SWNOVELS Chapter 2
Five years later, at Dellmoor International Airport, Arissa inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar air of the place. Her sharp eyes behind the sunglasses screened the bustling crowd as she immersed herself in the typical liveliness of the country. She was back. Though half-shaded by the sunglasses she had on, her dainty complexion looked exquisitely stunning. The onlookers could hardly avert their gazes from her. After all, beauties were meant to be admired. That rang true to onlookers of all ages and genders. However, what was even more eye-catching than the woman were the four little kids waddling beside her. Each of them was shouldering a backpack of dissimilar colors with cartoon prints while tugging a mini suitcase in their hand. Moreover, all of them were wearing matching outfits with their mother-a combination of black tees, jeans, and white sneakers, looking simplistic yet chic. Their brown berets framed their striking eyes and delicate features, all of which incited marvels amidst the onlookers. Interestingly, their expressions spoke nonchalance, naivety, delight, and curiosity simultaneously as each of them looked around and digested their environment. The adult-like manners they carried themselves with were especially intriguing to the onlookers. "Whoa! Quadruplets!
What beautiful children!" "I'm so envious of their mom for having such adorable kids. It must be so much fun going shopping with them!" "They're all blessed with terrific good looks! I would no doubt giggle in my dreams if I were blessed with those beautiful kids!" "They aren't celebrities, are they? The woman is so elegant and pretty. She definitely stands out." "Hush, what do you know? She's no match for Dani. My Dani's the most attractive woman living!" These exclamations were nothing new to Arissa. She had encountered countless such episodes when they were abroad. Whenever she was out with the kids, they would immediately become the center of attention. She continued to steer the four kids toward the exit.
Looking back to count heads, she said, "Sweethearts, stay close. Don't get left behind." The kids walked in a single file behind her like a rustling tail. To everyone present, it was a heart-warming scene to behold. Most onlookers pulled out their phones and started taking pictures. Some even took recordings and uploaded them on video-sharing platforms, giving them catchy titles with a unanimous emphasis on the quadruplets. Those videos soon became viral and gathered a lot of likes. "Got it, Mommy!" The quadruplets trailed behind Arissa obediently, lowering the edges of their berets when onlookers took photos of them.
The youngest of the quadruplets, Jesse York, was the timidest among them all. Being her first time in such a crowded airport, she nervously clutched the hem of her mom's blouse and meekly uttered, "Mommy everyone's looking at us. They're taking photos of us, too!" "It's okay."
Arissa turned to check on her kids from time to time, making sure that none was missing. "Don't be scared. We're just so good-looking that people can't help taking pictures of us!" remarked Jasper York, the third-born of the quadruplets, who marched behind Jesse. Being the most narcissistic one among his siblings, he boldly grinned at the adults taking photos of them. "That's a violation of our portrait rights!" Zachary York knitted his brows. Being the eldest brother, he marched last in the file and helped to keep an eye on his siblings. "It's fine as long as they're not doing anything bad. They just like us, that's all!" Not only was Arissa used to people's attention, but she also knew that the onlookers would stealthily take shots of them, even if asked to stop.
Keeping an open mind would make things easier, just like how she would take photos of pleasant sceneries and people just so that she could admire them later. Zachary, however, thought otherwise. He kept the onlookers away and was offended by the unwanted attention. "Stop taking pictures! My brother is scared!"
"Don't include them in your shots. Just take photos of me!" Jasper smiled and struck multiple fancy poses. At Jasper's words, the crowd who had just put away their phones after Zachary's objection started taking pictures again. "How lovely! Kids, you're so pretty! You made my day!" "Kids, are you quadruplets? You look alike and are extremely charming! Can I take a photo with all of you?"