A Surrogate Mother for the Triplets

Episode 5

Staying alone in her home had forced Sophia to indulge in a thorough clean up of her room while subconsciously waiting for her intriguing neighbor to return to his home. After a moment, the nostalgia from her partying got to her, and she fell asleep minute's later while sweeping her living room.

Sophia woke up when her phone beeped. It was Parsley calling, and she reluctantly raised the phone to her ears.

“Hey Girl, did you see my purse? I can't find it anywhere," asked Paisley over the phone.

Sophia yawned as she stretched her petite, feminine frame on her sofa. “It's in your bag.”

Parsley went quiet over the phone for a moment and returned to the call with excitement in her voice.

“I found it, darling. You're a lifesaver, and thanks for bringing me home last night. I'm pretty sure if you weren't there, I would have woken up in a stranger's bed this morning,” she joked.

Sophia groaned and tossed on her sofa. She fell to the ground and realized that she wasn't on her bed. She forced herself to her feet and walked into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee.

“Girl, you don't sound so good,” said Parsley.

“I'm good,” Sophia mumbled. “I just woke up from sleep. Having a little headache from last night.” She added.

Parsley chuckled. “How about your dinner date? Did you talk to him when you got home?”

“No.”

Her response made Parsley scowl, but Sophia couldn't see her. She took a sip of her coffee and walked back to the living room when she heard a car drive into the compound. Lucas was back home, and the children weren't with him.

Excited and brewing a mischievous idea in her head, Sophia smiled as she watched Lucas step out of the car and walk into his home. He looked exhausted, and it was the perfect scenario to talk to him.

“He's back,” Sophia said.

“Who's back? Wait, your hot neighbor? What about his kids?” Asked Parsley, excitement boiling up within her.

“Look, cousin. I'll call you back later,” said Sophia and quickly she ended the call.

She dropped her phone on the table and rushed into the bathroom to have a shower. It was strange for her to feel this way, but right now, she was drawn in by the mysterious flair which surrounded her new neighbor.

Once done with her bath and ready to doll up, Sophia sat over in her mirror and thought keenly about the consequences of her actions. It was this same excitement that led her to jumping into her previous relationship, and her stubbornness to heed Parsley's advice.

Lost in her head, she was pulled back to the real world when a knock came crashing on her down like a gentle wind whisper. She waited to see if her visitor, whom she thought was her landowner, would leave, but the knock came again, louder this time.

Sophia rose to her feet with nothing but a towel around her body and walked to the door. Standing outside when she opened the door was Lucas, with a straight look on his face. He was clearly trying to smile as a welcoming gesture, but it didn't work.

“Hi,” Lucas casually said with his eyes never leaving that of his neighbor. “That's a really bold clothing choice.” He blurted.

Sophia looked down and shrieked. She slammed the door behind her and retreated to her bedroom to put on some clothes. Notwithstanding that a part of her was happy that Lucas had seen her vulnerable, she couldn't let him think she was some cheap lady craving her neighbor's d**k.

She returned to the door, where he was waiting patiently. “I'm sorry about all of that,” she said, and Lucas brushed it off with a shrug.

“So what can I do for you, Mr. Fernando?”

Lucas smirked. “I'm sorry about how I acted this morning. I usually get cranky in the morning because of the kids.”

Sophia smiled as Lucas carefully explained the reasons for his actions to her. If this was how he treated every lady he met, then he probably must have gone down with a lot of people. His eyes did most of the talking while he apologized, casually fixing his gaze on her while she focused on the movement of his lips.

After a long moment of being quiet and not getting a response from her. Lucas called her name softly to awake her from her thoughts. “Um… Sophia?”

She pulled back a bit and placed her hands akimbo. “I'm sorry. I usually zone out on people while they're saying sorry.” She joked and both of them chuckled softly.

“I understand completely fine while you did what you did. Hell, just one day with the kids nearly drove me insane.”

“But somehow they've taken a liking to you,” Lucas cut in.

Lucas was withdrawn while speaking with her. Each time he felt his walls were being brought down, he would clear his throat roughly and almost take a step back, as if he had unconsciously gotten too close to his new neighbor.

He never stared into her eyes. They reminded him of the moon, clear and brown, but enchanting nonetheless. For each time she smiled, her eyes would close a bit like she was crying, and her hair fell perfectly down to the small of the back.

She wasn't anything like his baby mama, but Lucas wasn't taking any chances. He promised himself he would stay clear of any relationships and give his children the love and attention they deserved, but recently he had begun to doubt if his love was enough for the kids, and Sophia's sudden return to her neighborhood only made things difficult.

“Do you mind if I come in?” He asked her.

Sophia was flustered. She didn't think he would stay longer since she had practically begged this handsome stranger to once stay for breakfast. She moved aside and watched as he carefully strode into the house, hands hidden in his pocket.

He sat on the sofa, and Sophia went into the kitchen to get him a glass of wine. The same one she had stolen from her parents and was unable to finish the day she came back because of the kids.

“I don't really have much to serve you, but I hope you're a lover of wine?” She asked as she placed the glass in his hands. Their fingers barely graved each other, but Sophia's heart pounded hard against her chest as she sat on the seat next to him.

Lucas was a man on a mission, so after one gulp of the wine, he got down to business. “Look, my kids like you. That's a first, compared to everyone they've ever met, and most times I can get really busy with work that I forget to look after them. It's a stupid ask but,”

“Would I be willing to look after them whenever you're not around?” Sophia completed his question, and he nodded his head with a smile.

“Yes.”

“Ethan seems like a nice kid, and so does Logan, though your youngest seems to be a bit shy around new people,” said Sophia.

Lucas was impressed. No one had ever gotten the name of his kids after one day of staying with them, even Gabrielle - their mother, couldn't recall the name of her children.

While his thoughts wandered back to her, Sophia finally popped the big question.

“Since we're basically getting to know each other right now, what about their mother?” She asked politely. “You don't have to answer me, if it's something you'd prefer to keep personal,” but Lucas shook his head.

“It's fine. Their mother and I aren't together anymore. She absconded a year after giving birth to the triplets.”

Sophia was shaken by his revelation. She didn't see any reason why a lady would walk out on a man as precious as him and also on kids so beautiful and sweet.

“Do you have any idea where she is?”

“No. And it's best that way, for kids' happiness and mine.”

Sophia returned to the kitchen to get a refill of wine for herself and Lucas. Deciding to get comfortable while they both unraveled the mysteries of their life, she sat on the floor, legs crossed in a yoga position and continued to drink her wine slowly.

It was his turn to ask a question, and there was only one thing on the mind of Lucas.

“Why come to a small neighborhood such as this one?”

“I'm sorry. What do you mean?”

“I mean, at first glance, you struck me as the New York city girl person, so why come to a small place such as this?”

Sophia chuckled. “First, New York is pretty noisy, and second. I've always lived here. Even before you moved in.”

Lucas raised a brow, and she forced herself to continue. “I went through a rough break up, and um… I decided to go stay with my parents while I recovered.”

“And have you…recovered?”

“Yes. I have.” She answered, smiling at him.

Engrossed in their conversation, Lucas had lost track of time until his phone beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket and it was an alarm he had set to remind him about picking the kids up from school.

“Shoot,” he yelled and quickly scrambled to his feet.

“I've got to go, Sophia. But it was really nice talking to you today. I felt it was the least I could do after giving you the cold shoulders this morning.”

Before Sophia could say anything more, he was out the door and walking straight for his car. He didn't turn back to say goodbye or thank you, but instead he left like he had never been there.

Sophia felt her tummy tingle. It felt strange that he would come spend the day at her place, but unknown to this little angel, Lucas had only taken the time to find out what her life must have been like and to see why his kids loved her so much after spending barely a day with her.

He drove out of the compound, and quickly, Sophia picked up her phone and called her cousin.

“Pais, how soon do you think you'd be able to come over to my place?”

“Is this about your newly found love, which, for the record, I do not approve of yet again?” her cousin asked, practically cussing this new lover.

“Shh, just get your partying ass over here tonight, please?”

Parsley groaned aloud. She had made plans for another party tonight, but she was never one to turn down her cousin's cry for help.

“Fine,” she said at last. “I'll see you soon.”