Chapter Fourteen

"Actually" She started. "You lied to me"

I looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

She glared at me angrily. "How dare you still lie to my face, Laura? You failed three drug tests"

I looked away.

"Laura, you've been through a lot this month. You're losing your focus. Charles put you on a one week suspension and you extended it to two weeks and turned off your phone. You almost got killed. You were placed on house arrest twice last year, which you still disregarded and still went out. could go on and on, but I don't want you to get all emotional on me. I'd have suggested you just resign, but you wouldn't. So we had to do the best we could do by letting you go. Your children need you; Even you need yourself"

I nodded. Everything she said made sense, but I just feel like a failure.

"You are not a failure, Laura. You are the best fighter and warrior I've ever met, Laura, but you need to channel all your energies into something better"

"But what else can I do?"

Just then Alex came out with two glass cups and a bottle of whiskey.

"You always talked about having a flower shop. I could assist you with a little capital to start it up. It's gonna be so cute and easy for you"

I stood up and walked out to the balcony. This isn't the life I'd planned for myself. This isn't it at all. I overheard Alex telling Tasha that she's so happy about the new development. My children have always wanted me to leave the FBI so as to have enough time for them, not knowing that I'm actually broken without the FBI.

"You're a strong woman. You've been broken so many times and you got up. You can do it again"

Tasha said as she came out to meet me.

"Yeah I know. After Jared died, I considered resigning because of my children. I'm the only person they have left, and you of all people should know the risks associated with being in the FBI. Our loved ones are a liability. I've just not thought of what to do outside the FBI"

She smiled before replying.

"You'll do great. Uhm I need to leave now. I was actually around the Estate when I saw your call and then decided to stop by and say hi"

"Alright" I replied coolly.

"Come on.." She drawled. "Not even a goodbye kiss??!!"

I forced a smile and hugged her and she left.

My phone started ringing. I brought it out from my pocket and saw that it was Mason. I declined it with a mental note to talk to him later. Mason and I really needed to talk and it couldn't be over a phone call. We needed to sit down and discuss.

"Mum, your food is getting cold" Alex shouted and I smiled before going back inside.

We ate together I the dining room, something we haven't done in years. The kids usually eat in their bedrooms or most times they'd spread out; Amanda would stay on the couch, Alex would remain in the kitchen, while Andrew would remain in his room.

"I love you mummy" Amanda said, jolting me back to reality. My eyes watered immediately and I dropped my fork.

"I love you too Mandy bear and Alex and Andy. I love all of you"

The twins smiled, while Mandy kept eating her food and feeding her doll.

"Mum, don't you have some good news to share with us?" Amanda said, after some moments of silence. Alex and Andy burst into laughter immediately.

"Don't get us wrong mama.." Alex started, holding up her hands in surrender. "We love your work with the FBI, but we'd enjoy you more without the FBI. You've been trying your best to be an amazing mother to us and you've been doing wonderfully well and we totally appreciate you for that, but mum..." Alex kept quiet as tears filled her eyes.

"Dad is dead. We don't want to lose you. We could handle dad's death, but we can't handle yours. We want you, strong and alive, with us" Andrew concluded. It was obvious that the both of them had discussed about this, before discussing it with me. I'm not trying to brag, but I have the best children.

"You won't lose me, I promise. I've actually considered the idea and I'm okay with doing something else, other than the FBI. I honestly also can't imagine being in heaven, without my super kids with me"

I said, eliciting a laugh from all of them.

"So what are you going to do?" Andrew asked.

Just then, Amanda stood up and packed everybody's plates to the kitchen. She intentionally carried my own, because it was still remaining and because she loved food a lot, she wanted to eat it up for me.

I smiled, before responding to Andrew's question.

"I've always thought of opening a floral shop. Surprisingly there are many billionaires in this Estate, and yet nobody sells flowers"

The twins exchanged a knowing glance at each other.

"So we're going to own a floral shop?" Alex asked, to be sure.

"Well, I guess so, although I haven't..."

She clapped her hands immediately. "A floral shop it is. We're going to have a floral shop"

"Oh my!!!" Andrew exclaimed. "Life just got sweeter"

I threw my head back and laughed heartily wondering what those two kids were up to.

The rest of the minutes turned into hours and hours into days, and finally it was two days to Amanda's seventh birthday. She insisted that she wanted an indoor party at home, with her family and friends. I indulged her actually, because God knows I didn't have the heart to refuse or deny any of my kids anything. Since they hadn't resumed school yet, which was the sure way to invite all her friends, I had to start calling the parents instead.

"Is there any other person?" I asked, after calling the 20th parent. Alexandra went shopping with a few of her friends from school, while Andrew went to get somethings. Amanda wrote down the list of all her friends she wanted to invite. I was searching up the parents name and putting calls across to them to invite them. It was very very stressful. I was already feeling sleepy, but then Amanda started to whine that she'd lose any of her friends that she doesn't invite.

"Yes mummy. Cassie, Jennifer, Quinn, Ethan and Diane. They're the only people remaining and that's all"

I smiled. As I was about to call again, my phone rang and it was Mason. I ended it immediately; the door opened and he walked in.

I stood up tensed.

I wasn't expecting him at all.

He's supposed to be at work.

He looked so disheveled. There were a lot of beards on his cheeks and jaws.

Mason hates growing beards on his cheeks and jaws. He says it makes him look old; and according to him, he wants to remain young forever.

"Mandy, would you go to Annie's house and tell Alex not to forget to buy me safety pins" I said to my daughter, to get her out of the house.

She dropped her books and went back to her room to carry Ginny (her doll). She never does anything or goes anywhere without that doll. Jared bought it for her on her 5th birthday and since his death, she's become so attached to the doll.

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"Laura, how else do you want me to demonstrate to you and show you truly that I am intimately in love with you"

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