Victoria
As the doctor wrapped up his examinations of us, he asked me to lead him to James's room. "It's important that both of you get some rest tonight. You're probably going to be sore tomorrow."
Samantha sat up straighter, wincing slightly at the soreness in her back but otherwise looking relieved. "Thanks, Doc. I'll definitely keep an eye on things."
The good doctor smiled warmly, his eyes soft with concern. "You're welcome, Samantha. Now, if you can lead me to James's room so I can examine him."
I called a couple of the maids and had them do just that. The maids assured me they would make sure the doctor and his son found their way out when they were done.
Dr. Kingsley winked at me as he left. Adrian made to follow but hesitated. His eyes flickered toward Samantha, and it was hard not to notice the way they softened when they landed on her. Poor boy was absolutely smitten.
I watched the entire interaction unfold. "Well, Adrian, thank you for bringing your father out here tonight. We know it wasn't an easy drive in this weather."
Adrian looked a little flustered by the attention, but he recovered quickly, smiling shyly. "It was no trouble at all. Just glad I could help."
I leaned toward Samantha and whispered, "I think Adrian might have a bit of a crush on you."
Samantha's eyes widened in surprise, but then she laughed softly. "He has since he was 12."
"Poor kid," I teased, "but you should've seen his face when you walked in."
Samantha gave me a playful nudge. "Oh, stop it. He's just a kid."
I grinned wickedly. "Age is just a number, Samantha and he's not that much younger that you."
We both chuckled, but it was a lighthearted moment that helped ease the tension of the evening. All at once, the air seemed to settle around us, though there was still an undercurrent of unease lingering from the events of the day. But having been checked out, we felt better.
Samantha stretched, wincing a bit. "I think I'm going to turn in soon. It's been a long day."
I nodded, agreeing. "Yes, rest would do us both some good. But first, let's go check on the girls."
We made our way through the dimly lit hallway toward the living room, searching for the girls. We heard loud whispering and followed the sound. We found Maya and Lily curled up on the couch, their eyes wide clearly too agitated to sleep.
"Hey, you two," I said softly, sitting down beside them. "Do you want me to show you to your beds? You should probably get some sleep."
Maya shook her head. "No... your people already did. We were waiting for you; there is too much going on."
Lily, who was nestled under a blanket, chimed in. "Yeah, I keep thinking about the storm and everything. It's hard to relax."
Samantha sat down on the other side of them, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I get that. It's been a crazy day."
We all sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Maya spoke up. "Everything's going to be okay, right? Nothing bad is going to happen?"
I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. Such a strange question. "Yes, darling. Everything's going to be fine. Everyone is safe and warm. Everything is going to be okay."
Lily snuggled closer to her sister. "Can we stay here for a bit? On the couch? I don't really feel like going upstairs quite yet."
I exchanged a glance with Samantha, who smiled and nodded. "Of course. We'll stay right here."
The girls seemed to relax a little at that, their tense shoulders softening as they settled back into the cushions. It was quiet again for a moment before Samantha, ever the big kid at heart, suddenly grinned.
"You know what we need? Ghost stories," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
The girls perked up immediately, their eyes lighting with excitement. "Ghost stories?" Maya asked, sitting up straighter.
Samantha nodded, her grin widening. "Oh yeah. But not too scary... just enough to make you a little nervous."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Oh dear, Samantha... you're going to give them nightmares."
But the girls were already all in. "Tell us one! Please?" Lily pleaded, her eyes wide with anticipation.
Samantha leaned forward, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Alright, here goes. Once upon a time, there was a creepy old house at the edge of town, where no one ever went... except for the brave."
The room seemed to dim just a bit as Samantha wove her tale, her voice dipping low as she described the eerie creaks of the haunted house, the strange shadows that danced in the moonlight, and the mysterious figure that appeared in the window at midnight. Maya and Lily listened with rapt attention, their eyes wide, but there was a comfort in the shared experience of being together.
By the time Samantha finished, the girls were nestled back into the couch, their earlier anxiety seemingly forgotten as they fought to stay awake.
"That was a good one," Maya said sleepily, her head resting on Lily's shoulder.
"I wasn't even scared," Lily mumbled, though her heavy eyelids betrayed her bravado.
Samantha and I exchanged a smile as we watched the girls drift off. Slowly, the weight of the day began to catch up with all of us. The exhaustion was palpable, but it wasn't the kind that felt overwhelming.
I stretched out on the other end of the couch, pulling a blanket over myself as the girls settled into sleep. Samantha tucked her feet under her and yawned, her voice soft. "I think I'm going to crash right here."
I nodded, feeling the pull of sleep myself. "Good idea. It's been a long day."
We all lay there in the soft glow of the dimmed lights, the quiet breathing of the girls the only sound in the room. Samantha's voice, barely a whisper, floated through the air one last time before sleep claimed us all.
"Thank you for being here, Aunt Victoria."
And with that, we drifted into the peaceful silence of the night, our family—imperfect, but together.