Loving Heaven's Gift ( Book 2 of The Loving You Series)

Chapter 8.

That evening, they were all sitting at the dining table, eating dinner in silence. Sarah wasn't saying much, and Angel believed that Sarah learned early on never to interfere in any of their arguments, all she did at the moment was a sigh. Angel was holding her fork and stabbing at the broccoli that was on her plate! For the moment, the situation made her remember her childhood. It was the same feeling.  Whenever Angel was involved in some sort of mischief as a child, the day would end with angry eyes and no conversation at the dinner table, just painful silence. "I can't believe you said that to him. I was so embarrassed."  Sarah glanced at Angel after she was scooping the last little bit of stew from her daughter's bowl and feeding it to her ten- month old niece Maggie. After placing the spoon on the table and wiping away the mess on her daughter's face, she sighed. "It couldn't have been that bad Angel, surely you heard wrong."

Angel stabbed at her broccoli again and held it in the air as she was stating her point to Sarah, "I think not!! All I did was introduce him, Sarah, they both treated me like I was a little naughty kid, in need of discipline." Sarah laughed. Cameron then looked at his mother, with eyes filled with confusion, as his mother and his aunt were talking, Cameron looked both ways and tried to carefully and quietly sneak his broccoli to Titan their hound dog. But before he was even able to drop the one piece of broccoli he had in his hand to the animal, Angel lightly smacked him on the hand and gave him a stern glance. "Cameron! How many times have I told you to not feed Titan? Broccoli is good for you, it will make you stronger." Cameron made a face, "But mom, I hate broccoli, it so gross. Angel sighed. "It doesn't matter, eat up."

Folding his arms in disgust, Cameron stuck out his tongue at her. Then he looked at her plate and noticed that she didn't eat her broccoli either. "You didn't eat yours either mom so why do I have to eat it?" Both Sarah and William and their son, Alex laughed. "Touche, sis," Will said to her in a whisper. Angel sighed and smiled at Cameron. "How about this, If I eat just three more pieces of broccoli and you eat three more pieces of broccoli then I'll inform cook to give you some of her oatmeal raisin cookies afterward, OK?" At the word 'cookie' Cameron and Alex, both perked up and started shuffling their broccoli into their mouths with such enthusiasm that both Sarah and William and herself laughed. It took them only two minutes to clean their plates. Their cheeks were bulging, they looked like squirrels who shoveled their mouths with handfuls of chestnuts. With mouths full, they both attempted to speak, "Can we have the cookies now?"

 Her brother and Sarah as well as she tried really hard not to burst out laughing, but it didn't work out in the end. Seeing their parents laughing made them all start giggling too. Right after they all had the delicious dessert of cook's oatmeal and raisin cookies; the hallway clock started to chime nine o'clock. It was time to put the kids to bed and like always, Cameron and Alex protested and complained that they weren't the least bit sleepy. "Come on you two, it's time for bed," Will said as he ushered them towards the stairway and to the waiting arms of their nurse and governess. Cameron got away from his uncle and ran towards Angel's skirts, he grabbed a hold of them in a tight grip and looked up to his mother. "Couldn't we please stay up a little longer mama?"

 She glanced to her brother and saw the smirk he tried to hide, she then looked back down to Cameron and smiled,  "I'm afraid not, sweetie. You have a big day ahead of you. Your new tutor will be arriving tomorrow to get you and Alex a head start at school before the pair of you will be sent to the Academy in Manchester. Both Alex and Cameron gasped,  "You mean you're really going to send us away?" 

Angel patted his head and brushed away his bangs,  "both of you have nothing to worry about! You'll still stay here for a few more years... you both won't be leaving until you're eleven, so put your minds at ease." Cameron sighed and slumped his shoulders.  "Can't we  please stay up a little longer?" 

Cameron asked his mother. Aingeal looked at Will, and waited for his answer, with a wink, William smiled and nodded. "Why don't we all head to the library and read from one of your grandfather's classics, until you two are more sleepy and then we'll put you to bed.