Chapter 2

After a stressful day in the office, all Violet wanted to do was take a bath, get dinner, and hear about Delvin's day. Delvin's nanny had complained that he was irritable concerning his math assignments. His tutor opined that the eleven-year-old had zero interest and little talent in mathematics. Delvin's dream was to become an artist, but she couldn't have him failing math at such an early stage.

"Hey, Rosa. How was today?" Violet asked as she searched the kitchen for something to eat.

"Better than yesterday. Delvin's been painting something in his studio ever since. I think he's drawing a little girl," Rosa added with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Whoa, Rosa, do you think our Delvin's having a crush?" Violet asked.

"I asked him, but he refused to tell," Rosa said as she picked her note from the kitchen counter and threw it into her raffia bag.

"Would you like some pasta? I made some," Rosa pushed a plate from the microwave towards Violet.

"Thanks, honey. You save my life every day. I almost fainted from exhaustion at the thought of whipping up something for myself," Violet said as she took a mouthful of the spicy carbs.

"Mmmhm, delicious," she smacked her lips and continued, "I would have ordered pizza immediately you left. I can't stand your judgment," Violet chuckled and said to Rosa.

"I only do it for Delvin. You are a great mom, but you will saddle him along with your poor diet if I give you a chance," Rosa teased Violet.

"Honey, you love me, but you can keep pretending that you do it for Delvin. Anyway, just don't stop," Violet moved into the sitting room with the plate of food.

 "Speaking of Delvin, he never hides anything from you. Why is he suddenly being secretive about his crush?" Violet asked Rosa.

"I don't know. He's probably just shy. Boys usually are when they start noticing girls," Rosa answered.

"Maybe that's it," Violet replied, but she was not convinced. Recently, Delvin's questions about his father had become consistent.

"Mummy, is my Dad late?" He asked her one night before bed. She knew he would ask soon, but she hadn't decided on what to tell him. Telling him his dad was late was lying, and what if he showed up one day? She certainly couldn't tell him that his dad rejected him. The truth wasn't an option.

"No, your Dad isn't dead, Delvin. We lost contact a while ago," she answered.

"Then reconnect with him, mum. Tell him I want to meet him," he had never been this persistent; maybe he was getting to the age Violet thought.

"Okay, Baby. Go to bed, we will talk tomorrow," Violet tried to pacify Delvin.

"Can I speak with him tomorrow? Tomorrow is father's day," Delvin told Violet.

"Okay, baby," she answered with the weight of his words in her mind.

Violet feared that his longing for his dad had made him more reserved than he usually was. She didn't wish for her son to feel the sting of rejection that she had faced many years ago when she got pregnant with him.

"Take good care of yourself, Violet. You need some rest. Say goodbye to Delvin for me," Rosa said as she left for her own house.

"Bye, Honey," Violet replied.

Rosa had been Delvin's Nanny for the five years Violet had spent in Manhattan. She was the balance Violet found between business and taking care of her son. Rosa understood that her motherhood to Delvin was not an issue for public attention. 

She didn't want to find her son's name or picture on social media; she didn't want people asking questions that would awaken sleeping dogs or worse, affect Delvin's mental health and social life.

Violet entered Delvin's room and found him focused on his new project.

 "Hey, mama," he smiled up at her, and her heart melted.

"Hey, baby, good day at school?" Violet asked.

"Yup," he replied still focused on his strokes. "Busy day at work?" Delvin asked.

"As always, boy," Violet answered and fell on his bed with exaggerated exhaustion.

"Anything special happen today?" Delvin asked Violet as he picked up a new brush and dipped it in black paint.

"Mmmhmmm, actually, yeah," Violet replied thoughtfully. "There was this billionaire who came with his girlfriend to patronize us," she said.

"Woah. That's cool, right? That means more money," Delvin surmised.

"Yeah, baby," she ruffled his blonde hair and kissed his cheek.

He recoiled a little from her as she leaned in to peck him. He was no longer a baby. Pecks and too many hugs affected him. Violet promised herself to make sure he got used to the gesture. 

Delvin was growing more handsome every day; Violet had stopped wishing that he didn't have his father's blonde hair.

"Then we can go on vacation, right? We can go to Uncle Curtis's in Texas; I miss Emma and Edmund. Or we could even visit Nana and Grandpa in Oklahoma," his eyes shone with excitement as he spoke.

"Mhmmm, we could visit both of them this year if you want, but we would put off Disneyland until the next holidays," Violet answered.

"Awh..no, mama. Let's do all this year," Delvin countered.

"Mhmmm, let's just see how things unfold. What are you painting?" she feigned extra curiosity as she looked at his canvas.

"It's a girl in my class. She is my friend," Delvin answered.

"Is she this pretty?" Violet asked him.

"You bet! She is even prettier when she smiles. On father's day, she said hi to me, and we chatted a bit."

Her stomach sunk. Oh, no. Father's day again. She hoped he would give her some time to come up with something before he brought it up again.

"Attaboy! What did you talk to her about?" Violet asked.

"She asked me why I didn't have a father's day story. She didn't have one as well. She said her father is late," Delvin answered.

"What's her name again?" Violet asked.

"Don't play smart, mama. I never told you her name," Delvin burst out laughing, and she chuckled.

 "You would tease me with her name if I tell you, so I will never tell," he added with a note of finality and went back to his drawing.

"Oh, come on, Delvin, tell me. I won't tease you, I promise," she cajoled him.

"No, mama, I know you. You will," Delvin retorted.

"Won't too!" Violet fired back.

"You definitely will, mama," he kicked the canvas as he laughed.

"Delvin, I won't. Promise," she tickled him, and he fell to the floor.

"Okay, mama. Guess her name," Delvin said.

"How can I guess? Okay, Anita?" Violet guessed.

"No," Delvin scowled.

"Amanda?" She tried again.

"No," Delvin answered with another scowl.

"Jennifer? Elizabeth? Christabel?" Violet kept on guessing, teasing him.

"No, no, no! Mum, you are so bad at this," Delvin laughed.

"I know, just tell me, baby," Violet pleaded.

"Her name is Roosevelt," Delvin said.

"Hahahaha," she laughed coyly and threw a pillow at him. "Roosevelt, huh? I hope you are being a gentleman, boy?"

"Yes, mum. I'm cool," he smiled a little and shrugged his shoulders as he proclaimed his coolness.

Sleep evaded Violet that night.

Her mind traveled back to high school, the place of her betrayal and trauma. No matter where she was, those days would find her and haunt her. 

She was a new student in high school. Her parents had moved her and her brother, Curtis, from their hometown, Beaver County, to Oklahoma City. It was her senior year in high school, and Curtis was trying to enter college.

Violet was the awkward brunette who lacked social skills. It didn't help that she was a country girl. Most of the students were city kids, so she had a hard time blending in. At the age of sixteen, she was a size eight while her mates were two sizes smaller. She had a chubby body that promised to blossom into something beautiful.

On her second week at school, she still had no friends and no one to sit with during lunch. The school map was her guide to navigate her classes. She had given up on friends and accepted the life of a loner when luck smiled at her.

"Hi," a red-haired slim girl waved her over to her table during lunch on a Wednesday.

 "You are the new girl, right?" She asked Violet.

Violet nodded her head as she felt the girl assess her from head to toe. Violet wished she had put effort into her dressing, but she hadn't always been fashionable. She wore a knee-length jean skirt and a brown tee that made her look dumpy.

"I'm Mary Kirsten, the student president. You can sit with us. I noticed you have no friends," The redhead introduced herself.

"Thank you," Violet muttered.

"You have really lovely hair," Mary K said to Violet.

"Thank you," she sat down, and an awkward silence fell on the table. She felt like an elephant of a girl sitting on a table with girls beautiful enough to walk down a runway.

"What's your name?" a black girl with braids asked Violet.

"Violet Harper," she answered.

How foolish was she? Mary K had introduced herself, and she couldn't even return the favor. She better loosen her tongue before they think she's a snub.

"I'm from Beaver County," Violet added.

"Cool," the black girl answered, "I have been there for a carnival before. My name's Katherine, but call me Kat."

"Veronica," the last girl said to her. A blue-eyed beauty that sat across from Violet on the table.

"You are beautiful," Violet said to her before she could stop herself.

"I swear…" Mary K started, "Veronica needs to find her own table or her whole new world, in fact. Everyone who sees her is shocked at her beauty." Mary K threw a chip at Veronica playfully as she spoke.

"I can't help it," Veronica raised her hands in the air, "I woke up like this," she said.

Katherine made a choking sound and faked vomiting while the rest of them laughed, even Violet joined in.

"Viola, Violet, you have met the gang. You would meet the boys in three minutes. What is keeping them so long, anyway?" Mary K asked.

Before long, three boys joined them at the table. Violet noticed immediately that they were extremely good-looking. God, I hope I don't look stupid, she thought to herself.

"Violet, Ian," Mary K pointed to a black muscular boy.

"Davey," The cute short one.

"And Jeremy," she pointed to a tall blondie that would later be Violet's lover. "These are the boys, don't let their looks fool you. They are all dumb." Mary K ended her flawless introduction with a joke.

"Whoa, hold it there," Davey piped up, "I might not be the school President, but last time I checked I'm still the record holder for the best science student, duh," Davey said.

From the way the students stared at them, she could tell that they were the cool kids and now was she part of them?

Violet had slept off reminiscing her high school days back in her room in Manhattan. The thoughts had followed her into her dreams. Should she tell Delvin that she found out that his father is dead? After all, she would never meet Jeremy again. They had no business together. Yes, that's what she should tell him.

The dreams were always the same; she was laughing and happy with Jeremy, and all of a sudden, he turned into a monster, pounding her with his fists, or trying to snatch Delvin from her arms.

"No, please, don't take him away from me,"she would always say as she shook on her bed.

She would scream and run until she woke up shaking and sweating. But this time, someone comes to rescue her as Jeremy tries to push her from a building. 

A dark-haired man with green eyes and strong hands. She wakes up confused. 

She knew who the man was but why was he in her dreams?