Chapter 11 Their eyes
1361 Words
Elara's POV
I had a long flight, and it became even longer after meeting a few people. Some I wish I would never meet again... Scratch that, I wish I hadn't met any of them again.
Not my fake best friend, and definitely not that weird handsome stranger at the airport.
It seemed as though she had her friend were going somewhere... They were at an airport, and they didn't seem as though they were returning.
Hopefully, before they returned to the city, I would be done with my work and out of here.
I didn't want to leave because of afraid of them, or anyone in my past... No. I just didn't want trouble. I wasn't alone anymore, I had children... Two boys whom I had to care for. Children who gave me hope.
I didn't want to taint them. Not with my family Dynamics.
After a few weeks, everything would go back to normal.
After leaving the airport in a cab, I called the hotel, which I had booked a room at before leaving Korea, only for them to inform me that my room was taken.
It was a special guest apparently, and my room was the only one they could give him. I wanted to argue and threaten them with a lawsuit, but then they offered a refund with interest.
So, I had to look for other options. The problem was... I couldn't go searching hotel to hotel with two children for a room, and I couldn't book one online because my phone died a few minutes after the call from the last hotel.
It was getting late, and we needed a place to stay.
After much thought, I finally decided to go somewhere.
"Mummy?..." I felt my body being rocked side to side, slowly removing me from my thoughts. It took a few seconds, but I finally turned to look at the little figure who stared back at me, his hands on my arm... "Are you alright?" He asked, blinking his baby blue eyes, filled with concern for me.
His eyes...
They looked just like mine.
My lips pulled up into a small smile, and I brought my hand to caress his cheeks
"Jake..." I called him softly and nodded. "Yeah. I am."
The boy didn't look so convinced.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, someone else beat him to it.
"Are you sure?" I heard his cute concerned voice, and I turned to look at the kid I didn't know was standing there. "We've been calling you for like five minutes." He said with a small frown, his hands crossed on his chest.
Five minutes?
Had I spaced out for so long?
I had been checking out a few documents which I was meant to present to a client... The client. The main reason I was here in this bloody place again.
It would have been a three-day trip, but my boss had insisted on making it two weeks. I had wanted to disagree, but after finding out other's past experiences with this person... It turned out, he was a very hard man to please.
He found mistakes quickly in presentations, and the person would be asked to redo again before presenting it to him... Again.
I had been going over my documents again before I was suddenly overwhelmed with memories of the past.
I shook my head, trying to shake the milf feeling of pain that had accompanied the memories off.
"I'm fine." My smile became strained. Before the boys would press on any further, I turned to look at the one who still held my rtm. "What is it?"
Jake blinked.
Then he let out a small nervous laugh. "Well em..." He let go of my arm, stepped back, and then went to drag his twin brother forward. "Leo has something to ask you."
Leo looked surprise, and though that wasn't the plan, and tried to return to where he stood, but as soon as my eyes swept past him... He froze in his spot.
"Okay, Leo. What do you want to ask?"I asked.
Leo's eyes subtly widened before he regained his composure. "Mummy..." Leo began softly. "Can you take us to the park tomorrow?"
The what?
"The park?" A frown appeared on my lips.
There was an instant answer in my head, but I had to press my lips into a thin line so as not to say it.
"Yes, mummy." Jake nodded, coming to stand next to his brother. "You said that this city has the most beautiful parks. You said you'd take us to see one."
'I said that?' I thought, trying to think of when and how I must have said something so stupid.
That was probably in the spur of the moment. The boys had made a fuss when I told them about the trip. I had dragged them away from school, which had only just started a few months ago, just because of this.
So, I had promised them almost everything just to get them to agree to this.
How was I to remember this one?
"Yes." Leo sided with his brother, then he pointed at the files on the table. "But since we've arrived here, you've been really busy with work or just spacing out."
Because that was what I was here for... Work! Spacing out just came with the city.
I didn't plan on going on any outing, and especially not tomorrow. Not with the meeting I had with this huge client.
My eyes left the boys to look around the room, where I found someone else listening to the conversation. She carried a tray in her hands with a jug of water and a glass. As though she had intended to give me water before she stopped by the door.
As soon as her eyes met mine, she shook her head, already guessing what I wanted to say.
I said it anyway.
"Er..." I turned back to look at the boys, and then at the lady who stood by the door, silently glaring at me. "Why don't you ask your aunt Helene to take you?"
The boys turned around to see Helene... She had on a huge white t-shirt and black shorts, her eyes narrowed as she walked towards where I sat.
"They've asked, but I sent them to ask you." She answered, before dropping the tray on the table next to me. Then she began walking away.
"What comes on?" I called after her, but she didn't turn around. "Why did you do that? You can take them to the park."
She could have taken them. She was one of the handful of people I could trust... One of the handful of people who had known me before everything in my life went south, and yet still stayed. One of the people I had wronged badly before realizing who my enemy was... Yet she still forgave me.
Even when I showed up at her door a few days ago with my children, she didn't ask any questions.
She just smiled and let us in. It was only later that I told her how my life had been these past few years after disappearing without any notice.
I trusted her and she knew it.
Why did she turn down the children's request?
Helene paused, and then she turned around. "I know that, but I can see it in their eyes." She said, and then turned to look at the twins. "They want to spend time with their mother, and not me. Plus... Leo did say you promised them."
Their eyes?
How could she see anything in their eyes? She met them just a few days ago!
But then again... I hadn't had time this past few months because of my work. A new managerial spot had opened in the company a few months ago, and I wanted it.
But still...
I squinted my eyes, looking between the twins before my eyes finally landed on Leo.
Wasn't he the understanding one?
"Did your brother put you up to this?" I asked, leaning a little closer to him so his brother wouldn't hear.
- Writer
