The next morning, Katherine still couldn't believe that the children made almost fifteen hundred dollars. She checked it over and over in her head. She made them 240 strawberry-filled cupcakes and 240 lemon squares. That's a total of 480 cupcakes, so if they had sold them at $20 per dozen, they should have made $800, not $1480. “Tell me again how you two made so much money?” Katherine asked while she sipped on her camomile tea. “Mom, we already told you, we're business people, and we know how to make deals,” Nathan beamed. “Don't worry, Katherine. The children sold them fair and square. We met a nice man who bought the remaining cupcakes for twice their value,” Miss Polly added as she placed a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of Katherine. “Yeah Mom, don't worry, we didn't steal it if that's what you're thinking.” Nola grinned. “Oh honey, I would never think that of you,” Katherine sighed. She was still on edge about the impending bad review from her disgruntled cus
It was a quiet day at the Café. Katherine barely made half of what she normally made today. She wondered what could cause such a slow business day, but then she saw a flyer on her desk. The mayor was having a conference on the other side of the town, and the whole town was there. Katherine sat in her office and decided to call Taryn. “Hey girl, how's it going?” Taryn answered. “Not bad even though things are slow today because the Mayor's in town holding a conference.” “I see. So, how are the kids?” Taryn asked. “They're fine. They are at school right now,” Kat replied. “So how's Liam? Is he coming to work on time?” “Yes, your brother is an awesome partner. Although he gets distracted by the ladies way too often,” Taryn chuckled. “Oh by the way, how was brunch the other day? Did Nate get on the baseball team?” “No,” Kat sighed. “What? But Nate is so good.” Taryn confessed. “I meant no as in, brunch never happened. The guy flaked. He phoned the restaurant and told t
Katherine and the twins arrived at the fair around 3:00 in the afternoon. The place was beautifully decorated and had different rides and attractions. Vendors and patrons crowded the venue, and sounds of laughter and excitement filled the air. "I can't wait to go on the rollercoaster," Nola clapped with glee. She and Nate had never been on one before, and they were eager to try it out today. Nola's eyes lit up, and her smile broadened as she saw the ride dipped and rolled in the air. She couldn't wait to experience the happiness that the ride must bring. “I'm excited to try that slingshot ride over there,” Nathan stated as he pointed in the direction of the ride, where people were screaming with their hands either in the air or over their faces. Katherine couldn't tell if they were screams of joy or screams of pain. She gulped when she saw the ride shoot out like a slingshot and the people were thrown about like rag dolls. “That ride looks pretty scary, don't you think, Nate?” Kath
Aiden's smile was smacked off his face by Katherine's threats. “Wait a minute, I'm not here for that, I'm simply here to enjoy the fair,” he confessed as he gestured around his surrounding. “Oh, I thought you were here to antagonize me,” Katherine gulped while she ran her sweaty palms down the side of her pants. “And how would I know you would even be at the fair? It's not like I'm stalking you or have intel about your every move,” Aiden added. Katherine felt like an idiot now. “You're right, Mr. Windsor. I feel so silly now," she giggled awkwardly. “Look, Mrs. O'Hare, I am over our last encounter. I was having a bad day, and I'm normally a gentleman. You just caught me on an off day, that's all,” Aiden admitted. “Really?” Katherine asked. She found that difficult to believe. “Yes really, and I also want to apologize for the way I overreacted. I am sorry, Mrs. O'Hare, for my outburst; for insulting you; threatening you and I apologize if I made you uncomfortable that
Things were going swimmingly for Aiden that evening. He and Katherine were sitting on a bench under some palm trees enjoying popcorn and snow cones. He felt like he was on top of the world with every word he and Katherine exchanged. "Can I ask you something?" Aiden inquired after taking a drink from his snow cone. "Sure," Katherine replied, as she indulged in the salty, buttery snack. "Why did you choose baking as a career choice?" Katherine paused at the unexpected question. She took a breath before answering. "Well, it wasn't my first choice," she began. "You see, my parents wanted me to become a lawyer, but after a summer road trip in my final year in high school, I realized that wasn't what I wanted." She looked at Aiden, who now seemed more intrigued. "I met someone who taught me that doing what I loved, rather than doing what was expected, is the key to happiness." She smiled as she remembered all the things she learned from Nile. "That person sounds very smar
TWO MONTHS LATER It was the end of the Christmas term, and the twins were doing extremely well in school. There was a Christmas concert being held, and the students were being rewarded for their exceptional academic excellencies. A small ceremony was expected after the Christmas performances, plus there would also be a guest speaker who would also be responsible for handing over the awards to the children who were being awarded. Katherine didn't know that the guest speaker was none other than the city's own Aiden Windsor. Katherine was extremely proud of her kids. Nathan was being awarded the first place awards in Science and Geography, while Nola was getting first place prizes for Mathematics, English and Social Studies. Nathan was second in Mathematics, English and Social Studies and Nola was second in Science and Geography. Their mother couldn't be more proud, her children were outstanding and everyday she prayed God would continue to bless them and keep them safe. Kat was s
Katherine’s hands trembled as she painted her lips with the red lipstick Taryn loaned her. All the makeup that was applied to her face was actually courtesy of her best friend. The only thing Kat owned that could be considered makeup was her cherry blossom lip balm. “More,” Taryn commanded. “Don’t you want him to cower at your luscious lips?”“No, I’m not a harlot.” “Gimme that,” Taryn grabbed the lipstick. “Here, just pucker up,” Taryn held Kat’s jaw and applied more red. A knock sounded at the door. “Thank God,” Kat sighed, feeling thankful for the interruption. "Katherine, are you decent?” It was Katherine's mother. “Come on in, mom,” Kat said. Her mom entered with a smile on her face. “Wow! Honey, you look amazing.” “Thanks mom,” Kat smiled. “I haven’t seen you dolled up like this since —” her mom trailed off. “Anyway, the kids are ready to go.”“Thanks for getting them ready mom, I just need a few more minutes to get my hair styled,” Kat replied. “They are very impati
“Hey there little man, you look sharp in your little bow tie.” Aiden stooped down to speak to Nathan. “You don't look too bad yourself. But I'm not a little man, I'm a grownup,” Nate scoffed as he flexed his bow tie. “Yeah right. Grown-ups don't sleep with night lights,” Nola giggled, outing her brother. “Says the girl you think the boogeyman lives under her bed,” Nathan snarled. “Well you're stupid,” Nola grunted. “And you're an idiot,” Nate retorted. “Hey, hey kids. Let's all just calm down,” Aiden took a deep breath. This showed him a glimpse of how hard parenting was. A part of him felt proud to be dating a woman like Katherine. A grin lit up his face. Dating. What a magnificent word. “Well, she started it,” Nate grumbled. He always had to have the last words. “So where's your mom?” Aiden asked the twins.“We had to leave her and aunty Taryn behind,” Nate explained. “Something about getting her hair styled.”“Beauty and perfection takes time,” Nola giggled. “Right Aiden?”
After Aiden informed Katherine about the trial date, they both decided that they would have a sit down with Nate over the weekend and tell him about what was happening. After Katherine finished work that Saturday evening, they all sat down in the living room to have a discussion. "What did you guys do today?" Katherine asked Nate and Nola, who were sitting on both ends of the large couch in the room and were engrossed in their tablets. "I helped Ms Lewis in the garden. We will have lots of potatoes and strawberries by the end of the month," Nola said as she placed the tablet beside her. "That's great Nola. I can make some strawberry tarts when they are ready.""I played on my tablet most of the day," Nate answered without taking his eyes off the screen of the device. "Nate, can you please put the tablet aside," Aiden requested. "We have something important we want to discuss." "Okay," Nate said as he tucked the tablet in the corner beside him. "Thank you," Aiden said."Alright,
Two Months Later. Things were a lot better for Katherine and her family. She was now seven months pregnant and couldn't wait to give birth. She had to take a break from doing too much work, so she mostly worked in the office of the Café. The twins were back to their old routine, especially Nate. He still visits Dr. Coleman once a week for one-on-one sessions, and exceptional progress have been made. He had a few more visits until the sessions would be over all together.Since the one-on-one sessions had been happening, they would bring Nate to the doctor, and wait in the lounge area until the sessions were done. Katherine and Aiden took turns in bringing Nate to his sessions depending on how busy they were. If they were both free on a specific day, they would all go togetherAiden picked up Nate from school while Kat was busy at work. Nola wanted Nate to stay and watch her practice, but Aiden promised her he would come back for her after her swimming lessons were done.He drove Nate
"What do you think it means?" Katherine asked Doctor Coleman. After Nate showed his drawing, he didn't care to talk about it. Instead, he turned his attention to his tablet. Katherine was worried, and Aiden couldn't help but feel helpless in the situation, so they pulled Dr. Coleman to the side to get to the bottom of things. "Well, it's clear that he has something bothering him.""Maybe I should ask him about it," Katherine pondered. "Baby, remember we tried, and he completely shut down." Aiden reminded her."I know, but I just want him to feel better. He gets up screaming in the middle of the night. He's not eating like he used to, and he's a bit withdrawn.""And these are all expected since he just went through a traumatic situation," Dr. Coleman began. "I would recommend one-on-one sessions for him." "You think that would help, doctor?""It's always worth the try." He answered. "He's the best I know, so let's see what will happen," Aiden suggested. "Alright," Kat finally agr
The next day, Aiden scheduled an appointment for the family to see the therapist. Surprising, the doctor squeezed them in that very same day. He also scheduled another appointment for Katherine to meet with her doctor, since she had been going through a stressful situation. "Nate and Nola are ready," Katherine told Aiden. She had left him on the phone with some clients while she got the kids ready for the day. "Give me a sec, my love," he said to her with his hands covering the mouthpiece of his cell. He then turned his attention back to the call.Katherine went and got herself ready in the meantime. After finishing up the call, Aiden got himself ready, then he and his family headed to the doctor's appointment. The therapist's office was quiet and quaint. Katherine was surprised to know that a renowned therapist would see them on such short notice, but she was getting used to the idea of things being less complicated and hassle-free since she's married to a very wealthy man. "He
The next day, it was time for everyone to go home. Violet, however, had to wait a few days before the process of being extradited was completed. "We're all set and ready to go," Aiden told the pilot after boarding the jet. Liam and Dustin fell asleep instantly as the aircraft took flight. Even though Aiden was tired as hell, he couldn't fall asleep. He watched as Nate looked through the window, admiring the scenery as they ascended high into the sky. "What's on your mind?" Aiden asked Nate as his gaze fell from a comic book that he was reading. "Oh, nothing," Nate answered. "Are you sure, sweetie?" Katherine asked when she noticed how sad his face looked. "Well, I was just wondering what my sister is doing," he said calmly. "Maybe sleeping," Kat said after checking the time. "It's still pretty early in the morning." "Oh, you’re probably right," Nate said quietly. "Yes, but I'm sure she will be thrilled to see you," Kat reassured. "I think so too," Aiden added. "In fact, ever
Violet's entire body was in pain when she came to. She found herself disoriented and upsided down, still in the vehicle and still clutching the case with the money. Her ears rang like someone had set off an alarm system inside her head. She looked around and saw the feet of two men coming towards her. They reached inside and carefully pulled her from the wrecked car. One of the men was a paramedic. He checked her out and said that she was lucky she wasn't hurt. She only had minor bruises on her face and arms.Soon Dustin and another officer walked onto the scene. As they were about to arrest and escort her to the police car, she made one last attempt to escape, but Dustin held his foot out, which caused her to trip and fall to the ground. The case flung open, causing the money to spill onto the ground. "Bastard!" she yelled from the ground as she tried to scoop up the dollar bills that were twirling around in the wind. Her heart almost gave out when she noticed something about the
The sound of the speeding car echoed through the atmosphere as Violet's goon made off with the money. Katherine and Liam ran over to the side of the beach where Nate and Aiden were. Dustin and Aiden's officer friend, officer Smith were already there. Dustin ran to help Aiden, while officer Smith watched Nate."Nathan!" Katherine shouted as she ran to her son. Nate outstretched his arms and ran to meet his mother. "Mom," he cried as they hugged each other. "Oh my sweet boy, I've missed you so much," Kat cried and squeezed him tightly. "I missed you too, mom," Nate sobbed. "Let me look at you," Kat expressed as she pulled from the embrace and began inspecting him. "Are you hurt? Are you cold? Are you hungry?" She fired off. "I'm a bit cold," Nate said, trembling. "I'll grab one of the blankets from the car," Officer Smith said. "Grab two," Katherine ordered when she saw Aiden and Dustin walking towards them. Aiden was sopping wet and trembling. Katherine hugged him tightly and
The flight from West Virginia to Jamaica was almost six hours. When they landed in St. Mary, Aiden had already arranged for them to be picked up and taken to the nearest resort, which was fifteen minutes away from the airport. Aiden informed everybody that Violet was staying in a nearby town called Port Maria. They got to the resort and settled in, collecting their bearing and going over their plan a few more times. Even though Aiden encouraged her to get some rest, Katherine stayed up and made some spaghetti and meatballs for everyone to eat. "Katherine sweetheart, I really wish you would get some rest," Aiden pleaded as he stirred a pot of sauce, which he was ordered to do. "I'm almost done here, and besides, this is what's keeping me sane. This is my therapy," she told him. "I understand how you're feeling, my love," Aiden began as he placed a kiss on her cheek. “This will all be over soon. I already have everything set in motion." "I am so grateful to have you by my side," Ka
Aiden was already working on accumulating the ransom for Nathan. He made various phone calls, while Dustin and the officers packed up their equipments. "Aiden, what are you up to?" Dustin asked as he joined him in the kitchen. Aiden was still busy with his phone in his hand typing away."I'm working on getting my son back," he simply answered with his attention still set on his phone."Aiden, I know you and I saw that look in your eyes. Please let us do our jobs."He took his attention from his phone, and was now looking at Dustin in disbelief. "Out of all the persons, you're gonna say this to me?" He questioned Dustin. “Dustin, I know how the system works, and I'll be damned if I sit on my ass and wait for them to get shit done," he made clear."I hear you, but there's a protocol that we have to follow.""Screw protocol. I'm not wasting another minute," he stated. "So what do you want me to do?" "I want you to be my friend," he simply said. "You know how much Katherine and the k