8 Ch 8: So who is he?

That afternoon, after their shopping trip was done, Isabella and Samantha sat with Maya in her bedroom while they all modeled their new clothes. Finally, Maya told them to decide on something to wear and get something warm to take with.

"Take with where?" Samantha asked. "We're going to a braai in an hour," Maya told them. "I'm going to have a quick shower and get ready, and then we'll head out." "Are we going to Aunty Naomi's house?" Isabella asked hopefully.

"No darling," she smiled. "We're going to an old friend of your dad's." The girls looked at each other; there was something about the way Maya spoke about their dad that was different than before, and they picked up on it immediately.

"Oh my Lord, mommy!" Isabella shrieked. "You like this man don't you?" "What? No, he's just an old friend," Maya protested. "Come on mom, since dad died you haven't been able to talk to us about him without wanting to burst into tears.

So who is he? What's his name?" She was genuinely interested in this man that had made her mom seem so happy again. "His name is Isaac, but he's nothing more than a friend. So leave it at that, and get dressed." "Is he the one that keeps calling you in the middle of the night?" Samantha asked, sounding very innocent.

"Nine 'o clock is hardly the middle of the night Samantha," Maya responded. "But yes, now I said get dressed… or you can both stay here."

The girls immediately started to dress without another word, and Maya went to shower. "Wow!" Isaac exclaimed when he saw Isabella and Samantha. "Look at you guys, you're all grown up; it seems like just yesterday you two were just little mini-me of your mother… wow… Come in, come in…"

"Girls, this is Isaac," Maya smiled. Isabella and Samantha smiled and greeted Isaac nervously. "I have something for you guys," Isaac whispered mischievously, knowing Maya could hear him.

"Go down the hall to the last room, but be careful when you open the door." The girls walked off hesitantly, and Isaac smiled at Maya as she watched them.

"Let me take that," he said, taking her shopping bags from her. "Follow me, the kitchens this way; I'll pour you a drink."

Maya followed Isaac to the kitchen and was about to sit down when she heard a piercing shriek emanate from down the passage. She looked up at Isaac who was smiling delightedly, and then she heard the girls laughing blissfully.

She quickly found the room where her daughters' voices' came from and she opened the door to find them lying on the floor playing with two adorable golden retriever puppies.

"Oh my Lord," Maya exhaled. "Puppies?" "Gorgeous aren't they," Isaac said behind her, opening the door wider. "And they're all yours," he told the girls. "Are you serious?" Samantha gasped. "Isaac," Maya intervened.

"Our landlord won't let us keep them…" "That's okay; they can stay here for the time being." "Oh please mom, can we keep them? Please…" Isabella whined.

Maya looked at how happy the girls were with the puppies, and remembered how heartbroken they had been when they had to give up their pets to move to Paris. "Okay," she said finally, and the girls were delighted. "Don't thank me, thank Isaac."

"Thank you, Isaac," the girls resounded as one. "Thank you so much!" "It's no problem at all," Isaac beamed. "Have fun." He closed the door and led Maya back to the kitchen.

"Isaac," she began, but he already knew what she was going to say and he stopped her. "Look, Maya, you and I both know those girls have gone through a lot in the past year."

He said seriously, placing an ice-cold glass of brandy and coke on the island counter in front of her. "It's proven that pets do a lot to heal broken hearts." Maya felt that she would burst into tears, but was saved by the doorbell.