Chapter one

"Mom!!! Mom!!!"

"What's wrong with her? She has been like this since she came back from work yesterday." Two children spoke to each other as they tried to get the attention of their mother who was obviously lost in thought. "What do you think happened to her?" The young girl asked her brother who shrugged and went to tap his mother's shoulder.

"Hmmm! What is... I mean, hey baby!" Isabella who has been lost in thought came to as she said.

"What is it, mom? We have been calling you for a while now and you didn't even hear us call. What are you thinking?" Oliver asked his mother.

Isabella looked at her children who has never failed to surprise her. Oliver and Olivia are the fruit of what happened eight years ago and what made her lose her father now. "Did you call me?" She asked them.

"Yes, we did... What's wrong with you mom? You have been acting like this since you came back from work yesterday. What is it?" Olivia asked her mother.

Their question brought tears to her eyes because, sometimes, they act like her parents. They would always know when she was in a bad mood and would try as much as possible to cheer her up. "Why are you crying? Did someone bully you at work? What's the problem?" Oliver asked worriedly as he saw the tears running down his mother's cheeks.

After Isabella had managed to calm herself down, she beckoned on her children to come closer and pulled them into a hug. "Mommy was just being emotional. Thank you so much for worrying about me but, I'll be fine. I was just thinking of some things and it made me sad." She said as she held them tighter.

"It's okay mom, we all have days like that... What made you start thinking of things that makes you sad? Don't you know that when you are not happy it makes us worry?" Olivia said as she pulled out a little to look at her mother's face. The both of them could be said to look very much alike but, one is dark and the other is fair.

Isabella pulled out of the hug and looked at her children then, smiled and said. "I am very sorry that I had to make you two worry. What would I have done without the two of you?" She pinched Olivia's cheeks and said, "my Oliva is all grown," she tapped on Oliver's nose and added. "The man of the house is looking so manly. What would I have done without the two of you?"

"Nothing! You couldn't have lived without the two of us. We are your lucky charm!" Olivia said with a bright smile on her face.

"Yes, Olivia is right... You would have been helpless without us. See, I am the one making you breakfast when it's supposed to be the other way around." Oliver added with a shake of his small head.

Isabella couldn't hold it anymore and laughed at how cute Oliver looked when he was acting mature. What did he cook? He made tea and they set the table. That's what's on the table and this little man is acting so big. "Yes, you are right. This breakfast looks so good... You have outdone yourself this time around. Nice work my big man!" Isabella praised him and gave him a thumbs up.

"Don't do that mom! It makes you look childish. You are already 24 years old and have two grown-up children. What is remaining is to get married. Please, can we eat? I don't want to be late to class." He answered his mom and assisted his sister to sit.

Isabella just kept looking at him with a smile on her face and when he sat down, she helped them to put butter on their bread and they all had breakfast.

Olivia is a 24 years old woman with two kids. Twins, a boy, and a girl. She found out she was pregnant with them after being thrown away to Nigeria by her father and stepmother. Her father didn't even give her the chance to explain what happened that night. He just sent her to her grandparents without a second thought. It has been eight years since that incident and she hasn't seen or heard from her father since that year. Her grandparents were happy to receive her because according to them she is the exact copy of her mother. They weren't lying when they said that because, after seeing her mother's pictures of when she was her age, she knew she looked so much like her mother. After giving birth to her children, her grandparents helped her take care of them while she continued with her education. She graduated from the University of Lagos with a degree in business management and started to work for her grandparents. While learning, she had also learned catering. Now, her grandparent's restaurant happen to be one of the best you could ever find in the country. They ended up opening branches all around.

Last year, her grandfather passed away and it really broke their heart. Isabella and her children finished breakfast and left the house in isabella's car. "Mom!?" Olivia called after the car had left their compound.

"Yes," Isabella answered.

"I don't want to make you sad or anything but, I want to know and I have to ask. What happened to you? You were not yourself yesterday and this morning, you cried. Can you tell us why?" Olivia asked and her brother nodded his head to show that he also wanted to know what happened to her.

Isabella was reminded of the reason why she cried again. Looking at the faces of her children alone was enough to make her remember the reason but, how could she tell them why she was like that? She possibly couldn't tell them that she saw their father. She had formed a very elaborate love story and told them how she and their father was so in love that they ended up giving their first time to each other before she was sent back to Nigeria. She even went as far as to tell them that their father had died a few months after she left the united states and came back to Nigeria. What a world! She had never expected to meet him in this lifetime again. How could such a thing happen? "Well, the thing is... I... I... I just remembered Granpa! Yes! I just remembered grandpa and I couldn't help being sad because I miss him. That's what happened." Isabella said after thinking for a while and realizing that she couldn't tell them that their father whom she told them is dead is why she is like that.

Oliver and Olivia looked at their mother for a while after she had finished talking and looked at each other. Anybody could tell what they were thinking when they looked at their mother but, they would never say it out. They couldn't possibly tell her that they knew she was lying. They would be a slap on their mom's face. Right? "Oh,"

"Hmmm," they both mumbled after a while.

Isabella looked at them in surprise. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting. Did they know the was lying to them? She asked herself as she continued to drive them to school.

When she got to their school and pulled over, she turned to look at Oliver and Olivia who were sitting at the back and quietly watching her. "The both of you should be good. Okay? I'll be here as usual when school ends in the afternoon. I love you two and I want the two of you to take care of each other." She said and they both nodded their head.

"Do you have to say this again? You keep telling us the same thing every day. We could even recite it to you if you want us to. Bye, mom. Take care at work and don't work too hard." Oliver answered and Olivia nodded her head in support.

"Okay, I love you guys!" Isabella said and placed kisses on their foreheads.

"Love you too mom!" They both answered and opened the car door and walked into the school while turning at intervals to wave at her.

She watched them as they walked into the school compound. Looking at them, she started to think again. Oliver is the exact copy of his father. When she saw him yesterday, her heart and soul knew that she couldn't be wrong. Her grandma even noticed the resemblance between Oliver and him. Oliver and Olivia are the perfect examples of what Nigerians call 'oyinbo' meaning white.

Olivia's hair is pitch black while Oliver's hair is brown. Their eyes are what you would love the most about them. They both have blue eyes. Just like their mothers. She was also a black American, her mother is a Nigerian while her father is an American. The only thing she inherited from her father was his blur eyes and her children also got that from her. She didn't even realize that she had stayed too long in front of the school till the security guard knocked on her glass. After saying she was fine, she drove off.

When she got to the restaurant, she met her grandmother waiting for her. "Bella!! What took you so long to get here? Come! There is something and someone you have to meet!" Her grandmother said and pulled her in.

"Calm down grandma! Too much excitement is not good for your health. Slow down..." Isabella said as she was being pulled along by her grandma.

Their restaurant wasn't built like a normal eatery. It was a four-story building and the fourth floor is where her grandmother lives. The third floor is where they rent out to people who want to use it got large events. The second floor is the VIP floor. That's what they called it tho. The ground floor is open to everybody and that's also the floor that holds the kitchen and office.

Isabella was wondering 'what' or 'who' was making her grandma so excited when she was pulled up to the second floor. "What going on? Who are we meeting?" She asked but her grandma still remained secretive.

"Just follow me. Will you? It's just someone that you have to meet." Her grandmother answered with a smile.

"Grandma, I hope you are not trying to set me up with someone again? I have told you that I am still young and I gave many years to find a partner. Besides..." Isabella was saying but stopped when she saw the person standing in front of her. "What..." She opened her mouth to say but stopped.

"Hi, Isabella Grey... My name is Luke Simeon and I believe you know me based on your reaction." The handsome and unforgettable face that she sees on her son said to her with a smile.