28. Together Again

That afternoon, Clarice was bored inside the room so she went outside, settled on the chair under the shade of the tree, enjoying the gentle breeze while reading a book.

Lorey was doing laundry at the back of the house while Grandpa Eliezer was taking a nap in his room.

She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the peaceful surroundings, serenaded by the sounds of birds chirping in the branches of the trees.

When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of her beloved, standing before her, holding a restaurant take-out bag, smiling at her.

"How's your afternoon, babe?" he asked, settling on the wooden bench beside her and planting a kiss on her forehead lovingly.

She smiled. "Great so far."

"I bought your favorite apple pie with cheddar and soda for your afternoon snack," he said, handing the present to her.

"Wow, delicious!" She smiled happily, looking into the restaurant's take-out bag. "Thank you so much, babe," she said, planting a kiss on his cheeks affectionately.

"How was your shopping mall experience yesterday? Did you, guys, enjoy it?" he asked.

"Yes, very much!" she replied, amused, especially when she remembered how Aurelia and Kaspar fell horribly on the escalator.

"Did something happen in the mall?" he asked, fishing for information. "George told me that something happened in the mall, but he couldn't tell me about it because he didn't know the real story, and he was shy to ask."

Clarice grinned. "Ah, he must be talking about Aurelia and the shaman Kaspar, they stumbled on the escalator because Grandpa used his magic to punish them on my behalf," she explained in amusement.

"Oh, are they really there? In the same mall as you, guys?" he asked in astonishment.

"Yup. It's a small world indeed. But they didn't see us and even if they did, they wouldn't be able to identify us because Lorey and I were wearing wigs and wide sunglasses, hiding our eyes," she explained.

"Oh, so, did you personally ask Pops to punish your enemies?" he asked.

Clarice shook her head. "No. Because I didn't want to create trouble inside the mall. Besides, it was Grandpa who initiated the act. Before I could tell him to stop, he was already following them. I don't know what Grandpa did, but I only saw Aurelia and Kaspar tumble down the escalator on top of each other, faced down on the floor. It looked like Aurelia's high heels broke down under the weight of her body, which is why she lost her balance, dragging Kaspar down with her to the ground. The rest is history."

Alpha Callum grinned. "Good for them. I don't feel sorry for them," he said.

"Me too, I can't bring myself to pity them. Instead, I feel happy watching them tumble onto the ground. I don't feel sorry for them at all. I feel angry," she said between clenched teeth.

"Alright, let's stop talking about them. They will only destroy your good mood," he said soothingly, rubbing her back gently. "Did you already buy everything?"

Clarice nodded her head. "Yes, we already bought everything including the grocery budget for the farm for one week."

"Good." Alpha Callum was pleased. "Do you want to eat your tasty snack now?" he asked.

"Yup, the delicious aroma of the apple pie entered my nostrils, making me hungry," she answered with a smile.

"By the way, where is everyone?" he inquired, looking around the area.

"Grandpa was napping in his room while Lorey was doing laundry at the back of the house," she answered.

"Alright, let's go to the house and put the apple pie on the plate," he said, rising to his feet.

"OK." She stood up. "By the way, I'll return the card you gave me," she said.

"No need. It's yours to keep from now on so you have money to buy all you need for yourself and Caden. You can also go shopping again in the mall for groceries and other things to be used here on the farm. Just avoid those two monsters if you see them again in the mall for your safety," he said in a serious tone.

"Are you sure about the card?" she asked in disbelief.

"I'm sure," he replied. "If you need a rental car and George to drive you to the city, I'll arrange them for you," he added.

"Wow, thank you so much, babe!" she gushed in delight, grateful for his generosity.

"Anything for you, my love," he said tenderly, kissing her forehead. His heart was overflowing with love for her.

They entered the house, went to the kitchen and placed the apple pie on the plate.

Grandpa Eliezer exited his room and joined the couple at the table, eating a tasty snack.

They chatted merrily and discussed the pack.

"How's the pack, son?" Grandpa asked. He was about to ask how his wife was, but he quickly stopped himself on time from saying the words because Clarice was with them.

Alpha Callum took a deep breath. "We are currently busy because the heavy rain keeps pouring in the villages and dangerous landslides are occurring sporadically. So we are busy bringing relief goods to the affected area. I have to be there in person to assess the situation with my own eyes. As the rain kept pouring, the damage to people's lives and properties is also rising. So I have to be there to cheer up the people's morale and help them recover quickly," he elaborated further.

"You are a good and compassionate leader, son. I'm so proud of you," Grandpa Eliezer said with a thumb up. His eyes gleamed with pride and love for his great-grandson. "If you need more volunteers to prepare relief packs, I'm willing to volunteer," he said.

"Me too. I'm willing to volunteer," Clarice said eagerly.

"Thank you, guys. As of the moment, we have many volunteers packing the relief goods day and night. So there is no shortage of volunteers for now. But if the rain keeps pouring and more areas are affected by the landslide and flooding, we might need more volunteers. I'll keep you informed, guys," Alpha Callum responded with a smile.

After they finished with their delicious snack, Clarice showed the toy trucks to Callum. "Do you think our son would like them?" she asked for his opinion.

Alpha Callum picked up the toys and inspected them one by one. "They are nice looking and the quality is good. I'm sure our son would love them," he commented appreciatively.

Clarice beams after hearing his approval.

After they put the toys back in the shopping bags, they looked at each other, their eyes communicating silently. Then they both smiled.

Alpha Callum looked at Grandpa. "Pops, Clarice and I will go to the lake to swim," he informed him.

"OK. Enjoy swimming, guys," Grandpa Eliezer replied.

"I'll go upstairs to my room to get my backpack," Clarice said excitedly, eager to spend quality time with Callum. She entered her room and changed into a black and white rashguard. Then she put her lotion, sunscreen, mirror and hairbrush in the bag.

A few minutes later, Clarice went downstairs and left the house with Alpha Callum.

"They can't be separated anymore," Grandpa Eliezer murmured as he watched the couple disappear from his sight. Shaking his head, he went back to the house to get his gardening tools.

Meanwhile...

The happy couple can be seen walking casually on the path leading to the lake, holding hands, occasionally gazing into each other's eyes lovingly. They would whisper sweet nothings into their ears and burst out laughing in amusement.

The couple arrive at the lake. They placed the bag under the shade of the tree and jumped into the lake, creating a big splash in the calm water, laughing boisterously.