(Lydia)“I asked – the chauffeur … to take me to Sarah’s house last night,” he garbled, “I -- there was so much water – I woke up – she had been silent … I didn’t … I don’t know – I didn’t see -- SHE TOOK SLEEPING PILLS WHILE I WAS PASSED OUT!”I looked back at the stretcher that had already been wheeled inside. Sarah was in good hands now. She would be taken care of.But Thomas was clearly very shaken. I put a hand on his arm and looked comfortingly at him. Mama looked very concerned.“Why don’t we sit down by that bench?” I suggested. I led Thomas to the bench and Mama and I sat down on either side of him. It was late in the afternoon and a few birds were chirping in the trees.“Now, could you slowly tell me what happened?” I said. I kept my voice as gentle as I could. Thomas looked very white and his eyes were frantic and deranged.Thomas drew in a deep breath, exhaled, and then began to speak. “I went to Sarah’s house last night. I wanted to end things with her. Of course, I would
(Lydia)Adam had brought the kids over when we arrived home. His car was parked outside. When Mama and I walked in, the twins were chasing Adam in the lobby. “Tag, you’re it!” said Mabel as she caught up to Adam and touched his hand.They all looked at us as we walked in. “Mabel, Miles,” I said, smiling broadly, “This is your grandmamma.”Both of the twins looked at me wide-eyed. “We have another gramma?” Mabel asked in awe.“Yes,” I replied, “This is Mommy’s Mommy.”The twins jumped and screamed in delight. They instantly ran up to Mama and hugged her legs.Mama laughed and picked them up – one in each arm. I was worried about her feeble frame carrying so much weight and mouthed “Bring a sofa” to Adam.He nodded, immediately understanding, and dashed off into the living room. A few seconds later, he was dragging the large sofa out. I helped him put it in the center of the lobby and Mama sat down with the twins on either side of her. Mabel and Miles were chattering incessantly.“We go
(Lydia)Miles and Mabel were very happy to see their father. They ran up to him. He laughed and picked them both up.“So what’s up?” he asked and the twins began chattering with him.My heart warmed up at the way that being close to his children instantly brightened Thomas up. The tiredness that had been there before seemed to vanish as he listened to his daughter prattle on about her new interests and projects. His deep smile reached the creases of his eyes as his son hopped down from his arms and went to fetch his new toys to show to him.I felt myself smiling and checked myself.I could understand Thomas’s need for comfort right now. He had witnessed one of his oldest friends almost kill herself. But I shouldn’t let his vulnerability bring down my armor. After all, I reminded myself again, he and I could never end up together.He could only be here for the children.“How’s Margaret coping with the news?” I asked him when Mabel trotted off to find her brother. Apparently he was tak
(Lydia)I was up long after Mama had gone to sleep. I was still thinking about the conversation that we had had. The house was empty and quiet. I loved the silence of my home. It felt peaceful. And my home had started to cozier after I had hung up and laid out decorations everywhere. I was wandering in the lobby with a sheet of dialogues that I had meant to go through. But, for some reason, I couldn’t concentrate.I looked outside the window. A slight fog was settling in the atmosphere which cast a golden hue from the glare of the street lights.I turned around when I heard a door creak open. Thomas was standing in the doorframe.His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was a mess, as though he had been tossing and turning in bed.His eyes were doleful and intent.“Lydia,” the quiet carried his voice to me at the other end of the hallway.He began walking towards me. I could not say a single word. This was the man who I had loved, the father of my children, and the one who had divorced
(Lydia)Mama was trying hard to shake her habit of smoking. I think that being around Mabel and Miles at home and then with more children at school was helping. But I would still occasionally catch her in the backyard of the townhouse, puffing smoke out of her lips. She only ever did it when she was alone.She had thought that no one was watching, but I had decided to become much more attentive towards her now. I was only glad that the smoking had reduced dramatically because evidently this would have made her cancer worse. Mama looked stressed today. She was up at dawn and pacing the backyard with her cigarettes. I caught sight of her from the upstairs window but did not bring it up. I knew the reason why.So I cooked up her favorite cheese omelet with spring onions and toast, squeezed a glass of fresh orange juice, and set the table for her breakfast. When she came in, I gave her a big hug and smacked my lips against her cheek. “I love you, Mama,” I told her. She put her arms aroun
(Lydia)Thomas returned with an entire tray of food. He handed Sarah the new cup of coffee and then extended an assortment of snacks towards me. I managed a weak smile but I knew that I had grown pale. Thomas looked at me closely.“Are you okay, Lydia?” he asked. I simply nodded.He thought that it was about my mother. “Your mother’s going to be fine, Lydia,” he said softly, “Please don’t worry about her.”“I want a chocolate croissant!” Sarah pouted. She put her arm around Thomas’s.“Why didn’t you bring me a chocolate croissant, Tee?”Tee? Was that the nickname that she had conjured up for him?“We’ll get one on the way back,” Thomas replied. Sarah put a hand on her belly. “Your baby needs to be fed,” she said in a sing-song voice.I cringed. This whole act was wet behind the ears.I stood up and excused myself. I could feel Thomas’s lingering gaze on me as I tossed my now empty paper cup into the trashcan and disappeared inside the doorframe.My head was spinning. But I breathed. I
(Lydia)But Margaret was surprisingly calm around the kids. “Oh, my munchkins!” she exclaimed in a honey-sweet voice as they both trotted up to her. She ladled them both up into her arms. The joy in her eyes was contagious.“Grandma!” Mabel said happily, “Look at my pink rose!”. She extended her arm to show Margaret the glittering origami.“Ah,” Margaret gasped in indulgent delight, “This is a very pretty rose.” She nuzzled her nose against Mabel’s, “Just like my very pretty grand-daughter.”“Grandma Margaret?” Miles put an arm on her shoulder, “Have you met Grandma Adeline?” He pointed his other arm at my mother, who was sitting on the sofa, holding the paper tiger up to her eye level and painting delicate black stripes on it.Margaret smiled at Mama. “How do you do, Grandma Adeline?” she chuckled.Mama smiled back. “I’m well, Grandma Margaret. How do you do?”Mabel and Miles roared with laughter. They had caught up on this whole joke.“My tiger’s ready!” Miles exclaimed, “Come, Gran
(Lydia)Margaret took in my shocked expression. “Oh,” she said, “You didn’t know.”“How could I have known?” I responded.“I mean you’re mother’s here,” Margaret said, “She ought to have known.”“Don’t drag Mama into this!” I snarled.I didn’t even know why I got angry. Perhaps, it was because I had been on edge all day since my meeting with Sarah.Margaret’s voice was calm and collected. But her eyes were a set of stones. “Thomas doesn’t know anything about this either,” she said, “And I have no intention of letting him find out. Lydia, I’ve let your father know that he will have to reach out to you for money. He can squeeze the last drop out of you for all I care.”She straightened her back and looked condescendingly at me, “But I will not respond to threats made against my family. Get a grip on your father, is that clear?”“First of all, Margaret,” my nostrils flared, “I don’t need to tell your son about any of this. Second of all, I think you should know that I have already paid o
(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