Such a Rude and Noisy Woman

No matter what her relationships with Lydia and Gavin had been like, Rachel had always found a home in Joanna. It was indeed unbearable for her to watch Joanna in such a helpless state. Rachel's eyes moistened seeing Joanna beg her again and again. "Mom, I......" she uttered in a choking voice.

Joanna grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes pleading, "Rachel, please do me this favor! Just go away and travel around for a few days! I believe that Gavin will calm down by then.

We are bonded by blood already. You're Jonny and Joyce's mother. No one can take that away from you. But look at Gavin now, please do me this favor and go away for a while!"

Rachel looked at her and shook her head, saying, "Mom, I've promised Hiram that I'll never leave him, and I can't leave my kids!"

How could she agree to Joanna? Where would she go?

It was her home here. She got such adorable kids and a loving and doting husband who even risked his life by taking the bullet for her. How could she leave them?

"Rachel, please consider what I've said to you. I've never intended to force you to do what you don't want to do, but I am helpless since this involves Gavin. You know, he's getting old. I have no other option but to give him the first priority," Joanna said. Joanna could not look straight into Rachel's eyes as she spoke. She had her head tilted downwards as she wiped the tears from her face. Later, she patted on Rachel's shoulder and went inside.

Rachel stood still for a long time after Joanna had walked inside. What kind of a dilemma life had thrown at her. What would she do now? Her mind went blank.

She couldn't remember how she drove herself home. When she got home, she walked inside with a pale and blank look on her face. Fannie saw her in that state and asked where she had gone. But Rachel was not in a state to speak even a word. She went upstairs without exchanging a single word with Fannie.

As she approached the kids' room, she could hear the kids laughing and chattering between themselves. Kids and their innocent gestures are said to be the best stress busters for elders. Rachel tried to heal bruised heart by filling it with the sounds that came from the kids' room. But her mind was too much clouded and fatigued to even respond to it. She opened the door of her room and sat on the bed. Jonny and Joyce came running to her room and urged her to play with them. She forced a smile and tried to look normal in front of the kids.

One word that kept harping inside her head was 'leave'. It kept piercing her heart making it bleed profusely. Hiram's family had come to believe that Rachel's leaving them all was the solution to all their problems. How could they? Was she not a part of their family? How could they just think of throwing her out like that?

Fannie could feel that something was bothering Rachel that she was not ready to share with her. "Don't pretend as if nothing happened in front of me, honey! It has been so many days now and I've got to know it from the servants," Fannie said to Rachel as she took her hand into hers.

She took Rachel to her room after lunch while Jonny and Joyce busied themselves in the living room.

"I've never thought that things would turn out like this. I admit that I never liked Lydia from the very first day that I met her. I still remember the hostile look in her eyes. But I never thought that she would jump from the second floor!

She is really stubborn, and what about Hiram? He couldn't do anything to her because she was his sister. How could she jump down?

How about your father-in-law and mother-in-law now? They must be heartbroken? But do they vent their angers out on you?" Fannie grabbed Rachel's hand and asked. She had so many queries piled up for Rachel. She was so anxious about Rachel's well being. Though Rachel did not let her know about her disputes with her in-laws, being a mother Fannie could make out that everything was not well with her daughter.

Rachel forced a faint smile and replied, "Mom, don't worry. My mother-in-law is a nice person and she's always good to me. I know that Hiram's father has a problem with me, but I can understand."

Fannie heaved a sigh and said in a relieved voice, "I'm glad to hear that. Look, it has been quite a while since I went back to XH Village the last time. I want to go back tomorrow."

"Mom, listen......" Rachel said.

"Honey, just relax and let me finish my words. Bad news travels fast. The villagers must have learned that I was arrested, and I need to show up to say that everything is okay. Please let me go back. I feel like starting a new life after walking out of the police station." Fannie interrupted Rachel and continued.

Rachel nodded to her and held back the words she had wanted to say, "Okay, Mom! You're free to go. I respect your decision."

"That's right! You must be exhausted. Go upstairs to take a nap!" Fannie said as she smiled at her daughter lovingly and patted on her hand.

Rachel walked out of Fannie's room and headed back to her room. No matter how she camouflaged her state of mind in front of her mother, the fact was that she had no way to run away from the problems in her life. Her head got a heavy feeling. She tried to put the mess in her mind aside and take a nap. But just then, Joyce came in with her Barbie.

"Mommy, can I take a nap with you in your room? I can't sleep in my room," the little girl asked pouting. She climbed on the bed, kicked off her slippers, and lay beside Rachel.

Rachel took Joyce in her arms, caressed her long hair tenderly and said, "Of course darling! I'm glad to have you here."

"Thank you, Mommy! I love you! Can I go to school after the Spring Festival?" Joyce clung to her mom's arms cozily and asked happily.

"Yes, you and Jonny will go to the kindergarten after the Spring Festival. Then, my Joyce will attend the primary class! How do you feel about it?" Rachel asked and kissed her on her rosy cheek.

"Great! I'll study hard and take the first place for Mommy! I also want to learn piano and dancing! I saw the girl next door today. She was wearing a pink dancing dress. She looked so beautiful!" Joyce said admiringly as she twisted and played with her own fingers. Looking at her little daughter's sparkling eyes that were full of aspirations and dreams for the future, Rachel laughed and said, "I believe that you'll look more beautiful in your dancing dress, but you have to wait for a few months because you're underage now." She comforted her little daughter.

The mother and daughter spoke for a while before little Joyce fell asleep.

Talking with Joyce had been the most relaxing and soothing thing that happened to Rachel in the whole day. As she watched her daughter sleep peacefully, even she slipped into a sound sleep. But just in a short while, the door opened.

Hiram stepped into the room silently. He had gone back to work earlier than the plan, but he didn't stay at the company for the whole day. Usually he attended the morning meeting and discussed the urgent works with his co-workers before leaving for home. He stood beside the bed and watched Rachel sleeping peacefully with Joyce. Joyce still held her Barbie doll in her arm. This was perhaps the best assurance for Hiram that no matter what, his small and loving world was still safe and secured. Watching the two most loving girls in his life, a smile appeared on his face.

He heaved a sigh of relief. He knew Rachel went to the hospital that morning and was afraid that Gavin would say something bad to her.

But watching her sleep in absolute tranquility gave him some kind of an assurance. He felt that she was alright and it was just a false alarm.

Hiram lifted Joyce up in his arms cautiously without making any noise to her room next door.

Rachel and he had prepared rooms for the twins before they were born, but it was inevitable that they would share one room from time to time because the kids needed care.

Closing the door of Joyce's room lightly, Hiram went back to their room and drew the curtain before he lifted the cover and lay beside Rachel.

Rachel reached her hands to find Joyce in her sleep. Then she opened her eyes and sprung up when she could not touch her little body. She felt that little Joyce might have fallen down from the bed.

But instead she found Hiram lying next to her, laughing at her reaction.

"When did you come back?

And where is Joyce?" she lay back and asked in a sleepy voice with her eyes closed.

Watching at her smilingly, Hiram said in a low voice, "Don't worry. I took her back to her room. This bed is too small for the three of us."

Rachel opened her eyes and looked at their king-size bed speechlessly.

Then she asked, "Did you have your lunch?"

"Yes, I grabbed something to eat on my way home. Come here! I'm tired after a whole morning's meeting. Let's take a nap together!" he replied.

He stretched his long arms and held her in them.

Rachel was sober enough because she had taken a nap before he came back, but she lay in his arms quietly.

Out of habit, she pulled his shirt to see his wound, and she felt relieved when she saw it was healing day by day.

"Honey, did my father say something that hurt you?" Hiram asked softly caressing her shoulders.

Hearing what he asked, Rachel felt as if she was whipped back from her cozy slumber. She had her eyes wide open as she stared with a blank expression on her face, not knowing how to reply to her husband. 00000☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐