1 1 This city

ZOEY'S POV

Coming back to this place was not at all in my plans but since I had completed my studies, it was time I came back. However, if I had a choice, I would have chosen not to be back.

The place looked pretty much the same. Not much had changed in five years. It was still beautiful and serene.

I wanted to close my eyes and just think back to how nice it was living here but then a certain face appeared in my memories and I blinked to divert my attention elsewhere. That face was the beginning of everything I am going through now.

"Mommy...I love this city." my four-year-old daughter, Alexandria, cheerfully said as she looked through the window of the taxi.

I smiled leaning towards her and kissed her cheek." Of course, you would love this city. I grew up in it."I said.

She looked at me with a frown and I knew she was about to start with her usual curiosity questions which always amazed me." If you grew up here, why then are you just coming back now after all those years? You told me you left here five years ago, right?" she gave me time to reply which I nodded, "didn't you miss this place even once? I would miss it if I were you, it's a lovely place." she softly said and I smiled.

She is challenging too. Her logic is more mature than her age." What are you talking about gummy bear, I missed this place. I just didn't have time to come visit. I was busy studying and taking care of you."I lied but I didn't have any other excuse to give. The truth was, I just didn't feel like coming back to this place, it held memories that haunted me.

"Is that why grandma always came to visit us? Because you didn't have time to fly here?" she asked in the most sarcastic way which I didn't think she realised it was.

"Yes, gummy bear and Aunt Olivia too." Olivia is my best friend forever.

Alexandria smiled with a dreamy look and I knew it was because I said Olivia's name. She's quite fond of her." I miss Aunt Liv, she's cool and fun."

"I am not cool and fun, is that what you mean to say?"I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

Alexandria stared at me and with a cold face that was not a copy of me, she said," No, you are not."

I giggled because I knew I deserved it. Alexandria is quite hard-headed and to tame her sometimes has involved being tough on her. I wasn't surprised she thought I was a cruel mom, though I was not. I just tried to do what was best for her, she wouldn't understand that.

"If it makes your smile come back, we will be staying at her place for a few days before we officially move into our home. I heard, that they are still renovating the rooms so we cannot move in yet."I watched the smile form on her face again. She was such a darling and sweet.

"Miss, we have reached the destination." the taxi driver said after the car came to a stop at a big building where I had instructed him to go.

I nodded then I got cash from my purse and handed him. He smiled thanking me and he got out to open the door for us then got our bags from the trunk.

We stood looking at the tall building and I had to say, Liv had an extravagant way of living. This apartment had to cost my whole life of hard word work and all my ancestors combined. But then, she's rich. Her family owns the biggest resorts so to her it's like nothing.

"No way Aunt Liv lives here. See...cool."Alexandria said with a sass moving her small hands to show how cool the building was.

I rolled my eyes smiling as I pushed our bags forward taking the lead. Olivia said she would be busy today and if we arrived at her apartment earlier than her, we should just proceed. She gave us her house passcode.

We reached Liv's apartment and upon unlocking the door, we were met with the shock of our lives. I gasped loudly my heart beating so fast as the confetti rained on me and Alex. It's like Liv was expecting us because the timing was so accurate.

"Oh my God Liv, I thought you said you would be busy?"I yelled holding onto my dear heart. If she had this much free time, she should have picked us up at the airport.

"Surprise...." she screamed hugging me so tightly I was suffocating. She didn't give me a break to take a moment to breathe. After the surprise, she was choking me. But I knew she meant well.

"I... I.. I can't breathe Liv.."I stuttered.

"Ooh sh*t sorry," she said pulling away from the hug." I just missed you so much. Welcome guys," she added squatting to greet Alex.

"What's up gummy bear? Missed me?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows. Alex nodded smiling and Liv swiped her off her feet." That's it. My favourite girl is here. I missed you so much. Now do you want to do something fun?" Alex nodded as Liv carried her away and I followed them. I just knew the fun part was coming.

I sighed happily as I watched my daughter and my best friend play and giggle happily. Now I did not exist in their world anymore and that was fine as long as they were both happy.

I made myself comfortable by getting our bags in one room. Liv's place was like my place, I had the freedom to do whatever I liked. Just like she could do everything in my house. That's how our relationship was, unrestricted.

"Alex is growing so big every day. I last saw her two months ago and now she is much heavier."Liv's voice startled me and I looked at her as she walked further into the room I took to settle in.

Smiling happily knowing it felt like yesterday I held her in my arms after giving birth to her."Yes, she is growing very fast."I replied putting the empty travel bags in one corner. I was done arranging all the things in them in the closet.

"So...what is the plan? You are back with a kid that people don't know you have. You'll have so much explanation to give."Liv said sitting on the bed.

I walked to her and sat next to her." I plan to get a job Liv. It's that simple."I paused." I just finished school, and I just felt instead of looking for a job elsewhere, I should come back here so I applied for a job here and I got feedback from one of the companies I applied in. They want me in for an interview tomorrow."

"Wait, what? Isn't that nice?"

"Yes, I'm nervous as it is because it's R Tech Corp. It's the best tech company and it wants the best from its employees. I feel like I'm not good enough."I said dejected.

Looking at Liv for her encouragement, I found her shocked. Eyes out and mouth wide shocked and the next thing she did made me want to cry. She hugged me and I could hear her sniff. She was crying and it made me cry too.

"I'm so proud of you Zoey. It makes me so happy to see you finally reaching your dreams. This is the best news I have heard, well...." She pulled away from the hug and looked at me." Apart from when you called me four years ago to tell me you just gave birth to a baby girl."

I rolled my eyes chuckling."No, they were not the best news the moment I called."I called her out recalling those events. "They were shocking news. I was twenty years old, a college dropout, in a foreign country. How the hell was that good news?"I asked wiping my tears from my cheeks.

Liv looked away in thought and the moment she was looking at me again, she smacked my head so hard it was very painful." What was that for?"I glared at her.

She shrugged." I just remembered I have never smacked you for leaving for a whole year only to find out you just had given birth. I was so angry and I didn't get to vent properly because when I saw you after such a long time, you had the most adorable daughter and I forgot about everything. Thanks for reminding me you owed me." she said and I chuckled.

"Yeah...I'm sorry about that, I never apologized for it."I said and Liv rolled her eyes but I knew she was fighting a smile."Are you going to smile or what? I can see how pursed those lips are."I said making a smiley gesture with my index finger and thumb and she finally smiled. There it is."I snorted and there was a small silence.

" Where is Alex?"I asked to prevent the awkwardness.

"Glued to my phone. There are nice games there to keep her occupied. I wanted to talk to you about her dad." she said and I froze.

Getting up from the bed and shaking my head, I glared at Liv. "We are not doing this Liv. You know I hate him and I would never want to speak about him let alone speak to him face to face. It was a mistake but a beautiful one because now I have the most adorable daughter, but I don't ever want to talk about him."I got a little emotional there when I thought about Alex.

"His father needs to know he has a daughter. It's only fair to him to know and fair to Alex too. She needs to know who her father is, it's only a matter of time before she starts asking about him."Liv said and I looked away calculatedly. I didn't know if should tell her afraid she would judge me more. She was judging me now.

I sighed before speaking"She did, once and I didn't know what to tell her, "I said recalling Alex asking about her father because everyone in her class had a dad except her."But we are not talking about him Liv, not now, not ever."I said with finality.

Liv raised her hands in surrender."Okay," she said then stood up to leave but before she left, she looked back." I'm sorry, he was a douchebag anyway. I don't know what I was thinking making you recall him." she said then left.

I sighed dropping to the floor dejected and gave in to those memories that I had tried so hard to forget.