She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew)

Chapter 19

At 11:00 AM, Athena texted Wesley: Hey Dad, I'm free today and planning to drop by Vlento Court around noon. Does that work for you?] Wesley replied I almost

t instantly with a bunch of big smiley emojis: [Of course it works! You're always welcome here! I'll have your mom pick up some extra groceries. Is there anything special you want to eat? Athena thought for a moment before responding: [It's pretty hot today, so I'd love something light and homey.]

The drive to Viento Court would take about an hour, which she figured was just enough time to keep her mom from going too crazy in the kitchen.

After a brief pause, Wesley messaged back: [Sounds great! Your mom suggested making some light and tasty dishes. If there's anything you don't like, we can always throw together something else.] Athena replied: [Thanks, Dad! On my way now!] Meanwhile, the Donovan household was buzzing with excitement-and a touch of panic.

Arthur was pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair. "Oh shit, Athena's coming! What the hell do I do?"

"Maria, Josie, do I look look okay

today?" he asked, glancing at his sisters. "Is my hair decent? Do I have any stubble?

Maria was too busy to give him much attention. She dashed into her room, pulling out a few nicer outfits and holding them up to herself. "Arthur, Josie, which one of these looks better on me?"

Arthur grinned, trying to reassure her. "You'd look great in anything!"

Maria rolled her eyes. "Yo "You're no help

She then turned to Josie with a sweet smile. Josie, which outfit do you think looks best on me?"

Josie, clutching her Hello Kitty doll, pointed excitedly at the pink dress. "The pink one!"

Maria chuckled. 'Of course, little girls love pink, no matter who is wearing it, she thought. But with her darker complexion, pink wasn't the most flattering choice. 'How could I gently decline without hurting Josie's feelings?"

After a moment of thought; Maria smiled and said, "The pink one is really pretty! I'll save it for Christmas. Today, I think I'll go with this lovely orange dress instead."

Josie

want to wear a

changed. Taking Josie's hand, she led her into

running errands this morning and got all sweaty. I need a

busy in the kitchen, poked her head out. "Make sure to clean up your rooms! If Athena wants

away clutter in the bedrooms, closing the doors to hide the chaos from her. But with the prospect of a new house on the horizon, they felt less pressure about her seeing the current state of their home. Maria dashed out of her room, clothes in hand, exclaiming, Arthur's cleaning up the room.

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really smell, Maria felt the need to freshen up. After all, Athena was stunningly

oil from the kitchen.

Court. As she stepped into the building,

four

his cheeks. He nervously scratched the back of his head, one hand half-raised in a hesitant wave, unsure if he should speak first. Maria's cheeks were burning crimson as

clutching her Hello Kitty doll with one hand while gripping Maria's shirt with the other. She peeked out from behind Maria, her wide eyes filled with curiosity as

on

I slightly,

and works hard, even though he can be a bit of a handful sometimes." Athena responded with a soft smile, her eyes warm and bright. Thank you Ana, you're... you're amazing in every way. I

his name made Arthur's heart leap. A goofy grin spread across his face, and he felt like he could float away with

is your sixth sister, Maria. She's 20. You can call her

even more radiant than she had imagined from afar, was almost otherworldly. She seemed to glow, like some kind of celestial being, and it made it hard for Maria to hold her gaze. Overwhelmed with nerves, Maria's a's eyes darted to

beautiful girl I've ever seen. You're like... like a fairy!

might be her twin sister, but now, seeing Maria in person, that was

where is my twin? Athena

twin's whereabouts gnawed at her, but she hesitated to ask. Her relationship with the Donovans was too new, too fragile for such personal questions. Athena's smile was so captivating that it left Maria

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