"Mom?" A faint voice awakens me. When did I go to sleep? I open and close my eyes quickly, hiding my eyes from the intense morning light. I open them again after a few seconds and notice Jayden standing in front of me, perplexed. When I raise my head, my neck aches, and I realize I'm in the living room. My neck hurts like hell. I'm sitting on the floor, arms crossed on the couch, wearing yesterday's clothing.

"Mom? What are you doing sleeping here?" Jayden inquires, and I'm at a loss for words.

"Um... I had some work to do and ended up sleeping here." I'm unsure, but he nodded. I exhale a breath of relief.

"It's Sunday today. So we're going out for breakfast." He moans. I'm not in the mood to go out for breakfast, but it's our Sunday ritual, and I can't say no. He'll be irritated.

"Girls are so lazy." He says, and I stare at him wide-eyed.

"What exactly did you say?" I pretended to be angry. He smiled mischievously as he gazed at me.

"You and Ari are both so lazy, Mom." I instantly wrap my fingers around his arm and draw him to me, he says. He ends up on my lap, and I begin tickling him. His laughter permeates the room, brightening my mood and making me smile from ear to ear.

"Say you're sorry." I insist. I know it's childish, but I'm only thirty-one.

"S-sorry." He says this between laughter, and I come to a halt. I burst out laughing, and he pouts. "Now, come on. I'm starving." He continues to pout.

"Is Ari awake?" I asked him and got up from the floor, holding him in my arms. He shook his head.

"That's exactly what I said. Girls are lazy." He states. I narrow my eyes at him, and he apologizes instantly. I make fun of him.

"Go wake her up and request that she brush her teeth. I'll go get your clothes." I say as I put him down. He nods and dashes into their room. I go to my room and get ready. I choose children's clothes. Jeans and T-shirts will suffice. After getting ready for myself and the kids, we headed to the cafe nearby, where we typically go. I take my seat after making sure they're both comfortable.

"Hello, Hazel." Paisley, our regular waitress, introduces herself.

"Good morning, Paisley." I give her a kind smile. She greets the children, who return her greeting. She requests our orders, which we comply with. Jayden requested pancakes, Aria requested egg toast, and I asked for coffee and pancakes.

"Mommy?" Aria says as we begin to eat, I was drinking my coffee and nodded at her.

"A man was in our house yesterday. Who was he?" My heart skips a beat as she asks. Jayden pulls the water glass towards me as I choke on my coffee. I consume it.

"H-he... H-he's an old friend." I lie.

"Oh." She says as she continues to eat. My heart rate accelerates dramatically. What if they discover he's their father? Will they abandon me for him? No, no. They wouldn't do it.

"Mommy, I need to use the restroom," Aria murmurs in my ear, jerking me out of my reverie. I nod and assist her in getting out of the chair. She's so familiar with the area that she walks there without me. Jayden and I briefly talk about a girl at his play school.

Aria has yet to return after a few minutes. We finished our breakfast and are now waiting for her. What happened to her? As a mother, I was concerned that she was taking so long, so I stood up and began to make my way to the restrooms, but then I noticed her tiny figure returning. As I see who accompanies her, my heart races for the second time since we arrived at the cafe.

"Mommy, I met your friend near the washrooms." She says this while pointing at Hudson. She's holding his hand, and he's staring at me. I remain silent and nod to her.

"Hello," Hudson murmurs, his gaze fixed on me.

"That's Jayden. He is my brother." Ari tells Hudson.

"Hi, Jayden," Hudson says as he looks at him. Jayden smiles at him.

"Um... Well, um... Let's get started. I've got some work to do." I take Ari's arm and drag her away from him. I almost feel awful for him when I see the hurt on his face. I hurriedly paid the bill and gave a tip before gathering my belongings and the kids and leaving without looking at him.

I buckled the kids into their seats and moved toward the driver's seat, but I was stopped. When I looked up from the ground, I saw Hudson. I tried to walk around him, but he grabbed my wrist and spun me around.

"Hudson-" I begin, but he cuts me off, as he always does.

"We have to talk, Hazel." Please get in touch with me." He says as he passes me his business card. I yank my hand from his grasp and shatter the card before hurling it at his chest. I moved to my seat, turning away. I close the doors and turn on the engine.

This week has been dramatic. My thoughts were always focused on one individual. I can't stop thinking about him, even if I don't want to. He even appears in my nightmares. His blue eyes mock me. I couldn't even focus on my work.

"Aria! and Jayden!" I called the kids to distract myself. They are the only ones who can make me feel better.

"Yes, Mom?" Jayden explains.

"What do you guys want for lunch?" I inquire.

"Chicken cheese sandwich!" said the waiter. Jayden screams. When I turn to face Aria, she's already nodding.

"Okay, then." I begin preparing lunch.

While I prepare the food, Jayden continues to talk while Aria remains silent. She was coloring cartoons in her book, and I imagine she was in another universe. But she also seemed a little off, and I began to worry. I was about to ask what was wrong with her when Jayden interrupted me.

"Oh, mother! I nearly forgot. Tomorrow is a parent meeting at the school." Jayden explains.

"You really should be there." Jayden also included. Aria raised her head to me as if she wanted to ask me a question but couldn't.

"I will be there." I made a promise.

"Everyone else is going to come with their mommy and daddy." But we're both going with just mommy." Aria emphasized, "only."

It has arrived. The predicament in which I am required to answer the children's questions concerning their father. Their father broke their mother's heart. The father refused even to tell him he would be a father. The father who abandoned us just when we needed him the most. The father's name.

"Yea. Because we don't have a father figure." Jayden says to Aria, but they both glance at me with...I'm still determining. Eagerness? Hope? I'm still determining. I had sandwiches for the kids and turned away, pretending to clean something. When I return to get some juice for the kids, they are both still staring at me, their plates untouched.

"Eat your food, guys," I say.

"No," Aria says, crossing her little arms over her chest. I narrow my eyes at her, but she maintains her angry, hurt expression. I sigh. "Everyone else in the school has a father, but we don't." Jaxon, too, has an uncle named Ezekiel. We are without a parent. "How come, Mommy?" Her eyes well up with tears as she asks. My eyesight becomes blurry as tears well up in my eyes. The last thing I want is for my children to cry.

"I-I'm not sure. Perhaps God thought that good children only required a mother." I lied. Hazel, are you serious? Does that make sense to you? My inner voice snarls at me.

"Really?" Aria wipes her tears away. I approach her and cup my hands around her face.

"Yes, my darling." I kissed her on the cheek.

I was busy at work the next day. A large corporation requires interior design, and we all work hard on it. If this project is successful, I will be promoted, and my income will be increased. And due to this work, I could not attend the meeting at the kids' school. They will be irritated.

"Hi, Hazel." I turn around when I hear a voice. My eyes expand as they come to rest on Brooks. What exactly is he doing here?

"How are things going for you?" He asks and takes a seat in front of me.

"Hi. I'm okay. What exactly are you doing here?" I ask.

"I came here to see you." He says this and tries to put his hand in mine. I drew my hand away, as did he.

"For what?" I inquire sternly. Brooks is a really attractive and well-mannered man. But that's it; I wouldn't go any further.

"Will you come on a date with me?" He stutters, his eyes bright.

"No." I put on a stern expression and responded to him right away. He lets out a sigh.

"You see, Brooks. There are hundreds of girls available; go try them out. It's not going to happen to me." I stand up and leave my office, leaving him at my desk.

In the evening, I called Axel and told him everything that had happened today.

Axel suggested, "Give him a chance."

Is he dead serious? I pondered. He claims to know me better than anyone else. He knows I only have one true love. I sigh and let it go. I have to get the kids. I shut the doors and walked to my car. After arriving at the school, I park the car in a parking area, get out, and lock it. I walk into the school and approach the receptionist. Her eyes are narrow as she stares at me, which is odd.

"Hi, I'm here to pick up Aria and Jayden Baker," I tell her.

"But, ma'am, they were already picked up." Her brow wrinkled, she says.

What?

As soon as I hear the words coming out of her mouth, everything around me comes to a stop. My eyes are going crazy and my tongue is parched. I have the impression that I am suffocating. I turn my head to see the woman seated at the desk frowning as she looks at me with her eyebrows raised.

"What do you mean you haven't seen them here?! I am the only one who can retrieve them! I yell at her quite loudly.

"I know. However, he said that you instructed him to go and collect them, and Aria mentioned that she is familiar with him and that he is your friend. She protects herself.

"He? It was a male, right?" I enquire. "Does he have light brown hair or blonde hair?"

"Yes." She is responsive. When my phone starts vibrating in my pocket, I take it out to check for new messages.

Unknown, I suggest we talk right now.

And I am fully aware of their identity. I am brought to my knees, and in the process, I drop my phone. I can't stop the tears from falling out of my eyes, and I start sobbing. He stole my children from me and ran away. The lady who was working the front desk approaches me.

"Madam, we really ought to call the police." As she puts it.

"No! No. I am aware of who it is. It's okay. Thank you." I then step up and speak. She gives a slight nod before returning to her previous location.

After arriving back at my residence, I take out my cell phone and dial the unidentified number. I can make out the voice of the automated system announcing that the line has been disconnected. As I sit on the couch, I ruminate over the various means by which I might get in touch with Hudson. After only a few minutes, my phone starts to ring. I choose without examining the contact beforehand and go ahead and pick.

"How are you doing today?" His tone of voice has a sneer to it, and I can hear it.

"Hudson, could you kindly. I beseech you. Just let them go, would you? I cry.

"Hazel, please know that I tried to be kind with you. However, you insisted on having this. Exasperated, he says while heaving a sigh.

Hudson, you absolutely must not do anything to them. I will do anything you wish. Please don't do anything to hurt my children. I cry. After a brief pause with no sound, he begins speaking after a few seconds had passed.

"Do you consider me to be that beneath you? Would I intentionally hurt my own children in some way? How could you possibly believe that, Hazel? The final phrase is yelled out by him.

"I never in a million years would have guessed that you would do this, but you did. And at this point, I have no idea what you are going to do. As I speak, my voice is becoming increasingly hoarse and cracked.

"I won't cause any trouble. They are both presently watching animated television. Don't be concerned. He pauses. "Carson, my driver will be waiting for you outside your house. Please do not be late. Come in, and we will have a conversation. As soon as I hear those words, I immediately start getting ready to go and shutting the doors behind me. I will not take any further questions at this time. As I make my way down the porch, I catch sight of a R8 that's parked there. The driver exits the vehicle, shows me his identification card, and then opens the door for me. I nod and step inside. My nose are stuffed with the scent of an automobile, and it is indistinguishable from Hudson's odor. While the driver navigates the congested streets, I lean my head against the window and gaze outside.

After a ride of thirty minutes, the driver pulls over in front of a hotel and stops the car. He leaves the room and opens the door for me before I even get a chance to do so. Another man approaches, takes the car away, and the driver ushers me inside while he does so. Who were you looking for? Carson. Yeah.

"This way ma'am." He then says something while pointing to the elevator. He waits while pressing the thirty-second floor elevator button. The doors swing open, and we make our way down to the ground level. He shows me the door, then knocks on it as we enter the room. After only a few seconds, the door swings wide, revealing a man who is completely unfamiliar to me. Carson and the other man exchange a nod, and then the other man opens the door all the way.

The room is stunning, both inside and out, with extremely tasteful decor and a breathtaking panorama. I fix my attention on the view from the French window and find myself momentarily disoriented.

"Like the view?" When I hear his extremely recognizable voice, I immediately turn around to face him.

I inquire of him, "What is it that you want me to do?"

He proposes with, "Marry me." I just nod my head in silence. His eyes widened at first, then they quickly contracted again. "Do not misunderstand me." He says again.

"I will sacrifice everything for my children." I want to place particular stress on the terms.

"I claim them as my own as well." He yells at me, and in response, I roll my eyes.

My next question to him is, "Where are they?"

"Inside." After hearing what he has to say, I quickly turn away from him. When his fingers encircle my wrist, I am unable to move in any direction. "Before you see them, we need to talk."

"I can't proceed until I've seen them." I try to say it, but my voice is shaking. The expression on his face changes as a surge of emotion passes through it, and he appears guilty. Hazel, don't let yourself be fooled by this! My subconcious mind is trying to warn me. I know. I am well aware that he is relishing the agony that I am causing him in his mind.

"No. "Starting with some talk." He says. I heave a sigh and then I sit down on a stool that is located next to the sofa. "All right, you're going to have to marry me once more and relocate to England with me. You are obligated to explain my identity to the children. I acknowledge what he is saying with a nod. It is recommended that they change their surname. He continues, and I just nod in agreement. He tells you to "say something."

"I shall carry out all of the tasks that you assign to me. But keep in mind that despite the fact that I may be your wife legally, I will never again be your wife in real life. The children have been and will continue to be my top priority during this entire process. I say. Do not anticipate that I will be the kind of woman who is completely devoted to her spouse and who loves him without conditions. I move by him, and he gives me permission to do so this time.

Aria and Jadyen are currently watching an episode of SpongeBob together on the large couch that is cream in color. As I make my way to the couch, both of their eyes shift to look at me. They both give me a warm smile before jumping off the couch, which causes the popcorn to fall all over the floor. I get down on my knees and bring both of them in close to my chest. I sob my heart out and embrace my loved ones tightly. Jadyen steps back and cups my face in his teeny-tiny hands while he does so.

"What on earth took place, mommy? Why are you shedding those tears? He asks.

"Guys, I have to talk to you about something important." Because of my anxiety, my voice is shaking.

They both ask in unison, "What?"

"You....Hudson, I..." is what I'm saying to you. I stutter. They are both looking at me in anticipation, waiting for me to finish whatever it is that I want to say. Hudson comes over and kneels down next to us after he has joined us.

"Hudson...H-Hudson is y-your D-dad." I say it, and the expression on their face immediately changes to one of complete surprise.