All Over Again

Chapter Three

"Again, again." Mia's little squeals could be heard throughout the park.

"One last time,okay? Hold on tight." Jess said to a giggling Mia on her shoulders.

When they left the house a few hours ago, more like 1 hour ago, they went for their ice cream and found themselves at the park a couple doors down from the ice cream store. It was Mia’s idea as she heard the squealing of children and the barking of dogs, and wanted to come investigate for herself. She’s been having a blast ever since they got here.

Jessica currently had Mia on her shoulders running around chasing an imaginary person, firing 'gunshots' with her fingertips. It was quite a funny site. She was very happy that they could allow Mia to get some sunlight and be enjoying herself as much as she was right now. Vanessa didn’t want Mia to be cooped up in the house all day without interacting with little humans her age. She wanted the best for child, and she had Jessica right beside her to help.

Some days she just can’t help but think about what if Stanley was still a part of her life, what would’ve happened then. Would he still have wanted her to get an abortion? She didn’t even want to think about it.

The sound of giggling in her ear snapped her out of her thoughts as she looked at the smiling faces beaming brightly at her.

"Before I forget, I'm going out tonight, get my groove on for the weekend. You should totally come with." Jess says to Vanessa while letting Mia down.

"In case you've forgotten, I have a kid to take care of now." She informed Jess as she watched Mia chase a butterfly.

"That's never stopped you from enjoying yourself before. You usually get that kid Tasha to come watch her for you, do that tonight and come with me to the club." Jessica suggests. "Ness, you never get out anymore." She whined.

"That's because I have nothing to get out for. I have everything I want inside my house. A beautiful daughter to keep me busy, a comfortable bed that I totally sleep with every night, a big ass TV to keep me entertained. What more could I possibly want?" Vanessa asks.

"A man to make love to you every night." Jessica inputs.

Vanessa glared at her.

"What, you asked what else you wanted. So I'm only telling you what else you wanted." She held up her hands in surrender.

"Aunt Jess, I can't catch the butterfwy." Mia's little voice cut through their conversation.

"How bout I buy you one?" She asks the little girl.

Mia's eyes light up as her aunt asked her what she's been dying to hear. She knew that if she came running with a pouty lip and big doe eyes, she was likely to get what she wanted. She was almost three, but she knew her way around manipulating her mom and her aunt.

"Yea!" She shouted.

"Yeah." Jess says giving Mia a small high five, and Mia dashed off again.

"Ready to go home wifey?" Jess slung a hand over Vanessa's shoulder.

"Only if you are hubby." Vanessa teased right back. "Let's go." She smiled.

"Mia we're going." Vanessa called out.

"Coming." Her little voice shouted.

She ran towards them and grabbed onto her mom's hand.

"Upsies." She tugged on her mother's hand.

"Let me." Jess said to a tired looking Vanessa.

Jessica grabbed Mia and hoisted her up on her shoulders as they started their journey home.

Vanessa will forever be grateful for Jessica as she is always there when she needs her the most. Too bad she couldn’t say that for some other people.

Later that evening

Vanessa was sitting at the dinner table after putting Mia to sleep. Jess was persistent on going out to ‘club it up’ so she was the only one at home with a sleeping Mia.

She was mulling over what happened three years ago, it was a constant thing on her mind lately. Maybe because Mia was almost three and it hurt her to know that not once did he try to reach out to her to find out if she was okay, if she had a safe delivery. She really couldn't believe that, that jerk-face told her to get an abortion. She had been so unbelievably angry she feared she was going to punch him in the nose that eventful afternoon. Maybe she should have, it’s been the only thing she’s been wanting to do lately, maybe because she didn’t do it when she had the chance. She had been hanging on by a very thin thread of self restraint that evening.

She could only handle so much of his arrogance that he showed. He really thought that she was going to just drop everything and follow his orders. He thought that highly of himself. The arrogant bastard!

She had already gave up her job the minute she decided she was going to sleep with him. She really didn't have anything else to lose except her job, and maybe her virginity. And it actually came through, she lost her job because it was inappropriate for employees to sleep with the business partners. What the hell was she thinking?

It turns out he wasn't just any business partner because a couple months down the line, it was announced that he bought out the company and is now CEO there, even though he appointed someone else to run it while he just checks in every once in a while.

He was ruthless in every sense of the word, and it shows.

Vanessa's ringing phone snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Hello." She carefully answers.

Other than Jessica, she shouldn’t be receiving any calls at this time of the time, and she knew better than to think it was Jessica.

"Is this Vanessa Colbourne?" A female voice comes through her speakers.

"Yes, this is she." Vanessa confirms wondering who the hell this was.

"My name is Lisa Myers, I'm calling from Gentech."

Jessica's breath hitched in her throat when she heard the familiar name of the institution. It belonged to no other that Stanley Warren.

She wondered what the hell they wanted with her. If he thinks he's going to step into her life again, he thought wrong. She wanted nothing to do with him.

"What do you people want?" Vanessa demands.

"So I do have the right person. Easy Ms Colbourne." Lisa says, her Spanish side coming out. "He doesn't know where you are and I'll make sure it stays that way."

"I’m not worried about him finding me since I wasn’t in hiding. And don’t make promises you can’t keep because if he wanted to find me, he would have already. So what do you want?" Vanessa asks her.

"I wanna meet for a quick chat, if that is okay with you. What say you meet me at Reggie's tomorrow at noon."

"What for?"

Vanessa wasn't about to go running and meeting a woman she knows absolutely nothing about. She needed details. She was very skeptic about this phone call. Why after so many years did he want to mingle in her life?

"When you get there Ms Colbourne, you'll know." Lisa answers coolly knowing exactly what's running through the woman’s head.

"Look if this is to tell me to back off of your man, let me save you the trouble. I want nothing to do with that....to do with Stanley."

A loud laugh rings through from the other side of the phone. Vanessa frowned wondering what she said that was so funny.

"Sweetie, first off eeww. I would never in a million years get with him. And second, I'm lesbian so.."

"Ms Colbourne, just get to Reggie's at noon tomorrow and we'll talk from there. Have a wonderful evening." With that she hangs up leaving Vanessa looking down at her phone in confusion.

Wonderful. She thought dryly.

If it had been 2 years ago she would’ve gladly taken him back and forgiven him, but he waited too long. She was never going to get back with him, even if it was the last thing she did.