''Allright enough now. Emmy, I brought the photo album of Lyle's childhood pictures. I knew you would love to see how your godson grew up so I especially saved those memories.'' Mrs Wilson said as she dragged Mrs Gracia out of the room followed by the rest.
''Great. I also have pictures of Avi and Ivy. I saved them especially for you. Come let's look at it together.''
The two women were smiling so brightly that it no longer looked like they were wiping their tears a minute ago.
The living room was thus cleared except for the table in the center so that they can look at the pictures together.
The sofa and chairs were pushed to the wall to make more space around the table where they laid cushions to make themselves more comfortable.
''Look at this. This is Lyle right after he was born.'' Mrs Gracia said pointing at the first picture in the album. In the picture, a small baby whose face was still reddish with few wrinkles was wrapped in a white blanket.
''Eh... I also have pictures of Ivy and Avi right after they are born. See?'' Mrs Gracia pointed towards the picture were two babies with reddish and wrinkly face were wrapped in a pink and blue blanket respectively.
Everyone was gathered around the table as they flipped through photos after photos.
Of the kids first crawl, walk, their first time to preschool, kindergarten, then middleschool and now highschool.
In between were pictures of the kids playing and participating in competitions as well as their awards and birthdays and other celebrations. There were also pictures taken during trips.
Basically, their entire life was captured in those photo albums. Not a single important event went by uncaptured.
There were evn pictures of the kids being naughty, well, not the kids, but Ivy being naughty. There was a particular picture of her spraying flour all over.
''This was when I went for a workshop. I left the kids with their father for a few days. When I came back this was how I found them. He was sleeping on the sofa while Avi was sleeping on the chair all curled up. But this little devil had actually woken up, went to get flour and had covered the two of them entirely in flour without them realizing. We had a tough time cleaning everything later.'' Mrs Gracia said with a frustrated face but there was a dotting motherly feel all over her. She really looked helpless.
Everyone laughed hearing that while Ivy was laughing but embarrassment was written all over her face.
''So you were this naughty right from the start.'' Lyle whispered to Ivy as he watched her laughing shyly but hearing his words her attitude changed 180 degrees.
''What do you know? You haven't even seen me being naughty.''
True to her words, the later photos showed her creating troubles and getting punished.