"Did you enjoy your time at the fair?" Theodore asked as he ruffled four year old Irida's hair
"Big brother not my hair" Irida whined as she puffed her chubby cheeks "anyways will dad be coming home for dinner tonight? Mom promised to make shepherd's pie and I'm really looking forward to eating it" she said as she rubbed her belly and gave her older brother a gummy smile
"Let's get you freshened up first, then I'll call Dad okay?" Theodore picked up Irida and went into the house.
Like everyday since he finished highschool, he had to keep the little princess company because his mother was in ill health since she gave birth to Irida, his older brothers barely came back home and his dad was always at the station. Entering the house, they could hear their mother humming a song as she made dinner, they paused at the kitchen briefly to say hello to her before Theodore carried Irida to her room
"Kids" mom yelled from down the stairs "dinner is ready"
Irida looked at her older brother with a smile "Theo, you go freshen up, I can dress myself up now"
Theodore raised his hands in mock surrender and walked out of Irida's room. Irida picked up the baby blue pajamas prepared by her big brother and quickly wore it before dashing down the stairs
"Mama, do you need any help?" Irida asked as she got to the dinning table
"Oh princess" mom said as she dropped the last cup before moving towards her daughter "at least learn to dress yourself up properly first before helping Mommy set the table okay?" She helped rearrange the buttons on Irida's shirt before helping Irida sit on the high cushioned chair
Looking at the child she gave birth to at an advanced age of forty two, she couldn't help but ruffle her fluffy brown hair "I made Mac and cheese for you, I also added some mixed berries on the side"
"What about the pie?" Irida asked
"When Daddy gets back we'll have the pie" mom answered with an indulgent smile
"Thank you mama"
**********"*
"I think dad's back" Irida said as she tried to wiggle her way down from the high cushioned chair "he truly never misses Mama's Shepherd pie"
"Irida let your big brother get the door okay sweetie?" Turning to Theodore she smiled and said"Theo be a dear and get the door okay "
"I knew you called daddy" Irida said, giving Theodore a cheeky grin
"I really didn't " Theodore retorted as he walked towards the door "he probably had a dog nose and knew mama was gonna make his favorite " Theodore muttered
A few minutes passed and Theodore stood at the door frozen with the door slightly ajar
Irida quickly ran up to her brother and tugged at his shirt"don't be angry at daddy okay, let him come in for dinner" she didn't get a response and finally looked up
Irida also stood frozen
"Hello doll" one of the men at the door said "let us in, we're your daddy's friends" after saying that, he pushed Theodore who still held on to the door and waltzed in with the rest of the men following behind him
Irida and Theodore followed behind the men and they could see the shock and fear in their mother's eyes when she saw the men. Theodore whispered to Irida's ear "there's a phone in the left cabinet of the store room, press number one on the phone and run back here before they notice okay" Theodore urged softly
Although Irida was young, she knew these men weren't good people. She slowly tiptoed into the store room, located the phone and dialed one before she quickly ran back to Theodore's side
"Brother, how long will it take for daddy to get here?" Irida asked in a whisper
"About 30 minutes" Theodore replied "let's try to stall for time and protect Mama till daddy gets here okay"
The two children quickly joined their mother who looked visibly shaken in the living room
"Long time no see Maria" the man who seemed to be the leader said "I didn't even know you already have another child, I wasn't even invited to her baptism" he chuckled as he sat on the chair slowly
Theodore and Irida looked at their mother with wife eyes and wondered how their gentle mother got to know such a scary person