"It's Matilda you should be weary of, when she gets angry, she is uncontrollable and really really strong" Mahalia's eyes suddenly held caution, she slapped her lips to prevent her from spilling anymore.
Meagan didn't know what to make of the girls, but they seemed… special, for a lack of better words.
Maren called from the stairs. "Meagan, can we clean the rooms above? Two of them are locked"
"No! Don't touch those locked rooms for any reason!" Meagan eyes was wild with panic as she screamed those words. And Maren just shrugged and continued cleaning.
Mahalia and Matilda pretended not to notice Meagan's erratic behaviour.
"Meagan come on! Join us, let's have fun while doing this tedious chore" Mahalia's brows were burrowed in a frown as she did the easiest job. And Meagan chuckled.
"How do you propose we do that?" Meagan raised a brow in question, and Mahalia's hands went under her chin, and her face was concentrated in a determined frown, as she made thoughtful sounds, suddenly she smiled, her face lighting up.
"You can play my favorite music while we clean, then we can dance! " Mahalia spun around as she said that and Meagan shook her head, amused.
"Deal!" With a sharp clap of her hands, the smart assistant was activated.
"What can I do for you today, Meagan ? Its bright voice sounded melodious.
At that instant, Mahalia's face lit up and her lips spread in a delightful smile, Meagan's eyes widened at her surprised squeal, she realiized that it was her first time being in a smart home.
"Tell it to play royal songs!!" She screamed, her voice bubbling excitedly, and almost immediately, the music filtered through the speakers.
Mahalia went back to cleaning, her movements now fast and happy, as she moved with the beat.
Soon, the four of them moved rhythmically to the music blasting from the speakers, the Mahalia aimed a mischievous gaze at Meagan, her head angled, so a coy smile blossomed on her lips.
Mahalia hauled the soapy water at Meagan, who yelped in shock, then she turned and poured some on Matilda, who giggled sprinkling the soapy water on Meagan and Mahalia. Maren stared at them, her eyes blazing with fury.
Soon squeals of delight filled the air, and Meagan sprinkled the soapy water on the grumpy Maren, and everyone gasped, suddenly quiet. Not knowing what Maren would do in return.
Maren's eyebrows disappeared into her thick hair, her mouth hung open, and Meagan flipped her hair at her in defiance.
Maren picked up a bowl, and hauled the soapy water, aiming at Meagan's face, but Meagan dodged it expertly, her eyes sparkled with challenge, and it mirrored the look on Maren's little face.
Maren ran quickly and glided on the floor, picking up a water bottle, she punctured it, and smiled deviously at Meagan.
"Are you sure you are up for this?" Meagan decided then that a smiling Maren would leave anyone stunned, her dimples jaw spread so evenly.
"Sure, bring it on!" Meagan declared and Maren lurched forward, with a determined cry, angling the bottle as a weapon, and everyone scrambled for cover.
After what seemed like years of playing, and cleaning up after themselves, Meagan and the girls slid bonelessly on the couch, their faces mirrored exhaustion and hunger.
"Uhh… If only I could move… I will have a glass of cold juice, I mean water… sorry Meagan, I know that we have eaten a lot of your food" Mahalia turned away from Meagan, fiddling with her fingers in gulit.
Meagan sighed, after a short pause. "I don't know if you girls have noticed, but I am pretty loaded, so taking a cold glass of juice wouldn't do me any harm"
"Thank you" the girls said in unison, and with such emotions that Meagan wondered what they had been through. They remained that way till it was time for dinner.
After a hearty dinner of pizza and roasted chicken they had ordered, the girls went to bed, and Meagan was so exhausted, she fell into a deep slumber.
Morning came and Meagan woke up to quiet whispers, coming from the living room, determined to find out what the girls were up to, she tiptoed till she was within earshot.
"He looks so handsome, they are all so handsome, I wonder where they are?" Mahalia's whispers were laced with dreamy admiration, Meagan held her breath as she saw that Mahalia's fingers traced the faces of Mason and the boys, on a portrait of them.
Matilda and Mahalia's faces held a hint of pain, and sadness, except Maren who looked at the girls unbothered. She turned abruptly and saw Meagan who was so shocked to be caught, sitting in a corner and eavesdropping, that she stumbled clumsily, hitting the ground with a loud thud.
The other girls jerked upright, trembling slightly, with their eyes wide, Mahalia hid the picture behind her, her ears suddenly a bright red.
"Hey girls" Meagan's forced smile was obvious, even as she tried to hide it, with a chuckle, she knew it sounded forced.
"There is no need to hide it, she saw everything" Maren's gaze on Meagan was accusatory.
Meagan knew she had to set boundaries now, to avoid any misunderstanding later. "Yes… so I would love to ask that you not touch the portraits, or pictures of them, and please respect that" Meagan rushed the words her eyes glistening with unshed tears, so she turned away and embarrassed.
"Did you lose one of them?" Maren asked, after the uncomfortable silence in the room, and it seemed as though all of them held their breath waiting for an answer.
Sniffling noisily, Meagan turned to face then, her eyes were were hollow, she allowed the misery surface again, her nose was as red as a strawberry. "I lost all of them, all at once, and I didn't know until two weeks later, and I hadn't seen them in over two years prior to their deaths" Meagan allowed herself crumple to the floor, as a soft sound of despair escaped her lips, she ran her fingers through her hair, as she hid her face from the girls.
What are you doing Meagan, they are kids, they can't understand that. Wiping her face hurriedly with her hands and moving her gaze to the girls faces, Meagan noticed with shock that they were crying, tears even slipped from Maren's eyes.
In one fluid motion, Mahalia and Matilda launched themselves into Meagan's body, while Meagan gazed at them in shock, they sobbed harder, then when Meagan thought that nothing could surprise her again, Maren ran into the big hug too, her shoulders shakng as she sobbed.
"How… how did you do it? I would have not been able to live on" Matilda's voice was this with tears.
"How did you manage? How did you even bear to look at us?"
Maren stared at Meagan through tear stained eyes, she didn't say anything, but the gaze spoke volumes, and that was it, Meagan turned into a wailing baby, as the girls joined her.
After hours of tears, they laid on the floor in comfortable silence. "You are the strongest person I know Meagan" Matilda said softly and Meagan's features softened.
"I was a complete mess though" Meagan whispered softly. And Mahalia's stomach grumbled loudly at that instant. Everyone turned to look at her, then laughed out loud.
Picking herself up, Meagan urged the triplets. "Okay, let's go grocery shopping, Mason was the better chef, but I think we can whip up something decent" Meagan paused briefly, only now realizing that for the first time after his death, she used his name in a sentence and didn't feel the need to die.
The girls rushed out of the house and made their way to the supermarket, when they had shopped for hours, the girl's eyes went huge with shock, when Meagan picked everything they looked at twice, or longingly.
"Oh my… This is the best day of my life!" Matilda said gleefully.
"Meagan?" the group turned at the sound to see who it was.