I will, though! One day I will figure it all out.

"You don't even have the slightest clue as to what she does?"

"No! I have said it once and I will say it again: Curiosity killed the cat. And Anna is not a cat. So she won't die just because she was dumb or curious." I rolled my eyes at both of them. "Anyways, since Sam and Vivi still can't take you. I am free tomorrow. Woah, what a surprise? I wonder how a person who doesn't have a single job, doesn't have a boyfriend, doesn't have a hobby - other than reading, can be free? Whatever. So, yeah, I will take you."

***

"Mom, can you do my hair? The confetti is still stuck."

"Sure, darling. Just let me clean the dishes first."

After washing and drying my hands, I made my way to Olivia's room. "Mom, it's official. No confetti on my birthday. I hate it."

"But you look so cute." I took the brush from her hands and combed her curly red hair while she just grumbled about hating looking cute. "Alright, done. Now, go to sleep. After all, you have to annoy Anna tomorrow." I smirked at her, to which she just lightly chuckled at.

"Ok. Goodnight!"

I kissed her forehead and whispered, "Goodnight, Boo."

I turned off all of her lights except the lamp, leaving the door open, as she hated closing her door. I made my way to my room. After checking that Aaron was fast asleep, I kissed his forehead and made my way to my bed.

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep for more than two hours tomorrow, I let sleep overtakes me.

But my phone rang before sleep could fully consume me.

It was unknown.

I am going to kill this guy one day! Whenever I find out who the heck he is, it is.