Whilst Ellie and Tristan were playing on the tiled kitchen floor with their toys as they babbled, uttering unfinished words to one another, Valerie was cooking the lunch as she supervised the soup and the children in the same time, not restraining herself as her smile lit her face. In the meantime, she wore an apron as she wore the same clothes the day before though she wore different garments for bedtime. Her long silky scarlet red hair was tied in an ordinary ponytail, sensing her sweaty forehead as she wiped it with a forearm, taking a short break from cooking and slicing the vegetables as she walked up to the twins, crouching down as she didn't take her eyes off them. Her hazel green eyes radiated affection, maternal instinct, warmness and felicity.

Once she crouched down to watch how they were playing and relishing the time she spends with them until Jude and Timothy are back from their trip to Ireland, Ellie was playing with her doll, totally ignoring the maid's presence unlike Tristan, who turned back to face the young woman as his big chocolate eyes met her hazel green, developing an amiable and platonic eye contact as he offered her the sweetest smile that he had ever gave to her.

"Nana." Tristan exclaimed blissfully as he slightly giggled to see Valerie.

"Tris, little cinnamon roll." She addressed him as she have already get used to. "You have a nice truck." Valerie complimented his colorful toy.

"Thank, Nana." The youngest twin expressed his gratitude with an infant grin across his tiny pink lips. What the young maid sees in him was actually mini Timothy while Ellie was mini Jude. Furthermore, the both twins were well-disciplined and behaved especially Tristan as he was prone to decorum, discipline and maturity.

She just smiled to him in response instead of answering his gratitude as it wasn't necessary at all. She was fully aware of his decorum and being grateful when somebody compliments frankly either him or his items, besides greeting either adults or peers.

Then Ms.Volkova poked kindly the eldest twin's back as she called her name, thereafter she turned her back as she faced Valerie, giving her a small, coy smile on her wee rosy-coloured lips. This smile just reminded Valerie of Jude whenever she's self-conscious especially her much younger version that was crawling on the floor with her younger sibling. In the interim, the little girl held innocently in her both small arms the medium sized doll, sufficiently proportionate to the 10th month old baby.

"Hi Ellie."

"Hi." The little girl responded bashfully as her small, chubby cheeks heated, acquiring rose hue.

"You are having a great time to play with your doll and brother, right?" The maid inquired inqusitive as she loved so much to spend time with children and talking with them, acting like she was more their mother rather than a babysitter or just a mere stranger.

"Yaa." The little brunette girl replied back as she attempted to hand to her babysitter the doll.

Without hesitation, Ms.Volkova accepted the doll in her hands, watching the adorable toy which was Ellie's favorite since a handful of weeks.

"By judging by the way this doll looks," The red-haired woman paused as she glimpsed up at the both twins with a broad, smug smile on her naturally pink lips, hence, looking down at the doll that was in her palms. "is actually beautiful. But not as beautiful as both of you." She carried on.

The twins were almost speechless when they heard their aunt complimenting them, calling them beautiful as they somewhat perceived the word though they were almost incapable of spelling it fluently.

Suddenly the phone rang, leading to result Valerie's casual sigh as she pat their backs amiably.

"Nana will be back soon." She said, as soon as, she rose her body, walking up to the kitchen plot as she glimpsed at the soup.

When she grabbed the handset, she put it behind her ear.

"H-Hello?"

"Hi Val."

"Hi Judy. Are you going to take a flight back to home?"

"Yes. That's why I am calling for." She answered boldly. "And now we are at the airport, waiting for our flight as there are chances to be a bit late. But don't worry about us at all, okay?" Mrs. Howard inquired composed.

"Alright." The young maid replied simply.

"Good. How are the children?"

"They are fine. They are currently playing with their toys on the floor. Likewise the lunch will be ready soon."

"That's great. I hope you have some fantastic time along until we are at home."

"Thank you! Bye and see you tonight."

"Bye and see you tonight."

***

During Howards flight back to home as they had an authentic time in Dublin, Ireland, Jude didn't have actually a prime, marvelous flight as her occured nausea tormented her and her still juvenile body with its luscious curves and killer, ideally shaped legs.

In spite of her husband's attempts to soothe her as he held her hand tightly, besides she clutched firmly her teeth, she didn't find solution to the problem at all. The things got worse with passing time as well.

She just couldn't handle it anymore. A plague planted in her body. Like it will be for eternity when she travels via airplane. She grasped Timothy's mammoth , secure hand as much as her strength and stamina allows her. Her fatigue verged as they were in the middle of their flight. She wasn't just sleepy. Her body was powerless but thanks to her company, she was encouraged to survive and reckon with the challenge, in fact it wasn't her first time.

"Do you need anything, honey?" Timothy turned to face his wife as he noted her panicked, pale face like the death. He inquired concerned.

A timid, frantic smile glistened in the corner of her lips that she gave him, resting her head on his chest as she resembled horrified, innocent and little wounded hare.

"I need some bourbon." She answered as her body trembled, sending her signals of prejudices.

"Are you sure?" He arched suspiciously an eyebrow as he questioned.

"Yes, I am." 

"Alright. Do you need anything else?" He asked as he insisted to hear more from her.

"No, not at all." Jude replied humbly as she pursed her plump, magnificent lips.

"Okay. If you need anything urgently, tell me immediately. I am always here." He wrapped another arm around her shoulder to comfort her as he kissed her cheek.

She just nod her head. A young stewardess with elegant outfit passed as Timothy gestured her as a sign to order something for his wife. 

"Yes, sir?" A courteous inquery as it trembled from her bright pink painted lips, smiling to the former priest and nun as they looked up at her in languor. 

"I would like to order some bourbon. Just for me, please." Jude responded importunately. 

"Sorry to inform you, Mrs. But it's not recommended to order an alcoholic beverage during a flight especially if your body hasn't experienced long flights. Would you like to order something different?" What Jude felt was a sheer frustration that overtook her retching body, arching an eyebrow as her heart fell into her stomach. 

"No. That's all I want to order." She answered stubbornly whilst her husband grasped her hand into his, preparing for the imminent part of their flight. In the interim, Timothy looked confused in his wife as he listened attentively the stewardess's words, figuring out the dynamic risks behind drinking some alcohol during a flight back to home.

"Whatever, ma'am. If something happens after the consumed bourbon and either you vomit or something, neither of the staff will be responsible for your condition." The younger woman clarified the former nun wisely as she opted to be persuasive as much as she could though Mrs.Howard's insistence.

Then the young lady fled as she went in the another corner of the airplane where she would take with herself the ordered drinks and food for the traveling people, returning in the matter of few minutes later. 

After Jude heard the crude, howsoever, intelligible warning of the younger woman, her face lost its nuances, freshness as it turned in matter of seconds palish. In the meantime, Mr.Howard looked up at her face as he pursued for her eyes as she attempted to abide as cold-blooded as she could, without giving up her hopes and letting herself to believe in the juvenile stewardess.

"Perhaps she's right." He uttered as his words sounded almost like a whisper through her ears, offering her a gentle, reassuring smile as she pout like an overbearing, scolded teenager, who was extremely stubborn and rebellious against her parents and their rules.

"Look Timothy. It's my second time in airplane as I have never drank any alcoholic beverage, scarcely having any idea what would happen during a flight."

"As you haven't tried any alcoholic drink in the plane, then why do you want to risk all this for your health, thereafter nobody else being responsible for the outcome?"

"You defend her?" She growled lightly as she clutched her teeth, her face blushing in aggravation, avoiding his question.

"Look, sweetheart. I really can see how much do you yearn to sip some bourbon but she's actually a stewardess behind herself years of career, passing through plenty of passengers who had ordered alcoholic beverages, therefore nauseating and throwing up." Jude tried to wriggle, evading his dangled arm around her shoulder and release her elegant hand from his larger one though her failure as he pulled her closer reluctantly. 

Afterwards Jude felt almost powerless to answer his words as she didn't know how to answer next as she emitted a disgruntled sigh, resting her head on his chest as she felt remorse for blandly arguing with him over bourbon during a flight. Her warm breath tickled Timothy's neck and face as a boyish, serene smile lit across his lips, his fingers rubbing her back. Meanwhile, the same stewardess who disputed with Jude held a platter with a glass of bourbon, handing it to her as she thanked with an artificial smile on her lips, holding the bourbon as she sipped per a handful of minutes. In the contrary, the bourbon helped her as she wasn't feeling sick anymore.

Once she finished drinking it, she gestured the stewardess to take the empty glass, hence, the younger lady vanished as she walked away. 

"Timothy? Sweetie?" She looked up at his face as she offered him a genuine, guilty smile.

"Yes, rare bird?" He enquired.

"I would like to apologise for my teenage stubborness a few minutes ago. I know how stupid and cussed I were." She pressed her head in his chest, absorbing warmness as her ear heard his slowing down heartbeat in his chest. "Would you forgive me, wouldn't you?" She said in soft voice.

He inhaled as his fingers moved from her upper back to her hair, tangling her soft glossy golden curls between his fingers, playing with them as he looked down at her face that digged in his chest. 

"Judy, my love, you are going to be always forgiven for whatever you have done." He leaned as he pressed his lips on her head, leaving a kissing mark, pausing for a while to admire her pure innocence, despite her sinful past before her nunnery. "You aren't obligated to ask for my forgiveness. I owe it to you whenever you are apologising. Moreover, I cannot abandon you."

All of a sudden, she sensed her heart melting after hearing those touching, loving words, coming from his mouth with its melodic, golden words that allured her ears, heart, body and mind. She couldn't help as her smile significantly grew, sparkling on her relieved face as she wrapped her both arms around his back, tighting their embrace.

***

When Valerie was having a hard time to feed with a baby food and spoon in her hand Ellie who was recently sitting in her high chair whilst her younger sibling was playing with his truck in his high chair, the radio was playing an entertaining retro music in the early evening to reassure the young maid's hopes for Howards' delayed reborn. The Rolling Stones were currently playing on the old radio in the kitchen, floating in the dull, silent background.

Well this could be the last time
This could be the last time
Maybe the last time
I don't know, oh no, oh no  

"Come on, little daredevil girl! Eat your baby food." Valerie yelled as she held the spoon with some baby food that was untouched by the pretentious little girl who refused to eat her food, whilst Tristan was ignoring the females.

"Naaaahh." Ellie whined disgusted as she pushed away with her tiny arms the spoon and Ms.Volkova's larger hand.

"That's not good, Ellie. Mommy and Daddy won't be satisfied to see you still little if you don't eat your food." The red-haired maid insisted as she didn't give up.

The little girl babbled desperately as her mouth was still open as it was Valerie's chance to feed her even without her consent, approaching the spoon as the eldest twin swallowed the baby food, feeling its taste sliding down in her brittle, wee skeleton, subsequently spitting the residues of baby food into her cotton short sleeved top, slushing it as she giggled to the eldest female in the room who sighed, looking down at her foul top, grimacing face as her frown overtook her fresh, youthful face.

"Look what have you done, little rebel." 

Well I told you once and I told you twice
That someone will have to pay the price

But here's a chance to change your mind                                                                                                      'Cause I'll be gone a long, long time 

Suddenly, the clicking sound of unlocking door caught the young woman's attention as she gasped inwardly to herself "Goddamn it!", hoping the children haven't heard her swearing as she glanced down at them. Ellie's cunning hazel eyes darted to the hall as she heard the sounds of unlocking door as another clicking sound was of an opening door as Jude and Timothy were at home from Ireland, at last. 

"Hi." The young lady shouted as she greeted the couple who kicked off their shoes, leaving their suitcases in the hall after shutting the door.

"Hi Val." The both partners greeted her altogether.

Once they stepped in the kitchen especially Judy, she looked down at the maid's top as her hazel eyes recognized the spitted baby food stain, scratching her eyebrow in confusion as she hummed "Hmm!". Whereas Timothy walked up to Tristan and Ellie, looking down at them as he offered them a genuine, loving smile as he was beyond ecstatic to see his children. Mrs.Howard was beyond euphoric to behold her children, despite the prejudice behind Ms.Volkova.

"Why your top is messed up? Who did this?" She pointed at the spot with her forefinger.

"Ellie did this as she refused to eat from her baby food, as a result I forced her to eat it, thereafter spitting on my top." Valerie explained candidly as she noted Jude's glare directly at her eldest child, who smiled wickedly to her.

"Ellie!" Jude looked down at the little girl who expressed her superficial proud malicious with hands on her hips whilst Timothy held in his both arms the twins, rocking them. "Why you did this to your aunt Val?"

"Mama, no." The little girl didn't know more words so that to develop fuller, logical sentence as she possessed limited vocabulary for 10th month old baby. She wanted to defend herself from the young adult who complained to her mother.

"There's no mama. There's nana who complained and look what you did to her top. That's not the good girls do with the others."

"Come on, Jude. She's just little, vulnerable girl. She probably did it accidentally." Timothy justified Ellie as he wore a sheepish smile across his lips.

"She just cannot do it accidentally, Timothy." Jude was outraged though her abstinence of showing her direct anger because that would aggravate just the things, demonstrating her immature, infantile side rather than the diplomatic, wise one.

"Look what she had done with her nana's top. Do you see the filthiness?" Timothy looked down at the slender lady's top as he noted lastly what Jude actually meant.

"Oh." He sighed a sigh of relief as he looked at his daughter sternly with a modest smile. "Do not repeat the same mistake again, Ellie. You are a good girl as well but this time you proved to us for first time that you are a little riot."

Tristan couldn't help but giggling as he heard how the adults discussed his older sibling due to her rebellion. 

"Look, Ellie. I know how nauseating is the baby food, in your opinion. But you should eat it, regardless your desires." In the meantime, she walked up to Timothy and the twins as she took Ellie in her arms to soothe her, give her some of her love as she shook her head, putting her forefinger on her lips. "Do not disappoint your nana Val ever again. I love you and have missed you so much, sweetheart." Then she kissed Ellie's temple as the little girl felt much better in her mother's arms, giggling sweetly to her as her hands stroked playfully her mother's chin.

Valerie was rather astonished to see the close connection between Jude and Ellie. They were just like one person in older and younger years. A humble smile loomed on her juvenile face as she kept watching the loving family scenery in front of her eyes. In this time, Timothy as he held Tristan, he determined himself to reassure Valerie as he walked up to her, kissing her cheek innocently as her cheeks flushed, acquiring rosy tinge. She turned to face Timothy as their eyes met, developing an amiable eye contact.

"Don't worry, Val. Ellie is a little rebel. She doesn't likes the rules at all."

To be continued...