Here And Now

02. Hope

1 Month Later

"Kayla, hurry over baby!" I holler over from my place on the couch where I am tying up the laces of my sage green heels. I hear her little feet bounding downstairs.

"Sorry, Mom." She says sheepishly, adjusting the straps of her little Boba backpack.

"No worries, baby. Come on, let's go."

We all go walk out to the garage and pile into my car. Soon we drive out of the street and onto the freeway over to Kayla's school. I look into the rear view mirror to see her cooing over a sleeping Dexter and my heart warms.

"Mommy?" My eyes flicker upto her in surprise. My baby girl is going to turn six this coming year, needless to say, she has graduated to calling me Mom from Mommy.

Unless she really wants something.

"Yes, baby?"

"I made this card for Daddy." She thrusts her hand forward, holding a glittery gold hand made card with red hearts all over it.

"It's beautiful, Kay-kay. Any special occasion?"

"There is a daddy-daughter dance next Friday...I know daddy is very busy. So I made him a pretty card so he would feel very special and come with me."

My throat closes up at that. 53 minutes. I went 53 minutes without thinking about Weston.

It's been over three weeks since he has joined this new company. I hate it already, it's taken away my husband and the father of my kids away from them. Depriving all of us the time to be a family.

I don't want to sound needy, and I do know that building up a career in the production market is demanding, time consuming and draining.

You don't get it April. You have it so easy, show around a house that already sells for itself, smile and charm the guest with your pretty face and words and voila! 10 houses sold.

The sacrifices I made for our family...the sacrifices I still make! They don't count as efforts to you, do they? No, but walking around in a silly Halloween costume with Kayla does it, right? Right?

His words from four nights ago haunt me.

It's not like he hasn't been home every night, sure it's becoming later and later everyday and he goes to the office earlier and earlier, but he still manages to take the time out to bid his kids good night.

I guess, I should have been more understanding and less demanding. It's not even a month and I'm whining like a whale at him, when all he's doing is making a career for himself.

Which gives you a comfortable life, he had sneered in my face.

No! I had wanted to scream right back at him. I work too, I am my own person not some maid on your payroll!

A cry rings in the air finally snapping me out of the memories. Dexter is awake and making a fuss. It has also managed to distract Kayla, for which I am glad because I honestly don't have an answer to any of her questions.

♤

"We are planning on turning the backyard into poolside gazebo kinda thingy?" I smile at her unsure tone.

"I bet a fireplace would be just the right touch."

"Oh my god! You are a genius! Roger!! Why did we not think of it before? Oh it's all coming together now." She clasps her hands in front of her and gushes over the lawn overlooking from the outside deck.

I am about to suggest her that the fireplace would look even more fantastic nestled within the gazebo, when the ringing of my phone cuts me off.

Shit, I forgot to put in on vibrate.

"I am sorry, Mrs. Klein, I'll be just a minute, please help yourself to the refreshments." I smile apologetically as I back away.

"Oh dear, take your time!"

I whip out my phone out of my purse, about ready to let it go to voice-mail when I see Weston's name on the screen.

Weston never calls when he's at work. And when I mean never I am not exaggerating, he's very religious about his work ethics, so to see this call is quite the surprise.

I pick up the call, just before it can go over to voice-mail.

"Hello?"

"April? Oh good you answered. I want you to come home right now."

"Excuse me?"

"I said I want you to come home right away."

"Weston, I heard you just fine the first time, but what's the matter?" As another thought hits me, I panic, "Is it the kids? Are they alright?"

"Relax, it's not the kids, and stop with the 20 questions. I have to pitch a presentation to a client in an hour but I forgot my Mac at home."

"So go over and get it." I say coolly.

The gall of him.

I can literally see his eye roll from here.
"Oh silly me why did that not occur to me? Maybe because my office is 45 minutes away and I know you are at a house showing not 10 minutes away from our place."

How the fuck does he know that?

"That sounds like a very you problem to me."

"Not to me." His arrogance only fuels my bitterness toward him.

Before I can retort and give him some piece of my mind he speaks again.

"Please baby? If I get this I'll finally be able to breathe without the fucking noose of Jackson's threat around me."

You fucking called me baby again.

And the other thing.

Jackson Hastings. The bane of Weston's existence and a pain in the ass.

I don't know him but from what West has told me this guy is just as arrogant, self righteous and misogynist as my husband.

He and Weston are right now neck to neck, in a competition for the position which has opened up after a senior executive resigned.

He's the reason my husband has to pull all nighters some times at the firm.

"Okay." I say meekly. Because I want this to be over with. I want my husband back, the carefree guy who would wake up early to cook our family breakfast, the guy who would stay up all night with Dexter and let me sleep, the guy who would surprise us with a picnic to Disneyland, the guy who was my shoulder to cry on after my parents passed away.

The guy I fell in love with.

♤