Second chances

Chapter four

Kristen got home by 2:30 am. The streets were quiet, everyone must have been asleep.

She parked her car in her driveway, got out of the car, took out her item box from the back seat, and locked the car.

She didn’t have the energy to park in the garage. Walking to the door of her two-story modern house, she took note of the nanny’s car that was parked on the street right in front of her house.

She rang the doorbell and shortly after, the nanny showed up to open the door for her. She welcomed her, taking the item box from her and going to place it on the open kitchen island.

Kristen took off her heels and walked into the sitting room where she slumped carelessly on the fluffy white couch. She let out a loud sigh and took a moment to relax.

The nanny came to the living room with a cup of water and some fruit. “Thank you, Pamela,” Kristen thanked her.

“You welcome ma’am. I shall be taking my leave now. Emma is fast asleep in her room. She was excellent today,” Pamela said, taking off her bag from the coat rack.

“Thank you so much Pamela. I appreciate that. Sorry for keeping you later than agreed, I’ll be sure to tip you heavily,” Kristen promised.

“It’s fine Miss Vog, I’m always happy to help,” Pamela said with a little laugh. “Goodnight,” she said before leaving the house and shutting the front door.

Kristen drank the water and ate a few fruits, then got up from her lazy position and approached the stairs. She would take care of the clothes she took off in the sitting room later in the day.

She walked up the stairs and down the hall to Emma’s room. The door was open for safety reasons and her night light was on.

The room was full of plushies and toys arranged neatly in cupboards. Her cute floating bed was at one edge of the room, creating a huge play area for her.

Kristen walked over to her sleeping daughter’s bed. She looked at her daughter for some seconds, admiring her features and how much she looked like a mix of her and Alex.

She remembered Alex. And their encounter earlier before.

She gave Emma a light kiss on her forehead, snuggled her up more in her blanket, and then left for her room, which was right opposite Emma’s.

She went into the room and closed the door. Sulking to her walk-in closet to pick out her nighties.

She got her nighties and went into the bathroom for a nice relaxing shower, ordering Alexa to play one of her shower playlists, and then she got her shower things ready.

She took off the remaining of her clothes and stepped into the jacuzzi for a warm bath. The rose petals and the vanilla bath bomb she had out in the water made the bath more refreshing.

She closed her eyes and let her body relax into the water. She was forgetting all her worries for just that short moment.

After the relaxing shower, Kristen put on her black silk pajamas and put on her bonnet before climbing into bed.

But she couldn’t fall asleep because she kept thinking of Alex. And soon her eyes started to tear up, thinking about their past.

Thinking about the day her life took a bad turn.

She had just lost her dad and was seeking comfort from her boyfriend, Alex. But had been comforted by something else.

“Alex, pick up your phone”. Kristen said she was alone in her car. She had just gotten a call in the middle of her shift from the hospital.

She had lost her dad to leukemia.

Kristen was sobbing and wiping off the tears that rolled down her cheeks speedily, for she was driving and didn’t want to hit anything or anyone by mistake.

She was getting close to the street of her and Alex’s apartment. She called Alex again, but it said the caller was busy.

Kristen needed Alex at that moment more than anything.

Reaching the apartment, she parked her car in the parking lot and made her way to the entrance door with heavy steps.

She got in the elevator and pressed the button for their apartment. She knew Alex would be home because he had mentioned he was staying indoors that day.

On reaching their apartment door, she knocked. But there was no answer. She knocked again and still no answer. She could’ve used her key, but she left it at the office.

She decided to try her luck by pushing down the door handle, and to her surprise, it was unlocked.

She went into the apartment, wondering why Alex would leave their door open. But then it could be a burglar.

Kristen stopped crying and took off her heels, closing the door gently and tip-toeing to the kitchen. There was no one there.

She walked down the hallway leading to the two bedrooms and heard a muffled noise coming from there. She opened their room door and saw no one.

Then she heard moans and groans coming from the extra room beside theirs and her heart immediately sunk to her stomach.

Hesitantly, Kristen walked across the hall to the room door. Without wasting any more time, she opened the door. And was greeted by a sight she wished she’d never seen.

It was Alex, with another woman. And not just any other woman, it was Kristen’s best friend.

Kristen just stood there by the door frame, mouth open and eyes locked on the movement going on under the sheets.

They didn’t hear her come in? She thought.

Not wanting to witness the scene anymore, she turned around and left, slamming the door on her way out.

She hurried out of the apartment, leaving her shoes behind too. She got in her car and drove to her sister's house. Since she’s the only other person she could turn to.

Their mum was there too. Khloe, Kristen’s sister, was comforting their mum who was weeping profusely.

Kristen didn’t know how to tell them what she had just seen. So the next day, she booked a flight to New York City, and weeks after her dad’s burial, she was gone.

She ignored everyone’s texts and calls and only communicated with her mum and sister. She was making them promise not to tell anyone where she was.

Then she found out she was pregnant with Alex's child. And cut off everyone. Including her mum and sister, she couldn’t tell them. She couldn’t bear the embarrassment.

Now, Kristen lay flat on her big round bed. She was consoling herself with the warmth of her soft sheets and plushies.

She thought it would be harder to fall asleep now. Not only was she crying over the heartbreak from years ago. But she also remembered her dad.

She cried for a while, the music playing didn’t help her situation either.

Pretty little bird by Sza came on. And Kristen found herself slowly drifting away to the world of dreams.

She had fallen asleep.

It was 9 am and Emma had gone into her mum’s room with breakfast to wake her up.

“Wake up mummy, wake up!!” She giggled, bouncing on her mum and receiving heavy groans.

She bounced onto her knees, kneeling right in front of Kristen’s face, then whispered “I made you breakfast.”

Almost instantly, Kristen jerked up from her position in bed, put on her comfy slip-ons and rushed downstairs to the kitchen.

Emma followed behind with her adorable giggles. On reaching the kitchen, Kristen stood behind the island in the open kitchen, mouth wide open.

“Ohh my love what have you done now,” Kristen cried out rhetorically. She scanned the kitchen area and all she could think of was where to even begin.

Should she start by mopping up the two cartons of orange juice Emma had spilled on the floor and counters?

Should she start by wiping flour off every single item and equipment in the kitchen?

Should she start by checking what was left of their groceries after the 6-year-old's wild experiment?

“I promise I’ll clean it all up, I was only trying to make you breakfast because you’ve been so busy,” Emma said in a low tone, twisting her toes on the marble floor, her hands behind her back and head down.

She could see the disappointment in her mum’s face. Kristen’s expression softened after what her daughter said.

She walked over to Emma, who looked like she was about to cry.

She squatted in front of her, engulfing her in a warm hug. Even though Emma was completely covered in pancake ingredients and juice.

“It’s okay, my love. I understand that you love and care about mummy so much,” she said, kissing Emma’s forehead before rising to get to work.

“You know what’s going to happen now?” Kristen said, surveying the kitchen, then turning to look at her daughter.

“What?” Emma asked.

“Mummy’s going to clean this whole place up and make breakfast, then we’ll go out to the park for ice cream and some fun. Is that okay?” Kristen asked her daughter, giving her a cheerful smile.

“YES MUM!!! Thank you mummy, thank you mummy,” she was hugging her mum’s leg and jumping about.

Kristen knew how much she loved the park, although they were not able to go there often. Because Kristen doesn’t want Emma to get hurt.

“You’re welcome sweetie. Okay, go take off these messy clothes and wrap your towel around yourself. I’ll give you a nice shower when I’m done here,” Kristen said.

“Okay mummy!” Said excited Emma.

Kristen watched her as she hopped away, a huge grin spread on her face. She loved her daughter so much. If only Alex wasn’t the dad.

She got to cleaning and then made breakfast for both of them.

Then she gave Emma a nice shower and dressed her up before going to put on a sundress while Emma ate.

She wasn’t going to take a bath since she had one not too long ago.

They got their things ready for the park, Kristen packed lunch.

She buckled Emma up in her little car seat and got into the driver’s seat, and with that they were off to the park.

They were just arriving at the park when Emma called for her mum’s attention. “Mummy?”

“Yes my love?” Kristen answered, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

“Why were you crying last night?” Emma asked in a sad tone. Kristen was parking the car in the lot when Emma asked this.

Surprised by her daughter’s question, she turned off the car and turned to look at her. She couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Did bad people hurt you?” Emma asked, staring into her mum’s eyes.

“No sweetie,” although the 6-year-old was partially right. Kristen couldn’t let her know that. “Mummy just had a really bad tummy ache,” She lied.

She gave Emma a light smile before pulling out the key from the slot.

She got down from the driver’s seat and went around to unbuckle Emma’s seat belt.

She took out their things from the trunk, and they made their way to the noisy park.