After dinner, Viola asked Elizabeth to come along with her. Elizabeth agreed and followed her and didn't even bothered to look at Aaron, before she left the dining hall, neither did Aaron stop her while she was leaving with his mother. Elizabeth followed her mother-in-law, not knowing what to expect. May be her mother-in-law wants to show her their house, Elizabeth thought. But Viola took her daughter-in-law into her room. Elizabeth who now stood across the threshold, could see the walls painted with decent colours and there were paintings on the wall which made the room look attractive.
"Come in, sweetheart," She heard Viola's voice and entered into the room after Viola told her to come in. Elizabeth sat on the edge of the king sized bed and looked at the walls. Her eyes caught the attention of one particular picture which was hung on the wall. She saw Viola and her husband with their child. The boy seemed to be around nine years old who had a bandage to the right side of his head.
"Elizabeth?!" Viola called her daughter-in-law to see her turn towards her.
"Yes..." Elizabeth's body stiffened hearing Viola's voice and didn't know how to address her. Her words were struck in her mouth as she didn't know if she should be calling her mother or Mrs. Winchester.
"Come here," she said, opening a box.
"It's beautiful!" Elizabeth exclaimed looking at a diamond set.
"I'm glad that you liked it," She replied and handed over the box to Elizabeth.
"But..."
"No buts. You cannot say no to your mother-in-law when she is giving you something," Viola said.
"Thank you... ," Elizabeth smiled from the bottom of her heart. It had been years since her mother's death and even if her aunt took care of her with love, Elizabeth never felt a bond of affection with her aunt but there was something different with Viola. The woman's words and the way she looked at her with love made her remind of her deceased mother.
"Mother, call me mother," Viola said to Elizabeth when she was still thinking how to address her.
"Thankyou, mother," Elizabeth thanked her and before Viola planted a kiss on her forehead.
After closing the box, Elizabeth looked at the photo frame again. "That picture...." she pointed out.
"That picture..." Viola looked at the picture on the wall, "It was taken when my son was nine years old. He fell down and got hurt that day and we were told by the doctor that the scar would leave behind and my boy was upset listening to it, " Viola said with a smile as tears formed in her eyes. Elizabeth had a glance at the photo frame before she saw Viola wiping her tears. "Why did her words sound as if she were cringing with pain?" Elizabeth felt bad for her and tried to console her.
" I'm sorry, I was a bit carried out," Viola said to Elizabeth after wiping her tears.
"I should be the one to apologize, " Elizabeth said to her mother-in-law.
"That's alright, sweetheart," Viola smiled.
After coming out of the room, they both went down where others were present. Aaron was talking to his grandfather, while the men were talking to each other. Gwen and Silvia were giggling about something when Elizabeth came down and stood beside Aaron with the box in her hand. Aaron looked at Viola who stood a little far away from him. She smiled at him when she saw him looking at her. Aaron neither smiled nor did he show any expression about what he was thinking.
"I hope you like it," Micheal said to Elizabeth to which she gave him a quizzical look.
"She will, we should leave now, " Aaron replied with a short bow to his grandfather and then looked at his mother.
"Can anybody tell me what is it about?" Elizabeth said in her mind.
"Our honeymoon," Aaron whispered into Elizabeth's ear before moving out. Elizabeth widened her eyes hearing it. "Honeymoon?!!!!" She thought.
"Come here often. Aaron won't come, but you, I hope you will come to meet us," She heard Viola talk to her.
"I will," Elizabeth answered with a hug while her heart was thumping hard to Aaron's words. She looked at everyone. They all had a smile on their face looking at her except Silvia Whales, who seemed to be irritated with Elizabeth's presence.
"Why didn't you go and have dinner with everyone?" Liam asked Ryan.
"Didn't want to miss your cooking," Ryan praised his cousin as his cousin was cooking.
"Don't lie," Liam said.
"Even you wanted to escape from their cold war and lied that you are busy tonight, didn't you?" Ryan laughed.
"Don't you think you should go to your home instead of living with me?! Your mother is worried about you, " Liam said to him.
"Wow!! At times, I feel you and Aaron are same," Ryan said.
"Did you just compliment me or insult me?" Liam chuckled.
"None of what you've said. Even he told me the same thing when I went to his home the other day," Ryan replied.
"Why did you go to his house?" Liam asked.
"I took Roseline to his home, she was worried about her sister..."
"What does she think about him now?" asked Liam.
"She thinks, he cares for her sister a lot," Ryan replied.
"Smart girl," Liam smiled but didn't let out his words come out of his mouth.
"Do you think I should tell her that he had a girlfriend before and he was ..."
"Don't you dare do that," Liam cut down Ryan's words.
"Hmm okay. But I wonder where that person dwells now, the girl he loved," Ryan looked at Liam.
"Somewhere around him I guess," Liam smiled and didn't bother to look at Ryan who looked at him quizzically.
From the moment they got into the car, they remained silent. After reaching home, Elizabeth went to her room, without waiting for Aaron. She sat in front of the mirror by the time Aaron came into the room. He saw her being lost in her thoughts.
"We will be leaving in two days," said Aaron for her to look at him.
"Could you lie to him that you are busy?" Elizabeth asked him.
"Why should I?" a question was his reply.
Aaron walked to where she sat and bent a little to reach her ear, "Are you thinking that you might be having..."
"I'm not thinking of having that with you," came an instant reply from her. Aaron had a smirk on his face when Elizabeth closed her eyes out of embarrassment.
"That?... What do you mean by that? " Aaron stressed the word, that. The man was enjoying seeing her embarrassed. "I wanted to ask you, are you thinking that you might be having more work to do if you take leave for more than two day."
"Whatever!" Elizabeth got up from the chair to leave but Aaron blocked her way by standing in front of her.
"Answer me, Lizzy," he let out his words in whisper.
"I... I wasn't thinking anything about anything," Elizabeth answered trying to release herself from him.
"I never asked you what you were thinking," he teased her.
" I was just saying, so that you won't get me wrong, '' she replied.
" You don't want me to get wrong about what?" he asked her.
"You are being a tease," she complained.
"Am I?" he pulled her closer to him such that there was no gap between them.