Page 72 of Chosen By Swift

“I can only imagine,” Alys agreed, smiling at Victor who drowsily watched her. “I think he’s about ready for his nap like his sister.”

“He’s not the only one.” Hallie glanced around the room and seemed to be taking note of all the mothers holding their toddlers and babies. A few of the slightly older children played quietly in another corner of the room with child-sized farm animal figurines. “I think our luncheon has reached its end.”

And it had. One by one, the women thanked Hallie for her hospitality and took their leave. Soon, only Alys, Maisie and Brook remained. While Alys put the twins down for their naps, Alys helped Maisie and Brook tidy up the house.

“You should take some of that home with you,” Hallie urged, gesturing to the leftover food. “Vicious and I can’t possibly eat it all. Take whatever you like and enjoy a night of not having to cook dinner.”

“Cipher does love these sandwiches,” Brook remarked, speaking and signing at the same time.

“And I know how much Terror loves this cake,” Hallie said, following Brook’s example. “You should take it with you, Maisie.”

Together, they divvied up what was left. When the kitchen was clean and all of the living areas had been picked up, Alys left with Maisie and Brook who then walked her to her front door, ensuring she made it inside safely. She put away the leftovers, glad she wouldn’t have to cook later, and then kicked off her shoes.

She was still trying to decide between taking a nap or reading when the communication screen began chirping with the notice of an incoming call. She had gotten better about using the technology since Swift left, especially since Maisie and Terror communicated with her through the video chatting and messaging functions. Still, she hesitated when she didn’t recognize the name flashing on the screen. She finally tapped the green square to accept the call and was surprised by the beautiful older woman who appeared.

“Oh! Hello!” The older woman grinned, and there was something so familiar about her smile and the shape of her eyes. She had long white hair, intricately braided and pulled back with jeweled pins. “You must be the new bride!”

“Um...yes?” Alys answered uncertainly. “And you are?”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I should have introduced myself! I’m Gilda! I’m Swift’s mother.”

“Oh.” The familiar smile made sense. “I’m Alys, ma’am.”

“Alys.” Gilda grinned. “Well, stand back and let me get a good look at you.”

Taken aback, Alys nevertheless did as her mother-in-law commanded. She even spun around when told to do so.

“You are beautiful, Alys. I can see why Swift chose you.” Beaming with joy, Gilda said, “Welcome to our family, dearest.”

“Thank you.”

“So, tell me about yourself! Were you a lottery girl? Or a volunteer? Are you from a city or a small village? What do your parents do? Do you have brothers or sisters?”

Her head swam as Swift’s mother peppered her with questions. She answered each one and tried to make a good impression on her mother-in-law. She wanted to have a good relationship with her, even if it was only over video chats like these.

“Well, I think you’re absolutely lovely,” Gilda declared. “And I can’t wait to get to know you better! I wish we had more time today, but our allotted time is about to run out.” She frowned. “May I call you tomorrow?”

“Yes. Of course!”

“I’ll message you, too. You can ask me for help with anything, and I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you.”

An alarm sounded, alerting them to the time countdown on the call.

“Tell Swift I called and that I love him.”

“I will.”

“Goodbye, Alys!”

“Goodbye.”

The screen went dark, and Alys stood there for a moment, reeling from the unexpected and fast-paced call. She realized belatedly she hadn’t even gotten her mother-in-law's name or informed her that Swift was away on a mission. Hopefully, his mother would understand she had been flustered and not hold it against her.

With a tired sigh, Alys glanced around their home and saw nothing that needed to be done. No chores. No work. She had nothing to occupy her time. A lifetime of being busy and at the beck and call of others hadn’t equipped her with the skills needed for filling hours of downtime. She didn’t want to read. She didn’t want to watch the entertainment channels.

I want Swift.

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