Chapter 13

The kids and my friends are all sitting in the living room when I enter Megan's penthouse.

Kevin, Summer, and Megan glare at me while Tristan and Archer refuse to even look at me. They are all acting like children.

"Mommy!" Rory and Nick yell out, jumping out of Kevin and Tristan's lap before running towards me in full force.

I kneel down and catch both of them in my arms as they hug me tight.

"You're late, Mommy!" Rory exclaims, surprised.

"I know, honey. I am sorry I didn't say anything last night. Forgive Mommy?" I say, trying to get my children to forgive me while I stay kneeling with one hand on my ear and one holding Rory. Nick has his arms wrapped in front of him, while giving me a suspicious look.

"Where were you, Mommy?" Nick asks, his voice coming out small.

I realize he's not really angry with me, he is afraid for me. I can see Nick's eyes tearing up a little and I pull him to me and hug him tight.

"Mommy fell asleep at a friends'. I am so sorry, my babies," I say, and chuckle at them to distract both them and I from the fact that all of us are at the verge of crying.

"It's okay, Mommy. We forgive you," Rory says, grabbing Nick's hand and wiping my eyes with one of her hands.

"We love you, Mommy," Nick says, the tip of ears turning red.

"Mommy loves you too, mes bebés," I say, and run my thumb along their cheeks to wipe any moisture that escapes their eyes. "Now go to the room and play, I need to talk to your Aunts and Uncles."

They nod and run to their room, their giggles echoing through the whole house.

I stand back up and look back at my friends. Their faces seemed to have softened a little.

Megan and Summer stand up and head towards me. They raise their arms and I flinch a little, then immediately feel stupid as they hug me.

"We were worried. The least you could've done is sent any of us a text. Or tell any of us where you were going before you went out of sight," Tristan says, poking his face out to look at me through the mass of Summer and Megan's hairs.

"I know. I promise that I had no intention of falling asleep there. I just drank too much and crashed at a.. uh, friend's," I say, hesitating a little before saying 'friend'.

Hunt wiggles his eyes and I glare at him. Currently, telling everyone who it was wouldn't be a good idea. Especially as Summer and Kevin work for the same person I crashed with last night.

"I should go get changed," I say, as Summer and Megan release me and before I can say anything else they both slap a hand on my back and I feel a sharp sting. I wince.

"Okay yeah, I deserved that," I say, rubbing the part where they slapped.

"We know," Megan says, and smiles along with Summer, both of them nodding at each other in approval.

"Never do that again," Kevin says, as he too stands up and reaches towards me to hug me.

"I am sorry. I promise i'll let you know if I go anywhere while I am out with you guys the next time," I say, hugging him back.

He leaned back and kissed my forehead.

"You won't be alive if there's a next time you don't inform us," Archer says, finally relaxing since last night, I guess.

"Agreed," Kevin says, and releases me to go wrap an arm around Summer's waist.

"Let me go change," I say again, and this time, Megan follows me to her room to lend me her clothes to wear.

—•—

After freshening up with a shower and clean clothes, I head out of Megan's room to see all my friends seated around the dining area.

I take a seat between my children and look at various items at breakfast. I pick up some pancakes and put them on Nick's plate while Hunt gives Summer some waffles. I just grab a bottle of milk and a packet of cereal and start eating that up. Megan, Kevin, Hunter and I have this weird fetish with cereal that, as I look around their plates and bowls, hasn't changed at all.

Summer glances at our bowls and rolls her eyes, laughing as she eats her waffles.

"This is the first time in probably months that all of us are here on the breakfast table, this time including Andy," Tristan says, smiling at everyone at the table.

Archer nods with his mouthful, which makes the rest of us laugh at his dorkiness.

"By the way, where were you last night, Arch?" Summer asks, raising her left eyebrow in an interrogative manner.

"Uh, I arrived late at the club, and when I did come, I got to see you girls' performance, which was awesome by the way, but then my assistant called me up to inform me about some technical issues. So before I could talk to you guys and let you know that I was there, I was called away. Sorry guys," Arch says after gulping the food in his mouth.

"Is everything alright there now?" Kevin asks, his eyes displaying concern.

"Yeah. It was a minor power problem," Arch says, rolling his eyes.

"Oh. I could ask Ryder and Oliver to swing by and check it out?" Summer asks, and pulls out her phone to let them know.

"Yeah. That would be really helpful, Sum," Arch nods.

"Guys, I have to go home and change into office clothes and also drop the kids over at Dorothea's," I say as I finish up and stand.

"Yeah okay. I'll drop you. I have to go to my office anyway. Your place is on the way," Archer says and stands up too.

"I have to head to the studio, so I'll hitch a ride with Megan and Tristan," Hunter says, answering my silent question as I look at him.

"Alright. Kev and Sum, be at the office in time," I say and help Nick and Rory down their chairs. "See ya guys later."

"Bye, Andy," Everyone other than Archer and the kids say and I grab my things and head out the door.

—•—

Archer drops me and my kids off at my apartment in the shady colony and I hug him goodbye.

The kids run upstairs and start banging on Dorothea's door.

"Oi kiddos!" Dorothea Crown's yelling voice vibrates throughout the corridor as she opens her door. "You gonna break my door?" She might sound angry but she loves the kids almost as much as I do.

The kids laugh with each other and jump up to hug Dora's legs. Dora chuckles at them and ushers them into her house.

Before she closes the door, she looks at me and nods with a smile on her. I returned the gesture along with an apologetic look on my face.

"I'll be back around 6. I am so sorry for the trouble, Dora," I say, sheepishly.

"Did I ever say I had a problem? They are sweet obedient kids. I am happy to look after them. They are like my own grandkids and you know that," Dora glares at me playfully and dismisses me with a wave.

"Now go get dresses for your job. You'll be late, mija," she says and comes forward to place a kiss on my forehead.

She's shorter than me, so I lean down and hug her. As I pull away, I think about her life and all that she is to me.

Dorothea Crown was the closest thing to a mother I had after Fiona and my own mother died. She helped me with the kids in every way possible and I couldn't ever be enough thankful to her.

She had two children, both of whom were married, but they neglected her so much that they didn't even visit her at all unless during an emergency. In the last 5 years, I can say that I have only seen Dorothea's children and grandchildren once when she fell sick. Other than that, they never even write or call her.

She treats me and my kids like her own since her own children had abandoned her. I was truly grateful for her support. And I had promised myself that I'll never take it for granted.

I shake my head and smile at her again before running upstairs to my apartment.

I head in, moving the fallen toys with my foot so that I could move around the house. This was all Hunter and the kids' doing before we left for Megan's.

I groan. I would have to clean that up as soon as I get home tonight.

I pull out some casual yet official clothes in which I could be comfortable in and change into them.

As I apply some light makeup, I call the person who could make sure that I reach the office in time.

"Hello?" a male voice asks, sounding tired and bored.

"Can you pick me up right now?" I reply.

"On my way," he says, before hanging up.

I smile. I love this guy!