Chapter 139: We Will Play Together
"Has Ryder arrived?" He glanced at his mother, who was trying to stifle a laugh, and then back at his father, whose expression was a picture of mock despair. "What did he do this time," Harrison asked, his tone playful, "to reduce our old man to such a pitiful state."
Elder Edward’s expression changed as he thought to himself, "How dare you call me an old man in front of my woman?" He looked at Harrison and asked, "Do you want my golden words to become true?"
Harrison smiled and replied, "I don’t have any problem with that, only if mother is ready." He then turned to his mother, Rosie, who was watching the exchange with amusement.
Rosie poked her elbow into Elder Edward’s stomach and said, "Are you planning to betray me and bring a mistress into this house?" Her words startled Elder Edward, and he panicked.
"W...what are you saying? When did I say that?" he stuttered.
"Then what was the meaning of the words you said before? As you know, right now I am not in a condition to help you make your golden words come true?"
Elder Edward’s face turned innocent, and he protested, "No, darling, I couldn’t even think about it. You are the only one for me." He gazed at Rosie with puppy-like expressions.
Then, he turned to Harrison and gave him a frightening gaze, mentally labeling him a "Rascal." Harrison, however, just smiled mischievously, as if to say, "Like father, like son." in response to his father’s unspoken accusation.
"Girls, go to your brother Ryder’s room," Rosie instructed, trying to spare them from the innuendo-laden conversation. The girls - Emerson, Thea, and the twins, Melanie and Lydia - obediently got up and smiled at Elder Edward before heading upstairs.
As they ascended the stairs, Melanie turned back and said with a sly grin, "Only Grandmother can take our Grandfather." Lydia chimed in, "Only Grandfather? Of course not... Brother Ryder is also no less than Grandmother." The four girls continued up the stairs, their giggles and whispers filling the air.
Emerson, who was a bit younger, looked up at her elder sisters with a puzzled expression. "Elder sisters, what does Grandfather mean by his ’golden words’?" she asked, unsure of the meaning behind the phrase.
Lydia hesitated, scratching her head as she tried to find a suitable explanation. "It means... he can... um..." She struggled to articulate her thoughts, not wanting to reveal too much to her younger sister.
Thea chimed in, trying to simplify the explanation, "It means he loves your grandmother a lot." Emerson’s eyes sparkled with understanding, and she asked, "Ohh... So if we love someone a lot, we should say the golden words?"
Thea nodded, adding a gentle warning, "Hmm... you can say that, but only when you grow up, then." She implied that the phrase was meant for adults, and not something children should be saying.
"Okay, sister Thea... when I grow up, I will say the golden words." Her sisters smiled, amused by her innocent and enthusiastic response.
The girls gathered in front of Ryder’s room, and Lydia raised her hand to knock on the door.
’Knock, knock..’
From the other side of the door, Ryder’s voice called out, "Come in." The sound was muffled, but clear, and Lydia smiled as she turned the handle and pushed the door open, revealing the room beyond.
Ryder was relaxed on the sofa, dressed in a casual t-shirt and track pants, with a book in his hands. His sisters entered the room, and Emerson shared the news, "Brother Ryder, you know... Father said that after my twin sisters graduated from their school, we will return back here."
Ryder’s eyes lit up with interest as he looked up from his book. "Oh, really?" he asked, a smile spreading across his face.
He then turned to the twins, Melanie and Lydia, and said, "So, finally, my aunt agreed to your request?"
Lydia elaborated, "She said that if we get admitted to our favorite university, then only we can come... but thanks to Father, he agreed, so we promised that we will work hard to get admitted to our favorite university." Her words were filled with excitement and determination.
Ryder’s curiosity was piqued, and he asked, "What is your favorite university?" The twins replied in unison, "Lumina University."
Lydia turned to Thea and asked, "Sister Thea, is Brother Liam teaching in your university?" Thea replied, "No, he has already resigned from our university."
"Resigned? Do you know the reason?" Thea shook her head, "I haven’t asked him his reason."
Lydia’s attention then shifted to Ryder, and she asked, "Brother, do you know?" Ryder also shook his head, indicating that he was unaware of the reason behind Brother Liam’s resignation.
Lydia said to Melanie, "If Brother Liam were teaching at your university, we could have gone too. But we’re not that lucky."
Melanie whispered back, "Don’t worry about it... in Lumina University, there are many handsome men you can satisfy your eyes with."
Ryder asked as he saw the twins whispering between themselves, "What are you two whispering about?"
Emerson, not realizing she was revealing a secret, began to spill the beans, "Brother Ryder, you know they are saying that in Lumina University there are handsome men that they could..mmm.."
But Lydia was quick to react, covering Emerson’s mouth with her hand to silence her. "No, brother, we were saying that... Handso..no..we will meet lots of people there," Lydia said with a smile, trying to downplay the conversation.
As Lydia spoke, Melanie subtly signaled to Emerson to remain quiet, placing a finger to her lips.
No sooner had Lydia removed her hands from Emerson’s mouth than the little girl piped up, "Brother Ryder, why did you call us?" Her question tumbled out in a rush, as if she had been waiting for the opportunity to ask it all along.
Ryder’s response was a gentle invitation, "All of you, sit down."
As they settled into their seats, Ryder rose from the sofa and walked over to the table, returning with four elegantly wrapped square boxes. His face lit up with a warm smile as he revealed, "These are your presents. I brought them back from my trip."
With a gracious gesture, Ryder handed each of his sisters a box, starting with Emerson. As Thea took her gift from his hand, she exclaimed, "Thanks, Ryder," her voice filled with appreciation. Ryder’s smile deepened as he replied, "Welcome."
Thea held a green package in her hand, her name written on top of it in Ryder’s distinctive handwriting. As Ryder spoke, his eyes swept across the room, meeting the gazes of Emerson and the twins. "Open them after returning home... Got it?" he instructed.
One of the twins asked, "Tomorrow?" to which Ryder replied, "Hmm... Tomorrow, after you return home."
"Brother Ryder, did you bring another gift?" Emerson asked as her eyes scanned the table, and her gaze landed on a box identical to the ones they had received.
Ryder’s response was a thoughtful "Hmm..." as he spoke up, leaving Emerson wondering if there was indeed another surprise in store for them.
Melanie spoke with a knowing tone, "Brother Ryder, you would be tired. Take some rest."
She then turned to Emerson and suggested, "Emerson, let’s go and play outside."
Emerson agreed enthusiastically, "Okay!" before turning back to Ryder with a sweet smile. In her sweet, childish voice, she said, "Brother Ryder, now you take some rest at night, and we will play together."
Emerson took Thea’s hand and went to follow her twin’s elder sister. As they reached the door, Thea paused before closing it, and turned back to take one last look at Ryder. In that final glance, she saw him standing in front of the table, still holding the gift in his hand. Thea closed the door, leaving Ryder alone in the room.
"What do you want to play?" Thea asked, looking at Emerson .
The twins, Lydia and Melanie, were already sitting on the floor, eager to join in on the fun. Lydia spoke up, "What about hide-and-seek?" she suggested.
"Hide and seek!!! I’m in!" Emerson exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Then let’s go to the garden to play it." Melanie suggested, a smile spreading across her face.
Melanie chuckled and teased her sister, "You fool, we have to go to the garden only to play it... We can also play in the house... but playing outside is a different kind of enjoyment."
