The Boy She Illegally Brought To The Lavender Field (bwwm)

Page 21

Diana walked in the front door of the Ross household and headed towards the kitchen.

She saw Stephen was already sitting in there.

"Good morning." she greeted.
"Good morning, Diana. Can I ask why you're late?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ross, the son of a close friend recently woke out of his coma and my family went to visit him in the hospital. I tried to make the trip as quick as I could to get back."
He took a deep breath. "That's alright." He stood. "I just had to listen to that woman's nagging while you were gone. She wants you to bake a batch of cookies." He kissed Diana's cheek.
"What kind?" she wondered.
"I'm not sure. I'll send her down here to speak to you and you two can work it out." He rubbed her back sweetly before heading back upstairs.

Diana watched.

Today was a laundry day so she figured she'd speak to Nancy once she goes upstairs to gather their clothes.

The first stop was Daniel's room.

He was up and getting dressed when she knocked.

"Yes?" he replied.
"May I come in? It's laundry day."
"Yea." he accepted.

Diana walked inside and left the door open a crack.

Daniel watched her maneuver throughout his room.

"You have a daughter." he spoke up.
Diana froze.
"Around my age." he continued.
"That's right. About three years younger than you."
"Yea."

The two continued their tasks.

"Does she plan on bein' a nanny?" Daniel wondered.
"I don't think she's thought about it. She hasn't brought it up with me, so I doubt it. When she was little she used to just dream about bein' a librarian in one of the biggest libraries she could find and bein' a wife to the boy she's liked since she could remember."
Daniel buckled his belt in silence.

Diana considered begging Daniel to stay away from her child but she knew that would probably make matters worse. She just hoped Annie kept her deal of staying away on her own.

Daniel wanted to ask Diana more about Annie but he was afraid it would be too suspicious.

Diana finished grabbing all of Daniel's clothes then faced him. "Is that all?" she asked.
He nodded.

She left to go to the master bedroom.

After shutting his door again, Diana turned around and saw Nancy standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Morning, Ms. Ross."
"Mrs." Nancy corrected.
"I'm sorry?"
"Mrs. Ross. I'm married. To Mr. Ross."
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Ross."
"Why were you late? I needed you and like usual you weren't here on time."
Diana arrived late to work perhaps once or twice a year because of a small inconvenience.
"I was visiting a child in the hospital." Diana replied.
"Did you tell my husband you were going to do that?"
"No, Mrs. Ross."
"So then you show up to work. And you show up on time. You don't get to show up whenever you feel like showing up, do you understand me?"
"Yes, Mrs. Ross. I'm sorry."
"I need a batch of cookies done and packed away by tomorrow. I have a picnic to attend."
"What kind, Mrs. Ross?"
"Oatmeal raisin. It's the club's favorite. Chocolate is too messy."
"Yes, ma'am."

The two just stared at each other.
Truthfully, Nancy's was more of a glare than a glance.
Diana was patiently waiting for Nancy to have something else to add.

"Is that all, Mrs. Ross?"
"Yes. Mrs. You are aware that my husband is Mr. Ross, correct?" Nancy reiterated a second time.
"Yes, ma'am." It took a lot of work for Diana to not roll her eyes at Nancy's redundancy.
"Then stop parading around begging for him to look at you, you arrogant bitch." Nancy grunted.
Diana was taken aback.
"Don't look at me like you have no clue what I'm talking about. You know good and well." Nancy gestured at Diana's body. "Leave my husband be before I contact my brothers to do away with you for me."
Diana didn't answer.
"Are we clear?"
"Crystal, Mrs. Ross."
Nancy walked off confidently.

Diana went to the master bedroom.

"Her brothers will not touch you and if she attempts to contact them I will have her kicked out of my house." Stephen swore.
Diana ignored it. "You should stop touching me instead. It's clear she knows."
"I know she knows. I wouldn't stop her from leaving."
Diana looked at him.
He looked back. "You know good and well I don't love that woman."
"But you are married with a son and I am happily married with two children."
"Our children are adults. And...how happy?"
She didn't respond.

"This conversation is inappropriate." Diana stated.
"I've served my time as mayor. And I don't plan on running again. I don't need her anymore. We can leave. Go up north. Wherever you want." he offered.
"Stephen, I am honestly married."
He sighed.

She continued grabbing their laundry.

"If something happened to him..." he began.
Diana turned quickly to look at him.
"I'm not saying anything would! And if it did, I can promise you I'd have no hand in it. I want you happy. I will not contribute to anything that would make you anything but happy." he stated.
She looked down at the shirt in her hands.
"But if something happened to him. If he died of a disease. If he proved to be unfaithful. If something prevented the two of you being together. When our children move out, will you be with me then?"
She looked back at him.
"I'm willing to wait. Would you be with me? Away from here?"

She took a deep breath.

"If my children are moved out, and my husband passes prematurely of disease or accidental injury and whatnot, then...yes." She looked away in shame as she answered. "I would be with you."
"That's all I wanted to hear."

Diana took the laundry and left the bedroom.

She inhaled deeply and thought about what she'd said.

She cherished Sirius deeply and he was an amazing father to her children, but the agreement was nothing against him anyway.
Stephen was her first love and they hadn't been separated in twenty years. The connection was still there everyday that she walked through his front door.
She would not leave Sirius, but if he left her...