The Braithwaite’s home was a castle. She watched in awe as the large iron gates opened up for Aiden to drive in. There was a huge water fountain in the middle of the compound, she had never see one as magical as it was. There was a beautiful gazebo at the east side of the compound and although she didn’t have a clearer view of it, she knew if she had one in her house, she’d spend most of her time there. Fairy lights were hung around the wooden framework which reminded her of a princess magical story. She had always thought that Aiden’s home was luxurious, it had face recognition doors and antique designs that were no longer being made but this house right here was made of dreams and everything a woman could wish for.She imagined living in a white picket fence with her family if she got married but scratch that, it was too basic. This was the kind of home she wanted to raise children in. “This is so beautiful” she gasped as he pulled into the drivewayThere were a fleet of
Aiden loved his mother with every fiber in him but did she really have to show up at that time? Did she even have to interrupt their moment?He placed his hands in his pocket to hide the bulge he got from kissing Jeanine. Her lips were soft and he didn’t mind the taste of her lip gloss, he’d been dying to kiss her all day and when he finally got an opportunity to, he didn’t want to stop. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment when his mother caught them. There were like two teenagers who had just been caught making out when they shouldn’t, it gave him an extra thrill that he hadn’t felt in years.He took her hands in his and led her into the house. He could feel her hands shake as a result of feeling nervous, he quickly moved his hands towards her waist as a form of comfort. The last time he had come home was after his father’s death, so many memories of his father haunted him that he wished he could have done something to save him. Each time his mother or sisters invited hi
In thirty minutes, Jeanine had learnt that Layla was a medical doctor married with two children, Valerie was a model and sport enthusiast and Portia was in college just like her and she was studying communications. Stephen and Cindy were five and they were homeschooled.All she feared would go wrong had gone wrong, it didn’t seem like Grace Braithwaite was happy about her kissing their son in their driveway. She would have probably broken down if Aiden didn’t hold her hands and reassured her that everything was okay. His touch and words had magic in them, if he said everything was going to be fine then it was, she had seen this man work and diffuse the situation effortlessly so if things went totally south with his family, he would know how to fix it. “These are for you” she managed to say and then handed the flowers over to Grace with shaky hands A chef took the fruit basket to the kitchen. She watched Grace’s eyes lit up as she smiled. It was the first time Grace smiled a
After a chaotic dinner, Aiden found his way to the balcony with a glass of wine. His sisters were helping the chefs clear the table while Jeanine was busy with the children. He admired how she was able to bond with the children without trying so hard, they looked at her with admiration and he was certain that when their marriage was over, they were going to miss her. A part of him wished he could be more like her, to hold his niece and nephew for a while without panicking. The thought of having a child of his own had sent shivers down his spine. “I’ve been looking for you”He smiled at the sound of his mother’s voice and then turned to face her. The last time he saw her, she was a shadow of herself. His heart ached for her that he couldn’t take her sadness and transfer it to himself. He tried to be the best brother and son but he failed at it. If he was a failure, how could he be a good father and a good husband? “I’m glad you came by today. Everyone misses you, Aiden”
“How are you so good with children?” Valerie asked with wide eyesThe twins finally went to bed after thirty minutes of playing hide and seek. Jeanine was exhausted but happy to be around Aiden’s family. As someone who came from a small home, she always loved the comfort that came from having other people around. “I volunteer at an orphanage” she smiled proudly. “The children are a blessing, if I could, I’ll adopt everyone of them” “I’m glad you came into my brother’s life” Valerie sighed and then closed the door quietly to avoid waking the children “I’ve never seen him this happy in a while. He looks so relaxed and less uptight”Jeanine felt a leap in her heart. She wasn’t sure if that was a sincere compliment. Certainly, she couldn’t be the reason Auden Braithwaite wasn’t his usual self. Maybe, he was seeing someone she didn’t know or maybe he was just glad to take over the role he had prepared all his life for. “You know, he’s never brought a girl home. He mu
Aiden lifted his fork lazily to his mouthpiece. Dinner with Jeanine was now a norm, he usually didn’t want company after the day's work but he didn’t mind hers. She was quiet and tolerable. They had barely spoken about dinner with his family, it wasn’t the smoothest but at least their mission was accomplished. His sisters won’t stop talking about how much of a cute couple they were. As he had expected, his niece and nephew were in love with Jeanine, they s stop calling him over the phone to ask if they could come visit so they could spend time with her. They didn’t even like their own uncle as much. “How was your day?” She asked as she poured them some juiceHe dropped his fork and pause for some seconds. She never asked him about his day. No one actually ever asked him how his day went, not that he care to answer anyway. “Fine” he resumed eating and hoped she’d be quiet while he thinks about his next business launch “Want to share details? I want to hear about your d
Over the next week, Jeanine learnt Aiden’s schedule. He was an early bird, he went out for either running or boxing, he never missed his morning coffee and he liked it black, no sweetener. He was always thirty minutes early to work and he didn’t joke around when it came to his work. Last Friday, he left without her. There was no explanation, he knew that she was going to join him at work but because he couldn’t adjust his schedule for her, he left. She was only five minutes late and she spent the five minutes thinking of what shoe to wear, she didn’t want to wear her converse because it was an important role and she had waited two years to be a part of a Ray.co, too casual. Her heels were too sophisticated, she didn’t also want to look intimidating on her first day. When he came back from work, he didn’t apologize to her or ask why she didn’t come in, he just ate dinner in silence and went to his room. She didn’t appreciate the way she was treated, she wasn’t allowed to bring
Lunch break wasn’t a big deal to him. Most of his workers spent it together, eating and talking about only God knows what. Aiden rather spends his time going over records, looking for any mistakes so he can call his staff to it after launch break. He flipped through the files over and over again. He couldn’t focus, not when Jeanine was in the same building as him. When they got to work, they parted ways to their separate departments and he hadn’t seen her since, it had only been three hours. He spent the past hour in a meeting but he was thinking of her, if she was doing fine or if she needed anything. She seemed quite independent but a part of him hoped she’d come to his office and ask him something annoying. Or maybe he should ask her to have lunch with him? But what was he going to say? He loved eating in silence but she wouldn’t stop talking. He eventually closed the file and pushed it away, there was no point pretending like he was working. He made his way to her office,