Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

The Crawford House.

Bettany sat in the foyer of the main building. She was almost done crocheting the purse in her hands.

She glanced at the garden from time to time, but the headache she had from a sudden immense pressure gave her a lingering fear, so she did not dare to take a look again.

Yet, when she looked this time, Lilly was not there anymore.

“Where's Lilly?” she appallingly asked.

Josh hid behind the wall holding his phone. He only dared to observe the whole situation through the lens of his phone.

He saw Lilly disappear with his own eyes! “That was unbelievable. Will | ever be that powerful one day...” Zachary murmured to himself.

Josh was at a total loss. “So teleportation does exist in the world...” As soon as the murmurs died down, a glimmer flashed near the garden pavilion. And Lilly was there again, just like she never left.

“Ah... I must be getting old. These eyes can't see the way they used to anymore,” Bettany sighed. “I don’t think this old grandma will be able to catch up all of y'all young people soon.” As the kids grow older, they walk faster and faster too. Bettany could only watch from afar, and genuinely hope that her grandkids will someday find their place in the world.

“Please, Granny. You're not old all,” Zachary disagreed.

“Exactly. You're the most glamorous one out all of the old ladies in town, Granny! If you're old, then all of the others would be ancient!” Josh chimed in.

Bettany remained silent.

Lilly then hurried over excitedly, no longer examining her mirror.

“Granny! | did it!” Lilly's heart was still pounding like a drum. Her cheeks were flushed red, her eyes wide and bright.

“Josh! I did it! | drew it!” “Zachary, | really did it! Can you believe it?” Josh was stunned. Did his sister really go down into the ground and came back a few moments ago? Now that Lilly does not have any obstacles getting to places anymore, she can just come and go whenever she pleases? Josh was so elated to Lilly that he picked her up and wanted to hold her as high as he can, if only his height had allowed him to do so.

The two siblings delighted jumped together in circles.

There was a strange light bubbling under Zachary’s eyes, a hunger of sorts. At first, he only knew that he had to become stronger and powerful. But he did not know exactly how.

But after seeing Lilly, he knew what he had to do.

He will have to work even harder, to follow in his little sister’s footsteps! Bettany could not understand what the Crawford siblings were so happy about. She could only recall the intense look of Lilly trying to examine that mirror of hers.

So it must had been something important. A good kind of important.

“Are you all hungry? I'll make something for you to eat,” Bettany says as her hand caresses Lilly's head. “Look at you, being so happy! Well then, let's kill a goat and roast it whole tonight.” “Mashed potatoes... Burgers... Garlic bread...” “The weather is so hot today, do y'all want to have little lobsters? Lately Granny has been learning how to make milk tea! And we can put that in the fridge to chill it, and we can add some boba into it... It would be so great to have it with lobsters!” Lilly was so engulfed in her own excitement, she had not even thought about eating yet.

But after she heard Bettany talking about all of the food she was going to make, she started to drool without even realizing it.

“Yay! Thanks Granny! I'm going to help you in the kitchen!” Lilly, Josh and Zachary followed Bettany to the kitchen with much glee. It seemed like they might not be able to help their grandma out after all.

But who was to complain about the chaos that followed precious times of being able to accompany one another? Because Lilly had made a great accomplishment, the eight uncles begun a new round of celebrations after their return.

After making sure that Bettany was well-rested and sound asleep, the roof of the sun room on the Crawford house rooftop was opened once again. The eight uncles carried the wine and the iced milk tea up to the roof, along with the leftovers of the lobsters.

Josh and Zachary joined them upstairs, while Hannah had already zonked out.

The ever so self-reliant Drake eventually followed too up to the roof too.

“Anthony, don’t you think the floor might collapse? There's so many of us up here...” Bryson asked worryingly.

Edward retorted. “How dare you underestimate it!” He had reconstructed the whole sun room by himself. The steel and the glass used were all the strongest ones to exist, not even the weight of a hundred people could collapse it.

“Can you guys quiet down? Mom could hear you...” Liam replied.

Lisa held a wine bottle in her hand and raised it enthusiastically. “So what if she could hear us! We'll get her up here to celebrate with us!” “Yes absolutely!” Lilly chimed in happily while raising a glass of iced milk tea with her hand.

The corners of everyone's mouths twitched while they shooting a look at the eldest Crawford uncle. Was he not going to care about his wife? Anthony took the wine bottle from Lisa’s hands, and said: “No more wine for you.” She tried to protest, but to no avail.

Edward munched on the lobsters, and said: “Oh? These are still warm. Do you think mom heated them up on purpose for us?” Jonas raised his eyebrows. “Nonsense.” Lilly bit her straw and drank her milk tea. Her cheeks were puffy and round.

The glow of the moonlight was soft and gentle. The night breeze was cool and comforting. The group of people, big and small, were crowded on the sun room rooftop. It was both a lively and quiet sight to behold. If only everyone knew how excited the kids truly were.

How many moments like this could there be in life? Bettany laid on her side in her bed. She could hear the sounds of their laughter from time to time.

Decades ago, it was eight boys who took cared of Jean.

A few years ago, it was a group of eight unprofessional uncles who brought up the kids who knew nothing about the world.

But now, it was all the eight uncles, the brothers and Lilly altogether.

“What a gift it is to be young,” Bettany was riddled with nostalgia. “Don’t you think so, old man?” “Uh... uh...” Hugh was dead asleep.

A wave of an indescribable melancholy washed over Bettany. At first she didn’t know how she was deceived by Hugh's majestic and indifferent outlook ages ago. But now that he was much older, he was not different than the average old Joe.

However, Lilly should be leaving soon. Bettany thought to herself.

In the dark room, she let out an inaudible sigh...