We meet again...

Weeks later,

"hope!!?" jade (who makes fun of hope)..

"yeah!?.." hope answered turning to see who it was then her face changed...

"I'm really sorry I called you an abandoned child... I guess I was wrong.. can you forgive me" jade said as she gestured her apple to hope...

"yes I forgive you... my mummy always say that I should always forgive and forget" hope lectured....

"here!!.. you can have my apple" jade said..

"don't worry.. my daddy also got me an apple..." hope said..

"okay so can we eat our apple as friends"... jade asked...

"Friends?" hope repeated...

"aren't we friends" jade said...

"yes we are" hope said then took a bite from the apple...

.....

while Emma was talking to Gideon in her store....

"Don't worry.. she won't find out... but how long do we have to keep doing this.. I can't be her fake father forever.." Gideon said as he took a sip from his juice...

"don't worry about her... just two more months and we'll explain that you have to go on a work trip... and then I'll be able to explain to hope that u were not her real father" Emma said...

"okay... but two months!!?.. I hope you know I have a girlfriend... and she would not be happy to hear this" Gideon warned...

"you are like a brother to me and as you'd do anything for me... I also have to do anything just to make Hope happy... so I'll try to talk to your girlfriend and explain" Emma said...

"you're right..." 😊 Gideon agreed....

....

When Gideon dropped both Emma and hope at home...

"mummy why can't we go with daddy" hope asked...

"because uh... he's not staying home and has to work so... I told him to bring us here... don't you miss aunty Diane already..." Emma said...

"I do!!?" hope answered then went in immediately...

...

"Hope!!.. I'm going to get some things from the supermarket... do you wish to come along" Emma asked...

"no?!!.. I want to stay with aunty..." Hope said...

"Okay!?" then Emma left..

....

While Emma was going round the store to get what she wanted... her phone began to ring... it was her AUNTY!! who abandoned her when she needed her the most... she was about to pick up when she bumped into someone and then her phone fell down she immediately bent to take it then she saw the last person she wanted to see... it was ALEX!!!.. he wanted to help her pick up her phone but when their eyes met he was surprised... and she was speechless.. then Emma looked back at her phone which had broken but it wasn't really obvious... she picked up her phone and stood up back...

"sorry" she said then walked pass him...

Alex wasn't expecting himself to bump into her... so as she walked pass him he felt guilty of something but didn't know what it was exactly... so when she was still waiting out for the taxi... he parked right in front of her and whined his car window down...

"it's late!.. I don't think you can get any taxi around here" Alex said with a straight face without even looking directly at her...

"said the guy who left for 7 good years... how would you know... but he is right though... I definitely won't be able to get a cab" Emma thought...

"are you coming in or not" he asked...

"now that he's back... I will have to keep hope inside at all times before things get obvious..." Emma thought then ignored him and kept on waiting...

Soon.. Alex came out from his car and dragged her...

"I know I'm not talking to myself... so let me just give you a ride" Alex said...

Emma got pissed and yanked her hand from his grip...

"are you sure you are not mistaking me for someone else... course I don't think you know who you're dealing with" Emma said acting like she doesn't know him at all...

"oh so now you're playing games huhn..." Alex said...

"oh thank goodness Hope disagreed on coming along..." Emma thought...

"you know what?!!.. I don't have time arguing with you... I have a great feeling it's going to rain and I thought you were someone I knew... but you're right.. I truly mistook you for someone" Alex said then left...

And what exactly his he trying to say... Emma thought...

Emma hated the fact that Alex was right about the weather and didn't find any taxi...

Then she kept on walking until a car pulled up next to her...

"Now you're wet.. you should get in before you catch a cold" Alex said...

"even if I really hate to see your face that doesn't mean I want you to suffer" Alex thought... Emma hesitated but went in anyway.....

The car was awkwardly silent until....

"I thought you would ignore again" Alex said trying to get along with her...

Emma wasn't listening to him cause her mind was thinking of hope....

"when did he return... why did I meet up with him... who am I kidding.. it's great I know he's back... hope must never set eye on him... if not, things would get really obvious... and I'd not be able to explain myself..." Emma kept on thinking.....

"are you seriously going to stay quiet..." then Alex turned to her and saw how worried she looked... "why is your face like that 🤨... are you that cold" he asked...

Emma kept on thinking and didn't have time for Alex's questions... Soon the car stopped and Emma didn't know and then she looked down to her laps and was deep in thoughts... then Alex just unbuckled his seat belt... "we're here!" he said...

And then Emma looked up and was still looking worried.. then she tried taking off the seat belt but it didn't budge... then Alex saw that she was trying to unbuckle the seat belt.. "you're not even paying attention to what you're trying to do" Alex said then moved closer to her and tried to unbuckle the seatbelt and then Emma stared at him looking surprised...

Then he removed it and then Emma came back to her senses...

"all done?!.. I know you won't still say anything but anyway... Good night!!" he said as Emma came down from the car... Then Emma came to his side window... "Thank you" Emma said then left not wanting to hear a response from him....

...

Emma entered and then hope ran to hug her...

"Why did you take so long.. immediately you left I had a feeling it was going to rain... next time you're going anywhere I'll definitely follow you" Hope said...

"No!!.. I'm fine... you don't have to follow" Emma said... "common let's go to bed" Emma said as she held hope's hand and went into the room....

While Hope was sleeping in her mummy arm peacefully... Emma was still in deep thoughts....

"they have so much things in common... they both know when it's about to rain... they both hate swimming and hate onions... why does hope have to have do much in common with Alex and not me... (Emma felt jealous)....

well at least she's as smart as I am.. I know very well that if Alex and his parents find out... they would do anything to bring hope back home..." Emma thought...

...

The next morning Gideon dropped Hope at school and Emma at work and left immediately to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday....

While Emma was in the store she couldn't stop thinking about the other day...

"Um excuse me!!... I called you yesterday in the morning and told you I'll come and get the cake today.. Hello!!!!!!" The lady said and clapped her hands really loud...

"oh yeah!.. I'm really sorry..." then Emma went to get the Cake and gave it to her... Emma wasn't focusing.. so after the last customer left she closed the door and turned the opened to closed...

Then she brought out her phone to see the crack... that wasn't a great sign.. most times Hope accidentally drops the phone mistakenly and it wouldn't crack... then Emma remembered that when she bumped into Alex... she had a call...

"Who was it again?!" she asked herself... oh yeah... Auntie!!.. aunty???" she repeated because she wondered why her aunty had called her...

She then tried calling her aunty but there was no answer... emma was confused and worried at the same time...😰🤨....

..... At hope's school .....

When hope and jade left class for fun time... they were both eating their food until a guy came to pour sand on their...

"ah ah 😂😂... now how'll u eat your mummy food" Carmon (jade's brother) said...

"what's your problem Carmon..." jade said as she stood up to fight back but hope made her seat back...

"my problem is that you left our group and now you're hanging out with this looser" he said pointing at hope...

"you are lucky.. my mummy always tells me to maintain my anger... if not!!" she said and sat back...

"and what are you going to do about it" Carmon said then pour his water on her....

Hope got angry and then used her hand to mix her food with the sand and then rubbed it on his face.... jade laughed

"you don't know who my parents are.. do you!?" then Carmon got angry and went to report to the principal...

"oh no.... if my brother tells daddy about this... then my daddy can do something to your mum" jade warned...

"you have to apologize to him" jade said....

"no way... my mummy always say... you don't tell people sorry when they don't deserve it or else... they will take you for granted" hope said...

..... later after school Emma forgot to pick up hope because she was really busy and Gideon wasn't picking any of his calls...

When hope got out to wait for Emma... she didn't see anyone... instead she saw Alex... she ran to him and hugged him "Hey!! sir..." hope said and then Alex turned to her...

"oh?!.. we meet again.." Alex says....

"you promised to come to meet my mummy.. you are not going to break your promise.. are you?" hope asked...

"of course not...just tell me when you want me to visit... i'll definitely come" Alex assured hope....

"well... my birthday is on Saturday and I want you to come to my birthday party..." hope said...

"okay.. and what would you like me to get you on your birthday?" he asked....

"well.. it's a costume party and I want you dress up like super man!" hope said....

"why superman?" he asked...

"because when we first met... you saved me from getting smashed... and that' something superman would definitely do... but you... you are my super man" hope said....

"Okay... but what are you doing out here... haven't your mum come to pick you up"

"no!!??.. whenever my mummy comes late to pick me up... then it means she's busy..." hope said fully confirmed...

"so should I take you to your mummy?!" Alex asked...

"my mummy is definitely on her way back... so I most not leave this spot...

then Alex left... not long enough Emma came...

.....