Geneveive Tessa Robert
I 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. I thanked them for their parts, and we had small talks about the project and how we walked through it. They asked about my experience and how I was able to deal with them while I was working on the project. I didn’t want to share all my life with them, so I just told them the usual thing: My family helped and took care of the twins. I also joked about the frustrations and late nights. Luckily, none mentioned my husband. I hadn’t shared that part of my life, even though they had indirectly learned that I was a single mom. I didn’t care, and since they didn’t ask me directly, I wasn’t going to feed them any stories about my life. A few minutes later, we all said our goodbyes, and I fell on my bed, suddenly missing my kids. Mum and Vera had been out all day except for Mary, who was probably at the swimming pool, and Dad and James at the golf course. I was the only one in the room not enjoying the holiday. I decided to step out. I changed into shorts and a shirt, picked up a fez cap, and grabbed my bag. I also took my sunglasses and called Mary. She was good company until Vera arrived. ‘I wanted to check up on you before I brought the kids, but your mom said you had a school project to complete. I am sorry. Are you done?’ Mary asked, adjusting her hat. She wore a long gown with tiny handles that exposed her nice skin. She was a beautiful woman. Her face was evenly shaped, and her eyes were a dark blue like the sky. Mom always called her a goddess, and I agreed. She deserved the title. I took the empty spot beside her. Her kids were in the children’s pool, playing with others. I longed for a moment when Hope and Nicholas would do something like this. Mary had asked something. My school project Oh yes! I smiled widely. ‘It’s fine, Mary. You don’t need to apologize. I am done with the project. How are the kids?’‘They have been good, but I think we will go in for a late lunch and rest for tomorrow’s schedule. When are Aunt and the twins returning home? It’s almost five o’clock.’ she said, picking up her phone.
‘She texted me a few minutes ago. They will soon be here. Mary, can I ask you a question?’ She looked up, curiosity written all over her face. ’Yes, go ahead, and you don’t need to ask before asking me anything. We’re cousins, Tessa.’ I smiled, nodding. ‘Okay, I wanted to know how you are coping with your kids since your husband fled his battalion to Peru.’She sighed, looking at the kids. ‘It hasn’t been easy, but mom has been helping out. Thank God you guys relocated here. I was almost dying of boredom in that huge house, and even though I have the flower shop, it’s still boring.’
I stood up and gave her a hug, then returned to my seat. I didn’t even know why I asked her that question, but maybe it was because of Kyle’s marriage picture I stumbled on a few hours ago, and memories of our wedding day came rushing immediately. Maybe it was because I was thinking of how I would have scaled through if my family weren’t here. ‘You are a brave woman, Mary. I can’t fully say I understand, but my broken marriage has taught me a lot, especially honoring and appreciating the little things we have. Your husband isn’t here at the moment, but you have your kids and family to make you smile, laugh, and enjoy the little gifts of life, right?’ She nodded. ‘Yeah, you are right. Do you regret leaving Kyle? I'm sorry if I sound intrusive.’ ‘ No, it’s okay. I don’t regret the divorce. He made me feel like an empty vessel just because I couldn’t give him a child.’ She smiled and said, ‘Someday, when he sees Hope and Nicholas, he’s going to regret his actions. I think we will be going in now. ‘ I stood up, helping her with the kids. They were shivering already. The weather was surprisingly cold. ‘Thank you, Mary. This coverage has helped me more than you know.’ She smiled, drawing me into a hug.Everyone decided to eat in the hotel’s restaurant. Mom ensured they had something perfect for the kids before we settled down. Vera sat close to me, giving in-depth details about everywhere they visited until the kids slept off and they had stopped by a friend's place to rest and eat some nice homely food.
‘By the way, you claimed she saw Kyle in one of the cafes we bought pancakes from. I think I saw him, but I am not sure because he was walking fast when your mom pointed at him. I think we should be careful and ensure he doesn't know we are in France. If not, you know what will happen.’‘...He will know about the kids and probably start stalking us.’ I completed her statement while staring at Mom. She hadn’t told me about the encounter except to complain about how Hope hadn’t slept until she sang some lullabies for her.
Kyle in Paris Ava was with him, too. They were probably on honeymoon and had chosen to celebrate it here. I had to inform James so that we could figure out where he was staying and avoid any routes he would take. He mustn’t know about the kids. ‘I would inform James about this tomorrow, and we can figure out what to do. Thanks for letting me know and the advice too.’ I focused on my meal, hoping that Kyle hadn’t recognised Mom. That would be a problem if he did, because he would start digging and discover we were here. I wasn’t ready to face him again. Not now, especially not in this country.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
Genevieve Tessa RobertI cleared my throat, breaking his stupid gaze from my body. The man was a skunk! ‘Here are the videos, sir. Please check them carefully like you did with my body and tell me the ones you like, alright?’ I said, giving him the iPad. I hope he got my sarcasm.He chuckled. ‘You shouldn’t blame a man, dear. You are gold, Genevieve.’I said nothing. He was a stubborn man, and if I replied, it would give him room to start his rubbish again.When he noticed I was quiet, he sighed and focused on the iPad. The videos were a lot, but he scrolled through them, watching, skipping some after a second of watching, and he finally agreed on a waterfall wallpaper design. I discussed the process and promised to send a demo by tomorrow morning so that he could get a feel for what it looks like. He agreed. We spent another day trying to find the best wallpaper for his home, and he finally chose two that gave off the feeling of winter and landscape. ‘These are nice choices, Mr. M
Genevieve Tessa Robert‘Mum, you should have consulted me before agreeing to the deal. You know, I can’t return to that country. I can’t. I will send my staff, but I can’t go there.’She laughed. ‘You think you will come across that loser called Kyle? You won’t. He’s in New York, and you are going to be in California. I already promised Mayor Kim Jun that you would personally be in charge. Please, you have to go, and don’t worry; Estella and James will come with you so that they can help with the twins.’‘But, mum. I have the McPhee project and other client jobs to oversee and approve. I can’t just put them on hold because of the mayor. Can't he get other good interior designers in his country?’ I asked stubbornly. I knew mom wouldn’t change her mind, though. One thing she hated was going back on her words.‘I will take care of the projects. Besides, Vera is available now. She can come in to take charge. Isn’t that why you gave her a place at Hoplas Designs? To take charge when you ar