The following morning; Simone and Emmett were meeting with Stacey for another antenatal checkup. They invited Linda to join them this time and Jenny had offered to look after Jake whilst she came into town to see them.“How are you going?” Linda asks, giving Simone a hug at the doorway of the hospital.“I feel like a beached whale” Simone laughs, hugging her back. “And I know it’s going to get worse. I can still move around without waddling too much and I can sit down and get out of a chair with no trouble, not like those video’s you showed us.”“Give it time, you still have 15 weeks by my calculations” Linda giggles as they walk up to the nurse’s station who lets them know to take a seat before they announce their arrival. “Jake was disappointed he couldn’t see ‘cle Emt today. I left him screaming in Jenny’s arms.”“I told you. I’m lovable” Emmett whispers in Simone’s ear as she rolls her eyes at him before taking a seat in the waiting room. “We found an apartment building. It needs
Linda followed Emmett and Simone to the office building. Simone wanted to introduce her to all the models, Cheryl and Rachael since she accepted the roll of live-in nanny for Isabella. She was feeling a little nervous and Simone didn’t understand why because she was always an easy-going lady. She put it down to Emmett asking her to do an interview.“And to your right you will see my office” Simone says, in her best impression as a tour guide as Linda giggles next to her. Dropping the tour guide persona; “here, you have Tiffany’s office, and the bookkeeper’s office is over there. I will be making this back office into a small nursery for Jake and Isabella. You can set it up however you want it.”“The space is perfect” Linda says, giving her a nervous smile. “I can put a couple of portable cots, play area with some bean bags. Maybe a sofa or two and a television and DVD recorder with some kid’s movies.”“And through here is a common room for the models to do their work” Simone tells her
Sitting on Emmett’s lap to allow everyone else to take the sofa and chairs around the office. Simone introduces Linda to Lester and Jason. “Linda was the nurse you hired for Dad” Simone says to Jason who nods.“Tiff hired her. I just pointed her in the right direction” Jason says with a smile. “What’s this all about?”“Apparently Sylvia isn’t the only person who was released from jail” Simone responds, as Emmett’s eyes grow dark, looking over at Bartholomew. He figured out who they were talking about since Bartholomew was in his office with them.“Claire!” he snaps as Bartholomew nods his head. “When?”“Don’t know” Bartholomew answers, turning his focus onto Linda. “Claudia wasn’t her real name. Her name is Claire Miller. When did you see her?”“A few weeks ago. I don’t understand; her name isn’t Claudia Jackson? Why would you tell Jared and I that was her name?” Linda queries, a puzzled look on her face.“You know how I had to register a name for my masters and doctorate; she registe
The following morning; Bartholomew, Simone, Emmett, Vince and Tiffany head out to the countryside in Simone’s SUV. They thought it would be easier and safer for all of them to go together. “Bart if you don’t stop flirting with my wife; I’m going to throw you out of the vehicle” Emmett yells, pulling Simone closer to him as giggles escaped her lips. “And the car won’t be stopped when it happens.”“And when he does; I’ll stop the car and kick your ass if you don’t stop flirting with mine” Vince spits over his shoulder.“Flirting is all I have, since I can’t have either” Bartholomew snickers, pretending to pout. “Ok; Ok. Jealous much?” he includes as Emmett tries to grab him and open the car door at the same time. “I’ll tone down my flirting. I never really did it before Claudia came into my life. I only started, hoping it will get rid of her. I haven’t learnt where to draw the line because she only got worse.”“The line was crossed when you got into the car” Emmett murmurs as Simone rol
Emmett, Vince and Bartholomew went to the café, where Linda told them she saw Claire. They had sat down in a secluded table away from the rest of the café, however could still see the counter and front entrance. Vince was facing the front door to see if she would show up. “You’ve been awfully quiet for a change” Emmett remarks to Bartholomew turning to look at the doorway as someone walks out.“You haven’t been vocal much yourself” Bartholomew banters back, taking a sip of his cappuccino. “To be completely honest; I’m not looking forward to seeing her.”“That makes two of us” Emmett states, turning in his chair as he hears the bells of the front door ringing again. The longer they waited the more nervous he got. “Show time” he murmurs as Bartholomew turns to look at Claire moving to the counter.“Wait until she sits down. I’m going to stand at the door so she can’t leave and Emmett; you go to the counter first and grab a sugar or something. Make sure she sees you; then Bart will follo
Before the men left for the café; Simone and Tiffany came to their senses, and with the help of Linda; they told them they weren’t allowed to harm her; only scare her as they originally planned. When they got back, they didn’t ask and the men weren’t going to tell what they did.; all they said was, ‘it’s been taken care of.’It was late by the time Vince dropped Simone and Emmett off at the bungalow. Emmett carried Simone inside the house as she fell asleep on the trip back. Placing her in bed; Emmett checks the message on his phone and hits the call button “I’ve been waiting all afternoon for you to call me back. Was it her?” Lester questions with agitation in her voice.“I didn’t have any reception; sorry. It was” Emmett responds, heading out the front of the house so he didn’t wake Simone or Jonathon up. “She’s been dealt with.”“Emms; you guys didn’t do anything stupid did you?” Lester asks hoping he didn’t have to bail his best friend out of jail anytime soon.“We already discuss
Emmett and Simone had taken Jonathon over to see Richard the following day; leaving Cheryl at the bungalow to have some time to herself. He had sat down with Richard and explained what had happened the day before on the car drive to the countryside and told him he knew who gave him the scars on his shoulder; arm and leg. Richard figured it would come out eventually and didn’t blame Simone for what she did at the time. He blamed himself for pushing her to the point, she had no other option.“The one thing I don’t understand. Richard said yesterday when he was unconscious in the hospital; his memories were playing over in his mind like a movie and right at the end; he heard a woman’s voice saying be good to her boy” Simone says to Emmett as she puts on her green maternity dress to head into the office building. “People say when they die your life flashes before your eyes and you hear people. There was no indication he died because he was connected to monitors the whole time. I don’t thi
The drive to the school was filled with conversations on if the designers were anyone they knew and what the challenges would be. When they reached the school; Simone looks at her watch; “Mrs Tibbet’s going to make us wait 30 minutes until the students are on lunch?”Katrina pulls out her phone and scrolls through her gallery; “Mattie and Jonny have gym class with Coach Phillips. They’ll be at the auditorium. We can go there first and then see Mrs K in her staffroom afterwards.”Simone forgot Katrina had their school schedule; “Sounds like a plan” she giggles as the pair walk to the auditorium; opening the door and sitting down on the bleachers to the side. ‘Didn’t take them long to fix the auditorium up from the fire’ Simone states to herself, looking around from her seat before glancing over to the class. The kids were participating in a makeshift obstacle course as they watched Matilda run through each obstacle with another girl, cheering quietly between herself and Katrina. At the