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17|Homecoming
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2024-10-29 19:42:56[Two Years Later]...
Eden's friends were already waiting to welcome her home when she pulled into the driveway of the single-story bungalow on Alice Lane, a quiet suburban street six blocks away from her old apartment in Forrest Creek.
The 'sold' sign propped on the front lawn filled Eden with pride. She'd done it, bought her first home. It was small. Only two bedrooms. But since it was on a corner lot, she had a bit of extra yard space. With a growing, rumbustious little boy, she'd need plenty of yard space.
She turned to check on Aiden sleeping in his car seat in the back. Her heart swelled with a love so intense she thought it would burst and shatter in her chest in a kaleidoscope of fragments. He was the love of her life, the light that had pulled her out of her darkest days. The moment she knew of his existence, she began to live and breathe for him.
Eden unsnapped her seatbelt and pushed out of her Toyota Prius.
Her friends ran to her wh
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Tired of entertaining himself, her son ran up to her, and Eden spent a few minutes throwing him up in the air and making aeroplane sounds as they zoomed around the room. By the time she set him down, she was out of breath and a little tired. She looked through the bag for his toys, but Aiden picked a book instead. Sienna and Lydia read it to him while she and Cassandra went through the house, checking what needs to be done. The kitchen was their first stop. The cabinets were old, but Cassandra thought they could do them up by repainting them. They'd leave the top ones white and paint the bottoms powder blue to go with the fitted gas cooktop. Grammy’s vintage fridge would fit in nicely too to complete the farmhouse look. Eden wasn't too concerned about the open plan living room. Her new three-seater would arrive in a few days. She'd hit the rooftop flea market at the weekend for a coffee table and a couple of armchairs, she could always refurbish them the way
Begin Again 19|Fix Me
Liam sat in his therapist's office in downtown Rock Castle, and seriously contemplated his relationship with her. It was clear, after two years and endless therapy sessions, they'd exhausted all options."You said you could fix me," he reminded her as he watched a guy tee off on the rooftop of the building across. His posture and the way he held the golf club was all wrong, and Liam had an uncontrollable urge to fly through the window and show him how it's done. Golf wasn't a sport you played half-assed. Your form has to be perfect; otherwise, you were ruining the classic image of the game."Liam, we've talked about this," Linda said patiently in her monotone voice. It helped calm restless, agitated patients most days. He was agitated and restless today. But no amount of coddling from her could soothe him.He reluctantly returned his attention to the room.Dr Linda Swartz did not believe in a life of excess. It showed in the minimalist, monochrome way she
Begin Again 20|I Want Her
"Mr Anderson, I think we should look at the résumés today," Mrs Gibson, or Gibby as Liam affectionately called her, smiled as he jumped in the backseat with her. She was his father's assistant, but when his old man retired two years ago, he inherited her along with his big shoes."Do we have to?" Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, a futile attempt to drive away his looming headache. He didn't want another assistant, but Gibby had stayed on six months past her retirement date. She couldn't postpone her move to the coast any longer."Yes we do, darling," she patted his hand in a motherly fashion and handed him the stack of files.He looked through the first ten, his hope diminishing fast the further down the thick pile he went.He sat up straight at candidate #21, his palms sweating buckets and his heart racing in his chest as he stared at Eden McBride's photograph attached to her CV.Two years of searching for her. Who would have tho
Begin Again 21|Asking For Trouble
The call came when Eden least expected it, just as she was about to settle down for an afternoon nap with Aiden. He wasn't a fussy baby, but he preferred routine over surprises, and any slight delay in his schedule made him cranky. "Hang tight my angel, Mommy has to take this call," she kissed his hair and gave him his favourite sensory toy to distract him while they ran to the kitchen to grab her phone on the counter. She was hoping it's the call she's been waiting for for over a week now, the one call that will change her life and take her from unemployed to potentially employed overnight. "Hello," she cried breathlessly just as it stopped ringing. Aiden tried to snatch it from her, but she bit his tiny hand playfully. He giggled and screeched happily. Eden stared at the screen, willing her phone to go off again, but after fifteen minutes or so and still nothing, she returned to her bedroom and laid down on the bed with Aiden resting on her chest.
Begin Again 22|For Him
Aiden's sitter arrived just after 10:00 AM and Eden spent some time showing her around the house and giving her detailed notes about her son, from what he liked to eat to his potty training times and his afternoon routine. "This is his favourite toy," Eden said as she picked up a Paw Patrol sensory toy. "He can't fall asleep without it." "I've got this Mrs McBride," Brenda said, startling Eden out of her mind with the title. But then, she remembered the engagement ring on her left hand. "Please call me Eden," she said with a smile as she kissed Aiden again and ruffled his hair. "Don't forget he can't eat anything with nuts, that includes sweets, chocolates, biscuits or anything really." "Got it! Now go get that job!" Brenda gave her two thumbs up. "Good luck!" "All the emergency numbers are on the fridge in case you can't reach me," Eden said for what she was pretty sure was the hundredth time as she grabbed her handbag and phone from the tabl
Begin Again 23|Sold
"Ms McBride," A low, raspy voice jolted Eden out of her daze. She turned to see a tall woman with a greying afro staring at her with curiosity. She looked familiar, but Eden couldn't remember where she'd seen her. "I'm Yvonne Gibson, but everyone calls me Gibby," she smiled and held out her wrinkly hand. When Eden took it, she expected it to be as frail as it looked, but she was amazed by the strength in the older woman's handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Eden said effusively, stopping short of bowing. "Please follow me," Gibby said as she turned on her heel. She was surprisingly agile for someone elderly, and Eden had to keep up with her quick steps and her life story in the five minutes it took to get to the interview room on the same floor. Eden only managed to grasp that Gibby's in charge of the administration office. All the secretaries, personal assistants and office support personnel reported to her. She made the
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Liam waited anxiously in a room identical to the one Eden sat in for her interview two doors down. He rechecked his Cartier and growled as he pushed the laptop away and began pacing.Why was it taking so goddamn long to make a mousey librarian sign a piece of paper? It was over an hour already.He really should have handled this shit himself; he shouldn't have made Gibby go in alone, especially when he knew her thoughts on Eden.But crashing the interview would have ruined the whole element of surprise, and knowing how Eden left him once, she'd likely bolt again. Assuming, of course, she remembered him.Liam's anxiety mounted at the thought, and he didn't like the idea that he was so lacklustre in bed, Eden could have easily forgotten him."Doesn't matter!" He breathed out a frustrated sigh. What mattered was that he remembered. Every little detail. Every humiliating moment when he couldn't perform. All the accusatory, yet pitiful looks from the nu
Begin Again 25|A Worthy Opponent
In his office, Liam loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves, determined to get through the stack of week-long reports piled high on his desk. He was halfway through when his cousins, whom he shared floor space with, came in. Julian arranged himself in the armchair in front of the bookcase and turned on the TV to watch the financial markets' afternoon report. Matthew stretched out his long frame on the black leather mid-century couch, the only piece of relaxing furniture in the room because Liam didn't want time wasters hanging around. They were not good for productivity. People only came to his office to state urgent business and leave; his space wasn't inviting enough for a chit-chat. His cousins were the only two people who often overstayed their welcome. Two minutes in and Liam was already tired of them. "If there's nothing urgent, I'd like to finish this before my date with Laura," he pointed at the stack of folders on his desk.
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[Six Months Later]... After months of preparations, Eden's weeklong exhibition at Fugue was a smashing success. She even managed to sell two of her paintings. But with all the smiling and pandering she had done to Rock Castle's uber-rich, she would not have expected anything less. So when Saturday rolled around, the only thing she wanted to do was to crash on the couch and put up her feet. Not a lot for a girl to ask. But she wasn't destined to enjoy the little things in life. Having tried every trick in the book to get her to give up her spot on the couch and leave the house with him, Liam finally let the cat out of the bag. Her friends had tasked him with the sacred job of dropping her off at Heat for a surprise baby shower. Eden didn't want to go anywhere, but she would never hear the end of it if she didn't show up. So she threw on a pair of black leggings—the only thing in her closet that still fit her— and Liam's denim
Begin Again 195|Begin Again
As Liam watched Eden slowly make her way to him, he was overcome with emotion. The whole day he had tried to keep it together, and he had lost track of the number of times his cousins had had to stop him from running to her guest suite to see her. And now that she was here, and they were so close to the start of their next chapter, hard as he tried to blink away his tears, Liam couldn't. He choked back a sob, unable to believe how lucky he was. He had never seen that many brides before, but Eden took the number one spot from the few that he had. She looked incredible in her dress, a vision of grace and elegance and beauty, exactly how he imagined a real-life princess would look. But then again, she was his Princess, his hell, his paradise, and her slow progress down the aisle wasn't working for him. He crossed the room in few quick strides, and in a heartbeat, he had her in his embrace as he kissed her fiercely, much to everyone's surprise and cheers.
Begin Again 194|First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life
Wedding fever hit town as soon as the press release about Eden and Liam's impending nuptials went out. For days the announcement, posted on Anderson Logistics website and all the company's socials, was the number #1 trending topic on all social media platforms. The internet was in disbelief. Thousands of Liam's adoring fans couldn't accept that the day they had dreaded was finally upon them, and the Three-Month Prince was officially off the market. Well, almost off the market. Like most people who have an unhealthy obsession with their idols, they had to share their outrage and sadness with strangers on the internet. Overnight, Eden became the villainess, the woman who had ruined all their fantasies, and they couldn't understand why, out of all the beauties in the universe ready to fall at his feet, Liam would choose her. She had to have used some kind of witchcraft or love spell on him, they said. And when Sienna's exposé on t
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Liam headed straight to his study as soon as they got home and spent almost an hour on the phone with his father. Like he'd expected, Clarke was against the meeting and even more disturbed when he brought up the idea of dropping the charges. "Are you insane?" His father barked on his end, and if they were in the same room, Liam knew he would have likely throttled him. "We almost lost you. You almost died! How can you even think about this?" "What other choice do I have, Dad? He's watching Eden. We're getting married in three weeks. I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder. What kind of life will that be for Eden and our children?" "James told you there's a way to handle this. Aleksei and his brother are dogs. They should be put down." "And what will that make us?" Liam asked sadly. "I didn't call to ask for your permission. I was simply informing you the meeting with Andrei is happening." He clicked off before his father could pus
Begin Again 192|Finish Strong
The botanical gardens were in the northern part of Rock Castle, and on a good day, it would have taken them under ten minutes to get there from Van Holt Industries. But, it took them almost twice as long because, by the time they left the doctor's rooms, every man and his dog was out and about, running their morning errands. By the time they arrived, the place was almost packed to capacity. Everywhere they turned, they were greeted by people on their picnic blankets with their wicker baskets; others were on camping chairs under big shady umbrellas, already sipping beers and turning sausages and steaks on their braai stands even though it wasn't even 10:00 AM yet. "Look at this place," Eden murmured, her eyes flitting everywhere. "We can't let Aiden out of our sight. I don't want a repeat of the aquarium. What if Aleksei is here?" "He's in jail, remember?" Liam reminded her as he lifted her chin. "He can't hurt us." "But his brother is around—"
Begin Again 191|Too Many Expectations
Liam never thought he'd survive two weeks in hospital. But he did. With lots of patience, tons of reports and proposals to keep him sane and an endless supply of meds to ease his pain. Before he knew it, the dreaded family fun day, months in the making, finally snuck upon them. However, Anderson Logistics' big day coincided with his hospital release and their first check-up with Dr Emily. Eden was highly strung, anxious out of her wits when she came to pick him up. "There's so much to do today," she wrung her hands as they watched James scoop Aiden up and grab Liam's travel bag. It was amazing how much stuff he had managed to collect over the past couple of weeks. His duffel bag was now heavier than it was when Eden first dropped it off. "Tell me what's wrong," Liam said as he wheeled himself around the room and paused in front of her. He didn't need the wheelchair now, but he found it very comfortable, way better than sitting on the stiff bed. "So, what's wrong?" he pulled her do
Begin Again 190|We Don't Kill People
The thought of spending an indefinite amount of time in the hospital did not please Liam at all, so as soon as they returned to his ward after their brisk walk, he tried every trick in the book to get Eden to speak to the doctors and get them to discharge him. But she refused to do his dirty work, much to his dismay. He thought she would want him home as soon as possible. "Whose side are you on?" He glared at her. "Yours, of course. I don't want to take any chances, you know," she said as she helped him up on the bed. Their son was now sitting on the floor, craning his neck at the blank TV screen in the corner and sipping his boxed juice. Liam had never met a kid who loved TV as much as Aiden, and he wondered if it was normal. Maybe spending all that time with Brenda during the day wasn't such a good thing. Maybe he needed to start going to school to get his mind stimulated. "I'm someone's fiancée now, you know, and I need the groom pr
Begin Again 189|It Will Always Be Yes
Later that evening, when Eden walked into Liam's ward with Aiden in her arms, she was surprised to find him clean-shaven and fully clothed in joggers, sneakers and a hoodie as if he was ready to go somewhere. "Dad!" Aiden shrieked with joy as soon as he saw his father rolling around the room in a wheelchair. Liam roared right back at him, his voice thundering through the room as he opened his arms. "Kool-Aid!" Eden set their son down, and he ran to his father. Liam scooped him up despite his visible agony but yelped out in pain when he tried to throw him up in the air. Eden was instantly at his side, worry dancing in her eyes, the travel bag in her hands falling at her feet with a dull thud. Aiden, too, look just as concerned. "I'm okay," Liam assured them, but the anguish on his face told a different story. "Why are you even out of bed?" Eden scolded him, much to Aiden's disapproval. "Mom, no!" He shook his hea
Begin Again 188|A Lifetime Of Kisses
Eden looked up, startled out of her mind to see his eyes were open. "Liam!" She was instantly on her feet and kissing him on the lips as she sobbed so loud she thought she'd wake the patients in the neighbouring rooms. "Oh my God, it's true. You're awake! I was starting to think they lied." "If you keep crying, I might just pass out again!" He growled and patted the empty spot on the bed. "Come here!" She sank beside him, and he drew her closer and placed his hand on her tummy. "How's my little warrior?" Eden burst into tears again at his words. "You heard everything I said that night?" "Of course I did," he smiled tearfully as well. "I may have been dying, but I'm not deaf, you know." "And you're not angry?" "Why would I be angry?" Liam asked. "Because you just found out about Aiden and now—" "Now our family will be complete," he pulled her down, and she nestled in his arms, careful not to touch his wound. "I l
