Kyle King
The wedding ceremony finally came and went. We travelled to Paris on Ava’s insistence, and I couldn’t say no. She had become less troublesome ever since our little fight. I was surprised she didn’t report me to the cops or her dad after all the threats. Well, she won’t. I had been letting her have her way, and finally, I showed her who the real Kyle King was. She rolled on the bed, smiling peacefully. We were still in one of the resorts in France and had planned to rest all day after spending the week on tour and in bed. I was restless, though. I have been thinking about the wedding and what Uncle David said to me before I travelled for this honeymoon. ‘So, you are going to marry Ava? I thought you were slowing things down until you knew she was the right woman after Tessa?’ I smiled, feeling indifferent to his statement. ‘ I am certain about Ava now, sir. The longer I wait, the longer I delay my chances of a second chance at marriage and having a child. I don’t want to die without an heir, Uncle, so this was the best decision.’ He laughed, ‘Are you sure this is about an heir or a way to forget about Tessa? You know you can still admit you love her, right?’ I stood up immediately and said, ‘Enjoy your trip to New Jersey, Uncle, and thank you for the present.’ ‘You can’t run from the truth, son. I will give you a call once I arrive there. I have a nice married life.’ he replied, taking a bottle of champagne with him. I wasn’t running from the truth, and honestly, in Ava’s arms, it was home. I couldn’t regret having her as my wife. I stepped out of bed, walked into the shower, and in a few minutes, I was done. I picked a white t-shirt and black trousers. I needed to clear my head. I wrote a note and placed it beside Ava. I didn’t want her to wake up worried about my whereabouts. The street was filled with people and vehicles. I strolled, stopping to speak with a few people who I had made friends with during my last visit. I was looking for a cafe that sold a nice lunch and had a calm environment. They described the best one on the street, and thankfully, it was trekable. ‘Hello, sir. Would you like to place your order? ‘ The waiter asked, picking up a menu and handing it over to me. I scanned through it and said, ‘Right. I think honey chocolate pancakes and a glass of apple juice.’ The waiter nodded. ‘It will be ready in fifteen minutes. Would you like to watch something on television?’ I scanned the room and noticed I was the only customer in the room. ‘Yes, it will be a great distraction.’ ‘Where is everyone, though? I was told this is one of the busiest cafes in town and everyone’s favourite place to get pizza. Was I told wrong?’ The waiter chuckled, ‘No, you didn’t. You are just a bit late. Our rush hour crowd just left an hour ago, and soon, the high school kids and moms will be taking the empty places.’ I nodded. ‘That’s good. I will be expecting the pancakes; thank you.’ The waiter smiled, walking into a room that I suspected was the kitchen. The place wasn’t big, but the setting was beautiful, just like normal cafes in the States. They also had a karaoke stand and books on a shelf for those customers who loved to read while they ate. It was a brilliant set-up.While I idly watched the television, an elderly woman walked in with a stroller. A baby was in there. She looked vaguely familiar with her poise and the way she spoke, but I waved it off. She must be one of those tourists we met last week. The rich ones who kept to themselves and only commented when the tourist asked some historical questions.
I picked up my phone, scrolling through the last messages that just popped up. It was from Xavier. He wanted to know when I would be coming back and reminded me of the meeting with a certain client I had no idea about. I replied, informing him that I would be back by next week and that the client’s meeting should be rescheduled. I couldn’t rush my honeymoon because of some clients who mightn’t sign a deal with us later.I resumed watching the elderly woman, who wore a hat and sunglasses. I couldn’t see her face. She took a swift look at the room and rested her eyes for a minute before collecting her order from the waiter. She looked at me again and left with the stroller. The baby was giggling as she walked out. I couldn’t shake the old woman’s stare.
‘Alright, sir. Here is your lunch,’ the waiter said, dropping the plate. I smiled, looking at the plate. ‘Thank you. Can you put some in a paper bag for me? I have a hungry wife waiting for me at the resort.’ ‘Alright, sir. I will tell the kitchen staff and will be back in a minute with it.’ The pancakes were the best I had tasted in a while, and the apple juice was cold. I enjoyed every bit of my stay at the restaurant. The waiter also proved to be a great connection, and I dropped my business card just in case she had anyone who wanted our services in the States or in Paris. I returned home after a long day of strolling, watching a football match, and stopping at a store to get a necklace for Ava and a box of chocolates. ‘Kyle! You are home! What took you so long?’ ‘I wanted to feel the Paris spirit before we returned home next week. You know we still have a lot to cover before the end of our honeymoon.’ She smiled. ‘You are right, babe. Did you get the necklace? I handed her the box. ‘There’s a box of chocolate in there, and I also bought pancakes for you.’ She grabbed the box and rushed into the bedroom, calling her friends to inform them about the collection of her jewelry. I dropped the paper bag on the table and strolled outside.I was still haunted by the words of my uncle.
Geneveive Tessa RobertAccording to an online page I read, the Hotel New Grand is the best place to book a room whenever you come over to Paris for a family vacation. Mom had suggested we celebrate the holidays in another country, and according to the votes, France was the pick. So, on a bright Friday morning, everyone hopped into Dad’s friend's private plane, and the next day we arrived in Paris.I couldn’t sleep through the flight because of the kids, but my mom assured me it was fine. They were almost two anyway! I was still worried, so I read through the historical novel I brought along and buried myself in it until I slept off.Mom’s voice woke me up. We were about to land. I scanned everyone in the suite: mom, dad, Vera, James, a cousin, Mary, and her kids. She was from Dad’s side of the family. I didn’t know her too well because her mom, Dad’s sister, never visited us while we were in Arizona. She was married to royalty, so it was pretty hard for her to visit family members in
Geneveive Tessa RobertI sent the last aspect of our project. Thankfully, it wasn’t a drawing but a summary of what everyone had done and our major inspirations. It was like a reference paper, but with insights into our work. I sighed, hitting the submit button on the website. We were done, finally. I sent a message to our Slack group and waited for their celebrations, which came faster than I expected.They jubilated with words, emojis, and prayers. They also thanked me for taking up the task of compiling our names and inspirations and making a great reference paper. I smiled, reading through the comments. It’s been a while since anyone praised me for my artwork or achievements. Mom thought I was wasting time on getting a skill I might never use, but I have always had a comeback since the interior building at Hoplas Designs was unveiled. She would later remind me in the coming years that she was the one who inspired me to take the art classes, and as always, I won’t argue with her.
Kyle King‘That’s the result. It says I am okay and you are, so tell your mom to exercise patience. We’ve only been married for two years. I am not in a hurry to get kids, anyway.’ Ava slammed the test results on the table. ‘If she can't exercise patience, then we go for a surrogate. I don’t manufacture babies!’I picked up the test results. Everything was okay, according to the doctor. The same thing that happened with Tessa was almost repeating itself again. I couldn’t understand why fate was playing tricks on me. All I wanted was a child and to get Mom off my back. She kept forgetting she had a grandchild already, and each time I reminded her, she claimed the child belonged to Seth’s family but not hers. She wanted a grandchild from me.Her friendship with Ava’s mom was strained due to her constant reminder that she had cheated. Mum felt that Ava's mum knew Ava couldn’t have children quick like she wanted but didn’t tell her because of the woman’s greed. I tried to intervene, but
Geneveive Tessa RobertI rubbed my temple as it throbbed. Hope was driving me crazy with her cries. I didn’t know what was wrong with her. Mom wasn’t here to help out. She had travelled to Arizona for a meeting and had left me in the hands of the nanny. A Mexican woman with an amazing British accent. I checked her temperature again. She was okay, so why was she crying?‘Probably, she’s growing a new tooth. You know, she just clocked four days ago,’ the nanny said, placing a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table.I nodded. That could be it. She was probably growing a new tooth and couldn’t endure it. But she was four years old! A four-year-old didn’t cry because of a new tooth. I rubbed my temple again and sent an emergency text to mom. I was out of options on what to do with my daughter. Nicholas was quiet, watching his sister. He merely stared and then returned his food. He didn’t understand what was going on. ‘I don't know if it’s a new tooth. She was perfectly fine this morning, an
Kyle KingThe hospital reminded me of the times I brought Tessa for tests and consultations with the doctor. Now, I was here because of something that troubled me. The letter that Ava brought. There was something wrong with it, and I knew why. I had a low sperm count issue, although I started private treatment after the first consultation with an old general practitioner. I had threatened him not to reveal anything, Tessa. So, all the years we visited the hospital, I collected the results and kept them from her eyes. Tessa believed every word from me, and sometimes I tweaked it to fit her questions. Now, Ava was playing a similar game. I knew she didn’t run any tests. A confirmation from Doc. Brown told me all I wanted to know. I scheduled an appointment to run another test and discuss it with him. The nurse on the seat was a new face. She looked like a high school leaver, but I could tell she wasn’t from the way she talked. She mumbled some words when I informed her about the appoi
Kyle King‘Alright, the results are out, Kyle. I think you should put a smile on your face. Your sperm count has increased over the years. I am not surprised. You kept to the treatments and were consistent with your appointments, even though you stopped after a while.’I exhaled, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder. Indeed, that was what just happened. I had held the guilt all these years that I was the reason why Tessa couldn’t give birth, and finally, I felt guiltless. I had recovered along the line. But when?I asked. ‘When did I fully improve, or should I say recover?’He looked at the results and said, ‘You recovered four years ago, but it wasn’t as great as now. Why do you ask?’I shrugged. I didn’t want to bring up Tessa’s name since I noticed he didn’t talk about her.’‘I am just curious, that’s all. Thank you, doctor. You just helped me solve a big m
Geneveive Tessa RobertThe driver stopped at the twins nursery school. They were late today, all thanks to Hope and her refusal to eat. Ever since she recovered, it's been difficult to make her eat anything. The doctor advised me to change her diet plan and include her favourite meals and more fruits. She changed immediately, but in a way I didn’t like. She ate more fruits than her meals, so I had to employ a trick Estella taught me to make her eat her favourite meals.She improved until last week, when she resumed her food strike. How can a four-year-old be a picky eater? I didn’t understand.Estella advised that I shouldn’t force her to eat, but today I was so frustrated that I threatened to take all her toys if she didn’t eat her mashed potatoes and vegetable salads. She cried, played with food, and finally ate it slowly when she noticed I wasn’t playing. We began another battle with her lunch box because she kept playing
Geneveive Tessa RobertHoplas Designs has gotten a lot of customers since we opened four years ago. The profits have been good, and the losses have been fair. I spoke to Dad about opening another branch in Edinburgh, which is currently the best place for rising businesses. He suggested I speak to his friend, an estate manager who is well known for getting the best properties in the city. ‘When is Mr. Luke coming?’ I asked, checking my schedule with the kids. Vera was going to be with them this evening while I rested. I have been working hard for two months now without a break. Estella has been helpful, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her with a lot of activities.I didn’t have any PTA meetings to attend, so I guess I could squeeze time for Mr. Luke.‘He will be here by four o’clock, ma. That’s all the tasks for today,’ she replied, closing her notebook. Halsey was also a hater of modern technology. She will rather write her to-do list in a notebook than use the iPad I purchased for