This Still Belongs to You and Always Will
Chapter 25
Elena’s P.O.V:
“Hey Grandma!” I beamed, hugging my Grandmother and turning to my Grandpa “Hey Grandpa.”
“Happy birthday!” They both chorused, kissing my cheek.
I directed them both into the living room and seated them on the sofa. Dad came in to greet his parents, hugging and kissing them both. They both beamed happily at the sight of him.
“D’you guys want anything?” Dad questioned “Frankie’s just out in the kitchen, ordering dinner.”
“And what is for dinner?” Grandma asked.
“Pizza.”
She rolled her eyes mockingly and said something about it being bad for us and we’ll all get fat if we’re not careful. Dad laughed.
“We don’t eat it that often, Mom.”
“Of course you don’t.” She replied sarcastically, smiling as she mocked us.
“We don’t, Grandma!” I insisted.
She laughed. I seated myself on the other sofa, stretching out so that Dad couldn’t sit down. He pouted mockingly and went out to get Frank from the kitchen. Grandma and Grandpa rolled their eyes at me and said I should be respecting my fathers. I stuck my tongue out cheekily. They feigned shock and produced a carrier bag, saying I wouldn’t get my presents if I wasn’t careful. I grinned cheesily, sitting there like the angel from above. They laughed and handed me the carrier bag. Open emptying it and browsing through the wrapped contents, I selected the obvious one that Grandma gives me every year. Sure enough, it was a bottle of white musk shower gel. There was also a set of black lingerie that made Dad wolf-whistle. I looked at him pleadingly and he mouthed ‘I won’t make you wear them’ when Grandma wasn’t looking. I also received a ‘Him’ messenger bag, some black and red gloves, a set of artists colouring pencils and the traditional empty box Grandpa gave me every year. I thanked them both and gave them the traditional kiss on the cheek before returning to my place on the couch.
“You guys spoil her, y’know!” Uncle Mikey said, suddenly walking unannounced into the room with Alicia behind him.
“Who let you in?” I questioned, looking at them both.
“Well there’s a welcome.” Alicia laughed, stepping closer to me “Happy Birthday, babe.” She added, pulling me into a hug.
“Thanks.” I grinned, hugging her back.
She smelt of watermelon shower gel and her perfume that Mikey gave her for Christmas. Mikey grinned and offered a hug too, which I accepted. He smiled and kissed my forehead.
“Happy Birthday.” He grinned.
“Thanks. Again.” I laughed.
Alicia sat on the floor, resting against the sofa I was on. Mikey sat beside her and lazily handed me the bag he had. I thanked them both numerous times and selected the first wrapped gift. It was a bunch of new guitar picks and a new gig bag to replace my battered old one. There was a new Fall Out Boy hoodie that I pulled on over my new Paramore t-shirt. ‘WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw 2007’ and ‘Spartan Total Warrior’ for the ps2 and the final gift was a basket, two food bowls and a leash.
“What am I gonna’ do with these?” I asked “I don’ t have a dog.”
All the adults exchanged knowing glances. I stared at each of them individually as they smirked like a group of little kids. Grandma was struggling to contain a fit of childish giggles behind her hands and Frank had buried his face into Dad’s shoulder.
“Do I?”
“Happy Birthday, Elena.” Dad grinned.
“Have you been out in the back yard since we arrived?” Mikey added.
“You…you guys haven’t…have you?” I stuttered, looking at them all.
They all remained silent. So I jumped up and ran into the kitchen, stopping to wait for them all. They were all grinning from ear to ear as I opened the back door and walked out. My eyes widened as I saw it. There was a tiny yelp as it poked its nose through the bars of the travel box it was in cautiously. It was the most adorable little puppy I’d ever seen. A little black one with a white half-moon shape patch on its back and a white patch over its eye.
“Aww, aww, aww, aww, aww, aww!” I cried, holding my hand out to let it sniff.
“You like her?” Frankie questioned.
“I love her!” I exclaimed, jumping up and hugging both him and Dad really tight.
They both laughed and hugged back, kissing the top of my head. I stayed clinging to them both, depriving them both of oxygen as I hugged. Dad made over-dramatised gagging sounds, indicating that he needed to breathe. So I released them both and turned back to the puppy. I unlatched the little door and scooped her up into my arms. She went ‘Woof’ and sniffed my face.
“What breed is she?” I questioned, tickling the top of her head with my fingers.
“What did the guy say?” Dad asked, turning to Frank.
“Cross-breed, didn’t he?”
“Yeah. It was like…a Border Collie and a black Labrador, wasn’t it?”
“She looks like a Collie.” Alicia commented, looking at her.
“Yeah.” Grandpa agreed.
I hugged the little puppy close, tickling her tummy. Her little tail wagged away happily as I did so. She was so cute. I loved her.
“What are you gonna’ call her?” Grandma questioned.
I thought for a moment, looking her over. It had to be something uncommon. I hated all those common names like Rover and Sandy. Not that I could call her either of those anyway. She looked back up at me sweetly through little dark eyes. My heart melted again as I looked back at her. She was so adorable. So cute. My eyes rested on the little half-moon shape on her back.
“Luna.” I said proudly, pointing to the patch of white.
“Love it.” Mikey grinned.
“Awesome.” Frank agreed.
“Hey Grandma!” I beamed, hugging my Grandmother and turning to my Grandpa “Hey Grandpa.”
“Happy birthday!” They both chorused, kissing my cheek.
I directed them both into the living room and seated them on the sofa. Dad came in to greet his parents, hugging and kissing them both. They both beamed happily at the sight of him.
“D’you guys want anything?” Dad questioned “Frankie’s just out in the kitchen, ordering dinner.”
“And what is for dinner?” Grandma asked.
“Pizza.”
She rolled her eyes mockingly and said something about it being bad for us and we’ll all get fat if we’re not careful. Dad laughed.
“We don’t eat it that often, Mom.”
“Of course you don’t.” She replied sarcastically, smiling as she mocked us.
“We don’t, Grandma!” I insisted.
She laughed. I seated myself on the other sofa, stretching out so that Dad couldn’t sit down. He pouted mockingly and went out to get Frank from the kitchen. Grandma and Grandpa rolled their eyes at me and said I should be respecting my fathers. I stuck my tongue out cheekily. They feigned shock and produced a carrier bag, saying I wouldn’t get my presents if I wasn’t careful. I grinned cheesily, sitting there like the angel from above. They laughed and handed me the carrier bag. Open emptying it and browsing through the wrapped contents, I selected the obvious one that Grandma gives me every year. Sure enough, it was a bottle of white musk shower gel. There was also a set of black lingerie that made Dad wolf-whistle. I looked at him pleadingly and he mouthed ‘I won’t make you wear them’ when Grandma wasn’t looking. I also received a ‘Him’ messenger bag, some black and red gloves, a set of artists colouring pencils and the traditional empty box Grandpa gave me every year. I thanked them both and gave them the traditional kiss on the cheek before returning to my place on the couch.
“You guys spoil her, y’know!” Uncle Mikey said, suddenly walking unannounced into the room with Alicia behind him.
“Who let you in?” I questioned, looking at them both.
“Well there’s a welcome.” Alicia laughed, stepping closer to me “Happy Birthday, babe.” She added, pulling me into a hug.
“Thanks.” I grinned, hugging her back.
She smelt of watermelon shower gel and her perfume that Mikey gave her for Christmas. Mikey grinned and offered a hug too, which I accepted. He smiled and kissed my forehead.
“Happy Birthday.” He grinned.
“Thanks. Again.” I laughed.
Alicia sat on the floor, resting against the sofa I was on. Mikey sat beside her and lazily handed me the bag he had. I thanked them both numerous times and selected the first wrapped gift. It was a bunch of new guitar picks and a new gig bag to replace my battered old one. There was a new Fall Out Boy hoodie that I pulled on over my new Paramore t-shirt. ‘WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw 2007’ and ‘Spartan Total Warrior’ for the ps2 and the final gift was a basket, two food bowls and a leash.
“What am I gonna’ do with these?” I asked “I don’ t have a dog.”
All the adults exchanged knowing glances. I stared at each of them individually as they smirked like a group of little kids. Grandma was struggling to contain a fit of childish giggles behind her hands and Frank had buried his face into Dad’s shoulder.
“Do I?”
“Happy Birthday, Elena.” Dad grinned.
“Have you been out in the back yard since we arrived?” Mikey added.
“You…you guys haven’t…have you?” I stuttered, looking at them all.
They all remained silent. So I jumped up and ran into the kitchen, stopping to wait for them all. They were all grinning from ear to ear as I opened the back door and walked out. My eyes widened as I saw it. There was a tiny yelp as it poked its nose through the bars of the travel box it was in cautiously. It was the most adorable little puppy I’d ever seen. A little black one with a white half-moon shape patch on its back and a white patch over its eye.
“Aww, aww, aww, aww, aww, aww!” I cried, holding my hand out to let it sniff.
“You like her?” Frankie questioned.
“I love her!” I exclaimed, jumping up and hugging both him and Dad really tight.
They both laughed and hugged back, kissing the top of my head. I stayed clinging to them both, depriving them both of oxygen as I hugged. Dad made over-dramatised gagging sounds, indicating that he needed to breathe. So I released them both and turned back to the puppy. I unlatched the little door and scooped her up into my arms. She went ‘Woof’ and sniffed my face.
“What breed is she?” I questioned, tickling the top of her head with my fingers.
“What did the guy say?” Dad asked, turning to Frank.
“Cross-breed, didn’t he?”
“Yeah. It was like…a Border Collie and a black Labrador, wasn’t it?”
“She looks like a Collie.” Alicia commented, looking at her.
“Yeah.” Grandpa agreed.
I hugged the little puppy close, tickling her tummy. Her little tail wagged away happily as I did so. She was so cute. I loved her.
“What are you gonna’ call her?” Grandma questioned.
I thought for a moment, looking her over. It had to be something uncommon. I hated all those common names like Rover and Sandy. Not that I could call her either of those anyway. She looked back up at me sweetly through little dark eyes. My heart melted again as I looked back at her. She was so adorable. So cute. My eyes rested on the little half-moon shape on her back.
“Luna.” I said proudly, pointing to the patch of white.
“Love it.” Mikey grinned.
“Awesome.” Frank agreed.