7

In the lift, it was quiet until Rayne decided to break the silence.

He wasn’t silly. He knew that there was something up with his father. 

In fact, his father never agrees to ice-cream.

He was very strict when it came to food. 

‘Miss Rayne?’ The boy, asked. 

‘Yes, little Rayne?’ Vera was quick to answer the little boy.

‘What is your favorite, ice-cream?’ He asked. 

It made Vera smile down at the little boy.

‘Hmm,’ Vera moans. 

Luke had to stop himself from groaning.

Vera didn’t know what she was doing to his body. 

‘My most very favorite would have to be double chocolate with chocolate chips.’ Vera answered the boy. 

She hadn’t had ice-cream for awhile. But she actually looking forward to it. 

Luke was getting impatient now. He just want to just sit down with her close beside him. 

He wanted to get close to her. Hopefully touch her hand. 

He did realize that she may not like it. That he still had to work on her trusting him. 

And that is something that can not be rushed. 

As much as that really frustrated him. 

So, now impatient and frustrated, Luke pulled out his swipe card. 

He then swiftly swiped the card over the lifts device and made the lift go straight to the ground. 

He wanted to talk to Vera but didn’t know what to say. He was speechless, which that never happens to Luke when it came to women. 

But Vera was different. 

He knew that Vera was going to be his wife one day. 

One day soon. 

When ever he looked at Vera, all he saw was her being his wife. 

They were seated straight away. They didn’t dare to keep him waiting.

Luke made sure that Vera was sitting next to him. 

Rayne was quite fond of Vera and sat on the other side of Vera before his tiny sister could. 

Sera, she was seated beside her father. 

‘We should have dinner, first.’ Luke tells his children, giving them a stern look when he saw they were going to complain.

‘Oh yes, you can’t have ice-cream before dinner.’ Vera agreed.

This pleased Luke.

As parents, you had to back each other up.

And even though Vera didn’t know that she was actually their mother.

She still sided with him as father and mother.

Like a family, he longed.

It also turned him on.

‘Miss Rayne?’  came the little voice of Rayne.

It brought Luke out of his thought.

Instantly, it brought Vera’s attention.

‘Yes, little man?’ she said, looking down at the little boy beside her.

The little boy looked into Vera’s eyes. 

‘Are you my father’s new girlfriend?’ he then asked. 

He was so confident when he asked. 

It blew her away. 

Luke on the other hand, he didn’t think his son would have asked that. 

But at the same time, he was holding his breath for Vera’s answers. 

He wanted her to say yes! 

Vera was speechless. She had only known this man for two days. 

He has only ever been nice to her. 

Maybe she could trust him. She thought. 

But she doesn’t trust easily. 

Things had happened to her. 

Terrible things. 

Some with her family. 

Then, something just recently. 

She’ll get into that later. 

‘You are a little sweetheart.’ Vera says, turning back to the little boy. ‘I am your father’s. . .’ she paused a bit so she could look at the man sitting beside her. ‘We are friends.’ She had said. 

She wasn’t sure if they were. 

She didn’t want to give the boy the wrong impression. 

She also didn’t know if the man beside her wanted to be her friend. 

Luke on the other hand, wanted to her to say yes. 

But he knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. 

It pleased him though, when she said they were friends. 

He was going to make sure that she means what she said. 

Apparently, Rayne wasn’t finished. 

Because what he said next, nearly made Luke choke. 

‘We want you to be our mother.’ The little boy said. 

It surprised Luke. Because his son wasn’t so forward. 

He wondered though, did his son feel a bond deep down. Like out of instincts. 

‘Oh hunny,’ Vera chuckled, in a little shock

It also made her sad, making her think of the child she once had.

Every day she wondered whether she had given birth to a son or a daughter.

She wondered about the child’s personality.

Did they take after her or the father.

Vera didn’t say anything about the child she had. It was hers to keep.

Vera was saved by the waiter.

It was time to order.

Vera was going to let the children order first. But Luke, spoke up first and said for her to go first.

So, she picked up the menu and glanced it over.

She didn’t know what she felt like. But she had to order something.

‘Stake, well done. With mushroom and onion gravy. With the side of chips and salad. And an extra strong and large coffee.’ Vera ordered.

It made Luke smile when he heard her order a coffee.

‘And you, Sir?’ the waiter asked.

Luke could see the waiter trembling.

His reputation proceeds him.

‘I’ll have the same.’ Luke said. His voice wasn’t as soft like when he spoke to Vera.

Vera heard that too.

It made her wonder why.

But she would never ask.

‘The children will have chicken nuggets, potato, pumpkin, carrots, beans and Peas. And a glass of water.’

The waiter quickly wrote down the bosses order. 

‘Can I have the coffee now. And then another when the food comes.’ Vera asked. 

‘Um.’ The waiter says. 

‘That sounds like a good idea. I’ll have mine too.’ Luke spoke up. 

He knew the waiter was going to say, that wasn’t how it went. 

But he knew that the waiter could not deny him. 

And no one should ever deny Vera either. 

Because, that offends Luke. And no one should ever offend him. 

‘Of course, sir.’ The waiter says and then left as quickly as she could. 

‘Daddy, I need to go to the toilet.’ The little girl says. 

‘OK, Princess.’ Luke said, using his gentle voice he only uses for her. 

It made Vera smile. 

Before Luke could stand up, Vera had spoken before she could stop herself. 

‘I need to go as well. I can take her if you want?’

This pleased Luke. Though he hid his excitement. He didn’t want to scare her away, before he could actually get her. 

But this made him happy. He could just see it now. 

The mother and daughter being close. 

He could see that when they are older, they were going to have secret mother and daughter secrets. He dreams of that badly. 

‘Thank you, Vera.’ Luke says, looking deeply into her eyes. 

Vera stood up then and walked the few steps to Sera. 

Sera was eager to grab Vera’s hand and then they began to make their way to the bathroom. 

Luke watched them walk away holding hands. 

He thought it looked like a beautiful sight. A sight that he thought he would ever see. 

He was going to treasure this picture in his head for as long as he was alive.