The Alpha's Golden Gaze

Mary's P.O.V "Come on Mary, it'll be so much fun." Raisha said with big brown pleading eyes. "Yea, there has to be someone to cover for you for a week, right?" Mesha inquired. They are my little cousins and we've always been super close. I'd say we got even closer after our parents and extended family passed away in a plane crash. Our family was on their way back home from Puerto Rico. They were visiting my side of the family that we're coming back home to Ohio with them. Raisha and Mesha all ended up catching the Flu and couldn't go. I ended up staying behind to care for them so our parents, aunts, and uncles could go and have some fun. Some would say we were fortunate for not getting on that plane but I don't think I'd call it that. Seeing on the news that their plane crashed returning to America was probably the worst day of our lives. I was 19 at the time, Mesha was 14 and Raisha was 11. I made it my business to become their legal guardian when everything was said and done and I've been a workaholic since. I immediately got my nursing license since it was something I always wanted to do and I could make enough money to support us all. I at least wanted to be able to until the girls were old enough to help out. But I ended up working as much regardless because I didn't want them working while they were in school. Fast forward 18yrs and 3 kids of my own later, and all my cousins want me to do is finally take a vacation. After all, I did just spend damn near two decades taking care of everyone and not myself. The girls have always told me that they are proud of all of my hard work raising everyone, including my own children. "Look y'all, I only get one day a week to work from home and here you two are getting on my damn nerves with the same questions." I retorted with furrowed brows. "I told y'all that you guys don't have to worry about taking me on vacation since I'm swamped with work anyway." Seemed like ever since Covid came, it's been pure chaos in my field. "Well duh, that's because we know you need this." Raisha now 29yrs old says with her arms crossed on her chest. "That's it, we're getting the kids involved this time." Mesha says with a devilish smirk of a bad ass kid and not of a now 32yr old. "Kiiiiiiiiiiiids!!!!! c'mere real quick I gotta ask y'all somethin." Mesha and Raisha have always helped me with my children, especially after my kids' father left me while I was in nursing school. For some reason he didn't want anything to do with me or the kids when he left and because of that Mesha and Raisha stepped up and have been there for us ever since. So to say that they are all very close is an understatement. You may as well say I have five children. Because that's what it has always felt like living with my children and teenage cousins at that time. Their antics are all that would keep me happy during such a tumultuous time in my life. I couldn't be more proud of how everyone is turning out. Mesha and Raisha both graduated from college and my three babies are all honor students. We can hear the kids all coming downstairs to where Mesha, Raisha, and I are and Mesha immediately locks eyes with Raisha and the both look at doorway the kids will walk in through. All I can do is roll my eyes for the millionth time at my favorite cousins who get on my last damn nerve with their schemes. "What's up Mesha-taur?" Solomon said. That was his nickname for Mesha. She used to always attribute her actions and personality to herself being a Taurus. And Solomon took it and ran with it, giving her that funny ass nickname. "Ain't it about time y'all mama goes in vacation for once?" Mesha says with her hands on her wide hips. She loved getting the kids involved when she wanted to coerce me to do something against my will. She knows I find it very difficult to say no to my babies. "You fucker, you know exactly what you're doing!" I say angrily through my teeth at Mesha. All three of my kids one by one, walk through the doorway into the living room with smiles. "It definitely is about time, we don't even have to come." Solomon says. He's my oldest and at 17 standing at 6'1 and a hefty 260lbs, one would already assume that he's the man of the house. My first born has always been the apple of my eye. He followed Mesha's and Raisha's example, and has always stepped up and looked after his siblings without anyone ever asking him to. He's a very smart kid and a doting brother and treats his siblings more like he's their father instead of their older brother, especially when he saw how much I worked to support everyone. He's always had an uncanny ability to plan ahead and I couldn't be more proud of him for always looking out for me. "Yea you should go mom, we'll be fine." Samuel said with a genuine smile. He's my second oldest son. A typical lanky 15yr old who loves his Fortnite and pizza rolls. "Also you could just call if you're worried, I promise I'll answer, mom." He says with a big wink. Samuel has always been a clingy middle child, but I could definitely say that he's becoming more independent by the day as he is following his brother's example all of the time. He is also very protective of his little sister and has always been the mediator of the three of them and very good at if I may say so myself. "You traitors!" I yell with my eyes squinted at them. "Well Mary, the boys said yes, so what'll it be?" Raisha said smirking as well. "Hold on now y'all, I still have one more kid and I doubt she'll wanna be away from her mommy, right?" I say looking over at Sarai with puppy dog eyes. Sarai stares at me intently saying, "Mom you already know I plan to read and play Apollo Justice all night long. So you probably shouldn't call me if you do go on vacay, cause I'll be busy." Sarai is the baby, well not literally, but she is the youngest. She is such a temperamental 13yr old girl and super into video games. All I can do is shake my head at my nerdy little fire cracker. Sarai has always been so outspoken and unapologetic, traits that I am so glad my daughter has. She is spoiled rotten thanks to her brothers and my cousins who regret nothing. She never really got to know her father and because of that she has always been rather wary of any men other than her brothers. Their father and my ex-fiance left after I caught him cheating 10yrs ago. I was eight months pregnant with Sarai and wanted to surprise him and take him lunch on his break like I would do sometimes. But I'd do it even less at that time because I was sooooo pregnant and busy with two toddlers. Luckily the day I caught him cheating, Mesha and Raisha took the kids for a while to the park. So I figured I'd have time to surprise their father with lunch. Good thing I went or I wouldn't have been able to catch him red handed making out with a woman that clearly wasn't me. After confronting him and hearing his explanation and admittance to his infidelity, I decided to spend a few days at my mom's house. I took the boys with me to at his request. Two days later we went home only to see that he had packed all of his things and left, we hadn't heard from him since. "Solomon, are you sure you guys will be cool with me going?" I ask with a hint of nervousness in my voice. I was hoping he'd take the hint and say he wanted me to stay but who was I kidding, they wanted me to take a break just as bad as my cousins. "Mom it's summer break, it's not like we gotta get up for school and stuff, and I can make the meals or order out. Besides, I'm a pretty good cook, so you know we won't starve while you're gone either." Solomon laughs in his deep voice stroking his thin little beard with a smile. Finally relenting to my children's independence and caving in to my cousins' and kids' requests, I agree to go on this little vacation. Goodness I hope I don't live to regret leaving my three children alone for a week. But little did I know, an entity named the Moon Goddess had plans for us all.