(Lydia)A cascade of emotions flooded through me: I was shocked, sad, nostalgic, happy to see my mother again, struggling with the memories of the past – of me defending her and of her ignoring me, and so much more. With this much going on within me, I was rooted to the spot.“My child…” my mother said through trembling lips and a broken voice.“Mama…” I finally said and exhaled. I had had no idea that I had been holding my breath for so long. I flung my arms around her.She stiffened when I did so. My heart lurched. How could she come here after so many years and then reject my attempt to hold her again?She was shivering.I held her by the forearms and looked at her in the eyes. “Are you okay, mama?” I asked, my voice more concerned for her than she had ever been for me.It hurt but that didn’t mean that I still didn’t care for her.My mother shook her head and dropped it. Her shoulders began to shake. She was crying.“What’s wrong, mama?” I asked her, alarmed.My mother looked up
(Lydia)I could not help the icy look in my eyes. After all those years upon years of neglect, she had come to see me in the hospital. And she had not even bothered to ask after me later. A part of me could not even believe that she was truthful. “Why?” I asked quietly.My mother’s eyes widened, as though she were appalled at my question. “You’re my daughter, Lydia!” she said.I shook my head. I had not been her daughter when my father had punched me in the face. She had not come to see me becoming a bride. And she had never asked after me for all these years since after the accident. What has changed now?Eyes teary, I looked at her. But before I could gather the strength to say even a single one of these things, she fished out a piece of paper from her creased old purse and handed it to me.Then, she turned around and left.On the paper was the address of a hotel that she was staying at. I considered running after her but my head was spinning from all of these sudden events and rev
(Lydia)With a heavy lump in my throat, I hung up the phone. I stared into the void for a minute. Absolutely nothing made sense anymore. But knowing now all that Ruby had told me, I realized that I needed to talk to my mother. I should not have let her leave so quickly. I should have taken her to a restaurant – maybe had lunch with her.Fifteen minutes later, I was in my car with the location of her hotel set as the destination on the GPS navigator. I had no idea what I would say to my mother. “ETA: five minutes. You are now on the fastest route to Green Air Fort Hotel” the robotic voice on the navigator application system said.What would I say to her? How would I talk to her? My heart thumped wildly as I pulled up in front of the building and handed my car keys to the valet. As I made my way into the elevator, my mouth ran dry.But I knew that it was the right thing to do. My mother deserved to be loved and cared for by me. All those years ago, she had made a mistake by not leaving
(Lydia)Ruby was biting her nails and pacing rapidly around the corridor when I got home. She looked up when she heard the door open and darted towards me as soon as she saw me.“How did it go?” she gasped, clutching my arms.“I – he – they’re exactly the same as before, Ruby!” I garbled, “The old man threatened to go to Thomas and – and – I don’t think he knows that we’re already divorced and …”My face was flushed. I was sweating. I had been hold on to a pang of anxiety ever since I had left the hotel. I was struggling to keep my senses but my voice weakened and my head swayed dizzily as I exhaled, “I can’t let him get to the children, Ruby ... I don’t think he knows but – what if – and … I – I can’t let him know more, he just can’t … I won’t let it – he can’t …”Ruby flung her arms around me and started blubbering uncontrollably. We had been here before. We had spent our entire childhoods this way. And, now, this man had returned to refresh our memories with the horrors of the past
(Lydia)Seeing my mother in that state – still inside that very state, after all these years had gone – set off something inside of me. All of a sudden, I had had enough.“Come with me,” I said to my mother and grabbed her by the hand.“You too,” I shot at my father as I watched him saunter towards the door frame.I almost had to shove my father through the elevator door at the end of the corridor. He was trying his best to resist coming with me. My mother had broken into tears and was sobbing softly into a napkin.The elevator door glided open with a ding. “Well, move,” I rasped at my father as he stared at me in confusion. His shirt was thoroughly creased and its top buttons were undone. I caught a faint whiff of whiskey through my nose. The man could barely stand. “Where are you taking me?” he slurred.I pushed him through the door at the security office and he almost tripped and fell, catching the edge of a desk just in time.The security officer seated there shot up immediately.
(Lydia)I shot a glance at my wrist watch. 2:50 pm. I was not late. I was actually ten minutes early, in fact. What in God’s name was happening here?Margaret looked up at me, a surprisingly pleased-with-herself smile etched across her face. Her eyes glinted at some secret joy.Mabel and Miles squealed and jumped in glee. They both ran towards and hugged me at the knees. And let out a laugh.“Mommy, mommy! I drew a plane!” Miles exclaimed, excitedly waving a crayon drawing at me.“I drew a house, mommy! Look, it’s pink and it glitters!” Mabel chimed in, hopping up and down. They both held up their arms as their eyes sparkled with pride at their work.“That’s lovely, babies,” I smiled at them both, bending down and hugging them back. Their warmth instantly erased the coldness inside me from the strangeness of what had happened earlier this afternoon. I smacked a kiss across each of their cheeks.“Mabel,” I said to my daughter, “Why don’t you show Miles how you put glitter on your house
(Thomas)A few seconds ago, I still hadn’t known what my decision would be. I had only come here to talk to her because I knew that that was important. We needed to move forward together in as practical of a way as possible. I needed to be allowed to have a role in my children’s lives.But the second she opened the door and I caught sight of her angelic face, I knew that I could only ever want her.Lydia was the only woman for me.***When Sarah had sprung the news on us that night, I had been too shocked for words. Before I could have even fully understood the implications of Sarah’s announcement, Lydia had gotten up and left the table.I had not gone after her. How could I? Sarah was bearing my child.But I had been quiet when, fifteen minutes later, Sarah had sat strapped in the passenger seat of my car. Her eyebrows had been arched in expectation, as though she were waiting for an answer.I had no answer. I had been too baffled to respond.So, I had taken a deep breath and driven
(Lydia)I crossed my arms at him and gave him a hard look. This was the last thing that I needed to deal with right now.“Why are you here?” I said, “Shouldn’t you be with your fiancée, picking your wedding cake and all that?”I couldn’t help the bitterness in my tone. After all, it was not exactly pleasant to develop feelings for your ex-husband again and then have him leave you a second time. But I would not complain and protest this time. I would not allow myself to be weak. I would not beg for mercy for this man.“Lydia, I—“ he began.“I don’t want to hear it,” I snapped and quickly made to shut the door.He grabbed it.“Lydia, would you please at least give me a chance to speak?” his eyes pleaded me.I gazed into them for a moment, lost. Why was he here? What did he want?He told me. “I don’t want to marry Sarah,” he said, “I will be there for the baby, of course, but I want to spend my life with you.”I froze in my spot. And I felt my heart dance aflutter. Why was this making me
(Lydia)By the time I reached Ruby’s apartment, I could hardly breathe. My legs burned from climbing the stairs two at a time, but I didn’t care. My mind was racing, filled with every worst-case scenario I could imagine. Ruby’s phone going unanswered and her not showing up at the mansion had sent my thoughts spiraling into dark territory.I pounded on her door, my fist landing hard against the wood.“Ruby? Open up! It’s me!”The hallway was eerily silent, my frantic knocks echoing off the walls. I pressed my ear to the door, hoping to catch even the faintest sound of movement inside.“Ruby, please! Are you okay?”The seconds stretched unbearably. Then, finally, I heard the muffled shuffle of footsteps. Relief surged through me, but it was fleeting.The door opened just a crack, and Ruby appeared, peeking through the gap. Her face was calm, but her eyes held a flicker of something…annoyance? Discomfort?“Lydia,” she said, her voice carefully even, “What are you doing here?”I pushed th
(Lydia)I spent the car ride back home in relative silence, my thoughts consumed by everything that had happened in the past few months. The whirlwind of Nathan’s threats, Jack’s complicated relationship with Ruby, and Mama’s illness. It felt like I was constantly running a marathon with no finish line in sight.Now, as I crossed the threshold into the house, a surge of relief washed over me. At least for a few hours, I could breathe.My speech in the Assembly Hall had been well-received and I was grateful for that. What I had done was a long time coming because I had been worried about Mabel and Miles’ school for quite some time. Ever since they came home one day and told me what the kids were talking about, I had a thought in the back of my mind that this was going to be a problem moving forwards. And it was.Well, I hope all of that was settled now. As I walked into the living room, I saw Mama sitting in a recliner, bundled in a blanket despite the warmth of the room.“Back alread
(Ruby)I left the boutique in the afternoon to go to my apartment. I had some chores to do and I knew the apartment was probably a mess. When I reached there, I immediately started to do laundry. It took time, but I got it done just in time.As I folded the last of the laundry, I couldn’t help but think about what to eat since I’d planned to grab a quick bite before heading to the mansion to look after Mama. One of my workers was closing the boutique for me today, a rare reprieve I desperately needed. I had just gathered my things when a knock at the door startled me. I paused, glancing at the clock. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Peering through the peephole, I saw nothing but the empty corridor. My first thought was that it might be another bouquet. Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the door. What I saw made me gasp so loudly I nearly dropped my bag. “Jack!” He was on his knees, his face pale and sweaty, twisted in pain. Blood stained his shirt and pants, and his han
(Jack)The tension had been building inside me all morning, a storm of frustration and unanswered questions I couldn’t shake. Thomas’s decision to meet with Nathan still gnawed at me. It wasn’t just the secrecy of it, though that alone was bad enough, it was the recklessness. The risk. But as much as that boiled my blood, there was another matter weighing heavily on my mind, and this one had a name: Marco.By midday, I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to get anything productive done sitting in my office, stewing over things I couldn’t control. I grabbed my jacket, told my assistant I’d be out for the rest of the day, and headed for Amanda’s apartment. If anyone could give me answers about Marco, it was her. When I reached her apartment, Amanda opened the door, her eyes widening slightly in surprise as she asked, “Jack? What are you doing here?” “We need to talk,” I said, stepping inside before she could protest. She frowned but didn’t argue, closing the door behind me. Her apartme
(Ruby)The boutique was quiet that morning, the kind of peaceful hum that made it easy to focus. I was in the back office, hunched over my sketchbook, refining designs for a new collection. My desk was strewn with fabric swatches, colored pencils, and notes scribbled on sticky pads. A rich emerald green satin caught my eye, and I reached for it, envisioning how it could drape into a gown. The chime of the boutique’s door opening filtered through the walls, followed by the light footsteps of customers browsing. I barely looked up, trusting my small but capable team to handle the sales floor. “Ruby,” Mia, one of my new hires, called from the doorway. She was a petite girl with a shy smile who had started just a week ago. I glanced up, pushing my hair back from my face, “What’s up?” “There’s a man asking to see you,” she said, shifting nervously, “He’s...um...he looks important.” I frowned, setting my pencil down. Important? My mind immediately went to Adam. Maybe he was here t
(Lydia)I stretched my arms, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. The sun was peeking through the horizon and today was the day where I would be taking a stand in front of all the parents. I shoved thoughts of Clara and her cryptic messages aside. That mystery could wait. My focus now was on standing up for myself and my children against the parents who had dared to insult us in such a vile way.Mabel and Miles were already awake, their chatter filling the house as they got dressed for school. It was good to see them so excited about returning to class. Their enthusiasm fueled my resolve. I joined them in the kitchen, ensuring their breakfast was hearty enough to carry them through their day.Thomas came down just as the kids were finishing up. He looked slightly more rested than he had the previous evening, though his demeanor was still a little distant. As he grabbed his coffee, I walked over to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Good luck at work,” I murmured, my hand brush
(Lydia)The clock on the wall ticked steadily, its sound the only companion to my restless pacing in the living room. I glanced at the door for what felt like the hundredth time, waiting for Thomas to come home. My meeting with the principal had gone better than expected, or at least, I had managed to secure a proper confrontation with the other parents. But the weight of it, the anger I’d felt earlier, was still coiled tightly inside me, waiting to be shared. Finally, the sound of keys jingling at the door broke my train of thought. Thomas stepped in, his tie loosened, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His shoulders sagged, and there was a faint crease between his brows, the kind that appeared only when he was genuinely stressed. "Hey," I greeted softly, walking over to him, “Rough day?”He nodded, offering me a tired smile as he leaned down to kiss my cheek, “Just one of those days. Work’s a mess right now.”I wanted to press him for more, but the lines on his face told
(Thomas)Standing by the massive floor-to-ceiling window in my office, I watched the city skyline, its usual vibrancy dulled by the fog in my mind. The weight of what I was about to do settled heavily on my chest, but I couldn’t back down now. Nathan’s trial loomed on the horizon, and his request to meet one last time echoed in my thoughts. There was no way to shake the feeling that this meeting might hold the key to something vital, even if it came at a personal cost.I picked up my phone and scrolled to Aiden’s number. He answered on the second ring, his voice as sharp and precise as ever.“Thomas,” he said, “I assume this is about Nathan.”“It is,” I replied, my tone flat but resolute, “I’ve decided to meet him.”There was a pause on the line, long enough to make me think he might object outright. Finally, Aiden sighed, “You’re sure about this? You understand what you’re walking into.”“I’m sure,” I said, “But I want to make something absolutely clear. This meeting stays between u
(Lydia)Walking into the principal’s office, my hands felt unusually steady. The incident from a week ago rang in my mind, those mothers standing in front of the school, blocking my way, their condescending smirks and venomous words spilling out like poison in front of my children. I had been humiliated, sure, but more than that, I was enraged. Not because they had said those things to me, but because Mabel and Miles had heard every single word. It wasn’t just me they had attacked, it was my family, my children. And no one, not even a clique of overzealous parents with too much time on their hands, was going to make my children feel unworthy or unsafe.The principal’s office was predictably neat and orderly, the faint smell of coffee lingering in the air. She was a woman in her late fifties with kind but firm eyes and she greeted me with a professional smile when I entered.“Ms. Lydia, please have a seat,” she said, gesturing toward the chair opposite her desk.I sat, straight-backed