Chapter 18:

"Momma, why you and daddy shout?" Ethan released me from the embrace.

Neither my brain nor my mouth could produce a word. How could I answer the question? Sorry darling, you are not as lucky as other children are. You can't have normal parents who live together.

I could recall my conversation with Ethan the night he found out about his father.

I silently sneaked into his room to check if he had slept. The lights were dimly lit, but they were enough to provide the view of my darling who was tossing left and right in his sleep. Or, so I thought.

Taking a seat on his bed, I brushed my fingers through his hair, murmuring, "Couldn't sleep?"

He jerked open his eyes, startled. "You scare me!" With the support of his elbows, he leaned on the pillow and rubbed his eyes to get rid of the traces of sleep. He was so adorable. Many female hearts were going to break in future. But I'd make sure that he would not turn out like his father. Common, we need some good guys to keep our society clean.

"Why didn't you sleep till now?"

"Thinking about daddy." My heart had stopped merely for a second before it resumed beating again. Though my heart was beating, the speed was very abnormal. Really fast. I never wanted to face the day where my son questions about his father. But it eventually has to come and it had come.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to confront the questioning eyes that burned my face for unknown answers. Releasing my breath, I opened my eyes slowly and said, "What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking, why you said nothing about daddy."

Oh boy, I was happy looking at Samuel's shocked face. But now? I am feeling crap. That idiot has put me in yet another difficult situation. "What do you want to know about daddy?"

"Why he don't live with us?" He knitted his eyebrows together. Moonlight fell on his face from the window, situated on the adjacent wall, making his frown more clear.

To answer your question son, I need to think a 100 years.What should I say a 4-year-old who asked about his dad and his whereabouts. "Be-because, he has another family."

"Another family means?"

Does he deserve to know about his unloving father? The father who denied him. I'd not reveal the exact truth but could at least suppress his hopes. The hopes he might develop. The hopes where he'd play with his father. Stay with him and grow up with him. Then there's Alice. Will she even let Ethan to wander around Samuel, once she discovers the truth? Oh, but she has to. After all, Samuel is not so heartless to ignore his son. Will Ethan understand the inner turmoil that is eating me up?

'He is a smart kid, Sofia', he will understand. Just say. Just say.

Okay. "He l-loves another woman and lives with h-h-her." My voice shuttered and I looked other way to hide my tears from his eyes.

I waited for another question to pop up. But, it never made its presence. In confusion, I turned to look at my son who was snuggled into his sheets already. How long did I zone out? Well, at least, I escaped further questions. The answers to which would have shattered his little heart.

"Mommy, what happen?" Ethan gently placed his little hand on my cheek, rubbing in circling motions to squeeze the tension out of my body.

I studied his questioning gaze and smiled inwardly at his care. "Nothing baby..." I said softly, almost a whisper. I eliminated the bits of that unfortunate night lingering in my thoughts.

Managing a small smile, I asked, "Umm...who want the chocolates that Antonio brings?" Hopefully, this would release the burden on his little brain.

"You will give me?" His face wasn't that of scared any more. He totally left the situation behind when I zoned out. Good. I could at least divert his attention.

"No! It was my bet...so I will give you." Sein took steps towards us, and I stood up with poker face but murdered him ruthlessly in my brain. I gave him a look which said 'you are hopeless'.

"You will?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, why not?"

"Okay, then let's go. We will buy." Ethan tugged Sein's hand trying to drag him. The enthusiasm of this kid. Sein let out a few chuckles, saying, "Momma can come too."

He matched his gaze with mine, full of hope. I rolled my eyes saying, "I am grounded and within 15 mins or so, my instructor will arrive." I cringed at the thought of instructor. The lady aged fifty always glared at me for no apparent reason. Okay, there was a reason. I did my lessons with distaste evident in my actions. What can I say? The lessons were like maths.

"Um...what about we will watch you in the training today? And leave grounded matter to me. What's say champ?"

"Yas!" Ethan threw his hands in hair yelling, "Mommy, we will watch you train today!"

"No!" I yelled, stomping towards the door. I positioned my hands in the air, leading them the way out. "I will train alone. And you two can gladly go and buy some chocolate."

These two people, specifically, were not meant to watch me train. The unnecessary weight loss, standing on one foot and balance the books on my head, learn to dance and greet, and what not.

"No! We will see!" Ethan matched my stomps. This little devil, couldn't he once agree to me? Composing myself, I managed the best glare I could muster. He did not even flinch at my death glare.

"So, we are going?" Ethan asked tapping his foot on the ground.

"Yes, we are." Sein took hold of Ethan's hand and gestured me, "Common. You will be late."

How could they ignore my intense glare? Even Ethan. Was I that incapable of delivering a glare. Ah! Tomorrow, I would learn how to deliver a successful glare. As a human, everyone must know that. "I'll change and come, you go!" I ushered them out, banging the door shut behind them.

After transforming myself into  a reflection of fitness girl, I twisted the door knob and advanced towards the training room. Ethan's going to watch me train today. I wasn't lying when I said, the fat lady would at least scowl or frown at me fifty times throughout the class.

"You are a minute late to class, young lady!" The old trainer's voice boomed in the room as I stepped into the training room. Her nose scrunched up in annoyance, and the glare that accompanied her frown made her look like a typical old lady who couldn't marry the one she desired. I cringed at the way her eyes sized me up as an unworthy being. Why couldn't I impose such effect on others?

My son and Sein, who were sitting by the couches laid on the far right corner of the room, cracked up, fuelling my internal anger. Just wait until I get over with this session, you'd both regret ever accompanying me.

"Are you listening to me?" She startled me with her banshee voice, successfully gaining my attention.

"Ye-yes mam." I breathe out calming my nerves in front of her. I braced myself for her instruction. She raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow and pointed the thread mill situated to my right. Oh, okay.

I mount on the exercise machine and set the time as fifteen minutes at my desired speed.

"Make it five minutes extra," her voice alarmed me. As per her words, I had added an extra five minutes and started the long journey of zoning out while the machine tires my legs.

After successfully learning how to hold the cup, the elegant manner to consume food and balancing three books on my head, my body was failing to co-operate with my legs. My frail arms and legs stopped co-operating with my brain when I pushed myself towards my room. Thank goodness, my next class would not be physical.

I collapsed on my bed as soon as my bed came into my sight. To recall, my last session of princessa lesson's  was a good 5 days back. The day these lessons commenced was far more horrible as I refused to attend the hell hole again. The hopes of firing the lady washed away when my mother had explained how my trainer helped her transform herself into a successful queen.

My eyelids were shutting slowly, rudely interrupted by Sein's sound, "You are not sleeping princess. Remember chocolate shop."

My hands wandered on the bed to grasp anything that would be of use. When I caught a pillow, I roughly tossed it in the direction the voice came from. I heard a few chuckles and then something soft hit my buttocks making me jump on the bed.

"What was that?!" I asked appalled.

"Ha-ha mommy scare of pillow," Ethan's laughter spread along with Sein's.

"You both! Can't you leave me alone? Let me sleep." I yawned out loud to make an emphasis on my statement.

"No! You are coming. You promised. You no spend time with me." Ethan pouted making an extraordinary use of the guilt card. He made a right statement though, ignoring the grammar mistakes. I averted my gaze in an attempt to avoid the tinge of accusation in his eyes. That had a power to squeeze the life out of my heart.

I reluctantly agreed with them and excused myself to dress. In actual, I was terrified to make an appearance out of palace. What if Edward appears again from no where?All the accusations laid by Phillipe would be right then. The friendship I tried to start would crumble in front of my eyes.

Unenthusiastically, I had dressed myself into regular clothes. I hunted for a suitable wallet and clutched it tight when I had found it.

"Ready?" Sein asked once I reached the external side of the palace gates where his bmw shone elegantly under the afternoon sun. Sein's smile carried a fraction of contagiousness in it. His smile successfully helped my lips to tug into a small smile.

"Yes, I am." I rounded the car and reached to the passenger door. I took a look on the back seat where Ethan touched the screen of Sein's phone with a raging look in his eyes. That's just a game child! chill.

"So, where did you buy the chocolates, mister?" I asked Sein who was rounding up the corner of the street. I also gave him a look which said, 'I still did not forgive you for not hiding Ethan from witnessing mine and Samuel's argument.'

"You'll see." I chuckled nervously at his statement when the possibility of Edward plopping invaded my thoughts.

He should not come to the same shop too. He should.... I chanted over and over in my brain. Hopefully, the prayers will reach the Almighty.

"How did you convince my brother?" I asked Sein after a silence of two minutes.

"Um...that's a secret between us." He let out a nervous chuckle devoting his attention to the road, completely.

"What secret?" I urged him to know something that wasn't my business.

"Can't you just stop poking into someone's business for once?" His words did not offend me as the tone he used held a sense of being jovial. And what does he mean I always poke myself into others business? I don't gossip, I wanted to yell but refrained myself from doing so.

"No, I can't." I stuck my tongue out at him and faced the window. Idiot fellow, he is.

"We're here!" Sein announced once we stopped in front of a small cafe. Not some random cafe, but the place I left two months ago. The place which is my second family. Omg! How much I missed this place. I glanced at Sein who was already grinning beside me.

I felt so awful when I stumbled over a picture one night.

Where did I leave the wallet? I hunt in the drawers, night stand, under bed etc., but failed to find the little piece made of leather.

Rummaging through the drawers of my wardrobe, a hard object collided with my fingers, shooting an instant pain to penetrate through my hand.

"Ouch." I hiss in pain and search for the object that dared to hurt my fingers.

I lifted the object, appeared to be the photo frame and studied it in detail. It was the photo-frame of the staff of the cafe. The old man was seated on chair whereas Mr. Martinez was laughing at something Luke said. The girls were giggling along with me and Ethan. A small smile creeped to my lips automatically at the memory of the day.

I brushed my palm on the frame to remove the traces of dust particles that gathered on the frame as a result of putting it in thefar corner of wardrobe. How could I forget these people? God, I am an awful person.

I placed the picture on the table by the door and scribbled a mental note to meet them soon.

"Surprise!" both Sein and Ethan yelled throwing up their hands in the air. Even my darling was a part of it? My stomach churned at the new found information and the surprise my little boy planned for his stressed and uncaring momma. What did I do to deserve such a sweetheart as my son?

"Thank you. Both of you." I let out a chuckle between my flowing tears.

"But...how?" I asked Sein.

"I saw the picture." I managed a grateful smile to convey how happy he made me, and skipped out of the car.

I was entering the cafe after Sein and Ethan, and that was when a rough hand landed on my shoulder?

Is it Edward? Please no.

*****************

Hey peeps! How are you? So, heres the next update.

I've tried this new feature of wattpad and uploaded the picture of Sein and Sofia? How do you find them? Hot or not? Please let me knoe.

And also...Whom do you want Sofia to end up with?

Sein.

Samuel.

Edward.

The male lead will rest in the decisions made by you. So please do support your favorite okay?

Many complained about 'where is the little boy?' He's back in the story now! Happy? You will get more though!

Finally,

VOTE AND COMMENT:) Let me know your opinions.