Wild flowers; Housekeeper's Bell

Chapter 1

Six years later.

"Jamie!" Bell called.

'This little son of mine's  is going to drive me crazy,' Bell mumbled. She had two more days before her graduation and she had promised her classmates she would help with final preparations for the ceremony. She had to meet up with them in less than fifteen minutes in the college auditorium and Jamie was playing hide and seek.'

"Come on baby, mommy has to go to school now and you have to get ready for kindergarten." She opened the bedroom door and looked behind it. No Luck. Then she got an idea.

"Ma!" Using her most stern mommy voice she called down to the kitchen, "I think aliens have stolen Jamie and I'm going to have to give his toys, especially the red Spiderman to the orphanage." She heard sweet little giggles coming from the wardrobe inside her bedroom, just as she had predicted. Her little monster liked to think he could always get the better of his mother. She crept closer towards the wardrobe door, gently grabbing the door knob she pulled it open.

"Caught you!" She laughed, tucked in the corner of the little room was her five-year-old son.

"Mommy aliens didn't steal me, I'm right here, I fooled you!!" Her baby giggled, to his own delight.

"I know." She smiled grabbing his chubby hand, pulling him out into the bedroom. Little James Andrews pouted up at his mom, his big brown puppy dog eyes looking up at her calculatingly. "You cheated!"

"How did mommy cheat honey?" She asked innocently kneeling down on the carpet next to his three feet two inches frame, forcing him to make eye contact.

"You made me laugh, you knew where I was." He accused. A smart little boy.

"I'm sorry but mommy is getting late and I don't have time to play right now," she spoke firmly, "now come let's get you ready for your day."

"I don't want to..." he said stubbornly and Bell sighed as she saw the mark of his father's single-mindedness written all over her little boy's face, he was going to try to put up a fight, "let's play some more."  Jamie demanded as he made an attempt to run, she grabbed him up and swung him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, he giggled and laughed all the way down to the kitchen.

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"Eat you breakfast little man!" Martha Vega warned her grandson sternly as the house phone rang. Bell turned off the little four burner stove were she was busy making her morning coffee, to grab the phone of the counter. "Hello?" she called, a faint mumble came from the other side of the line.

"Yes Ms. White." Bell answered, Martha looked at her daughter from behind the small kitchen counter of their two bed room home.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that, well I hope you get well soon." She said as she hung up.

"What is it Bella?" Martha asked as she saw a look of despair on her daughter's face.

"That was Jamie's teacher she has the flu."

"I'm sorry to hear that but why look so down?"

"Ma, I promised the guys I would meet up with them to help with the final preparation for graduation and I have to go. They've asked for my help before and I blanked them with a big capital NO. I can't do it again..." Bell sighed, "they'll think I don't want to help them. What am I going to do?"

"It's okay, I can take him to work with me." Bell's eyes opened wide.

"Ma, you know we can't take him there," she whispered, "what if someone sees him?"

"Yes, we can, child, you don't worry your pretty head. Mrs. Andrews is not due to come down to the house for another week and Mr. Dean does not come at all, he and Mrs. Andrews don't speak anymore remember." The mention of Dean's name made her heart ache. Jamie's ears perked up as he heard his father's name being mentioned. His entire face lit up as a smile danced on his childish angelic face.