AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mrs. Vox throws back her head and laughs. “I was about to say! As flattered as I am, him sending a drink to you makes a lot more sense.”
“Come on,” I reply, rolling my eyes playfully. “You’re gorgeous. I bet you have to beat the guys off with a stick.”
“Normally I just use my hand,” Sybil replies with a wink.
I cough, choking on my drink, then compose myself to continue. “That’s probably more efficient,” I reply. “Do you mind if I…” I gesture to the empty chair between us.
“Go right ahead.”
I take the lounge next to hers. Spreading out my things, I relax just long enough for Lucy to give me a single gray hair by dashing past me. “Walk, please!”
“Is she yours?” Mrs. Vox asks, nodding to her.
“Yeah,” I say. “I’m Felicity Demitriux and that’s my daughter, Lucy.” It feels strange that my last name is no longer Nguyan. I’m still getting used to being called Mrs. Demitriux, but it’s starting to feel nice.
She watches them play together for a bit, her daughters laughing at Lucy’s antics. “Briannica and Desiree are both pretty shy. I’m amazed that they’ve already opened up to Lucy like this."
"She’s an amazing kid. I used to call her my little ambassador.” I take another sip of my drink, savoring the way the sweetness of the strawberry cream mingles with the bitterness of the alcohol. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name.”
“Right, right,” Mrs. Vox says, holding out a hand for me to shake. “I’m Sybil Vox.”
“Nice to meet you,” I reply, shaking it. “So, are you just here on vacation or are you celebrating something special?”
Sybil shrugs. We’re both only half-paying attention to the conversation in the way that children’s caregivers quickly learn to do. Because the kids could be fine, but the moment you take your eyes off them, someone gets hurt.
“We just needed a break, really. Damien’s been working himself pretty hard these past few weeks, so we’re just taking this time to recharge as a family.”
“Damien’s your husband?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah, right now he’s getting a massage, but he should be done soon. And what about you? Are you celebrating anything special?”
“Yeah, actually,” I say. “I’m on my honeymoon.”
Sybil breaks into a wide smile. “Congratulations! You said your last name was Demetriux, right? You wouldn’t happen to be married to Argoss Demitriux? I knew he looked familiar.”
“Yeah, how do you know him?” I ask.
“He and my husband are in the same line of work. They’re more acquaintances than anything else, though, so I doubt he would have mentioned us to you. Forgive me if this seems forward, but I didn’t know he had a daughter.”
“We just adopted her,” I reply. “I worked at her orphanage and grew to love her like my own. Argoss felt the same way, so we made sure to take her in even before signing the marriage license.”
“That’s so sweet,” Sybil says.
I’m about to ask about her kids when suddenly, the high-pitched sounds of screaming little girls fill the air. “Lucy!” I cry, jumping to my feet.
She helps the younger of Sybil’s two daughters to her feet and leads her to me. “Desiree!” Sybil exclaims, looking her over.
Her elbow is badly scraped up and she’s crying, snot and tears running down her face. I look to Lucy.“She tripped and fell.”
“I need to go ask the lifeguard for a first aid kit,” Sybil says.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” I reply, pulling my small emergency first aid kit from my bag. When you’re always surrounded by rambunctious children, you develop a habit of carrying one around.
Sybil smiles gratefully as she accepts it. “You’re a lifesaver,” she says, applying some healing ointment and a bandage to the scrape before wrapping Desiree in a towel.
“I just like to be prepared for anything,” I reply. “With a daredevil like Lucy, you have to be.”
“Hey!” Lucy protests.
