The Family

Harlyn

Walking in, I see someone standing ahead of us; I watch as he turns, and I can’t stop smiling.

“Harlyn?” Samuel stares at me. He looks so different.

“Sam!” I cry. Running to him, I wrap my arms around him in a tight embrace. Emotions flood through me. It’s been too long. Eight years is a long time not to see your family.

“You came,” he whispers.

“I wouldn’t refuse Same, not when it’s likely the only chance I will get to see you again,” I remind him. I look at him and smile.

“Come say hello to your uncle,” I look at the pups, and watch as Isaac and Lotta walk forward, Thorin however stands looking at him. I watch as Samuel kneels and speaks to Lotta and Isaac, after introducing himself he turns to Thorin.

“You must be Thorin,” Samuel asks. Thorin cautiously steps forward, and I watch as Samuel goes to embrace him.

“I am,” Thorin speaks. He offers his hand to Samuel to shake, rather than accepting the hug. Once he knows Samuel he will allow him to hug him, right now he is cautious. I watch as Samuel stands and looks at me.

“Harlyn,” he says while shaking his head. “You look amazing, like a whole new woman,” he says while looking at me in awe.

“I had to become a woman, Samuel. I had three pups and was essentially alone,” I remine him. I couldn’t stay as the weak girl I was. The pups pushed me to become a woman.

“They are amazing, Harlyn. A true blessing!” He hugs me again. “You should come and see Mother, she is eager to see you,” Samuel suggests.

“Of course we will see her Samuel,” I reply. I need to ask about who he is marrying later, right now though I just want to see everyone again. We walk through the manor, but the closer we get the more my anxiety grows. I’ve no idea where my father is, and I don’t want to see him.

I watch as Samuel pushes the door open, and I see my mother sitting on the bed. My heart breaks when I take in her sight. She hasn’t been eating, even I can see she is weak and fragile.

“Harlyn?” Mother whispers. She stares at me like she is seeing a ghost. I rush forward and embrace her, screw rules of how I should act. “You’re really here, Harlyn, it’s really you?” she asks, and I nod. Leaning back I see tears in her eyes as we both cry.

“Mother, eat, please,” I beg. I hate that she did this just to ensure I could come home and watch Samuel marry.

“You’ve grown so much. You’re hardly recognisable,” she whispers. “You’re no longer my baby girl, so grown up,” she says. I nod and step back. She glances from me to the pups. I watch her eyes widen, and I know she is shocked.

She had no idea about the pups; her father forbade Samuel from telling her anything, so to her, I left pregnant and have just arrived with triplets.

“Are those my grandbabies?” Mother asks. She sits in shock, and I nod at her.

“Come meet your grandma,” I urge. I gesture for them to join us. Lotta and Isaac run to her and jump onto the bed. She laughs and hugs them. Thorin approaches slowly, his gaze going between her and Samuel.

“You had three?” she asks. Astounded by the fact that I did. It is wrong that Father wouldn’t even let Samuel tell her that. Pain pulses through me as the fact she really didn’t know anything about them.

“I did. This is Lotta, Isaac, and here is Thorin,” I introduce them to her. Moving slowly, I lean towards Thorin. “She’s safe Thorin,” I whisper, his eyes go from me to her, and he hugs her briefly before returning to my side.

He’s taking in everything, and soon he relaxes.

“Harlyn!” The voice interrupts our reunion. I turn and see Colton rushing to me, Thorin moves and I place a hand on his shoulder to reassure him it’s safe.

“Colton,” I say, and walk to him and hug him. He’s grown so much as well, everyone has changed since I left.

“Look at you! You’ve changed so much, and we have so much to catch up on. Have you caught up?” he asks before looking towards our mother.

“Maybe we should let Harlyn settle and unpack first?” Mother suggests.

“Miss Harlyn’s belongings need not trouble her. We shall take care of them,” Jane announces and appears with Paula both carrying the luggage.

“You have guards?” Samuel asks. His face full of confusion, he doesn’t know anything about it yet.

“I will explain later,” I say. I don’t want to get into the situation right now, they don’t know about my relationship with Wayne. Samuel only knows he opened his home up to me and welcomed me into the pack.

“You’ve grown so much and into a remarkable woman, you’re no longer the little I remember,” Mother says. She grips my hand in a tight embrace.

“Of course, she has. She’s a mother herself now, it’s only natural that she would change.” Samuel says as he smiles proudly.

“Take the luggage to the eat wing. One of the guards will show you to Harlyn’s room,” Samuel instructs Jane and Paula.

I’m not sure about that. “But father won’t agree to that,” I say. I know my father would rather have me in the guest quarters, the not nice section. The one reserved for people's soldiers, and such.

“He has agreed you can stay in the room you had Harlyn. The pups can stay in the west wing with us,” Samuel explains.

“I want to stay with Mommy,” Thorin states. He moves and stands beside me, refusing to accept he stays away from me.

“The pups need to stay in the win as me at least,” I say, unwilling to let them stray too far. I’ve no idea how my father will react to them. So for now, they stay close to me.

“Oh,” Samuel says. “I thought that we could get to know each other, spend time together and such if they stayed on the same wing as us,” Samuel suggests, his disappointment evident.

“It’s only while they sleep Samuel, during the day you can spend as much time with them as you like, they can stay in the west wing lounge area during the day as well,” I explain.

“Okay, I just don’t want to miss a moment with them. This time will disappear far too quickly” Samuel smiles at me. I understand why he is eager to spend time as much time with them before this trip ends and I leave.

Once I do, I likely won’t ever return again, so right now he wants to spend as much time as he possibly can with them.