Chapter 7 is here, finally! Two days over due. I apologize; had a busy weekend with my prom and getting sick. Please enjoy and comment! I'd love for some feedback.



“It’s you…” Mortimer Goth’s quiet voice trailed off as he stared at the ominous figure before him. They were the first words he’d spoken in months. He felt his breathing grow shallow and his heart rate slow.


The Grim Reaper hovered in front of the old man. In a dry voice he simply said, “Mortimer Goth. Your time has come.” Dina and Ricardo ran outside just in time to see the hooded being do his dark work. They both burst into tears immediately, knowing there was nothing they could do to save Mortmier. Dina’s tears, however, were much more forced than those of her newly grieving son.


After the initial shock and fear dissipated, a smile formed on Mortimer’s face. He glanced at the hula dancer beckoning him to the great beyond. She reminded him of someone he once knew, but his mind was too far gone to realize exactly who that someone was. As Mortimer's image slowly faded out, he walked towards Grim and spoke his faint last words, “I’m coming home, Bella!”


The Goth-Caliente family mourned the loss of their father and husband in their own ways in the days that followed. To nobody’s surprise, Dina bounced back to her rather newly adopted, extravagant lifestlye rather quickly. She collected her inheritance and buried Mortimer with a smirk on her face. Ricardo, on the other hand, took his father figure’s death more harshly. His normally kind, extroverted personality dwindled down. Before anyone could grow too accustomed to the loss of a loved one, new life began to make its’ way into the family, conquering the sadness.


Dina delivered a healthy baby boy; Gideon Goth. She smiled at the infant, observing his tiny features. The more she looked at the boy, the more she noticed how much he resembled his father. A lump in Dina’s throat formed as she tried to choke down the sudden surge of guilt that gripped her.


Ricardo was sleeping soundly in his room when the cries of his new brother awoke him. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and sat up in bed. Gideon’s squalls did not seem to be reaching an end anytime soon, and Ricardo decided to go downstairs for a glass of water. After opening his door and peeking out into hall, a different set of stairs caught his eye. Curious, Ricardo realized he had never ventured up those particular stairs. Soon his feet were taking him to the mysterious third floor, rather than the downstairs kitchen.


Ricardo smiled in amazement and delight when he reached the top of the flight, finding himself in a rather empty, attic like room. The child glanced around, observing the white walls caked in dust and the plain wooden floorboards. The area was barren besides one solitary easel that stood in the center of the room. The boy's eyes lit up; he was a fan of painting and sketching. "This would make a perfect art studio!"


Ricardo crept towards the wooden easel, admiring the unfinished painting resting on it. He studied the woman, gazing into her big brown eyes. Although the piece was not complete, Ricardo could tell the mysterious woman was distressed, although very beautiful. “I wonder who painted this.” Ricardo murmured, transfixed. He took some of the paint tubes and brushes off the easel shelf. “I hope they won’t mind if I help them finish it.” With that, Ricardo began to continue the mysterious painting of Bella Goth.



“Mom! Mama, we got grade cards back today! I have all A’s!” Letti Caliente beamed at her mother, jumping up and down in excitement. She hoped with all her heart that the little slip of paper flopping around in her hand would earn her mother’s affection and approval.


Nina was not impressed. She had just gotten off a tiring shift at work and did not enjoy her daughter’s bundles of energy and excitement. “That’s nice dear.” Nina sighed. “Now why don’t you run along and get inside? I’m having a…friend over soon. You know what that means.”
Letti slumped her shoulders and stuffed her report card into her coat pocket. “Stay downstairs and don’t bother you.”
“Good girl.” Nina watched her daughter sadly stroll into the house, her head hung.


Although Letti was used to neglect, it still hurt every time her mother pushed her away. The little girl was often left alone, and when Nina actually was home, her attention was occupied elsewhere. Letti fended for herself more often than not, making her dinner and doing her homework solo.


Luckily for Nina, Letti was a very bright child. She loved school and had a passion for science. Although more than capable of taking care of herself, Letti longed for love and friendship. Nina noticed her daughter’s struggles, and to some degree, felt guilty for the way she was raising the girl. Still unwilling to change her promiscuous ways, Nina decided to find a companion for Letti.


“You really mean it mom?! You got us a puppy?!” Letti grinned from ear to ear at the thought of having a furry playmate in the house.
“Not us; you. This puppy is not only your friend and gift, but also your responsibility. You need to take good care of him. Understand?” Nina walked over to the small plastic carrier and opened it with a click. A small, black, furry creature bounded out of the crate straight for the giddy Letti.


Letti crouched down and scooped up the puppy, practically glowing with happiness. “Oh mama, I promise! I’ll treat him like my own little baby!” After staring at the little dog in awe for several moments, Letti leaped into her mothers arms, engulfing her in a hug. “Thank you mama! All I ever wanted was a friend!” Nina smiled and quickly kissed her daughter’s head, trying to let her daughter’s excitement overshadow the guilt for her obvious loneliness.


True to her word, Letti took excellent care of the puppy she decided to name Scout. When she wasn’t playing with, feeding, or grooming Scout she was reading dozens of books on dog care and training. Not only did she finally have a friend, but the little dog was a gift from her mother. Both those facts made Scout immensely important to Letti, and she tended to him with the utmost care.



Don Lothario walked into his kitchen; home suspiciously late from work. He glanced to the counter and locked eyes on a big white cake. Helping himself to a slice, he noticed his wife, Kaylynn, loading the dishwasher. “What’s the occasion?”, Don asked rather cheerily in regards to the dessert. He smiled brightly and dug around their counter drawer for a fork.


“It’s Lorenzo’s birthday.” Kaylynn broke the news to Don dryly. He missed his son’s first birthday. Don’s perky smile quickly fell flat off his face.
“Oh. Right. I knew that.” It was a lie, but he wanted to avoid conflict. To his surprise, Kaylynn stayed quiet. She didn’t even look upset. Normally, she would have already started in on the dirty looks or shouting. Perplexed, Don eyeballed his wife. Something must be wrong.


“You…you aren’t mad?” Don blinked, suspicious.
Kaylynn stayed silent for a long moment, eventually turning to face her husband. “Everyone makes mistakes.” Don detected a strange tone in Kaylynn’s voice. She sounded meek, and her cheeks suddenly flushed red. He began to get an inkling of what was going on in the raven haired woman's head.


Don set his cake down on the white counter island and thought a moment; a devilish grin spread wide across his face. “What is that supposed to mean? What…what’s going on?” Don chuckled, amused. “Kaylynn, what did you do?”
Kaylynn’s stomach flip flopped and she stared her stared at her feet. “I…I…”


Suddenly, little Lorenzo crawled into the kitchen. “Mama!”, he cooed.
“…I have to put the baby to bed!” Without another word, Kaylynn scooped up the toddler and hurried upstairs. Don stood in the kitchen, bewildered and entertained.


“In you go little man!” Kaylynn changed Lorenzo into his pajamas and tucked him snugly into his crib. She kissed his head and wished him a happy birthday.
“I love you mama!”, The tot cooed. Kaylynn teared up while looking into her son’s big green eyes. Despite its problems, she loved her little family. The guilt in Kaylynn’s heart was heavy.
“I love you too baby.” She tip toed out of the bedroom slowly and silently closed the door.


Kaylynn stepped outside for some fresh air. She peered over her balcony and into the night sky, regretting her little adventure earlier that day. After she could no longer stand the let down and sadness in her own marriage, Kaylynn had found herself absently wandering over to Daniel Pleasant’s. Even though nothing happened, Kaylynn knew in her heart why she visited the old flame, and that was cheating enough for her. She held back tears when a curious voice interrupted her thoughts, “Kaylynn…”


Her heart skipped a beat and she jumped, ready to defend herself against the mysterious voice in the darkness. Kaylynn was instantly relieved to see only her husband sitting with her on the deck. “Oh Don! You scared me! What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?”


Don stood up, chuckling. “Why so jumpy? Guilty conscience maybe?” He knew something was off.
“It’s not funny, Don.” Although Don had done much worse to Kaylynn during the course of their marriage, she took the situation very seriously.
“Oh c’mon baby. Talk to me. Why are you acting so strangely?”


Kaylynn’s lip quivered; she decided she might as well be honest with her husband. “I…I…I went to see Daniel today.”
Suddenly intrigued, Don cocked his head. “You cheated on me?” He didn't know his loving, family oriented wife was capable of such a deed.
Blood rushed to Kaylynn’s face. “Well…kind of. I mean, nothing happened…but I still went there.” She buried her face in her hands. “I’m sorry!”


Something clicked in Don’s head. For months, he had been pushing his wife away. Now, the second he learned he may not be his wife’s number one choice, his Casanova kicked in. “Oh Kaylynn. Don’t be upset. Like you said, everyone makes mistakes. Being faithful is so hard. I don’t blame you.” He purred his words, caressing his lonely wife. She melted at his will.
“You’re not going to leave?”


Don embraced Kaylynn and dipped her, sending butterflies in her tummy. “Never ever.” He kissed her, making sure she’d never want to even look at another man. Don was happy as long as he had all the women in his life drooling at his feet.