Vows and vendettas

Episode2

NATHANIEL’S POV

Sitting at my desk, papers strewn about, trying to concentrate on the family business, my mind was somewhere else. Recently, I couldn't seem so much like I was falling as a father. I kept replaying the events of the past days in my head where I barely had time to be with my kids.

The door was pushed open, I knew it was my uncle without looking up.

Alex Blackwood. His presence was as strong and unyielding as the Blackwood empire itself, and he had that entering-a-chamber manners that called for attention.

Alex's tone cut through my reverie when he slumped against the doorframe and asked, "Long day? "

Still staring at the papers and feigning their importance above the actual problem, I snapped, "Only the normal. "

He laughed. "I have some news for you, something that might make your day somewhat more interesting. "

I rolled an eyebrow but didn’t respond to him as I focused on the papers in front of me. Alex had many a lot of ideas and suggestions going on in his head, which were never-ending and unnecessary if I was being honest. Although he had been a respected business associate and looked out for me and my kids since my wife passed away, he never knew when to stop bugging me.

He inquired, his gaze fixed on me but his voice casual, “What do you think about remarrying?”

My hands tightened around the papers; and I froze. “No.”

Alex seemed not shocked. Walking around the room, he seated himself across from me. “Nathaniel, you know you cannot continue to do everything on your own.The kids want a mom. Particularly now that their mother is gone, they need someone who can attend to them, someone who will act as a mother figure. Don’t just think about yourself, think about the kids. ”

I grit my teeth.”I do not need anybody else. We are fine. They have a nanny looking after them.”

For a second, Alex's eyes turned to concrete. “You can't handle everything yourself and you know that more than anybody else. Emily and Natasha," He stopped, his tone of voice softening. "They require more than a mere nanny. They need a mother who will love and care for them as if they were hers."

I was not about to let him get into my and make me take another wife. Firmly I said, "I can manage it. They don’t need anybody else taking their mother's place, neither do I.”

Alex tilted forward with an intense look. “I know a girl. She is ideal for the post. Children have always adored her. She's considerate, independent, and she will give them the focus they need. Trust me on this, Nat.”

My skepticism was not concealed. "Alex, I am not seeking a "ideal" woman to handle my children. We are fine on our own."

When my wife died, I made a vow to myself not to take a second wife and I was not about to break just because I was having difficulties taking care of our kids.

He said, his tone constant, "Look, I'm just saying she could be the solution. She is exactly what they need; she is fantastic with children. You know I see these things clearly and you need to stop letting your emotions cloud your judgements too. ”

Though I hesitated, my kids' silent expressions gazed at me every day with unspoken yearning. Their grief weighed more than anything Alex could provide. I wasn't prepared to confess that. However, his offer was unacceptable to me.

‘I need nobody. I will tend to them. I always have and I will continue to do so.” I said, my voice indicating a crack of doubt.

Clearly feeling my opposition, Alex sighed and rose. "Nathaniel, I know you won’t accept it that easily but think about it carefully. Don’t deprive your kids of motherly love when they need it most at this stage.”

And he headed out of my office, leaving me to my thoughts. Still, the seed of questioning he'd sown started to grow. I couldn't stop thinking about what he said; I wasn't sure whether it was just the weariness of it all or the guilt burden on me.

---

It was not long before I saw the desolate quiet in the house when I arrived back that evening. My two children were sitting on the floor of their room, vision clear and far off. Natasha, my oldest, gazed at me with teary eyes.

"What happened? " I kneeled beside them.

“Bring Your Mother to School Day was today,” Natasha muttered under her breath. “Everyone else came with their mothers, except us.”

My chest felt sharp. Never had I felt more powerless in all my lifetime. How could I have let them feel this way?

Emily whispered, her voice quivering,"We had no one to bring. “

I leapt up fast, my rage, irritability, and regret mingling to make something fresh and unfamiliar. My voice was gruff: "You should have told me. I would have come with you.”

Natasha murmured, “Dad, why did mom have to leave us so soon? Can’t we beg them to send her to us? We miss her.”

The words felt for me like a blow in the stomach. I had been so intent on running the business and keeping everything together that I had been oblivious to how badly my children were struggling.

My mind racing, I left their room softly. It was not only about work. It had to do something about my kids. I had to put everything in order to have a normal and happy life.

I grabbed the phone and called Alex. I had hardly anything to say when he replied. "Have you thought about what I said?”

“Bring the girl to me tomorrow. " I stated, my tone was constant though my insides were in disorder.

---

THE NEXT MORNING

Alex arrived the following day with the girl he talked about. Isabella. Walking in, I was drawn by her presence right away. Her poise, stare, her striking confidence as if she had already held the room. Still, it was not only her attitude that grabbed me. Her eyes did it. Her piercing green eyes. And the way she gazed at me, with that blend of wonder and evaluation.

Alex introduced us and explained the reason for the meeting. After all has been said, I gave her a legal document that I had my lawyer prepare before they arrived. “The only purpose of this marriage is because i need someone to assist in looking after my children for just one year. After the year is over, we can renew the contract if your service is still needed. Is that okay with you? ” I inquired.

She looked at me with a steady, unflinching gaze. Though her voice was strong, there was a hint of heat that caught me more than she said. "I'm totally fine with that, I will look after them as though they were mine.”

My eyes scanned her face to find anything that might change my mind about her but all I could see was her sincerity. I slid the table across the contract. "Sign. "

She signed without any second thought and I signed it too.

Uncle Alex tapped my shoulder with a big smile on his face. “I knew you would make the right decision for your kids.”

I couldn't, however, escape the sensation that I had just entered into a bargain that would alter everything. But at the same time, I could only think of how this would be beneficial to my kids. Isabella might just be what they needed.

As I stood up, her voice stopped me as if she was reading my mind. " Nathaniel, you will not regret this. "