"Hello my favourite people!" said a tall and dashing piece of handsome.

"Todd!!" Melody chanted with joy.

She put her arms around the waist of the man at the door. He picked her up, gave her a kiss on the cheeks and dropped her back on solid ground as gently as he could. His biceps stood out from his black denim as he put down the six year old.

Todd was a thrilling figurine the modern woman would smile at if placed on a shelf nearby. He was a picture-perfect six foot two. His skin was white but not as snow. He was a bit tanned yet not browned up so much.

Todd though a lawyer, also had a YouTube channel where he tutored men on style and fashion sense. Hence the aura of designer clothing from cotton, leather, shoe, gloves to jewels and perfume. Though he shielded no swords nor rode horses, he was enchanting to look upon in the eyes of any 21st century princess.

He looked entirely dashing in his simplicity. It spoke wealth and class.

A mauve coloured T-shirt slept on his chest, wide enough to be called god-like. A well-trimmed denim jacket covered his arms and shoulders. The jacket sat upon the extra length of the T-shirt which slapped the black jean trousers wore. Brown Timberland boots that stopped at his ankles hid his feet in the most boyish way possible. Rings black in colour wrapped a few of his fingers in circles and hoops on both hands. An outstanding silver ring with a mini skull stood out on the thumb of his left hand. Two chains, both silver dangled from his neck. One beaded spatially by black stones sat close enough to his collar. The length of the other came to a halt just before below his chest. It had a simple pendant. A lion's head that had little rubies for eyes.

Todd's head to toe spoke Ralph Lauren, Versace, Givenchy and Giorgio Armani in clothing, jewels and even perfume.
His dress up seemed to be that of a billionaire's spoilt son or some freaky teenager who loved his cigar but his face spoke the other.

Mary's eyes were stuck on his face.

Admiration began to turn to something else.

Todd's face was calm with charm, smooth with cool and made fine by pretty. His hair was dark and looked lush by sheen at its ends. His hairline crept just above his forehead, kissed his nape and cut creative corners on the sides of face, just below his ears. Other hair called beard seemed shaved but appeared in smooth lines and carved traces below his chin and above his lips. His nose was a suitable piece to his face. Lips thin were set between pink and the colour nude. Jawline expressed the soul of a model. His eyebrows were carved and manly as they should be. Lashes lurked around green eyes just like Mary's. Bright green eyes.

Three brown Louis Vuitton travelling bags stood by him. One mini, one maxi and one medium sized. All on little black rollers.

He smiled and Mary's heart made a thump. She had experienced that feeling before for someone else. She squeezed her gown in attempt to calm her heart.

The thump and an uncomfortable feel came up again when she heard Todd's bass drenched voice. She had felt that before but for whom?

Mary was on the verge of getting lost again until Alice's voice hit her ears in a shriek.

"Todd!! My favourite brother-in-law!" she screamed.

"Aunt Alice!" Todd hugged Alice like a bear would hug its prey.

"Come on now! Aunt? You should call me Alice." Alice complained.

"You're my big brother's wife and my big brother's so old he could be my father!" Todd said.

Everyone laughed.

Richard rolled his eyes.

Mary just stared.

"So I'm going to call you Aunt as a sign of my...respect for my big bro."

"Sure call me aunt, grand ma, I'll grow old anyways. We all do." Alice smiled.

"Speaking of big brothers...what's up old man?" Todd turned to Richard who grabbed his little brother and hugged him like a father who had found his lost son.

"I might be an old man but I'm still hotter than you." Richard jested.

Everyone laughed but Mary.

Todd hugged George and exchanged a few more greetings for the sake of courtesy and of course, love.

The Beckham family was finally complete with Todd Beckham in the picture.

The boys; Richard, George and Todd discussed like men would in the extra room. They also gave the room a finishing touch and set things in place the moment Todd unpacked which was immediately. He was indeed a master of the organized and ordered.

The girls were done with the Thanksgiving-like meal but they too had to give dishes and cutleries a last bit of excellence.

"How's the turkey Mel? Do you like it?" Alice asked her daughter after she had given her a fork full piece.

"It's good mommy. Really good!" Melody hopped after the savoury taste of oven-boiled oil and dried turkey flesh melted in her mouth.

"Here Mary, what do you think?" Alice fed Mary a piece before she could refuse.

"It tastes good." Mary said with calm but she was quite surprised by Alice's action.

"Todd will love it!" Melody said with more joy.

"Who will love what now?" A tall green eyed male asked from the door of the kitchen.

"Todd. You shouldn't be here! You should be upstairs in your room getting ready for a simple dinner and then get surprised by this! You'd ruin the luck to it." Alice said .Pride crawled all over her smile.

"Relax Aunt Alice. This isn't a 'groom-shouldn't- see-his-bride-on-her-wedding-dress-before-the-ceremony' situation."

Todd had taken off his shoes, chains and rings. He looked a lot simpler.

He also took off his T-shirt. His chest was left bare underneath his unbuttoned denim jacket. His trousers remained.

Alice noticed this and smiled. She turned to Mary expectant of certain chemistry in the air. One Todd always initiated in simple gestures.

Mary remained focused in whisking eggs.

She knew Todd was present but she decided to ignore him. Not because she was a young vixen in love as expressed in chick lit stories. Mary denied Todd's existence because for some reason she could not concur, the sight of him brought pain to her heart. Deep pain that was quite similar to the repeated tear of a dagger on wet flesh on a winter morning.

Alice noticed Mary and she winked at Todd. She tilted her neck to Mary as though she gave Todd the green light which was not hers to render.

Mary whisked and whisked until the concentrated scent of roses, Arabian spices and violent fragrance of sexiness engulfed her entire being and forced her upper limbs to stop their actions.

"Hi, you seem new here." Todd spoke a few inches away from Mary's ears.

Mary turned. Her face almost hit his. He was too close.

She stepped back, her hands slipped and the glass bowl of eggs shattered in pieces large and small.

Mary began to pick the pieces when she noticed Todd's eyes fixed on her while she gazed at one of the glass shards.

She got distracted and a piece cut through flesh on her finger.

Mary bit her lips.

The pain was but a sting.

She gazed at the drop of red liquid that circled the shallow cut. It was quite enticing for some reason unknown.

Todd got closer. Too close.

Mary grabbed one of the large pieces of broken glass and held it with force.

"Hey are you okay?" Todd placed a hand on her shoulder. He was too close. Just too close.

Mary added more pressure on the glass. Her hands began to tear by bits and tendons. She bled.

"Oh my goodness! You're bleeding!" Todd said. He rushed quickly to Mary's aid and squatted beside her.

He was about to take Mary's hand but she pulled away from him.

The pressure on every vein within Mary's flesh increased.

Todd tried again but slowly.

Mary swung the glass piece at Todd but he was too busy picking up glass. He did not notice Mary's slight madness but Alice did.

Mary was about to strike with the glass piece again but Alice held her arms.

"I know it hurts honey. That's why you should be more careful." Alice smiled in pretence.

Her words and smile brought Mary calm. She dropped the glass piece and looked down.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault." Todd said.

Mary looked at his face this time. He smiled. He was pretty.

The pain in her heart remained but new warmth soothed the hurt.

She smiled and so did Todd.

Alice panicked and Melody pinched more turkey.

"Todd why don't you go wash up and by the time you're back, dinner would be served." Alice said.

"Sure."

Todd stood up and walked to the door. On his way out he turned back.

"So I'll see you guys at dinner." He said to all but referred to one.

Alice smiled sheepishly at Todd but when he was gone, her smile vanished.

She glanced at Mary and said a prayer in her heart. She prayed Mary's madness would remain caged by her kindness. She was not completely sure why she cared, but at that moment that was her only wish.

"Come help with his Mary and you too Melody. Get your hands off the turkey! We're done here and it's time we set the dinner table. Don't you think?"

"Yes! Let's set it quickly. I'm hungry." Melody said as she hurried out of the kitchen with a bowl of potato salad on her hands.

Mary remained still for a while. Her eyes still fixed on the cuts on her finger and palms. The blood drops had dried off and reddened flesh was all that was left.

"Mary?" Alice called. Three plates and a tray jiggled about a circle formed by both her arms.

Mary stood straight and rushed to Alice's aid.

The Beckham family were seated at the dining table.

Arms crossed, legs crossed, hands on table, hands on cheeks, every member of the family waited on a beautiful evening feast for one who was absent at the time. They waited for Todd.

Tranquillity gave the atmosphere at the dining table a disconcerting feel.

That uncomfortable aura was dispersed by Alice's voice set at its highest pitch.

"So you won't believe what Todd has got his eyes on since he got back?" Alice asked though she gave an answer when she turned to Mary with a smile on her face.

Richard understood the language of his wife's eyes and began to sweat at regions one would not so easily.

"What the..." George halted his words.

"Her! Her! Todd loves her! " Melody sang while she pointed her cutlery at Mary.

"Shut the fuck up brat!" George yelled at his baby sister. Envy played on his other emotions.

"George! Language! For goodness sake!" Alice scolded her son.

Richard remained silent.

Mary kept her voice at mute as well. She toyed with the cutlery placed neatly beside an empty plate on the table.

"It is true though." Alice continued. "You should have seen Todd's eyes. It was so full of love. He even came into the kitchen throwing chest and abs all over the place. He tried to help her clear up something in the kitchen...so he squatted beside her...you should have seen the look in their eyes for a moment...She was shy at first but she looked at him and..."

"We all know what happens when you try to set people up mum." George cut his mother's rap short.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Mum, the last time you tried to play love-match goddess the couple got divorced. Actually that's three couples you set up mum. Three failed marriages. Do you really want Todd to be one of them?"

Richard laughed.

"Well I just introduce man to woman. The together-forever part is their headache, not mine. Besides, Todd..."

"Todd did what Aunt Alice?" Todd asked.

He walked to the dining table in a pair of blue sweat pants, grey turtle neck sleeves, and black crocs. He smelt like lavender. His skin glowed pure and clean like a baby's.

"It's nothing my dear. We're just excited about you being here with us right now." Alice said while she got up to serve the meal on plates and in portions.

"Well I'm glad to be here too. Really glad." Todd smiled and took a glance at Mary.

Richard gazed at Todd for a while and then at Alice who spoke after discomfort from her husband's eyes hit her.

"So tell us Todd how's life in California?"

"Yeah how's life with the beautiful chicks. I hear they're all hot and loose." George stated with a pervert smile.

"They're amazing ladies. Beautiful? Yes. However for a few it's all makeup at its best. Some of the rich ones are bitches and even the ones without cash would only go out with you if you're behind the wheels of a Bentley, Rolls Royce or Tesla." Todd rolled his eyes.

Alice chuckled.

Envy bred more green in George's heart.

"I just want simple now you know? Pretty yet plain and so valuable like a pearl. Someone I can know loves me and I her." Todd took another quick glance at Mary.

She continued to fiddle the fork but felt eyes on her, so she looked up and turned to Todd. His side view was pretty. Jawline carved in the canvas called sexy. The thump on her chest rebounded again. She held her chest.

George bit his lips.

Richard bit into a large piece of turkey. His eyes remained on Mary and Todd.

Alice smiled while she chewed on potato chumps.

Melody licked cranberry sauce off a table spoon. She cared for nothing else.

"So what's your name? I wanted to ask you in the kitchen but you know? Stuff happened." Todd asked the dark haired being beside him.

Mary looked at Alice who nodded with a wide smile on her face.

"My name is Mary...Mary Angela." Mary said in a soft voice.

Alice's once moderate smile, gave way to a show of teeth.

"Mary...Mary...Green-eyed Mary." Melody recited.

Richard bit his tongue.

A rock strolled up George's throat. Pain cruised the lining of his throat and capillaries on his heart were on fire. It felt like a lump of anger. Treachery grew in an instant and killed him slowly. He stared at Todd and jealously ripped his broken heart apart. He turned to his father who kept his head down. Betrayal drew lines on his back with its wicked fangs.

George's eyes hurt. He was not sure if tears were about to fall because his father lied to him or because Mary spoke to Todd with such ease. He was sure of one thing though. He would not cry. Especially not in front of Mary.

"Mary. That's a beautiful name." Todd said.

"Thank you." Mary replied.

"Wow she talks!" Richard said in pretentious joy. He was such an actor.

"She has a beautiful voice." George said after much struggle.

"I don't get it...she hasn't spoken before?" Todd asked and Alice told the brilliant tale of a series of event that happened seven days ago.

However Alice told the story of Pink's death in a different way. She said it was a natural death and Mary was a girl lost in the forest. No one argued and dinner continued.

Dinner continued until stomachs were filled and left overs were packed up.

It was a rather early dinner. The bright purple in the sky had not faded to its dark blue yet. Stars and moon were unseen and the sun still peeked at the earth. It floated in the midst of clouds pink and peach in its semi-circle orange glory.

George helped his mother pack up leftovers in the kitchen.

He would have complained if told to do so. However this time he initiated the self-chore due to fear of his father, Richard.

Mary Angela was the green-eyed girl. The same girl his father spoke of on the phone.

"So all this time...right from the start...even after she killed Pink...he knew her...he knew her name was Mary...what connection does he have with...why did he let mum...what is going on..." Thoughts ran endlessly through George's disturbed mind and the fear he felt like a rock on his chest cavity only made things worse.

He knew his father was aware of his knowledge on Mary's identity. If his father, Richard could keep a crazy girl like Mary a secret from his mother, who was also part-crazy then he must have been crazy as well.

"I'm done with all these crazy people. I need to find Todd." George said.

His legs travelled at quick paces around stairs and planes in search of the only person he had trusted all his life with secrets dark and light. His feet took him out of the house and around the grass padded compound on which the wooden home stood.

Todd might have been nine years older than George but age was not enough to hold back their love for each other.

George had known Todd since he was a child. They were brought up in the same household since Todd's parents were dead and Richard had to play the role of a father to both of them.

If there was anyone that could absorb the pandemonium within George's skull and provide a solution it was Todd.

George found him at last.

Todd stood at the flowered patio.

The sky's purple began to give way to a glorious deep blue and the sun hid further beneath dark clouds. The lights on the patio came on and moths flocked around bright yellow rays.

George walked towards Todd but halted after he spotted another dark shadow.

It was a female's figure. It was Mary.

George felt a dagger pierce his chest and another dug into his back. He held his chest. His canine pinched his lower lip. His eyes spoke fury but his heart said envy.

"Mary's talking to Todd? He's been here for only a day!" Alice said.

George almost jumped from the shock of surprise.

His mother perched behind him with a smile he did not admire.

After his heart settled from the second-long tremor, George sighed and in simple words of hurt he said;

"Of course she'll talk to him. They always do. After all, he is Todd."