03

Saturday rolls around all too quickly but I am grateful for it.

Finally, rest.

I've been so busy overseeing the decoration of my gallery which would be opened as soon as my artworks have been shipped from Washington and I have set them up. I honestly can't wait.

I decide to spend the day with the kids and just take them to a few spots around Atlanta that I used to enjoy spending time at when I was younger. So, early this morning I woke them up and made breakfast which consisted of toast, eggs, bacon and orange juice.

Jason is digging in while once again Jamie is on his iPad. I'm so tempted to smash the damn thing sometimes but other times it helps keep him quiet when necessary.

"Mom, can we go see dad today?" Jason asks through a mouthful of food, his light grey eyes on me expectantly.

At that, Jamie looks up so fast I think he would have a whiplash.

While, me...well, I'm frozen on the spot. I don't know what to say because honestly, I am dreading another encounter with Henry as inevitable as that is. I just didn't want it this soon. Never, probably.

Stop lying to yourself, Sandy. You know you want to see him again.

Do you ever feel like slapping the shit out of your conscience for making you face the truth, cause I sure as hell do right now.

"Well, sure." I blurt out to them without properly thinking my answer through. "We can go see dad today."

They both grin widely at that and surprisingly Jamie finally pays attention to his food, wolfing it all down quickly to which I caution him. He ignores me and proceeds doing just so before his plate is empty and he rushes to his room.

Jason too.

You can imagine my shock when 30 minutes later both boys are dressed and ready to go.

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We get in the car and begin heading downtown to Wallace Enterprises headquarters where Max, who I had contacted earlier about Henry's whereabouts, said he would be.

The fact that he is in his office on a Saturday is quite baffling and sad to be honest. Jesse was right. Henry really doesn't have a life outside work.

Some part of me feels bad for him. But the other part thinks that he deserves it. He did choose his work over his family afterall.

I decide to let go of these thoughts. If I let myself get into it right now I would only resent him more and be tempted to give him a dirty slap when I see him for making my life so miserable and empty.

It's not long before we arrive at Wallace Enterprises. I take in a huge deep breathe, before releasing it, as if steeling myself for the confrontation I am about to have with Henry.

"Ready to see dad?" I ask the boys, watching them cheer loudly at that in the rear view mirror.

I quickly get out and unbuckle them. We are walking into the magnificent building when Jamie asks. "Mom, why doesn't dad stay with us?"

"What?" I ask pausing in my steps. Neither of the boys have ever really asked this question directly and honestly, although I have always expected them to, now, I don't know what to say.

"Our friend, Daniel, from school says that he lives in the same house with his mom and dad. Why doesn't dad live with us?" Jamie asks again, a frown marring his forehead as Jason nods in agreement.

I think about what to say for a moment. "Well," I begin, squatting to their eye level. "Sometimes, mommies and daddies don't live together because they drift apart. You know that toy I got the both of you for Christmas two years ago that you no longer play with?" They nod in affirmation. "Sometimes, something like that happens to people and they stop talking to each other. When that happens, they can't live together anymore."

They seem to think about it for a while before Jason says, his face scrunched up in a thoughtful way, "I understand."

Jamie nods, concurring with him. I just watch them in amazement with a smile, tears pricking at my eyes.

Oh, Henry, why did you have to be such a selfish bastard.

I quickly clean my misty eyes and compose myself before walking into the office building and to the reception desk. A young red haired lady is sitted there looking like she'd rather be anywhere but here right now.

"Hello, Good afternoon." I greet with a polite smile. She looks up at me and then Jason and Jamie.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. How may I help you?" She questions.

"I would like to see Henry Wallace." I say firmly.

She archs an eyebrow at me before composing herself again and giving me a reply. "Do you have an appointment, ma'am?"

"No, I'm afraid not. But he would like to see me." I say although I'm not too sure how true that statement is. The kids maybe, but definitely not me. I clear my throat awkwardly. "Please, just inform him that Sandy is here to see him."

She nods before calling someone. A minute later we are cleared and directed to the 47th floor where Henry's office is located.

During the elevator ride, I become nervous, over thinking my decision to come here in the first place. How would Henry feel about us coming to his place of work uninvited? I know I should have stayed home.

No. He did say that he wanted to see the kids.

Finally, the elevator pings open and we walk out into a vast empty space. No one is here. Or so it seems.

Walking further in, I see a door located beside the P.A's desk, figuring that it's Henry's office I walk to it, gripping both Jason and Jamie hands tightly in my own.

I knock on the door and hear a faint 'come in' uttered from inside. I open the door tenatively, walking into the wide office space. It has a perfect view of the city spread out through the floor to ceiling glass walls and the colour theme of the funitures is red and black. Located further in, to the right, is a desk and behind it is none other than Henry Wallace. His attention is on the papers on his desk, glasses perched on his nose, so he doesn't notice us enter. Until Jason and Jamie flee from me and to him both shouting "Daddy!"

At first Henry looks shocked to see them, then a smile that is rare comes over his face and he grips both boys in a tight hug, pressing kisses on their foreheads. Seeing them together has me going through a plethora of emotions all hitting me like a fucking trainwreck right now.

I'm happy to see them together. I'm angry that things have to be the way it is, where my kids can't see their father regularly simply because he just never cared enough for his family. I'm overwhelmed. I'm feeling regret for even moving here in the first place because if this is what I expect to be seeing regularly, I'm not up for it.

I don't want to see Henry with our children, the little family that we created. The family he could have. I don't want him getting their hopes up that he would be a constant in their lives up until the point when once again he chooses his work over them. I would never be able to handle that.

Countless times, I have asked myself: where did we go wrong? I never cheated and as far as I know, neither did he. Our relationship was pretty much perfect. The change was so sudden and then before we knew it, the space was too much to fix. It required attention and time. It required energy that I didn't have to give while dealing with growing twin children at my young age. Energy that he wasn't willing to dedicate either because he was always so busy with work.

Am I willing to deal with all that now? Is he?

After their little reunion, Henry looks up at me with a small grateful smile which I don't return. I can't. I feel as if my cheeks are frozen in place and I don't have the strength to unfreeze them.

"I'm sorry for coming unannounced but-" I begin in a voice that really doesn't sound like mine. It sounds empty and monotone. He cuts me off.

"But nothing. Thank you, Sandy. I really appreciate this." He says, the gratitude in his eyes clear.

I just nod and rub my moist palms along my jean trousers as I look away from him unable to stand his eyes staring at me like he can see into my freaking soul which he probably can. Damn you, Henry.

He says some things to the boys in a low tone and I honestly don't bother listening anyway. I slowly walk to the glass windows and just gaze at the city. From up here the view is amazing and serene which is a contrast to my life right now.

"Yes!"

"Ice cream!" I hear them shout simultaneously.

"We have to ask mommy first though, okay?" I hear Henry say lowly to the boys before turning to speak to me. "Sandy, do you mind if I take them out for some ice cream?" He looks at me with expectant eyes and it's strange seeing so much emotions in the same emotionless eyes that I stared into just on Tuesday. It's a welcome change though.

"Sure. No problem. I'll just go to Jesse's." I say as I prepare to leave. I turn around to him. "Please don't let Jamie have too much ice cream, he is partially lactose intolerant and don't let Jason either. I don't need him having a sugar rush tonight. And also, please I want them back by 7 pm, latest 7:30. Okay?"

He has a faintly amused smile on his face. "Okay."

I quickly walk to the boys and kiss their foreheads.

I can do this. I can share them. No big deal.

"I'll see you boys later, okay?" I say as I run my fingers through both their hair.

They both nod vigorously, obviously excited to spend the day with their father.

I am about leaving when Henry stops me with a hand on my wrist. I turn to him expectantly, trying so hard to control the rapid beating of my heart against my chest as I look into his grey eyes up close.

"Yes?" I breathe out.

He opens his mouth as if he wants to say something but then closes it back as he decides against it, it seems. "Thank you." He says instead.

I just give him a small smile before making my exit in a hurry suddenly unable to stand being in his presence for a moment longer.

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"So, you just left them with him?" Jesse asks incredulously.

I'm confused by the tone. "Yeah, I did. Why?"

She laughs. "Does that man even know how to take care of a kid, talk less of two?"

I caution myself not to over think what they could be doing right now before I go into panic mode. "I'm sure Henry won't do anything that will endanger them. He's their father."

Jesse nods before exclaiming. "Let's watch a movie!"

I go into the kitchen to make us some popcorn as she goes through the large collection of CDs she has. Back in high school we would have a whole night set apart just to watch movies. Myself, Henry, Jesse and Max. We would just eat junk food and binge watch movies. Our parents were always so happy cause it meant that we weren't out causing trouble. Especially Henry's parents. He was quite the troublemaker growing up.

"You okay?" Jesse asks as she walks into the kitchen.

I suddenly realise that the popcorn I had put in the microwave was ready and I had just been staring into space. I give Jesse a small reassuring smile before replying. "I'm fine."

Then why don't I believe so myself?

We settle into the plush velvet couch, popcorn in hand as we begin watching a movie titled She's the man which we used to enjoy watching when we were younger. It brings back so many memories, I won't lie.

Once, we were watching this movie and we all had blankets on but as usual Henry and I shared one. I'm sure you can guess what happened underneath it.

We used to be so hungry for each other, always. He was my first everything. My first real crush, my first kiss, my first lover, my first true love and, eventually, my first heartbreak.

I feel the tears roll down my eyes before I can stop them and for the first time in a long while, I let it out and allow myself to cry. Cry for what could have been. Cry for what I have lost. Cry for all those fucking memories I have that will never allow me let go of the past. Cry for the fact that I will probably never move on from Henry. And throughout, Jesse holds me closely.

After a few minutes of letting it all out, I begin to feel a bit better. Jesse looks at me with concern. "Better?"

I just nod as I tilt my head into her neck, her arm wrapped around my shoulder as we continue watching the movie.

Fortunately, I don't cry again throughout.

After the movie is finished, Jesse and I eat ice cream while talking and reminiscing about our mischief from when we were younger and just laughing about it.

"Do you remember Nate Alonso? That wierd kid who used to eat in the janitor's closet during lunch period?" She asks with a laugh.

Of course I remember Nate. Back in high school we used to make fun of him cause he was wierd and a nerd but really there was more to him than just the books. Eventually, while going through my rough patch with Henry, I met Nate again and he and I became good friends. He really helped me during that period. A lot. After I left Atlanta, though, I never heard from Nate again. He changed his number so I couldn't contact him and to this day I don't know what I did.

"Yeah, I remember. Where is that guy anyway way?" I say with a humourless smile, shoving a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth.

"I don't know." Jess says nonchalantly. "Last I heard he got fired and no one would hire him in Atlanta anymore cause he got blacklisted, so he had to move to another state."

I'm shocked to say the least. Nate graduated top of my class, if I remember correctly, so there is absolutely no way that he won't have been able to get a job with how smart he is.

'The blacklist' is this thing the extremely wealthy do when someone crosses or upsets them. They blacklist you in the corporate world and no one who wants to be on good terms with the rich guy would dare hire you. It's fucked up, I know.

"Who blacklisted him?" I ask.

She just shrugs. "No idea."

This makes no sense to me so I decide I will get to the bottom of this. Nate was afterall like a brother to me.

What doesn't sit right with me is that this sort of thing would happen and he would just cut me off from his life, with no prior warning whatsoever. It doesn't add up. Nate used to always tell me everything. Always. It was one of the requirements in our friendship, so him not telling me this really bothers me.

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A.n/

Another update here guys!

I hope you guys don't dislike me too much for not updating earlier but I've been busy with my exams.

Thankfully, it would be over soon and I would have more time to focus on this book and my other books as well.

Anyway, what did you guys think of this chapter?

Do you think that the drift between Henry and Sandy was actually caused by his work? Or maybe something else?

Keep reading to find out.😉

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P.s- Please check out my other books Cocky and Lagos Babe.