August 8, 2017—9:15 p.m.

Jack woke both Mia and I up once we arrived in Dulvey. To our surprise, Jack owned a large plantation alongside a mansion and another old house; however, it looked as though it were in the middle of nowhere. Just nothing but forestry and murky swamps. It was a bit eerie, even Mia had to admit that, but we didn't complain. We were just relieved we made it.

Jack also had a family of his own: he had a wife and two children who were just about our age. We were greeted with open arms, with the exception of their elder son Lucas Baker who instead glared at us from up the stairs.

Something told me that he was certified asshole...

Jack dragged Lucas downstairs and started scolding, even cursing out his son in front of us. Occasionally, Lucas would reply with a cheeky answer earning a blow to the head from his father. His sister, Zoe, told us to pay no attention to him and that something was wrong with him mentally.

I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

And speaking of Zoe, she was the no-nonsense younger daughter of Bakers. She's the straightforward type— always blunt and cutting to the chase, a stark contrast from her brother. Her unkempt hairstyle and tattered jeans indicated that she was, in fact, a tomboy, but she and Mia seemed to get along pretty well. That's nice, I guess.

However, her parents seemed to have outcasted her from the family. I assume this because I heard Jack distinctively say that Zoe should "bring her ass back into the house" when she announced she was leaving for a while... Perhaps she and her parents are having a fallout with one another?

Well, that isn't any of my business to know.

And then there was Jack's wife Marguerite. That woman is so sweet, she'll make your teeth rot. And speaking of sweet, her Cajun cooking is to die for— she cooked a lot of gumbo as well as (excuse me if I completely butcher these names as I can't speak French), jambalaya, boudin, and remoulade. It was probably the best home cooking I ever had (no offense, Mia).

Oh, and I almost forgot about "Grandma." As silent as the wind, she was. A fairly old lady, far older than Jack or Marguerite and possibly due to her health she couldn't communicate with anyone. Bounded to a wheelchair...

It just makes me realize how fast aging can happen. First, you're young and full of life, then you become a near-lifeless bag of bones counting down the days left...

This is getting depressing... Let's change the subject.

The rest of the night was just us feasting and chatting with the Bakers. Everything felt so warm and comfortable... I have to say, the Bakers sure know how to welcome strangers. Most people wouldn't think twice about inviting a couple of people you barely met into their house, but the Bakers were different.

Jack and Marguerite explained that we reminded them of their younger days when they were just married.

Oh, if only they knew...

I can't speak for Mia, but I'm not sure if I really am happy.

But I'll spare my marital complaints. While I was eating, Lucas occasionally threw food at me. I don't particularly know why, though... Maybe he was going through another one of his mental episodes or just downright hates me or both. But things escalated pretty quickly from there on.

Lucas threw a plate of food at me.

He called me a son of a bitch.

Marguerite called him out.

I told him to go to hell.

Mia called me out.

Things were about to get all confrontational between Lucas and I until Jack grabbed Lucas's arm and threatened to cut it off.

That's a... a bit extreme, don't you think?

Lucas, fearing his father, piped down a bit. He glared at me with that "Imma gonna kill 'ya" face, but I ignored him. I wasn't going to stoop to his childish level.

After dinner, Jack and Marguerite gave us a room and told us to holler if we needed anything. The level of hospitality those two have astounded me. They really did treat us like relatives— like we were a part of their family.

We owe them a lot. I'll make sure we return the favor someday...

Mia just came out of the shower. Guess I'm next.

I'll stop here for tonight.

Ethan W.

August 9, 2017

Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night, heart racing and all. Why?

I... don't really know, actually. I'd say it was a nightmare, but it looked and felt all too real to be one. And, call me crazy, but I swear I saw a pair of eyes watching us.

Strange... Just like what I saw in Jack's side mirror...

Why am I seeing this?

Nothing, it's probably nothing. Maybe I just need more sleep...

Anyways, Mia dragged me out of bed this morning as she told me that Jack, out of the kindness of his heart, fixed our car. She also told me that the movers are at our new house. So in a rush, I got ready and we headed outside the house.

Jack was still outside the house along with Marguerite and Zoe. Jack and Zoe were checking around our car for any issues while Marguerite offered us some lemonade. I politely said no while Mia was more than happy to try some. Lucas secluded himself somewhere in the house, probably watching Sewer Gaters, Zoe assumed and Grandma was sound asleep still. Jack was quite surprised to see that I was driving an old car. I told him the circumstances and he understood completely.

Before we left, a shrill cry could be heard from the house, accompanied by small footsteps. We all turned towards the sound.

Out came the house a little girl, dressed in dark colors with long hair flailing her hands around. She kept calling out "Mommy." She was referring to Mia; it was evident once the girl hugged her legs.

"You're back! You're back!"

She looked like she wasn't going to let go of Mia anytime soon. I looked at Mia, only for her to look back at me with the same confused expression.

Where the hell did she come from?

However, Mia cooed over the child and comforted her.

"Is she yours?" We asked.

"Nope. We found 'er out at the pier," Jack told us, "'Bout... three years ago."

Marguerite went on to say that they've been taking care of her since. Her name?

"Eveline."

I noticed that Zoe shot a cold dead stare at the girl.

Eveline looked up at Mia, then at me. She smiled then pointed at me, giggling.

"Daddy!"

What?

That didn't sit so well with me. This girl must have mistaken me for her father. I felt sorry for her; perhaps she was an orphan, I thought. She's an unfortunate little girl, one who doesn't even know her own birth parents. I hate to say it, but they're probably dead or they abandoned her. I put on a sincere smile and knelt down to her level explaining to her in a nice tone that I wasn't her real father and Mia wasn't her mother.

Instead, she held my cheeks and brought her face closer to mine.

"Then you'll be my daddy. And she'll be my mommy."

Her voice had a commanding tone to it; I felt as though she was threatening me in a way. I was a bit uneasy, but I kept insisting that we couldn't be her parents, yet she was stuck in her ways.

I should've seen it coming... I am trying to compromise with a little girl, after all. What did I expect?

In the sweetest way she could, Mia said the same thing I said, but no, this girl was completely convinced that we were her parents. Now I was annoyed. I wanted to "shoo" her away from Mia but I could hear Jack and Marguerite with their little "awws."

"She's taking a liking to y'all," Marguerite told us. "Thinking 'bout adopting her? Me and Jack here are gettin' old, so we won't have the energy to keep up with her."

Adoption? I wanted to say no, but Mia insisted that we take her in, considering that the Bakers are getting old. Now I did agree that Jack and Marguerite were too old to take care of a young child, but us? Her new parents? It sent a shudder down my spine.

Mia was pretty quick to accept while I politely denied their request. She looked at me with that questionable face and I shrugged and looked away. I really didn't want to explain my reasons to her, but I think she already knew what I was thinking. I heard Mia sighing in disappointment and Eveline looked at me with an innocent face.

"But... I want to be a family... I want a Mommy. I want a Daddy..."

The girl was stomping her feet at the notion of my refusal. She was angry, but tears were streaming down her cheeks; overall, she was upset beyond belief. At that point, the Bakers looked at me as if I was the bad guy here.

To an extent, I felt like I was.

From the way Eveline acted and talked, I could tell she had no real family of her own. She was just a little girl, longing for someone she could call "Mommy and Daddy."

I pitied her. I pitied her so much to the point of reconsidering my prior choice.

"Actually, maybe... Just maybe..." I pondered out loud.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mia smiling at me. Then Eveline jumped around erratically.

"Really?!" She asked. She wasn't able to contain herself any longer.

My eyes shifted from the Bakers, then to Mia, and finally to Eveline.

"...Sure," I said, though I was a bit hesitant.

Eveline then hugged my legs and Mia's legs tightly, squealing in utter joy. It caught me off guard; I didn't know what to do then. I then looked at Mia for help, but she only smiled back at me. Jack patted my back, congratulating me on being a "father" and Marguerite was all teary-eyed. Zoe clapped very slowly.

Eventually, Jack and Zoe got our car to start again and the three of us drove off. I saw the Bakers waving back at us from the rear mirror.

I promise, after everything they've done for us we will return the favor.

And so, we headed off towards our new house. Mia constantly glanced back at Eveline talking to her in that high-pitched baby voice to Eveline, whom she nicknamed "Evie." I wasn't surprised over how quick Eveline and Mia bonded. Like I said, Mia was really good when it came to kids.

"We're going to be a family... a happy family." Eveline said softly.

"Oh, we will be. won't we, Ethan?" Mia asked.

I swallowed a bit. I wasn't so sure for myself. I mean, I can barely trust Mia, so it was easier said than done. And now we have a child on our hands to take care of... but I didn't want to be the killjoy and ruin everyone's good mood.

"Oh, sure. Sure..."

If we were going to be parents to Eveline, then Mia and I had a long way to go. A very long way to go.

Anyways, we later arrived at the new house, with the moving truck already there. I had to admit that our new house wasn't that bad. A two-story house with an attic and a basement. It was still in good condition and it had three bedrooms. I guess Eveline can have her own bedroom...

From there on, Mia and I carried an assortment of boxes into the house. Eveline followed suit, usually trailing behind either me or Mia with a smaller load. Mia said it was adorable and it kinda was.

Maybe being a father might not be so bad...

Well, I think this might be enough for today. We have a lot of packing to do, but I will continue soon enough.

Oh, and just call me "Daddy Ethan,"

Ethan W.

Author Notes

And so, the Third Entry has been posted!

I had to stop the entry short, considering how long it was getting...

Yay! Eveline's here! Ethan, Mia, and Eveline are going to be a family! Expect some comical family tropes here and there at this point, but it won't change the main story that much.

That and I wrote this on a sick day... no wonder it's so long...

Anyways, thanks again for reading and I hope you're loving the story so far!

Chao!

~Bon De Soren