The Code of The Alpha

Chapter Seventeen - Leave it to Mom

I followed-no, hid-behind Luca as we walked along the breezeway and through the side door.

"I look like four-day-old shit," I mumbled as we walked inside.

My ratty hair was still down in tangles. I hadn't washed my face that morning and I was adorned by the all the charm and glamor of an old t-shirt and gym shorts.

"Very cute four-day-old shit," Luca whispered back to me.

I followed him closely into the kitchen.

As I peeked around Luca's shoulder, I made eye contact with a woman who looked to be in her late-forties. With bronzed skin, dark hair and green eyes just like her son, I knew immediately who she was.

She smiled widely and ran over.

"Hi! I'm Ana, Luca's mom. It's so nice to finally meet you," she said, grabbing me. I picked up on the slight accent entwined with her voice.

She pulled me into a tight hug, all of the awkward tension melting away as she did so. I returned the hug and smiled as she pulled away.

"I'm Carrie, it's nice to meet you too."

"I'm sorry to come over unannounced like this," she said, looking at Luca. "I figured you were never going to let us meet her, at this point."

Luca just shrugged, walking further into the kitchen where two girls sat at the countertop and one stood at the oven.

"Carrie, these are my girls," Ana introduced. "This is Aubrey and Torrey, the twins."

The two identical girls at the countertop, who were hovered over a laptop, waved and smiled.

"And this is Norah, the oldest behind Luca."

The girl who stood next to the oven smiled and came over to hug me.

I returned the smile and hug.

"It's nice to meet you all."

"Hanna's around here, somewhere," Ana said, looking over into the living room.

"She's probably pouting," one of the twins remarked, still looking at the laptop screen.

Ana rolled her eyes and walked out onto the deck through the open doors.

"Philip!" She called down. "How much longer on the burgers?"

"Five minutes!" I heard the reply below.

"We decided to make lunch while we were here," Ana told us, walking back inside.

"She's been planning this for two days," Norah said, now staring into the oven to monitor whatever was cooking inside.

"You don't have to out me like that," Ana scolded her.

Ana looked over the twins' shoulders at the laptop.

"Can you put that away? You can look at dresses later."

One of them closed the laptop.

"What are you looking at dresses for?" Luca asked with a confused expression.

"Our birthday party," one of the twins replied, in a tone that indicated it should have been obvious.