Katherine was awakened by the scent of smelling salt and cleaning agent. She knew she was in her Café, but her head felt dizzy, and her thoughts were scrambled. "Kat, can you hear me?" Taryn's voice echoed in Kat's ear. and everything came back to her memory. Her mind was no longer dazed and confused by the atomic-bomb-like-news she had gotten from Violet. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Violet was telling the truth or if she was lying because she was hurt because Aiden turned her down. "Kat?" Taryn called out loudly, making Katherine's ear ring. "How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked, waving three fingers in Kat's vision. "Three, and I don't think you should be waving them if you want me to see them clearly," Kat stated as she tried rising to her feet. Taryn helped her up and placed her in a chair to sit. "What the hell happened? Please don't tell me you used too much bleach and disinfectant, and it knocked you out," she said. "No it's not that," Katherine en
The ladies entered the living room, and the smell of pizza invaded their nostrils. They were impressed when they saw how well the men had set up for the evening. "Wow, this looks really good," Katherine stated as she walked up to Aiden. "Thanks, Dustin and I tried." He then placed a small kiss on her lips. "Good job, both of you," Taryn responded as she kissed Dustin. Dustin then whispered something in her ear. "So are you two ready for a fun night?" Aiden asked. "Yes, but we need to freshen up first," Kat said as she took Taryn's hand. "Give me a minute, Kat," Taryn began. "Dustin wants to talk." "Okay, I'll be upstairs," Kat nodded. "I'll go check on the pizza," Aiden said. "Okay see you in a few," Kat kissed Aiden before heading upstairs. Taryn and Dustin were now alone in the living room. "I have news for you," Dustin exclaimed with wide eyes. "News? Is it good or bad?" "Baby, I'm not even sure what to call it, but it's big.""I don't think it's bigger than the news I
Katherine had been feeling distant from her kids since her engagement. Although the twins had packed schedules with school and after-school activities, and Kat was tied up with her job, she hardly ever got to enjoy evenings with them anymore. She was grateful to have Miss Polly by her side. Katherine decided she was going to spend an entire weekend with her children, especially since she and Aiden would be getting married, and she didn't want the twins to feel as if they were no longer the centre of her world. Aiden suggested that she take them to Lake Anna for the weekend and Katherine agreed. She packed up the car beforehand so that when the day came she didn't have much to do. So when Friday arrived, she intended to leave work early so that they could reach the lake before nightfall. "I can't wait to show the kids where Aiden spent most of his childhood," Kat confessed to Taryn, who was going to run the Café for the weekend. "They will definitely enjoy it there. Dustin sh
It was now Sunday evening, and Katherine and the kids got back from Lake Anna an hour ago. They came home to the surprise of a well-prepared dinner spread made by Aiden, who was beaming with joy as he greeted them at the kitchen door. They praised Aiden for his efforts and thoughtfulness as he ushered them to their seats. "How was your weekend ?" Aiden asked the children as they sat down. "It was amazing," the twins said in unison. "We had the best time on the lake," Nate began. "We went lake gliding." "Bird watching," Nola added. "Lake diving." "Yeah, and we went out on a glass-bottom boat and saw so many fish," Nola added. "That must've been amazing," Aiden gasped. "It was." "I even caught a harpon," Nate raved. "Harpon?" Aiden asked curiously. "It's called a Tarpon Nate," Katherine corrected. "Yeah, I wanted to cook and eat it, but Nola got sad, so I threw it back." "You're a wonderful and considerate brother Nate," Aiden said, smiling at him.
Things were going amazing with the wedding planning since the date was set and Katherine couldn't believe that in one month, she and Aiden will be married. A spring wedding was one of her favourites. Even though she was nervous, she was anticipating spending the rest of her life making wonderful memories with Aiden and the twins. She had a bridal fitting in the afternoon with a designer that Aiden booked, and she was left speechless when she met the talented and renowned wedding dress designer. He had great taste, and she couldn't stop praising that. Taryn accompanied her, hoping to see designs that she would like and maybe choose for herself. She and Dustin intended to get married in December. "These are all so beautiful," Kat said to her friend as she tried on the third dress. It was an appealing A-line lace dress with intricate bead work that gave it a touch of elegance."Yes, but you have to select the one that you prefer. The one that stands out the most," Taryn said as she ski
After Katherine told Aiden about the unusual anonymous calls, it weighed heavily on his mind for weeks. He wondered if Violet was back and was trying to stir up trouble again. The calls became more frequent as it drew nearer and nearer to the wedding, until one day they stopped out of the blue. This made Aiden even more suspicious and worried. With the wedding only a few days away, the happy couple tried to remain as calm as they could be, and focused on their big day. Dustin made it his duty to plan a bachelor party for his best friend, who said he wasn't interested in having one, but with a little convincing, Aiden finally agreed to a small get-together with a few of his friends. Katherine, on the other hand, wanted to experience a full-blown bachelorette party, since she didn't get that experience the first time she wed.Her, Taryn, Lucy, Phoebe, Sarah and Fatima, who they worked with, were renting a party bus for the occasion. Kat’s mother decided she would sit it out so that sh
Aiden and Katherine promised they wouldn't see each other the day before the wedding, and that was driving both of them crazy. Aiden wanted to see her so badly, especially after getting some liquor in his system at his bachelor party. He yearned for her, but he tried his best not to break his promise.They spoke over the phone after the bachelorette party and even fell asleep while still on the phone with each other. The next morning, the sound of bells and whistles woke Katherine up. Her mom, Nola and Taryn, were all jumping in excitement and joy."Get up, sleepy head," Nola said before kissing her mom on the cheek. "Yeah, get up sleepy head, it's your wedding day," Mrs. Riley cheered as she rang the two small wedding bells she was carrying. Taryn then joined in with the sliding whistle. "Katherine, what's happening?" She heard over the phone. It was then she realized that Aiden was still on the phone. "Aiden my love, it's getting crazy over here," she laughed. "I can only ima
The ride over to the reception venue was about fifteen minutes. When Katherine and Aiden got there, the guests were already there. The flower girl and ring bearer entered first, and then the bridal party. "Ladies and gentlemen, please stand and make welcome the beautiful newly-weds, Mr. and Mrs. Windsor," the MC announced, and the audience erupted in cheers and applauses as Aiden and Katherine entered the beautifully decorated room. "Now, the newly-weds will do their first dance as a married couple," The MC spoke, and the audience sat back down. All eyes were set on Aiden and Katherine as they slowly walked to the centre of the ballroom. The soothing sounds of Paramore's Only Exception began to play over the speaker. Aiden smiled and pulled Katherine closer to him. The crowd looked on as they began to move to the melody of the song.The quiet whispers drowned out, and soon, Katherine felt like she and Aiden were the only ones in the room.She looked at him and smile. "Mm hmm," sh
A week had passed since Katherine and her babies were released from the hospital. She felt overwhelmed on most days, but she was grateful for having her husband, her parents, and Mrs. Lewis by her side. Miss Polly had moved back home to Scotland to be with her sick mother, but she sent her best wishes. Taryn and Dustin were still on their honeymoon, but they couldn't wait to come home and meet the babies. They wanted to cut their trip short, but Katherine insisted that they stayed and enjoyed their getaway. Mr. and Mrs. Riley were at the Café overseeing things. Mrs. Lewis was upstairs checking on the babies, while Aiden and Katherine enjoyed a nice quiet lunch in the dining room. "They are fast asleep, and they are the cutest little beings I've ever seen. I realize that Kaden is trying to take the mittens off his hands," Mrs. Lewis stated as she entered the dining room."He wants to suck on his fingers like I used to do when I was small," Aiden explained. "And Adeline sleeps with
"I can't believe I fainted after seeing my child being born," Aiden expressed as he cradled his children in both of his hands. Six hours had passed since Katherine gave birth, and she and both babies were doing well. She was now laying in bed resting, while Aiden sat in a chair holding the sleeping babies. "I can't believe it either," Katherine remarked. "Taryn and Dustin will find this amusing when I tell them." "Dustin isn't gonna let me live it down," Aiden shook his head and smiled. A knock sounded on the door. "You have visitors," Dr. Murray announced as she entered the room. Mr and Mrs. Riley were walking behind her with huge smiles plastered on their faces. "Oh, my sweet pea," Mrs. Riley gushed as she walked over to her daughter. She rubbed her head and then caressed her face. She then turned her attention to Aiden and the babies. "They are beautiful," she cooed. "Shhh, you don't wanna wake them," Aiden whispered. "They are so adorable. I could just eat them up," Mrs. R
The drive over to the hospital was agonizing for both Katherine and Aiden. It felt like they had been driving for hours, even though it was approximately a fifteen minute drive. When they got to the facility, they were taken to a private room that was reserved for Katherine. Doctor Murray was already there and waiting since Aiden had called her earlier. Once they had gotten their room, Dr. Murray made sure Kat was comfortable with what was to come next, even though this was her second time experiencing labour. "Now that you're all set up, we have to check how dilated you are," Dr. Murray said to Katherine, who was wincing in pain. "The contractions are a bit far apart, but they still hurt like hell," Katherine stated as she adjusted herself on the bed. Aiden was right by her side, holding her hand every step of the way. He watched as the doctor began to probe Katherine. They both noticed how Dr. Murray's eyebrows were raised in curiosity and Aiden got a bit worried. "Is everyth
Katherine stood beside her best friend, admiring her in the mirror. She could tell that she was nervous, but she looked absolutely beautiful in her wedding dress. "Just breathe, Tar," Kat encouraged her. "I am breathing, but I think this dress is too tight. It's cutting off my circulation," Taryn fussed."Are you sure?" Katherine asked as she began to gently tug on the back of the dress. "Maybe I should've chosen a different dress." "Nonsense, this dress was made for you, literally." Taryn's dress was a silk satin fit and flare that hugged her body from her chest to her hips, then flared from her mid-thigh, creating a sexy yet sophisticated look. "I think I'm gonna be sick," she gave out as she scrambled towards the bathroom. Katherine followed behind her and found her knelt over the toilet. "Listen, I'm way too big to be walking this fast," Katherine breathed as she caught her breath. "Sorry," Taryn managed to say before hurling again. "Let it out, sweetie, let it all out,"
Dustin had been waiting for a big break in his career. For the past couple of months, he had been investigating a case that meant a lot to him. A long while back, he got information about a suspected pedophile and since then he had been obsessed with solving the case. The man's name was Donny Perez, but the evidence wasn't much, so he needed something to stick the nail in Donny's coffin. "Everyone, please stay in position," Dustin ordered over the police radios.He was parked in a neighborhood across the street from a lemonade stand. The chief got his nineteen-year-old niece Sarah to work undercover. She was posing as a vendor selling lemonade to help out an animal shelter. Even though Sarah was nineteen, she was really little because she has a trait of dwarfism. She was well-equipped to do the task, and they had police posted all over the neighborhood. Dustin and his partner watched as a few persons came up and purchased their refreshing cups of lemonade. He checked his watch, and
Aiden was at the office when he got a call from Grandma Debs, asking if he could meet up with her. He was curious as to what she needed, so he agreed to meet up at Katherine's Café. Aiden and Grandma Debs have developed a good relationship because Grandma Debs knew that it wasn't Aiden's fault the way things went down with Violet, and since they were going to be a part of each other's lives, it made sense that they remained cordial. On his lunch break, he went over to the Café and found Katherine in her office because she refused to stay home. If Aiden was being completely honest, he loved how beautiful and glowing she was at this stage, and he admired how strong she was. Most women would be at home counting down the days until they gave birth, but Kat refused to stay in bed. As long as she wasn't overworking, Dr. Murray said it was quite fine for her to do some light work. "Hi, my love," Aiden greeted as he entered the office and walked over to her smiling. "Hey," Kat returned th
A week after the ruling, things were almost back to normal. Katherine spoke to Grandma Debs almost everyday. She also invited her to stay with them for the weekend and for the family Sunday dinner. The kids were like the only close family she had at the moment, and she wanted to maintain a good relationship with them. They had movie night on Saturday and it was fun. It was wonderful to see Grandma Debs, Aiden, and the twins getting along so well. The next day, Taryn and Dustin also came over to join the traditional Sunday dinner. Mrs. Lewis, Grandma Debs and Taryn were busy in the kitchen, while Katherine rested upstairs. She felt out of place not being involved, but she knew that at her stage of pregnancy, she needed to take things slowly. The twins were preoccupied helping Aiden and Dustin to set the table and get things in place. Katherine woke up and made an attempt to go downstairs to help, but she was shocked when the twins intercepted her and brought her back to her room.
The trial began a week later, and it didn't take long for the judge and juror to decide the fate of Violet. With all the evidence, it was clear that she was guilty. The only decision that needed to be made was her punishment."Your honour, the evidence presented in this case is damning and inexcusable," the lawyer representing Nate and his family stated. "Though the evidence is there, we see no reason why the book should be thrown at my client being that she's not a repeat offender," Violet's lawyer presented. "Not a repeat offender? If I may point out, she was being investigated for embezzlement and fraud. And if I recall, she fled the country before an arrest could have been made.""That's hearsay, your honour.”"Would I have brought this up if it was only hearsay?" The lawyer pulled out a few documents from a pile that was in front of him. He them gestured to the officer to bring it to the judge. "This doesn't look good, Mr. Ryan," the judge said to Violet's lawyer after reviewi
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,