Chapter 5 The Invitation

This morning, as the first rays of sunlight peeked through the curtains, I went through my usual routine.

Despite all the thoughts, I had a pretty good sleep last night and woke up before my alarm went off. I felt fresh and my body was in good shape in the morning.

I went into the bathroom and did my personal routine while thinking about what I needed to do today.

After thatI walked out of the room, walking slowly so as not to wake my children. They would wake up in about an hour.

I brewed a pot of coffee and slipped into my favorite chair by the window, my daily ritual of solitude before the chaos of the day began.

The coffee I brewed was delicious, but there was something else that made me not really enjoy the aroma and taste of the coffee this morning.

With a sigh, I went to front garden of my house dan gathered the courage to tackle the mailbox—a task I often avoided until the last possible moment.

As I opened the small, metal door, a single envelope stood out among the usual pile of bills and junk mail.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the Hart family crest embossed on the front. What the hell! Why would such a fancy envelope end up in my ordinary mailbox, in my ordinary neighborhood?

My hands trembled as I reached for the light brown envelope with the fine cream-colored stripes that were the Hart family’s specialty.

The sight of it brought a flood of memories I had long since buried. The envelope was addressed to me and the twins, in my grandfather’s unmistakable handwriting.

Not only were my hands shaking, my heart was also beating like crazy as I tore open the side of the envelope.

Inside was a meticulously crafted invitation to a birthday party, sent by my grandfather, Jameson Hart XI.

The elegant script and formal tone took me back to a world I had distanced myself from years ago. The surprise was not just in the invitation itself, but in the fact that my grandfather had gone through the trouble of tracing my steps, finding my address, and reaching out after all this time.

"To Ms. Loreine Aileen Hart, Mr. Shane Richard Hart, and Ms. Shery Davika Hart, you are invited to attend Mr. Jameson Hart XI' birthday party on... Blah... Blah... Blah...

I stared blankly at the writing that was getting increasingly blurry. How annoying, he even changed my last name from Lou back to Hart. Even though I spent a lot of money and effort to change that d*mn name to Lou.

Uncertain how to respond, I decided the best course of action was to ignore it. The ghosts of my past were best left undisturbed, and my life was complicated enough without rekindling old family ties.

So, I tucked the invitation back into the envelope and placed it on the kitchen counter, intending to forget about it entirely.

I forgot about the invitation once my kids woke up and the usual hustle and bustle started again. Luckily my mornings are always busy, so I didn't have to think about unnecessary things.

I think having two active twins is a big advantage for a woman in my situation.

As I watched the twins arguing about which was more practical, carrying a backpack or a shoulder bag, I was grateful that I had them, so I never had the chance to feel lonely and end up depressed.

At the office, my day took another unexpected turn.

Lea, called me into her office. Her eyes twinkled with excitement as she shared the news that I had been selected as a candidate to lead the new branch of our company in Los Angeles.

My reputation as a skilled scriptwriter and my roots in Los Angeles made me the perfect fit, she explained.

Panic surged through me. I had painstakingly built a new life here, far from the shadows of my past. The idea of returning to Los Angeles, of reopening old wounds, was overwhelming.

"God, Lea, please, withdraw my candidacy. I can't go back to Los Angeles," I said in a hoarse voice.

But, she was adamant dan so stubborn. "You're the best person for the job," she insisted. "No one else has your experience or your connections."

"But, Lea. I can't leave this place. My two kids just started school and I don't want to make them have to adapt to a new, strange place just because I forced them to move with me, it's not good for their mental health," I said, bringing up the twins as an excuse. Forgive your mother, my kids, I had to sell you as an excuse.

"Tsk, that can be arranged, dear. Come on, let's just wait for the officials' decision. It seems like they are still debating about it," Lea said with a wide smile. "Although I was hoping you would be the one to take the job."

I left her office feeling a mix of anxiety and dread. The idea of moving back to Los Angeles loomed over me like a dark cloud, but I had no time to dwell on it as I needed to get home to the twins.

As I walked through the door of my house, I was met with unusually gloomy faces. Shery and Shane, normally bubbling with energy, were sitting quietly on the couch.

I approached them with a feeling of uncertainty. Had my anxiety at work today rubbed off on them?

"Hey, babies, is something wrong? Why are you guys looking so gloomy like an old wizard who lost his wand?" I asked carefully, trying to be a little funny.

It seemed like my attempt didn't work because they both sighed even deeper.

Aku meraih tangan Shery. "Ada apa? Katakan pada Mommy."

"Mom, our school was hosting a Father's Thanksgiving Day festival, and every student was expected to participate in various competitions with their fathers," said Shane.

I was stunned, hearing the sadness in his voice. Shery nodded, but didn't say anything, which really bothered me because she was usually the one who did most of the talking than Shane.

"We can't go to that event, right? Because we don't have a father?" Shane continued, lowering his head.

"My friend said the same thing,” Shery added in a small voice. “I wanted to punch him in the mouth, but I guess he was right too, so I just kept quiet.”

Their words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had always managed to shield them from the reality of their father's absence, but now, the facade was crumbling.

Before I could muster a response, Shery held up the invitation from my grandfather.

"Will we go to the party?" she asked innocently. "Will Daddy be in Los Angeles?"

"Where did you get this invitation?" I asked, taking it from Shery's tiny hands.

"It was on the kitchen counter. I was pouring myself some orange juice when I saw it and the envelope was already opened, so I thought it was okay to read it," Shery said timidly.

"Besides, it has our names on it, Mom," Shane said, protecting his twin sister.

Taking a deep breath, I decided it was time to come clean. Maybe it's time and I don't think I can find any other reason or opportunity if not now.

"We won't be attending the party," I said gently. "I don't want to have anything to do with the Hart family anymore. And... your father doesn’t know you exist."

"Huh? Why?" asked Shane. His brows furrowed and he looked irritated. "So, this guy named Jameson Hart is our family? Is he our grandfather? And why doesn't our father know about us?"

Shery nudged Shane's arm, as if to shush him, when she saw my face that seemed to have changed color.

"It's too complicated for me to tell you, babies. I can't explain the situation right now. But anyway, your names are Lou and forget about the invitation and everything about the Hart name," I said carefully. "We don't know them and never will."

"But what about the festival?" Shery asked hesitantly.

"Let me talk to Ms. Petra and figure something out," I decided.

My two children are above average intelligent children and I'm sure their curiosity is jumping around their hearts and minds right now, but I don't want to burden them with my past and make them hopeful.

Their faces fell, and I wished I could take back my words. But the truth was out, and there was no going back.

A few days later, fate intervened again. The twins were watching TV when a news segment about David, their father, flashed on the screen. They recognized his face instantly.

They both stared at the television without blinking and Shane deliberately paused the broadcast just as David's face was shown in close up. He was smiling at the camera.

"Mom, Is that our father?" Shane asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. "His face is very similar to ours, right? And look at his smile!"

I had no choice but to admit the truth. "Yes, that's David," I said, my voice trembling. "He is your father."

That d*mn handsome face smiled at us, mother and the twins, who were holding each other's hands while looking at him, without hearing what the host said.

The days that followed were a whirlwind of emotions. The twins were full of questions, and I did my best to answer them honestly,  without revealing too much of my past because there are many things I have to guard against. They are still too young to know the problems that are too deep.

I could see the yearning in their eyes, the desire to know more about the man who had unknowingly fathered them.

Eventually, I realized that I couldn't keep running from my past. The twins deserved to know their heritage, and perhaps, David deserved to know he had children.

The invitation from my grandfather, the job offer in Los Angeles, the twins' curiosity about their father—it all seemed too interconnected to ignore.

With a heavy heart, maybe I have to made a decision. I would attend the birthday party, confront my past, and give the twins the opportunity to meet their family.

And if I was going to be in Los Angeles anyway, I might as well accept the job offer and start a new Chapter in our lives. I didn't know what will happens to us there, but maybe I can try to figure out how the fate will bring us. Again. Maybe I am a gambler, but I am no loser.

The journey ahead was uncertain and filled with potential challenges, but I knew it was time to stop running.

It was time to face my past, embrace my present, and look forward to the future—for myself and for the twins. As I held their hands, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and determination. Whatever lay ahead, we would face it together.

I called Alana before bed. I guess I still needed to hear her opinion. After all, she was the one who had been with me through everything here. She even left her life in Los Angeles to be with me here.

She is my true family here and she is always there in every decision I make.

"Yes, Lou?"

"Alana, I think I need to get back to Los Angeles. Maybe, you too."

There was a pause, then I had to pull the phone away from my ear because of Alana's screaming.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?"