I'm going to be saying this a lot, but I love this chapter.
Photo #11: The Sleeping Schreaves
The next picture that catches Eadlyn's eye makes her smile a little.
Her mother is sleeping on one end of the bed and her father on the other. Both of them are on the very edge, about to fall off because of the four kids sandwiched in the middle. Eadlyn and Ahren look to be about twelve; Eadlyn hugging her dad and Ahren doing the same with his mom. Kaden is sprawled on his stomach in the middle of the twins with a pillow covering half his head. Lastly, Osten lies horizontally at the foot of the bed, curled up in a ball.
Eadlyn has a vague memory of that occasion. All she remembers is a storm.
-o-
At the palace, it's a peaceful morning after what seemed to be the worst storm to face Angeles in ages. Thunder drummed the sky with strikes of lightning and heavy rain pattering against the windows.
Marlee scurries through the palace with an important envelope in her hand that must be seen by Maxon right away. She stops at the door, hesitant on knocking since it was still very early in the morning. Then she remembers the urgency of the envelope's content. Marlee takes a sharp breath and holds he fist up to knock, but stops herself again.
"I wouldn't bother them," Carter says, approaching his wife.
"That thought never occurred to me," Marlee replies sarcastically.
"Last night's storm was brutal, Marlee. It broke half the trees in the courtyard and some of the window panels. I don't think anyone got any sleep. You and I didn't."
"This envelope didn't."
Marlee lightly hits Carter's forehead with the envelope as she frowns at him. Carter smiles his adorable crooked smile. Marlee grins as she finally knocks on the door. When there's no response, Marlee quietly turns the doorknob and welcomes herself in.
"Marlee!" Carter whispers-screams. "You can't just let yourself in."
Marlee doesn't hear her husband as she looks in the bedroom. On the bed, she sees all the Schreaves sleeping with each other. The storm most likely scared the kids into sandwiching themselves in the middle of their parents. Marlee lights up at the sight of them.
"Carter," Marlee coos, changing her view from the slumbered royals to her husband at the door. "Look how cute they are."
"All the more reason to let them sleep," Carter responds hurriedly, frequently checking the halls in case anyone approaches. "Just put the envelope on his dresser and let's go."
Marlee tiptoes across the hardwood floor, blessed that it isn't creaking at every step. She approaches Maxon's dresser and writes the word, 'URGENT' across the envelope in giant, red, capital letters. She adds her signature in fancy cursive, just so Maxon would know who broke into his bedroom without panicking.
Marlee spots Maxon's camera on the corner of his dresser. She picks it up and points it at Carter just to watch him squirm. Marlee contains her laughter as she takes a picture of the Sleeping Schreaves. She couldn't resist taking a photo of how calm they seemed after the horrors of the storm. Marlee places the camera back in its spot, she picks up the pen and writes underneath her signature on the envelope,
'Make sure to check your camera'.
With a little happy face.
I know I would usually say that I'm Carter, but I think I would be Marlee this time.
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