"Mommy..."
"Mommy, wake up."
Lola groaned, her brows crinkling at the light shake on her body. Slowly, her eyes cracked open, catching two little heads hovering over her. She blinked and blinked, her brows rising when Chacha and Second’s faces came into view.
"Good morning, Mommy!"
"Morning, Mommy!"
As usual, the twins beamed and showered her with kisses. When they drew their heads back, Lola just blinked, confusion clear on her face.
"Chacha, Second," she whispered. "What are you—"
"I told you your mother is still sleeping."
Lola stopped as her breath hitched, whipping her eyes in the direction of the voice. There, coming from the walk-in closet, was her husband, already in his suit and tie.
"I allowed you in, and you promised you wouldn’t bother her," came his cold voice, scolding their children in his usual tone that made it hard for anyone to discern what mood he was even in. "She’s tired."
"Huh?"
Lola slowly sat up, just staring at Atlas with wide eyes. He soon noticed the strange look on her face, making him march to the bed and sit on the edge.
Atlas raised a hand and planted it on her forehead, checking her temperature. Then, he drew his hand back.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "You don’t have a fever."
But she didn’t answer.
Lola just stared at him blankly before she glanced at her children, who were looking at her with deep curiosity.
"Mommy, why are you looking at us like that?" Chacha asked. "Did you see a ghost?"
"Mommy, Chacha was practicing voodoo and used Daddy’s hair strands," Second shared, moving closer to Lola and adding in a whisper, "Did a vengeful ghost attach to Daddy?"
"If there is, I can exorcise it," Chacha also whispered, because that was the point of everything she did. She created a problem for herself so that she could solve it. "Can you see it now?"
Lola gazed down at the children. If they were practicing something like that, how could they not think they should see the otherworldly creature first before dealing with it?
The thought crossed her mind, making her brows knit before she pinched her cheek.
"Ouch," she whispered, then looked up to see the trio watching her with even more curiosity. "Hah..."
"Why are you pinching yourself?" Atlas asked. "Are you alright?"
"Mhm," Lola smiled as she looked at the kids and then at him. "I think... I think I just had a really bad dream. A very realistic one."
"Does that dream have dragons?" the twins asked in unison, while Atlas glanced at them as if they had beaten him to the question. "Whenever Daddy dreams, he slays dragons and monsters, then sacrifices everyone else for greater power!"
Lola laughed as she placed a hand on them before looking back at Atlas.
"It’s nothing like that," she hummed, smiling, her eyes stuck on her husband. "It’s just... a really, really bad dream. But I’m glad I’m awake now."
Her lips quivered somehow, despite her heart feeling at ease that everything was just a dream.
"I see," Atlas nodded, smiling subtly. "I was worried you got a little sick."
Lola shook her head. "Atlas, should we leave today?"
"Hmm?"
"With Chacha and Second," she said. "Let’s go somewhere else or... maybe just stay home with the children. Just some family time."
Chacha and Second blinked while Atlas tilted his head to the side.
"Mommy, did you forget?" the twins asked, causing her brows to knit. "Today, we’re leaving."
"Madam."
Lola paused from removing her veil and slowly looked back at him. The moment she met Allen’s eyes, all she saw was conflict and sadness. And somehow, that made her heart drop.
"Allen," she said. "Don’t look at me like that."
"We need to send the master off."
Her breath hitched, her neck turning taut as she shook her head. "That’s impossible. Just now, Atlas was here—with the kids."
"..."
"They told me we’re going to the park. That he’s going to wait for me. This—this—" she looked away, tears already spilling from her eyes. "Go away."
"Madam, please."
"Go away!" she shouted, glaring at him despite the continuous tears falling from her eyes. "Go! I’ve had enough of your lies, Allen. This is not a good joke. He even checked my temperature, and I pinched myself—it hurt! Even the water from the shower was real! Enough with your nonsense now. I’m going to change."
Lola denied everything as she slammed the door in Allen’s face, telling herself she was probably hallucinating. But when she came down, everyone was dressed in black—even the children.
Haji carried Chacha while Second stood beside Slater. The Bennets were also there, though clearly a few were missing. All of them—the family, the children, the Order—looked in her direction as she wore a baby pink dress.
Then Lola’s eyes shifted to the driveway, where a hearse waited with a casket.
The tears she had managed to stop earlier began forming at the corners of her eyes before falling uncontrollably.
"No," she choked. "Please..."
Her face twisted as she looked back at everyone, hoping someone would tell her this was just a huge prank. But the tears threatening to fall from their eyes were the only answer she received.
"This is just a dream," she whispered to herself. "God... please, let this be just a dream."

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