The Unknown: Book 3 {A Bensler Fan Fic}

Chapter 16

"Thanks for the breakfast, Mom." Noah smiled, as he sat his plate in the sink, and looked at me.

"It was no problem, love." I spoke, forcing a smile. He walked towards me, and hugged me warmly.

"I'll be back before you know it, Mom. I'll write and call when I can." He spoke, and I sighed as I held onto him.

"I love you, Noah. Never forget that, alright?" I spoke, and my son nodded.

"I promise, Mom. I love you too." He spoke, before leaning down and kissing my cheek.

"Now, make sure you don't get yourself hurt. If you change your mind, we can be to the basic training site in a few hours." I spoke, and he nodded.

"I know, Mom. I have to get going. Take care, and make sure James doesn't let being the oldest brother in the house get to his head." He smiled, and I wiped a tear from my cheek with a shaky hand.

"I promise, Noah. Bye, love." I spoke, and he walked out of the room in his uniform, and more tears ran down my cheeks.

My son was leaving us, and I didn't want it to happen. I didn't want my kids to grow up and leave me, but it was happening, and it was happening too rapidly.

~*~

After Elliot dropped Noah off at the bus station where everyone else who was going to basic training was getting picked up, he came back home and walked into the basement where I was folding laundry.

"So he is off and has the watch you gave me before I left for basic." Elliot smiled, and I looked at him and nodded.

"I just hope he won't regret this. I just want him to be happy." I spoke, and he grinned.

"He is happy, baby. Please just come over here and kiss me." Elliot smiled, and I laughed.

"You think that me kissing you is gonna make everything better?" I questioned, and he shrugged.

"Can't I hope?"

"Elliot, Kora is happy." I breathed.

"I know she is."

"She has a boyfriend."

"I know she does."

"She doesn't need me anymore." I whispered, and he frowned.

"Yeah." He spoke, and I looked down at the basket, and I pulled out one of Charlie's t-shirts, and I smiled.

"I remember when Kora was this little. How she used to dance around in her rainbow sneakers, or how she used to sing along to all the songs in Snow White. I found the picture where she dressed up as Snow White for Halloween when she was five." I spoke, and he grabbed the t-shirt from me and put it in the basket, before reaching out and placing his hands on my cheeks.

He forced me to look into his blue eyes, and he leaned in and kissed me. Once our lips parted he spoke.

"She may be growing up, and might decide that she doesn't need you anymore, but upstairs we have two kids that still need their mother. Then there is Josie and Alison who really need their mother's help when it comes to packing up for art school. Aubrie? She is just being stubborn like usual. All of our kids are growing up, but eventually they will all come back, needing wisdom from you. Trust me." He breathed, before hugging me tightly.

Maybe he was right... for once.

~*~

I just tried to forget about everything that had happened, and I worked on keeping my mind focused on the kids who were talking to me, and my job. It wasn't until Noah got home from basic training, that Aubrie and Kora started to talk to me again.

"Momma, where's Noah?" Charlie questioned, as I stood with her at the bus station, waiting for Noah's bus to come in.

"He is on a bus right now, and he'll be here in no time, Charlotte." I spoke, and she looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Charlotte? Momma are you okay?" She questioned, and I chuckled before picking her up and holding her on my hip.

"I'm fine, princess. I just thought maybe I should call you by your birth name, baby."

"Oh, okay." She replied, before laying her head on my shoulder, and I felt her curly brown hair tickle my neck.

We stood there in silence, until Charlie squealed.

"Kora! Brie!" She squealed, as she scrambled from my arms, and onto the concrete. She sprinted to her sisters, and they both hugged her.

"Charlie, you've gotten so big!" Kora exclaimed, and I looked away from my kids, and towards a bus that was pulling away.

"Momma, it's Kora and Brie!" Charlie screamed, as she ran towards me, as she pulled her sisters behind her. I nodded slowly towards my daughter, as the bus holding my oldest son pulled up. I saw several women who were waiting for their men to get off, and once they did, tears streamed down their cheeks in an emotional reunion. I walked away from my daughters, but Charlie pulled her sisters towards the bus, and I stopped. I walked back to the spot I had been standing in, and saw my son get off the bus.

His hair was cut short, and I really saw Elliot when I looked at him. He is such a strong young man, and he makes me so proud to be his mother.

The girls all welcomed their brother home, but when they started to walk towards the parking lot, I noticed Noah looking for me. He smiled when he saw me, before leaning down and saying something to Kora.

Whatever he said made Kora walk towards me. I bit my lip, and reaching into my purse for my wallet, because I expected her to ask for money to take Noah to lunch, but instead she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

I was so confused, so I just wrapped my arms around her and let whatever was happening, happen.

"Mom, Noah said that once he got back from basic training, that I had to get over what was happening. So I'm over it. I'm sorry Mom, and I hope that you still love me, and can forgive me."

"I could never stop loving you, Kora. You're my daughter." I whispered.

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