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.