In out and back in love with you.

I still remember you It’s the very same mantra Cassie repeats herself every single day ‘cause of course that’s the one thing she is certain off. Which actually sucks since she knows the very next thing on her mind will be the question: Does he still remember me?, and that my friends, is a question with no answer, if you can call a good seven years of silence a not good enough answer. The alarm clock rings again and reminds her that if she doesn't get up in the next thirty seconds the rest of her most occupied day will go down the drain. Not a minute later Cassie hears the most familiar sound of baby footsteps followed by the sweet voice of her five year old son complaining: - Mommy! Last night Chelsea crawl on my bed to sleep, again!! - Again?? -Cassie asked, just in time to hear her eight year old daughter Chelsea yelling from somewhere inside the house: - That’s not true Ethan! I only sleep with you so you won’t get scared at night… - But I don’t get scared unless you snore on my ear all night!!! You sound like a zombie! Preventing this every day banter continues even before her morning coffee is served, Cassie decides to intervene. - Ok you monsters! Time out!! Go and get ready for school or we’ll be unfashionably late. - What does unfassionable late means, mommy?- asks Ethan - “unfashionably late” means if you get late and don’t go to school mamma is going to be in so much trouble at work. so off you go baby, get out of your pj’s and in your school uniform, I’ll help you in a bit. Guiding both Kids to their room Cassie found her way to the kitchen and her most needed black coffee, taking little sips while packing lunches that are most probably gonna be traded for chips and cookies, but what can you expect from the two little gremlins whose mother dares to send healthy food to? The second alarm of the day goes off, meaning she’s got to move an get ready or time will play against her. The threesome handle to get out of the house not without some quarrels between the siblings, a most interesting fight about pigtails or buns and the search of a missing shoe lost in total mystery and found on the fridge - no doubt Ethan’s revenge on Chelsea’s night snoring- and makes it to school two minutes before the bell rings. Cassie kisses her little ones goodbye and tell each off them her every day goodbye phrase: May God look between us while we are apart. To which they answer their usual: and bring us together safely. While watching them leave a little boy with brown chestnut hair catches her attention and just with a smile he reminds her of him, of the beginning: (Flashback) A beautiful creature is flying among the daisies of the last day of summer, it is moving away, probably looking for shelter from the rain that will soon be here. An eight-year-old Cassandra Donovan runs after the little being, as fast as her little legs can carrie her, she’s running and screaming: - Hahahaha, tiny butterfly … come here hahahaha Her sprint comes to a stop when she sees him. Eleven year old Alexander McIntyre is sitting all alone in the corner of the huge garden inside her godfather’s property, and by the way his shoulders are hung down and the reddened eyes and nose she can tell he’s been crying. She knows him alright, they’ve known each other since birth, their families are well acquainted, both their fathers were college friends and they kept in touch ever since, so much so they made a tradition over time to get together once a month along with five other friends and their families. They are so close that most of them feels like family even consider each other as such. Even so, Cassie and Alex are not particularly good friends. He is a naughty boy who always annoys her and she is daddy's little girl who complains about dirty older children; but something constricts in her chest by that sad look on he’s face; so against all odds the little girl goes and take a sit right next to him, she has no idea whatsoever that this might not be such a good idea or that this exact moment will change the rest of her life. - Why you crying?- comes Cassie little voice while she set her beautiful big green eyes on the upset boy next to her. - And what is to you? Silly baby girl- the last part is almost a whisper but she hears it; see, not the best idea she’s ever had, he’s always bugging her and here she is, trying to figure what could make him cry like that. - I’m not a baby, at least not the one crying on the garden all alone- is her reply. - I just got yell at ‘cause my brothers hurt each other, they were running around and bumped in to each other, they hurt their heads and I got grounded.- a small tear falls from he’s eye again and Cassie is not sure whether to leave him alone or try to investigate a little more, but she’s intrigued now. - Why were you punished if you had nothing to do with it?? - Because - says Alex matter of factly - As their big brother I was supposed to be looking after them and now they are hurt, my mom is not wrong, it’s kinda my fault. A kid looking after two small children, gets blamed by a child accident, yeah, leave it to adults to complicate things like that. - Well, I don’t think is your fault, parents are weird like that.- as soon as she says that she gets closer and kisses his cheek lightly. The surprise in Alex face is priceless but he masks it quickly and gives her a grin - Come on baby girl, let’s chase your butterfly- a dazzling smile lights up his face now as he gets up and helps her on her feet. A smile that will be forever engraved in her memory as the two kids run around the garden laughing. (End of flashback) Cassie phone vibrates in her back pocket, bringing her back to reality, she looks at the hour and realizes is time to run again, work and bills do not wait and is getting late already. When she arrives in her office building she takes a few seconds to contemplate the facade of her business, her firm, business consulting was always something exciting for her and starting her own firm became her life project. She started as an independent consultant as soon as she finished college, but then an opportunity for a steady job presented itself and Cassie got lost on it for a few years, twelve years ago however came the necessity to help take care or her grandmother and flexible hours were needed almost as much as patience and dedication to care for the old woman, her parents needed her help with it, so she made a choice, she quit her Job and decided to bet for herself and start a business consultant firm, it took time, tears and sweat, also a few disappointments on several people and even some friends, who offered to make the firm a society and bailed, but twelve years latter she’s still standing strong and on her own two feet for that matter, is been hard but she’s her own boss and have hired and trained some other consultants along the way, has three senior consultants and around six juniors, plus about twenty experts on different things working as independent advisors, also she can decide about her own time table and having two children under ten, that’s always an advantage. Her grandmother is gone and so is her mother but Cassie remains persistent in her firm and relies on his father as a support system both in personal and business matters. As soon as she steps inside is received by her personal assistant who’s already expecting her with a cup of fresh coffee and the day schedule. - You have four meetings scheduled for today, the most difficult is with the J&A associates office, and you will not like this at all, their proposal is practically the same and they are waiting for our collaboration so that our client approves the matter at hand - that’s Amanda, efficient and straight to the point. - And the client’s input? Where do they stand? - They’re waiting on your advise, but I already send you a mail with the risk vs advantages comparison, with the main points of last meeting, but I think you’re right, they are shady as f**k- Amanda said. - I know that Amanda, I expect a hostile meeting, but who knows? They might refrain themselves from making stupid suggestions before noon, right? - says Cassie with a half-smile. - Or maybe the client sees for himself they are trying to indict him on some funky business, huh? It doesn't hurt to dream, boss, it doesn't harm at all- sarcasm dripping from the assistant tone. - Yeah, not harm at all…