The Aftermath (Book IV) [NaNoWriMo13] (On Hold)

Chapter Fifteen - Regrets

                                                             Chapter Fifteen 

                                                                  Regrets

My shoulders have never felt so light. Who would have thought that I was carrying so much weight because of the Keepers? The weight fell right off when I finally told the rest about what was going on. Well, by the rest, I mean my mom. I knew she’d get the word around faster than I would. The only thing I had to do was to tell Zach about the meeting with the Keepers. The only reason I felt the need to tell him was let him know that I had made a final decision.

Jack planted a kiss on my lips before trudging through the snow to his ship. He was back to his crazy schedule of flying. It meant that I needed to start my own regular routine. My life has changed a lot in the past few weeks. I didn’t even know what to do with myself at home. So far I had made breakfast for the kids, got them dressed, and took a hot shower. It was already noon and that’s all I had accomplished. If only I was a gifted painter or something so that I could spend my day created a master piece. But, unfortunately, creativity wasn’t my strong point. I wanted to go out running, so hard and fast that my muscles would wear down. That was my strong point. The snow was too high to even walk quickly. So I was stuck inside with a small fire going, thanks to Jack, and one really bored daughter and a sleeping son.

I bundled both of them up and began to prepare myself for the journey over to Zach’s house. Before I reached the front door there was a knock. “Cassie, go sit down and I’ll answer it,” I told her as I sat Daniel in his playpen.

To my surprise, it was Zach who was at my door.

“I was just going over to your house.” I laughed lightly.                  

He smiled back. “I guess I saved you a trip.”

“Good thing too. I hate this weather.” I immediately shrugged out of my coat and placed it on the hook.

He stepped in and stomped the snow caked on his boots before taking off his own coat. “What were you going to come over for?”

I started taking off Daniel’s and Cassie’s coats. “I just had to tell you about the Keepers.”

“That was what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Good timing. Want some tea?”

He took a seat on the couch. “If that isn’t too much trouble.”

I rolled my eyes and gave a light wave of my hand. “I don’t know… Boiling water and dunking a teabag in it seems like so much effort. I don’t know if I can handle it.”

He smiled and laughed at my sarcasm.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed the kettle, filling it with water. The kitchen was freezing cold from lack-of-use and no heater going in it. I stood close by the stove and shivered as I waited for the water to boil. When the kettle gave a shriek I immediately took it off the stove and poured the hot water into a white coffee cup and added a black teabag. For myself, I was thrilled to pour another cup of coffee in the mug I already had two cups in. I carried everything out on a tray, balancing the sugar, honey, and milk. When I came back into the living room Zach was staring at the fire. Cassie wasn’t in sight. Earlier she really wanted to play with her dollhouse. No doubt she was up there right now.

“I should have offered hot cocoa. This weather just screams something chocolaty and filled with sugar,” I claimed as I stirred an unhealthy amount of sugar into my coffee followed by milk.