SECOND CHANCES - Forgiving Isn't Always Easy

Chapter twenty three: Road trip

-A/N-

This chapter is a Selen special to make up for my absence the past week. Enjoy :)

-X-O-

Quote of the day:

~~~~ I fell in love with the way you touched me, without using your hands...

                                                                                                                               ~~~~Unknown.

Selen PoV:

"Mommy are you leaving now?"- Hope asked me with a sleepy face.

"Yes baby. Mommy's gotta go, but I'll be back soon."- I say, scooping her up in my arms.

"Meanwhile you'll stay home with Aunt Maria and your nannies, okay?"

"Uhum."- she nods her tiny head while I place a kiss on her forehead.

"And you'll be a good girl, now wont you Tigress?"- I lift my brows at her and she grins broadly, nodding in a cheeky sort of way that made her look adorable. Even more so than she was.

"C'mon, lets put you to bed."

"Can you give me a ride?"- she pleads and I can't help but smile. By ride, she means piggy back ride. That's how Alex has put her to bed for the last couple of months and she has grown attached to it. So, placing her on the sofa, I bend to allow her an easy access to my back.

"Piggy back ride!"- Maria yelps in joy from the hall.

"I want one too! I want one too!"- she says like a little child, bouncing up and down and clapping her hands rapidly. This woman will never grow! Sometimes I wonder if she isn't really a child in a woman's body.

"Grownups can't have piggy back rides"- Hope responds through giggles, hiding her head in my hair.

"Yes, baby but sometimes I wonder who is younger, you or your aunt."- and we both giggle, specially to the frown and tight lip in Maria's face. Of course that was all for effect, but it made Hope earnestly smile and I was so happy for it.

After tucking my daughter in, singing her favorite lullaby and giving her, her goodnight kiss, she finally went to sleep and I proceeded to finishing my valise. It was a rather small one, and I had already done most of the work. Now tiny details remained, like my make-up kit, conditioners, etcetera.

"What are you doing here?"- I questioned Maria, who I caught red-handed closing my valise up.

"Nothing,"- she spoke quickly, nervous look in her eyes.

"Why are you closing my valise? I'm not done with it."

"I did it for you. Figured I'd save you time. It's almost time for you to get going."- she said all to fast and it made me suspicious. What could she have put in that valise that she didn't want me to know? Had it been somebody else, my mind would go all CSI and think drugs or dead bodies, but knowing her, it was probably something naughty. So what was it?

I didn't have time to dwell on the thought or interrogate her further, as my phone rang. I was a bit puzzled to see Alex's name appear on it.

"Alex?"

"Selen where are you?"- he questions and I gaze at the time in my phone. I still had like ten more minutes before I had to leave for the airport, so why..?