Beautiful Cries

Epilogue

"Illiana Klarisa Callos! What have I told you about fighting with your brothers!" Alena called out from her place in front of the sink, scrubbing dishes by the dozens as she tried to keep droplets from falling onto the swell of her protruding stomach.

"But Momma!" A small, blond girl cried as she raced into the kitchen. "Haines and Nealon were trying to feed Miss Marzipan to one of the goats!"

Dropping one of the plates into the sudsy water, Alena wiped her hands on her makeshift apron and tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear as the little girl tugged on her peplos to be picked up.

Illiana's frown was pitiful as her mother laughed and lifted her onto her hip, carrying her out into the courtyard of their home that now held her two brothers. Nealon was the eldest at the age of eight, Haines was seven while little Illiana was five.

Alena's rather busy looking husband sat to the side on the family's kline, a comfortable appearing couch that was wide enough for all of them to sit on if it suited them to try.

The two troublemakers sat at their father's feet, toy soldiers held in their tiny fists as they fought over who could feed Miss Marzipan to the monstrous Charybdis, also known as one of the family goats.

Struggling until her mother released her, Illiana sprang down and raced towards her brothers, grabbing another doll of hers with a determined look set on her face.

She snatched one of Haines' hands before hitting him on the head with her doll, smacking him repeatedly as she yelled. "Give me back Miss Marzipan!"

Instead of helping his brother, Nealon sat back laughing and crawled up next to his father who watched his daughter with a spark of laughter and familiarity running through his eyes.

Alena placed her hands on her hips and gestured to the two children, staring at Damari as if he should understand what she was trying to say to him.

When he still had the same dumbfounded look that she remembered him giving her when she first gave birth to Nealon, she shook her head in exasperation.

"You're not going to do anything about this?" she asked as Illiana pulled Haines into a headlock, proceeding to hit him in the face with her newer doll. "Reprimand them!"

Damari chuckled and pulled Nealon in closer, looking over at Illiana with pride and whispering to his eldest. "Now that's how you maintain a headlock."

"Oh what am I going to do with all of you?" Alena whispered to herself, straightening her figure with a laugh and wink at her husband before marching over to the two children who had decided to bring biting into the fight.

"Ouch! Momma, Haines bit me!" Illiana shrieked before hitting him even harder with the doll, making sure to get him directly in the face.

Alena sighed heavily and grabbed them both by the arms, separating them from each other so that they were both on opposite sides of her.

Kneeling down so that she was eye level, she said firmly. "What have I told you two about fighting?"

Haines suddenly became interested with his sandals while Illiana crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her mom before her face brightened and she pointed to Damari.

"Daddy said that I could."

Swiveling on her heels to glare at Damari, he shrugged his shoulders at her searing gaze, choosing to avoid it as he began to talk with Nealon fairly animatedly.

Alena's sigh was heard again as she looked back to Illiana with a smile.

"Sweetie, we don't fight with our siblings, is that understood?"