Alethea quickly left her office with her two young siblings following closely behind her hand in hand. She quickly put all her work inside her bags so she could hold each of their hands in hers.
She likes to hold each of their hands in hers when they're not at home. It gives her a sense of assurance that they're safe and with her.
As they enter their car, the twins went in behind her on the passenger seat and buckled up their seat belts before playing on their I- pads again.
"Hello Ben!!" Maddy exclaimed as she answered Alethea's phone.
"Maddy??? Is that you??" Ben asked her hoping that his plan will work now that Maddy answered his phone-call instead of Alethea.
"Yes, it's me Ben. Why did you not visit us this week?" Maddy pouted.
Ben chuckled, 'Perfect' he thought.
"I am actually calling to see if you guys would like to hang out with me and Hazel today?" Ben said as he smiled knowing that Maddy can't refuse him. She looks up to him whenever she wants something and Ben, vice versa.
"I don't know Ben. Thee-Thee is a bit busy today." Maddy sadly mumbled over the phone.
"And that's why I am asking you to come, she needs some time out, don't you think Maddy? Come on help me out, I'll buy you your favorite chocolate milkshake…." Ben said trying to convince Maddy to come which now he knows, it's definitely going to happen.
Ben heard Maddy gasp as she screamed excitedly now grabbing Alethea's attention.
"Maddy, what's wrong?" Alethea asked making herself comfortable at the driver's seat.
"Uhhh nothing important Thee- Thee" Maddy says too enthusiastically making Alethea a little suspicious of her.
"Maddy, who is on the phone?" Alethea asked her
"Thee-Thee can we go meet Ben? Ben promised to get me chocolate milkshake and I'm also a little hungry" Maddy pouted to Alethea and before she could say anything else Nicky started yelling, "Can we Thee- Thee please, please, please?" he pouted with Maddy making Alethea give in to their request.
'Checkmate' Ben muttered as he smirked towards Hazel.
Hazel knows what just happened as she shakes her head and giggles.
"What did you do?" hazel asked her fiancé'.
"What needed to be done" Ben shrugged as he stood up to place another order for his cousins.
As soon as he finished from the counter, he turned back to head back to Hazel but was met with tiny hands wrapped around his legs.
"Benny?!!!! We made it. Can I have my chocolate milkshake now?" Maddy asks as she kept giggling with excitement.
"Wait... Ben you did promised her chocolate milkshake? And what about me?" Nicky pouted.
"Well, what do you want to have Nicky?" Ben asked him amused.
"No, you don't get to ask me what I want just because you're caught red handed for conspiring without me. I'm gonna go and ask Hazel, she can get me whatever I want. Hmphh" Nicky pouted as he makes his way towards Hazel and Alethea sitting and chatting along.
"Hey what's up little man?" Hazel asked Nicky as he sat down beside her and pouted.
"Ben won't get me anything and I don't want him to get me anything but can you please get me something please?" Nicky asked Hazel as he gave his best puppy eyes towards her.
Alethea was about to butt in but got stopped by Hazel standing up to go get something for Nicky.
"Hazel, you don't have to do that, I can pay for his treats" Alethea offered to which Hazel just waves it off and proceeds to the counter.
It's not that Hazel thinks that Alethea can't provide for Maddy and Nicky. It's just that sometimes Hazel tries to help but Alethea doesn't allow that, plus Hazel is happy with helping out even if it is buying the kids some treats.
Hazel orders ice cream for all three of them as Ben and Maddy proceed to their table.
"Maddy, have you said "Thank you; to cousin Ben?" Alethea asks.
Maddy looks down in guilt and shame as she turns to Ben to thank him for the milkshake. "Thank you, Ben" Maddy mumbles as she continues to slurp her milkshake through the straw.
"You're welcome Maddy" Ben smiles warmly at her.
Meanwhile, Hazel decided to annoy her cousin while waiting for their ice-cream. She took out her phone and decided to video call Jacob.
Jacob answered on the fourth ring with a small scowl on his face.
"Hazel, you're distracting me while I'm driving" Jacob stated.
"Well then why did you answer my call?" Hazel asked as she laughed at her cousin's poor attempt to blame her for something she clearly didn't intentionally do.
"To let you know that I am on my way to you and Ben." Jacob states.
"Ohh, Yaaayy. Should I order your ice- cream for you or can you handle that?" Hazel asked Jacob teasing him on the fact that he clearly couldn't handle his food orders until he was almost 18 years old.
"Seriously Hazel, that was years ago. Move on. I'm 26 years old now." Jacob complained.
"Anyways you better hurry. We're getting tired of waiting for you" Hazel explained as she rolled her eyes at Jacob.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever" Jacob mumbles and tries to speed up.
"Everything ok? You need help with the treats?" Alethea asks as she stands beside Hazel, not knowing that her face is in full view on Hazel's phone screen for Jacob to see.
Jacob hearing a new voice from his cousin's face can't help but look and when he does. He stopped everything he's doing including driving his car. He just stepped on the break as his car screeched on the road causing other cars to stop and flip him off as they drive around his car.
He looked at Alethea's face. That's the girl that he has been trying to get rid of from his head.
'What is she doing with Hazel? Why is Hazel there with her? Are they friends?', thoughts running around his head as he kept looking at his screen.
'She is so beautiful' he thought
Wait, what?! Why did I suddenly think that? He asked himself as he looked at Alethea again.
It's true anyways. She is so beautiful, even her smile is contagious.
Just then Alethea started walking away laughing as Hazel turned back towards her phone screen.
"Who is that?" Jacob asked
"Alethea, that is one Ben's cousin- sister. Well, the nice one. Why?" Hazel asked Jacob all curious now.
"I- uhm- well…." Jacob got cut off as Hazel laughed out, "NO FREAKING WAY!!"
"You're the guy with the frisbee, aren't you? I mean you told me that you felt bad about injuring a pretty girl but then she told me that a guy and his frisbee did that but I never thought that it was you. Jacob, what in the hell did you do? Ben thought that a guy punched her and wanted to beat that guy up pretty bad. Imagine when he found out it's you" Hazel said all in one breath as she couldn't contain her laugh for the incident and the excitement for her scheme.
"I know, I'm sorry. I plan to apologize to her as soon as I am there" Jacob said as he tries to come up with words to say.
Hazel just laughed and hangs up.
Their order arrives as soon as she hangs up and took them to their table.
As soon as she places Nicky's ice-cream on the table, he quickly grabs it and started licking it.
"Nicky what do you need to say?" Alethea asked Nicky sternly as she looked at him with no room for argument.
"Thank you, Hazel for the lovely, delicious ice-cream." Nicky says all too sweetly making Alethea look at him with suspicions. 'What is he planning?' Alethea thought.