If I Lie : Book 2

4. The Kids Are Alright

Two Days Later After The Last Encounter  . . . 

Ashley POV

It had been two days since I had seen Eliza after the fact that she had . . . Did what she had done to me. I was still shaken up but having the kids to myself was starting to become manageable, I could see myself going on as a single mother with five kids sometime from now if that's what it came to. It wasn't like I didn't have all the resources and a great family-staff to help, I had plenty of money coming in as an artist alone. 

But with Eliza there by my side it would have been all the better. I didn't truly want to be alone, I just wish she could clean her act up. Hopefully enough in time for the show, we have to work on together. Even worse Dallas and Georgia wanted Eliza and me to run another charity; the girls had seen one girl come to school wearing the same clothes three times a week and then other outfits were worn within the five days they went to school but those were ratty too and it didn't amaze me at all even when all my kids were in private school that I had sufficient funds to pay for them to all go there but that some parents paid arm and leg to send their children to the best school and unfortunately couldn't pay for their children's clothing, extracurricular activities or even bills that come to mind and who knows what else?

We were always making money. the kid's college tuitions were not a problem at all and we lived comfortably, everything in this house sometimes made me feel guilty because not everyone could afford such a life and before Eliza, I was scraping pennies to get through in school and helping my friends split rent for the apartment. Dad had bought himself a bourgeois car and had great faith in me to pay my own rent and tuition, that's why I loved him more and many people asked me if he could buy a car like a Bugatti then why couldn't he pay for everything I needed? In the end, it gave me character for the struggle being cost.   

Furthermore, we're not just going to help the kids in the school, nor their parents who are in need but I bought it up myself that I should raise a separate charity to help the homeless, along with renting out a decent half-way house home for families. I loved the fact that my kids inspired me to always be a better human when those around me weren't. The warmed my heart. "hey mama!" I felt a pair of smaller arms wrap around my waist. 

"Hi baby," I turned away from the cookies I had been cutting to see which one of my children were behind me. "how was school sweetheart?" I asked Dallas, pulling her closer towards me. 

"It was good, we went on the trip to the art museum!" 

"What did you see?" I watched as my daughter blushed in an instant and suck on her bottom lip. "you're gonna be a breathless tomato if you keep holding it in my love!"

"I saw your artwork and I didn't know you drew stuff like that, it was a lot of naked women and men and then a few of teddy bears and two of us; the kids at the trip were mad at me and Georgie because we were in the museum." she was clearly ashamed, it didn't help that the kid had teased her or gave her nasty looks because she was named in an art museum on their trip. I was a famous artist and my work was great, I wouldn't say the best there was out there or magnificent like most others but it was good enough and I sure didn't feel ashamed that I did something great then immortalized it.

I say something that will dry her tears and ease her fears. "they are just mad their parents aren't either a great artist or designers like your mother and I, not everyone can make their child stay a baby forever and this was the way I'd show you I loved you all."

She and I finished cutting the cookies and laid them away to go into the oven. "thanks mom,"

I pulled her aside after we'd both finished washing our hands.