The weekend really flew by, but what a great weekend it was. After Julia picked up Sem from his friend yesterday, we spent the rest of the day with the three of us. When Julia was picking up Sem, I had everything ready to start painting. I used to do that a lot, but it had been a few years since I had done it. Not many people know that I can paint and draw a bit, but now Julia and Sem know it too. Judging by their reaction, I hadn't forgotten. It was always Vincent and mine thing. We could often be found for hours in the workshop, which my parents had made in the garden shed. Since he's gone, I've never felt like doing it again. Only that one time in Sweden. Julia then released it in me and now she is another big reason that I want to pick it up again. Julia showed yesterday that she is not that creative in that way, but Sem on the other hand, he has real talent and really enjoyed doing it. It was really fun to see how enthusiastic he was. What I also really enjoyed is the way I ended up painting, in Julia's arms. She tried to paint for an hour, but then she gave up. I've liked that she tried. Then she came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She rested her chin on my shoulder to see how I was doing. Of course, many kisses where shared. I was also really happy that Sem seems to have no problem at all with seeing his mother and me like this. We also found out that apparently there was a bet going on among the staff. When Julia and I would finally be a couple, what I understood Evelien won. Apparently everyone knew what was going on for a long time, except Julia and me. Which we can laugh about now.
I'm still half asleep on the bed watching Julia get ready to go to work. Luckily I don't have to be on set until this afternoon. "Just lie down for a while. Sem is free today. I told him to take it easy when he wakes up so you can get some sleep." Julia kisses me after saying that. She immediately wants to step away, but I'm just fast enough to pull her back into bed with me. "Sunshine I really have to go. Otherwise I will have a problem with your father". Julia can just make herself understood through the kisses. "Just a moment. My father can miss you those few minutes. I'm not". I manage to keep Julia with me for another ten minutes or so, but unfortunately I have to let her go. I decide to get up anyway, lying in bed alone is no fun anyway. Since I have all the time, I'll take a bad.
When I come downstairs I see Sem sitting on the couch in the living room. "Good morning buddy. What are you doing out of bed so early on your day off?" I plop down on the couch next to him and give him a pat on the head. "Good morning Kim. I was wondering that too," he says with a laugh. "Have you had breakfast yet?". When I see him shaking his head I get up and pull him with me. "Then it's about time." We walk together to the kitchen. "Good morning Miss. Hansen and good morning young man Brown". I hear Sem sigh when we hear that when we get into the kitchen. "Evelien, you really can't call me Sem?". I start laughing when he says that. "Forget it buddy. I've been trying to convince Evelien to call me Kimberly since I've lived in the Netherlands, but you can hear that it's a hopeless case". I see Evelien shaking her head laughing. "Or you are not convincing enough Miss. Hansen. Sem what can I prepare for you for breakfast?". I look at Evelien with wide eyes. Sem bursts out laughing. "Do not bother. I can get the cornflakes myself." In that he says it with difficulty through laughter, he walks on to the pantry. "Miss. Hansen, what do you want?" she asks when she already takes the yogurt from the fridge. If there's one thing I need with my breakfast, it's a bowl of yogurt. "That you call me Kimberly". She shakes her head with a smile, although she tries to hide her laughter as much as possible. "Sorry, but I can't do that Miss. Hansen. I enjoy your face far too much when I call you Miss. Hansen". I look at her in disbelief. "Is that seriously the reason?". She nods. "I should have asked my father for someone else," I say with a smile. Evelien knows I don't mean that. When I went to live on my own, my father allowed me to choose which of the staff I wanted to take with me. I really didn't have to hesitate for a second to go for Evelien. She really is a bit of a mother figure that I don't have here in the Netherlands. "But since you're here, would you be so kind as to make me an omelet?" Evelyn laughs. "Of course Miss. Hansen. Please sit down at the table. I'll bring it to you as soon as it's ready." I look at her seriously. "Thank you Evelyn. In case you didn't know, I'm really happy with you. I really appreciate everything you do". I see a beautiful smile on Evelien's face. "I know, Miss. Hansen, but it's always nice to hear."
I sit with Sem at the kitchen table. "What are you going to do all day?". He shrugs. "Do you still have time to paint?" I nod with a big smile on my face. "I have to be on set at three, but before then I wanted to have lunch with your mother. That gives us more than two hours to paint". That also puts a smile on Sem's face. "Can I come with you to the set?" he asks enthusiastically. "Would you like that?" He nods. "Then we do that anyway. I have to stay late, but I'm sure Silvia can take you home in between". I know I'm doing him a big favor and I really like that he wants to come with me. "Thank you Evelien," I say when my breakfast, exactly the way I like it, is put on the table in front of me. "Enjoy your meal Kimberly". I look at her with a big smile. "My day can't go wrong now". She gives me a wink and without saying anything else she continues with her work. Sem and I quickly eat our breakfast so that we have as much time as possible to paint.
Just before twelve o'clock I get out of the elevator with Sem. I did him an extra favor to go with the motorbike. "What are you doing here?". Julia looks at us happily surprised. "We missed you," I say as I kiss her. Julia gets up. "I'm glad you're here. I just really need to finish something. After that we can have lunch together. Until then you can watch TV there as long as you don't turn the sound up too loud," she says to Sem when she gives him a hug. Then she looks at me with a smile. "Since you're here. Can you help me with something?" Julia returns to her desk. Without thinking I sit on her lap. Julia shows me where she can use my help. Together we will figure it out pretty quickly. "Lovebirds. I think it's nice to see you guys so in love, but rather not here at the office." We both look up at my father in shock. We didn't hear him come in. "How?". My father laughs when I ask that. "Princess, even a blind man can see that." I see Julia, just like me, blushing a bit. "Sorry Dad, didn't think about it. My fault it won't happen again". I should have thought more about it. He doesn't want to see this kind of thing in the office and I can't blame him. "It's all right." I get up. "And yeah, may I introduce you to my girlfriend". When I say that, the smile on my father's face gets bigger. "So it's finally official? Congratulations both. Here stands a happy father. And what does my good friend think of this?" he asks as he walks to the couch. "I think it's boring. It was so nice to see how they were beating around the bush". We can all laugh at Sem's comment. "I will indeed miss that too." My father looks at Julia. "Would you mind e-mailing me Sanders' file?" Julia nods at him. "Thank you. I have to move on, but I suppose I'll see you at my office for lunch," my father says as he walks back to his office.
"Dad". My father turns to look at me. "What is princess?". I can already feel a tear running down my cheek. "I know it's not my fault." I can't hold more tears coming. I've realized it for a while, but it's the first time I'm saying it out loud. My father walks over to me and gives me a big hug. I think he just doesn't know what to say. "Julia made me realize that it's not my fault," I say softly. "I'm so glad to hear that." As soon as my father lets go of me I walk to Julia. "I love you," I say just before kissing her. "I love you too". Julia has a beautiful smile on her face and some watery eyes. She gently wipes away my tears. "What's with Kim?". I can hear the concern in Sem's voice. "I had to think about my brother". I see Julia and my father look at me a bit surprised. I still find it difficult to name Vincent, but since Julia came into my life I'm getting better and better. I now feel more and more the need to tell how wonderful Vincent was. "Do you have a brother? What is his name? And may I also meet him?" I walk over to Sem and take his hand. "Come with me to my father's office." I can still see the disbelief on Julia and my father's face as they follow us into the office. "Look, that's my brother. His name is Vincent. Unfortunately he is no longer alive". I show Sem the painting that hangs on the wall in my father's office. I feel arms wrapped around my waist from behind. "I am so incredibly proud of you," Julia whispers in my ear. "What happened to him?". I turn into Julia's arms. "Can I speak to you in private for a moment?" Julia nods and together we walk to her office. "Are you okay Sunshine?" I nod. "Can I tell Sem what happened? I don't want to tell him something you don't think he needs to know." She looks deep into my eyes. "I am so proud of you. I have no problem if you tell Sem. He is old enough to know that bad things happen in the world. You should only do it when you're ready." I give Julia a kiss before we go back to my father's office.
My father shows Sem pictures of Vincent. I sit on the edge of the desk. "Vincent was really my big brother". When I start to talk quietly I notice that I immediately have Sem's attention. "There was a reasonable age difference between us. I think that made him pay even more attention to his little sister. It was always known that our family had enough money, because of the hard work of my father and mother. I always had a large group of friends around me. Vincent always warned me that they were friends with me for the wrong reason, but I wouldn't believe him. I really wanted to believe that they were friends with me for who I was and not for what my family owned. As so often, when my parents were on a business trip, I threw a party at our house. At that time I liked to party and drink alcohol. I was quite drunk that night. I thought Vincent wouldn't be home for the weekend either, but suddenly he was there. He grabbed my arm and showed me what my so-called friends had packed in their bags. In my drunken stupor, I called them all kinds of things. Only then did it become clear to me that they were indeed not friends with me because of me. I was on my way to the phone to call the police when a fight broke out. The whole group turned against Vincent. He managed to put up a reasonable defense until someone pulled out a knife. He couldn't win that fight. As soon as Vincent was on the floor, they didn't know how fast to get out of the house. I called the emergency services, but unfortunately it was too late for him. Vincent was killed by a group of cowardly people because he wanted to protect me". While I was telling my story, Julia came to stand with me and wrapped her arms tightly around me. I can see that Sem is a bit shocked by the story. "But why did I hear you say that you felt guilty about that? You can't help it that some people are bad. Twan also did very bad things. It's his fault, not someone else's." I feel Julia grab me a little tighter. "That was certainly only Twan's fault. For a long time I felt guilty for bringing the people who killed Vincent into our lives. Even after he warned me about them, I kept them in our lives. I've always thought that if I hadn't had them as friends, they wouldn't have killed Vincent either, so it's because of me that he's gone. Your mother has made me aware that there is nothing I can do about it. Yes, of course I have allowed them into our lives, but never with the intention that something like this would happen. If I knew what they were capable of, I would never have hung out with them. I can also continue to feel guilty, but what do I get out of it. I can't get my brother back with it." Julia kisses me when I finish my story. "I'm so glad you're realizes it now." I look at her with a smile. "Me too and it's all thanks to you. Lunch?". I think it's time to close this topic for now.
After lunch it was time for Sem and me to go. We could have stayed a little longer, but Julia was really busy. Sem didn't mind that we left early, because that meant we had some extra time to drive around on the motorbike. I really enjoy spending alone time with him and I can see how much he enjoys it too. He also behaved well on set. Everyone liked that I brought him along. It was a long and tiring day for me, but that was completely forgotten when I came home at two in the morning. Julia was waiting for me in the living room. I told her not to because she had to get up early in the morning, but she wouldn't listen. We discussed our day over a cup of tea. Then we went to bed, where I fell asleep in Julia's arms. I can see this for the rest of my life.