Demi didn't forget about Jesse. How could she ever forget him? She knew he was the chef from the minute she tasted the jambalaya. When her theory was confirmed, she couldn't show her expressions. She wanted to run over to him and apologize for all the pain she's put him and their daughter through but she couldn't. Her husband, Nick, didn't even know about their past so how the hell would she explain that to him?
When she saw the look on Jesse's face, she was reminded of what that day was. Every year she purposefully distracted herself, not because she wanted to forget, but because it was too painful to remember.
Demi would be lying if she said she didn't think about them every day, especially her daughter. They still loved Noa and wanted to be in her life but how the hell would that be possible? Noa probably has this immense hatred for Demi and would kill her if she got the chance to. Demi knew she didn't deserve to be in their life or have a relationship with Noa but she just wanted to know how she was doing. Demi prayed that Noa was happier with her father. She had faith in Jesse that he was an amazing parent, a better one than she could ever be.
Although, when Demi was raising Noa, she couldn't handle a child. She was trying to figure out how to juggle college, a job, and raising a child. She just couldn't handle the pressure. So what did she do? She packed her things and left. Knowing that Jesse was barely keeping his job and bringing in enough income to pay the rent, she still left. It would be hypocritical of her to try and come back into Noa's life after ten years.
"Demi? Are you listening to anything I said?" Nick asked her.
It would also be hypocritical because she had a whole new family now. Demi met Nick almost three years after she left her other family. She wasn't open to the idea of dating anyone but Nick had swept her off her feet. Demi was hesitant after finding out that he had been married and had kids but here they were. Living in a penthouse in the heart of Manhattan with the two of them and Nick's children from his first marriage. Her life was beautiful and everything she dreamed of. But she couldn't say that the sacrifices she made was worth it.
"No, sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night." Demi admitted. Whenever she closed her eyes to sleep, she saw him. The look on his face when she had "forgotten" him. It was haunting her like a bad dream.
"Did you have a bad dream, mommy?" Said Demi's stepdaughter, Aria.
Whenever they called her 'Mommy', her heart would skip a beat. She had known the twins since they were babies and loved them like they were her own but it always made her feel guilty. Because she wasn't their mommy, and the little girl she gave birth to would probably never see her again.
"Yes," Demi lied. "Finish your breakfast, it's almost time for school."
Benji, Aria's twin brother immediately shot up and ran to grab his backpack by the front door. Meanwhile, Aria didn't match his excitement in the slightest. Instead, she dropped her head in her hands and pouted. Demi glanced over at Nick, to see if he would do anything about his daughter's attitude but he acted like nothing was happening.
"Aria," Demi leaned over to the little girl's height. "If you have a really good day at school, we can get ice cream after. How does that sound?"
Aria's face immediately brightened up and she shook her head, causing Demi to smile at her reaction. They couldn't help but think about their daughter and what she was doing this morning. If she ever had days when she didn't want to go to school and if Jesse had to bribe her. Demi just wanted her to know that she was happy. That's why she had to go back to the restaurant tonight. She knew that Jesse didn't want to see her but it was what she had to do.
"Dad." Luna stood at the side of her father's bed. She was supposed to leave for school ten minutes ago and he was still in bed, refusing to wake up. "Dad, I'm late. Get up!"
