The next morning Angela woke up earlier, a little excited.She was filled with hope about meeting Antonio again. According to Yuki, if she could meet him with Hinata absent, they will have a chance.So she decided to start the day on a positive note.She slipped out of her bed, careful not to wake the house and cleaned up the whole house, in case he decides to visit the family.After the house was sparkling clean, she went straight to the kitchen humming music.She decided to make all their favorites: fluffy scrambled eggs, perfectly golden pancakes, crispy bacon, and a fresh fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, and slices of orange. For Junior, she made his favorite oatmeal, sweetened with a bit of honey and topped with cinnamon.Once the breakfast was ready, she set the table.The sight of the table, so beautifully prepared by her, made her smile with satisfaction. "The kids are going to be so happy, I made their favorites... I can't thank those Angels enough".She giggled
Angela fed him between bites of her own breakfast."Do you like it, baby?"She said in a tiny voice and kissed his cheek.He nodded and clapped his tiny hands."Yummy!""That's my little sunshine," Angela said, beaming at him. Lia tried to query once more, her voice was filled with gentle persistence. "Mom, really, what's going on? It's like you're a different person today."Angela laughed softly, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Eat your food, miss curiosity"."I am no longer a little baby, mom".Lia pouted at how messed up her long hair is."My apologies boss".Angela replied.The girls laughed.After breakfast, Angela felt a mix of nervousness and excitement bubbling inside her. She cleared the table, kissed her children again, and told them to focus on their studies for the day. Lia and Liya took their schoolbooks to the living room, where they set up a study area to help Junior with his English starter lessons.Junior was full of energy after breakfast, so he was eager to l
Angela followed him, her mind swirling with questions and her heart with emotions. The walk to the café felt longer than it actually was, each step heavy with anticipation, worry, and fear of the unknown.Once they got inside the Café. Antonio found a secluded corner table, away from the few other customers.So he went and took a seat, Angela drew a deep breath and walked quietly to the table to sit across from him.She reached the table, to her surprise Antonio stood up and apologized then pulled the seat out for her immediately.Angela was speechless at his gesture, but she forced herself to murmur, thanks.As they sat in the quiet café, Angela's heart raced and her nerves intensified, the anticipation was almost unbearable. She couldn't help but wonder what he needed to say. She had hope that perhaps, just perhaps, this would be the moment they would reconnect, that Antonio might remember their past together. Her hands fidgeted with the edge of the table as she tried to keep ca
He gently pulled his hand away from hers, leaving Angela's hands hanging on the table helplessly."I'm sorry, Angela, but I have someone else now. I've found happiness in a life where I'm not that man anymore. You need to move on too. It's time for a new beginning, Angela. I can't go back to that world. I am sorry."Angela's chest tightened, her eyes were so wife that they could burst, her breath coming in shallow gasps as the reality of his words settled in.Antonio stood up after his statement.He glanced down at Angela. She was still in shock staring into the space with tears flooding down her cheeks.He looked down as if he regretted the pain he was causing. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough to heal the gaping wound he had just inflicted.Immediately he folded his length in half with a low bow. "I'm so sorry for all the pain I may have caused you in the past," he said with his voice thick with sincerity. "For everything, until now. But I can't be that person anymore.
The door lock cracked.The twin's faces lit up in excitement, they were filled with energy and couldn't wait to hear all about Angela's day and the surprise she talked about in the morning.Unfortunately, it wasn't what they expected.Angela stumbled into the house, her mind clouded with a mix of alcohol and heartbreak. She had tried to forget the pain Antonio had left her with, but instead, it had only pushed her deeper into despair. Getting herself drunk wasn't in any way helpful, either.As she entered the living room, the twins, Lia and Liya, looked at her in shock at the sight of her in such a state. That will be the first they've seen someone drunk and not to talk of the person being Angela."I am so done with it all! I am so done!"Angela cried, staggering up the staircase.The twins exchanged questionable gaze with worried expressions on their faces."Mummy!"Junior shouted in excitement with his hands stretched out to get Angela's attention, but she ignored him completely.
Liya immediately grabbed their home phone and dialed Yuki’s number, her tears started blurring her vision as she frantically explained what was happening.“Aunty Yuki, please, you have to come. Mummy….. She’s not okay,” Liya cried into the phone, her voice thick with fear. Junior, who was traumatized by his own confusion, cried even louder than his sister. Yuki could hear their cries over the phone.That was disturbing.“What’s happening, what happened to Angela?”She asked.“She came home…staggering and was crying, then she told us… she told us that Uncle Jace is dead and that it’s her fault, other things we can't understand. We don’t know what to do…”Lia got the bowl and a towel and started cleaning Angela up.Yuki sighed in relief.“Calm down honey, nothing is going to happen to her, Okay?”Yuki replied.Liya nodded readily.Just then the doorbell rang, interrupting their phone conversation.The twins exchanged some fearful looks, wondering who that might be.“I think they are t
The snow was falling in thick, soft flakes, blanketing the city in a quiet stillness. The streets glistened under the dim streetlights, and the soft crunch of snow beneath their boots was the only sound cutting through the cold night air. After the day's work the couple, Antonio and Hinata walked side by side, their hands entwined and their breaths visible were in the crisp chill.Antonio wore a long, dark wool coat, buttoned to his neck, a gray scarf wrapped snugly around his throat. His hands, though gloved, held tightly to Hinata's. While Hinata was bundled in a white, knee-length coat with fur lining the hood. A pair of red gloves peeked out from the sleeves of her coat, and she wore thick, knitted tights under black ankle boots. Her long dark hair framed her small face beneath the fur-lined hood, and her cheeks were flushed from the cold."Your hand is so warm, baby".She looked up and smiled at Antonio.Antonio smiled back and patted her head due to their height difference.
Angela opens her eyes slowly in the dimly lit room, her head throbbing from the hangover from her drunken state. She blinked, her vision slowly clearing, and she saw a female figure sitting quietly beside her bed."Yuki?"Kerry's expression was soft, filled with concern."No sister, it's...me, Kerry".She took her sister's hands and kissed it.Angela's heart clenched at the sight, tears dropped down her cheeks."Kerry..." Angela croaked, her voice hoarse. She tried to sit up, but Kerry gently pushed her back down."Take it easy, please" Kerry whispered, her voice calm and soft. "I'm here. Just rest."Angela swallowed hard, her throat dry. "How... how did you know my address?" she asked, her mind still foggy but desperate for answers. She had no idea how Kerry had found her, how any of this had happened.Kerry sighed softly, tucking a strand of Angela's disheveled hair behind her ear. "Doris told me, remember the time you called Doris saying you would Antonio." she explained. "Sh