She was a woman in her early 50s, but doesn't look a day past 40.
She had an air of confidence and authority, the type to make one cower, she had prominent cheekbones and above them sat a pair of piercing eyes that seems to bore into one's soul, she was generally sophisticated.
As she elegantly walked down the stairs, Lexi drew closer to the bottom of the stairs to meet her, "mum" she said hugging her tenderly but carefully, that has always been the way it has been between the two; careful with each other.
When they finally broke the awkward embrace, Mrs Grey cupped the chin of Lexi's face, "look at you! All grown and beautiful just like me! But what's with the haircut, huh??" she said running her fingers in Lexi's hair like she was picking out dirt's from it.
"Mum stop! It's what I like" Lexi protested sulkily, "oh I forgot you've always had quite the fashion" Mrs Grey said.
Lexi and her mum has never really seen eye to eye when it comes to fashion and... some other things, left her Mrs Grey, Lexi would have been a runway model by now.
"But why are you back so soon, sweetie? We weren't expecting you till summer, what changed? " Mrs Grey asked, the look of puzzlement on Lexi's face was priceless, "w..what??" Lexi stammered, just before anyone could utter another word, someone walked into the house.
"Kyle" Lexi exclaimed, immediately switching up her mood from bewildered to excited. It was her kid brother, her sweet little munchkin!
"Big sis!" Kyle exclaimed as he took some quick paces towards her and gave her a bear hug, the hug was long and loving, "I missed you so much!" Lexi said softly, "I've missed you very well myself" Kyle said mildly.
"You've grown so tall! Is that a mustache??" Lexi teased him attempting to touch the sprouting strands of hair on the upper part of his mouth and he dodged her 'intruding' hands in a reflex, grinning shyly.
"You look dope! Sis, look at that uniform! You look badass!" Kyle complimented with a look of admiration on his face, "I know right??" Lexi replied and they both laughed.
"So you decided to surprise us, huh? But I get it though, we were shocked to the bones ourselves when got the news, I was in the middle of my art exhibition in school when I heard it, I had to rush off to the hospital the next minute" Kyle said in a sullen mood.
For the second time since Lexi's arrival, she became confused, "what news?? Who's in the hospital??" she asked looking very clueless.
"You don't know?" Mrs Grey asked, "know what? Can someone just spell it out already?!" Lexi demanded, her senses were beginning to suggest a possible answer to her question, but she decided to ignore and push the thought away, 'it can't be' she thought to herself.
"Dad slumped in the office due to heart failure and was rushed off to the hospital two mornings ago. He's stable at the moment but, the doctor said he would have to be retained for a couple of weeks, in order to monitor his improvements" Kyle explained.
"What??? Dad's sick?? Dad's has been in the hospital for 2 days and I'm only learning about it now??
No one thought it wise to inform me?! Why am I always the last to learn about anything in this family??!" Lexi's emotions were shooting up the roof, she had mixed feelings; anger, sadness, resentment and fear.
Oh she knew it! She just knew something was amiss! She felt it!
"We are so sorry sweetie, we were waiting to break it to you at the perfect time" Mrs Grey said, trying to pacify her.
Lexi didn't even know what to say to that, she slumped into the nearest sofa with her face buried in the palm of her hands, there were a lot racing through her mind, some were ugly and pathetic pictures of her father lying helplessly in a hospital bed.
Kyle came and sat beside her in the sofa, and held her two shoulders comfortingly, "we're sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but don't worry, nothing would happen to him, he's currently out of danger, he will be fine, I'm certain of it" he said and wolded his arms warmly around her.
Then suddenly a thought popped into Mrs Grey's head, "I can't help but wonder, if you didn't know of your father's illness, then why are you home?" she asked looking at Lexi dazed.
It appeared every other person in the room wanted to know that too, including Lexi too.
"Well, I don't really know but, I got a call from Gabriel an..."
Just then, Gabriel walked in, everyone turned to him.
"Good day Mrs Greyman, oh Miss Grey you're here already, welcome home!" he said in an elated tone.
"Gabriel do you care to explain what's going on here??" Mrs Grey asked ignoring his pleasantries. It was at this point that Lexi noticed the luggages he was carrying, those were hers but she didn't remember bringing them.
"Gabriel what are you doing with my stuffs?? I certainly didn't bring them with me" she pointed out.
"Oh, I had your friend Miss Moore pack them up, since you wouldn't be going back ma'am" he said almost in a monotone.
"What??" Lexi asked with an even more confusing expression, "and why is that??" she asked with folded arms, 'what the heck is going on?!' she thought strongly.
"Well, it is the request of Mr Greyman that Alexandra stand in for him till he's fully recovered" he stated unflinchingly.
Silence descended over the entire atmosphere, everyone was gobsmacked!
But then Mrs Greyman interjected, "absolutely not!"