Jordan couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he held the results in his hand. It appeared he only needed to talk to Maya about how he treated their son. “Babe, I want to go visit my cousin for a few days,” Maya informed, smiling at Jordan from a meter away. Jordan furrowed his brows, wondering why Maya would bring up such a topic all of a sudden. The fact that she wasn't mad about him requesting for DNA shook him, too. “You are not mad that I had DNA done behind your back?” Jordan couldn't hold the question in again as he let it out. Maya moved towards him with a broadened smile. “It's okay if you wanted to be certain, but now I have to leave right now, I don’t want to be late,” Maya pressed on evading the DNA discussion. “I didn't know you had family here? Are you taking Shane with you?” Jordan asked the questions with concern written all over his face. Her sudden trip unsettling him, especially after the disappearance of his son. Though he hadn’t talked to her about Ashle
Ashley saw the evening of another day without her child, making her heart clench painfully. As the doorbell rang, she couldn't help but feel as if that were music in her ears. The many times she had run to that door thinking maybe her son was home disheartened her. She couldn't face any more disappointment of not seeing her son walk through that door. She could feel her hope hanging on a string as she wiped another set of tears. Lindsey had taken the kids away, she could only hope they didn't ask endless questions about their sibling. The door opened, ushering in a panting Jordan. Ashley stood up looking at him in awe, “What happened? Did they find him?” Ashley asked, offering him a seat but all he could do was shake his head. What he said next made her feel her head swirl in dizziness. “I think they might have Shane too, he was just taken from the house, minutes ago…” Jordan said still in disbelief, hearing himself say the words out loud took a toll on him. “What? How?” Ashley
As the car drove around the city, Ashley felt her mind go miles away. She tried to gather enough strength to face all that was ahead of her. She knew no amount of the fear she felt could outdo the anticipation to see her son again. “We're here, ma'am,” the taxi driver said, pulling Ashley out from her wondrous thoughts. She saw the tall building of the hotel making her breath in sharply before proceeding. The chilly air of the night seeped through her lungs like a sharp knife, taunting her. A text came to her phone from the same new number. ‘Come straight across the street and meet me beside the hotel, I can see you come straight.’ The instructions read, making Ashley glance beside the hotel, her eyes falling on a dark spot. No matter how much her mind warned her against proceeding with the pursuit, Ashley didn't have the heart to stop. As her steps got closer, everything in her was screaming for her to stop, but she couldn't. She looked around but all she could see were some hom
In the alley beside Wilson Hotel;Ashley felt herself being dragged in the dark alley making her struggle to scream. The hand let loose a little, “Ssh, it's me, don't shout,” Ashley heard a woman's voice in the alley making calm down a little. “I know you don't know me, but you know him, right?” The woman asked, revealing a boy behind her. Ashley felt shocked as she saw Shane sleeping out in the cold but was well covered. “I am…” “Elizabeth, the boy's biological mother,” Ashley interjected, letting her know he knew about her. “Yes, Shane's in trouble, Maya knows I took the boy, we were supposed to meet at a certain location to stay there, but knowing Maya, I don't want Shane near him,” Elizabeth explained as she kept glancing around in panic. Ashley stood there dismayed not knowing what to say. “Please take him with you, he told me so much about you, he trusts you, please,” Elizabeth pleaded with her, holding her hand gently. “Where is my son?” Ashley asked, looking at her in
Ashley glanced at the wall clock anxiously as she turned to the phone, which didn’t indicate any calls. It was unusual for Jordan to come home late, especially on such a special day. He would either call to explain in case of an emergency or inform her if he had any business. She dialed his number which went straight to voicemail, making her even worry more. As Ashley paced around the living room, she looked at the delicacies she had spent hours preparing, and it appeared it was all for nothing. A sudden sound as the front door unlocked with a bang pulled her out of her sleep. Ashley saw the clock had struck one after midnight, making her realize she had fallen asleep. Shifting her sleepy eyes to the doorway, they rested on her husband who entered with a smile. Ashley smiled back only to realize Jordan was still holding the door for whoever the smile was for. A strange woman entered with her long black hair glittering from a distance. In all their five years, Ashley had never see
“Heey gal, this can’t continue; otherwise you’re going to get sick,” Lindsey said, hugging her as she sat on the couch next to her. It had been a week since Ashley came to her place and all she did was cry and cry more. Ashley looked at her best friend, who looked at her, worry filled in her face. “You have to eat something sweetie, I’m worried about your health, try to eat something, okay? For me…” Lindsey said, looking at her in concern, she watched her best friend breaking down as she explained all that happened. Lindsey had never seen Ashley that broken ever in her life. “Lin, I’ll be fine, I just need…” Ashley mumbled out her eyes red and swollen, her voice cracking stopping her from completing her statement. What she thought would be a happy ever after turned out to mean nothing to the man she adored most. “He’s not worth it sweetie, I know you’re hurting, but you have to stay strong and…” the doorbell rang interrupting their conversation. Lindsey walked towards the doo
The bright light in the room made Ashley narrow her eyes to adjust, the last thing she remembered was signing the divorce then darkness followed. The door opened, ushering in a worried Lindsey, “Sweetie, you got me worried, how are you feeling?” Ashley smiled weakly, something she hadn’t done in a week. “I feel…okay,” Ashley said looking at her body, her hand resting on her stomach making her expression change. “How long have you known Ash?” Lindsey asked, her eyes fixed on her stomach. Ashley looked at her, her eyes filled with pain, “some days now.” “Gal, I’m so sorry you had to go through all that, why didn’t you tell me?” Lindsey asked, hugging her as she sat before her. “No one knows… does he know?” Ashley asked, remembering she fell unconscious before Jordan. “No, I didn’t let him come, but you know he needs to know,” Lindsey said, caressing her cheek gently. Ashley shook her head, “no, he doesn’t, he has a family now, he chose them Lin, I won’t bother him,” Ashley said
Ashley smiled as she noticed how the silk navy-blue dress hugged her hips like a second skin. Her long blonde hair complimented her light makeup and toned skin.Washington had done nothing less of being a blessing in her life in the five years she had settled in. She hadn’t felt that uneasy for a long time as she looked forward to whatever Danton had prepared for her. She never understood why the man despite being a senior doctor never summed up the courage to ask her out.The door to her bedroom door banged open, pulling her out of her thoughts. “Mommy, Mommy, Bry is… wooow…” Brenda started only to stop as she looked at her mother. “Bry, Rand, come see how beautiful mommy looks!” she shrieked, clapping her hands together as small quick footsteps were heard approaching the room. Ashley smiled as she watched her children swarm into the room looking at her in admiration. “You look beautiful Mommy,” Brandon complimented, making Ashley smile as she muttered a thank you to him. “Mom,
In the alley beside Wilson Hotel;Ashley felt herself being dragged in the dark alley making her struggle to scream. The hand let loose a little, “Ssh, it's me, don't shout,” Ashley heard a woman's voice in the alley making calm down a little. “I know you don't know me, but you know him, right?” The woman asked, revealing a boy behind her. Ashley felt shocked as she saw Shane sleeping out in the cold but was well covered. “I am…” “Elizabeth, the boy's biological mother,” Ashley interjected, letting her know he knew about her. “Yes, Shane's in trouble, Maya knows I took the boy, we were supposed to meet at a certain location to stay there, but knowing Maya, I don't want Shane near him,” Elizabeth explained as she kept glancing around in panic. Ashley stood there dismayed not knowing what to say. “Please take him with you, he told me so much about you, he trusts you, please,” Elizabeth pleaded with her, holding her hand gently. “Where is my son?” Ashley asked, looking at her in
As the car drove around the city, Ashley felt her mind go miles away. She tried to gather enough strength to face all that was ahead of her. She knew no amount of the fear she felt could outdo the anticipation to see her son again. “We're here, ma'am,” the taxi driver said, pulling Ashley out from her wondrous thoughts. She saw the tall building of the hotel making her breath in sharply before proceeding. The chilly air of the night seeped through her lungs like a sharp knife, taunting her. A text came to her phone from the same new number. ‘Come straight across the street and meet me beside the hotel, I can see you come straight.’ The instructions read, making Ashley glance beside the hotel, her eyes falling on a dark spot. No matter how much her mind warned her against proceeding with the pursuit, Ashley didn't have the heart to stop. As her steps got closer, everything in her was screaming for her to stop, but she couldn't. She looked around but all she could see were some hom
Ashley saw the evening of another day without her child, making her heart clench painfully. As the doorbell rang, she couldn't help but feel as if that were music in her ears. The many times she had run to that door thinking maybe her son was home disheartened her. She couldn't face any more disappointment of not seeing her son walk through that door. She could feel her hope hanging on a string as she wiped another set of tears. Lindsey had taken the kids away, she could only hope they didn't ask endless questions about their sibling. The door opened, ushering in a panting Jordan. Ashley stood up looking at him in awe, “What happened? Did they find him?” Ashley asked, offering him a seat but all he could do was shake his head. What he said next made her feel her head swirl in dizziness. “I think they might have Shane too, he was just taken from the house, minutes ago…” Jordan said still in disbelief, hearing himself say the words out loud took a toll on him. “What? How?” Ashley
Jordan couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he held the results in his hand. It appeared he only needed to talk to Maya about how he treated their son. “Babe, I want to go visit my cousin for a few days,” Maya informed, smiling at Jordan from a meter away. Jordan furrowed his brows, wondering why Maya would bring up such a topic all of a sudden. The fact that she wasn't mad about him requesting for DNA shook him, too. “You are not mad that I had DNA done behind your back?” Jordan couldn't hold the question in again as he let it out. Maya moved towards him with a broadened smile. “It's okay if you wanted to be certain, but now I have to leave right now, I don’t want to be late,” Maya pressed on evading the DNA discussion. “I didn't know you had family here? Are you taking Shane with you?” Jordan asked the questions with concern written all over his face. Her sudden trip unsettling him, especially after the disappearance of his son. Though he hadn’t talked to her about Ashle
“Ash, you have to pull yourself together, please, for Brandon and Brenda,” Lindsey said, soothing Ashley's back gently. Ashley shook her head, looking at her friend, her eyes red from all the crying. She had never felt her world come to a standstill in just a matter of a day. A lone tear found its way down her cheek, making Lindsey feel her tears sting her eyes. “Please don't cry, it'll be okay, the police are on this, you have to stay strong,” Lin pleaded, feeling her eyes well up irresistibly. Soft steps stopped by their side, “Ashley…” Jordan's voice came, making Ashley snap her head towards him. Jordan felt a hint of Déjà vu as he remembered the last time he saw her that devastated. He couldn’t stop the horrid feeling, worrying that she would end up in a hospital bed again. On the other hand, Ashley looked at him, not saying a word as she felt her strength fail her. She couldn’t feel any strength left in her to start any argument with him. “I’ll go check up on the kids, Ash
Cheering fell in the room after Ashley and the kids finally cut the cake. The event went smoothly making Ashley feel her heart get content. Standing for hours, she felt her bladder pressing her making her quickly head to the restroom. Leaving behind all the laughing and chatters Ashley made her way through the crowd. Seeing quite a turn-out at the party made her feel humbled, finally her Heart to Heart Organization was up and running officially. Meanwhile, Jordan smiled at the enthusiastic children before him. “Jordan? Will you be coming to visit us?” Brandon asked, looking at him with his eyes filled with hope. “Of course, I'll ask mommy if I can come, and I'll bring Shane along,” Jordan answered yet another from the boy. He had lost count of Brandon's and Brenda's questions. Having his kids around him made his heart swell in pride. At a distance, Bryson sat not interested in what they were talking about, making Jordan feel his heart clench. “Bryson? What's wrong?” Jordan ask
Ashley stood by the door, her blue long dress hugging her hips like a second skin. She could sense everyone’s eyes on her as she maneuvered her way behind Lindsey but all she could feel was worried more than excited. Ashley smiled as she watched her kids playing happily in the playroom. She had doubled security; she was not ready to take any chances after the letter. “Wipe that worry of your face Ash, the detective assured me if he came anywhere near here, they’ll grab him in an instant,” Lindsey said standing beside her making Ashley take a few steps back. “They look so adorable just like their mom,” Lindsey complimented admiring the decorated kids who played with no worry whatsoever. Ashley huffed audibly before smiling at Lindsey’s comment, “I pray today ends well because I’m still worried.” Lindsey soothed her back reassuringly, “You need to relax today is a special day for all of us, and I have a surprise for you by the way.” Ashley looked at her suspiciously as Lindsey gig
Maya looked around as she stood by her car, tapping her fingers impatiently on her lap. Through the light of the night streetlights, she could see him approaching. “What took you so long?” She asked angrily when he got closer. “Sorry I had something to take care of,” the man with the hood answered with a stern voice. “Doesn't matter. Is everything ready for tomorrow?” Maya asked, swinging her car keys in her finger. “Are you sure you want to do this?” The man asked, his voice filled with doubt. “What's wrong? Are you backing down?” Maya asked, looking at him suspiciously. “No, he needs to pay for what he did to us,” the man swore, clenching his fists in anger. “Good, let's give them a grand day tomorrow, and be certain your plan will work perfectly. I don't want any surprises,” Maya warned, grinning evilly. She had been praying for such a chance for years, and she wasn't going to screw it up. “No surprises love, now can I get my special night treat?” The man asked last, fille
The car drive was nothing short of quiet and cold, no one was ready to start with addressing the issue at hand. For once in many years, Jordan didn’t know what to say. “I’m guessing that didn’t go well at all?” Luke asked, breaking the silence as he drove. He could clearly tell from Jordan's quiet mood. “Dude, I have children, triplets, I can’t imagine what Ash had to go through on her own,” Jordan said, still not in agreement with the news. To think that he told Ashley he was moving to Washington permanently. He hadn’t thought of that, but after seeing his kids, he couldn’t bear to be away anymore. “I didn’t know you knew my gal, and your ex-wife…damn! She’s…” Luke was ready to compliment when Jordan stopped him. “Don’t even finish that sentence, she’s mine!” Jordan said possessively before he could even control how he felt. “Oh my hands are up, man, she’s all yours,” Luke said, raising his arms playfully in surrender. Jordan smiled looking away, his mind taking him back to