Abigail Lewis hugs me warmly, despite being a head shorter than me. She’s a petite, plump, and bright woman. The twins take after her, with their straight ginger hair and freckles, while Danny has her blue eyes. Wearing her usual blue apron, she takes me by the hand and guides me to the salon.
“We’ve missed you, honey, you should come by more often! You and Danny both! Darling, look who is here!”
When I walk into the main room, four pairs of the same green eyes turn to me: Rachel, Bonnie, and Micah, the rest of Daniel’s siblings. Of course, Joseph Lewis, their father, is there too, and the first one to smile at me.
“Elena!”
I feel a big wave of warmth welcoming me. Ahead of his children, Joseph walks up to me, putting his big hands on my shoulders, and giving me a kiss on my forehead.
“Glad to see you, Elena. Abbie is right, you should come over more often, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Joe.”
He gives me a warm smile in return. Joseph was the one who helped me after my parents’ accident. He filled out all the paperwork, waited hours with me at the hospital, and made sure I was never alone. He even helped me pay some of the medical bills and insisted on having me stay at their house for a few days, which turned into weeks, so I wouldn’t be alone.
He’s my father’s best friend and is always there when I really need him. I love the entire Lewis family, but Joseph’s endless support is something I’ll never forget. No doubt Daniel takes after him a lot.
He steps aside to let his children welcome me, but winks at me before heading to the kitchen. The first one is Rachel, the energetic eldest sister, then the quiet Bonnie, Ben’s twin, and finally Micah, the youngest of the six siblings.
As usual, Micah caresses my face with his fingers instead of hugging me. I guide him to my cheeks, smiling so he can feel it.
“Hi, Elena. You seem happy,” he says.
“I am. How are you, Micah?”
“Happy that all of the family is here. And I missed your voice, you know.”
Micah lost almost all of his sight to a genetic disease when he was only six. He is seventeen now and got used to it. He has a strange, surprising personality, but not in a bad way. He just acts much more mature than his age at times.
“Is something bothering you?” he suddenly asks.
“Nothing important, Micah.”
Sometimes I wish he wasn’t so good at reading emotions! I gently grab his fingers to hold his hand instead, and Bonnie takes the other one.
“Is that so? Well, mom’s cooking will probably make you feel better.”
“Elena! Tell me what you thought of the dress!” suddenly asks Rachel.
Damn, I forgot about that dress and Rachel’s enthusiasm. I answer her endless questions while Levi starts talking with his dad, Micah, and the twins while helping their mom in the kitchen. Catching up with Rachel is nice, but she’s such a chatterbox! Within half an hour, I already know all her new friends’ names, everything she did last week, her entire plan for next year’s collection, the latest gossip in the pack, and even her idea for her third store event! At some point, I just let her talk and look across the room to watch Joseph and Levi chatting.
Those two really look alike, well, Levi took almost everything after his dad. They are both a bit darker-skinned than the rest of the family, and very tall with broad shoulders and lean muscles. But Levi, like Danny, has his mother’s blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair, making a beautiful contrast.
“Don’t tell me you still have a crush on my brother?”
“Danny!”
My best friend just walked in, wearing a simple white shirt and a pair of jeans, his hair messy as usual. At least, he shaved before coming. I take this opportunity to escape Rachel’s babbling and walk to him. I only meant to welcome him, but he suddenly hugs me like he needed it. I pat his back as I feel his face hidden in my shoulder.
“Talk later?”
“Yes. Please.”
“Okay.”
I know my Danny. If he’s like this, he won’t want questions in front of his family. Indeed, he lets me go like nothing happened and shows his usual smile to his dad and siblings.
“There he is! Son, you should come more often!”