Laura dropped the phone in her hands and questioned her decision badly for texting him and not Rian.
She walked back to the box and checked the content again, this time being more dramatic as she opened the kids.
“Hideous dolls!”She grimaced to herself.
Whosoever it was most definitely had sinister plans to create a controversial situation or why else would they do something crazy as this?
While all of these were traveling through her mind, Rian’s call came through almost at the same moment.
She picked it up cautiously hiding the fact she was rather aggrieved.
“Been trying to reach you, how are you doing?”
It felt almost useless having to lie to him but had to do it as she didn’t want him getting all worried about a box that could just be a prank from someone trying to pull a fast one.
“Laura.”He called her when he noticed the long bit of silence.
“I am fine, just a bit tired, you?”
Rian could sense the restlessness in her voice but if there was anything he knew about the woman it was how secretive she could be with certain things.
He had his doubts about her being fine, he just had to play along.”Been quite busy just thinking about speaking to you and knowing how you are doing, and the boys.”He added.
She rolled her eyes aware that he wasn’t into her kids much as he was into her, she didn’t blame him though. She wondered what she could have done if she were in his shoes.
“The boys are doing fine, they are having their siesta.”
“Oh, alright then I’d keep in touch.”
She sighed.
All of a sudden she felt bad for putting him in such a complicated situation, she shook her head from how disdainful she felt about all of the drama that had happened.
“Mom, what is that … Did Dad send another gift.”
She turned to see Alex and his twin brother close to the box as they attempted to pick out its contents.
“No, don’t touch that -”
The sound of her voice came in time with the doorbell. One of the boys ran to the door and peeped through the doorhole to see who it was
He jumps erratically.”It is Mr. Christian.”he grimaced.
Subconsciously, she wondered if she was rather beautiful at that moment, so she walked to the door and opened it.
“Hello, Christian.”
Christian gave a forced smile as he wobbled into the room.
*****
He was steeped in alcohol and looked very terrible. If there was anything that pointed at the back of her mind it was the fact that he looked rather irresponsible.
Something about his appearance reminded her of that first night, she shoved the thought out of her mind and asked instead.
“You’ve been drinking.”She spoke with conviction.
He wouldn’t let her put him all out like that, he looked around the room sensing the eerily silence after the kids had been sent up to their room.
“What I do is none of your business, wait is that the reason you sent them to their rooms?”he asked, forcing a smirk.”So you think I am a bad influence on them?”
She remains silent, not wanting to push on the issue-but it raises a red flag if he had been out drinking, she didn’t know if it was best he remained here, and thought she would rather die than admit it to herself. She was worried about the damn man.
Not that she wanted him to feel bad or she was trying to aggravate the entire situation, she just wanted the best for her kids, and that in no way was he being a good example.
“Do you think I’d be a bad father, maybe that is why… “Christian stops speaking and sighs.
Confused, Laura watched the man she had called to come help out, it looked most definitely like he required it himself.
“Are you fine? You look like you are bottling something deep in your subconscious mind.”She asked subconsciously wondering why she even cared in the first place.
Of course, the last person he would rather share anything with was Laura much as he felt the need to speak to her and hear her view about the entire situation, he thought it was best he kept to himself.
“I am fine.”He answered again.
This time, he took a deep sigh.
“I’d get you coffee, and you need to change that shirt… You do Stench.”
She walked away and he sniffed himself to be certain, was it that bad?
His phone buzzed with a text from Antonia.
“Antonia:Where are you, I am getting worried !”
He thought about texting her right back but changed his mind. He didn’t know who he was exactly mad at but he still felt serious and funnily being there at that moment brought a kind of calmness to his soul.
She walked back into the living room and watched him staring at his phone looking rather miserable. He would be lying to say he was worried as he hadn’t even noticed her coming into the room.
“Home trouble? “She asked, handing him a cup of brewed coffee and a new shirt.
“Huh? ”
“common man, don’t play a fast one we both know you are not feeling too well and you look worried as well, why don’t you just fucking speak.”
“It is none of your business, Why did you call me here anyway.”
She files the information away in her head to report back to when she was alone, she was surprised how he had cut her out when all she was trying to do was help.
But to her surprise, Christian sympathizes.”I know what you’re thinking, Laura,”he says.”And I know you don’t necessarily like it, but
I don’t want to share this now, hit you… Sorry for shouting at you, but at times we have to do the wrong things for the greater good.“
“Yeah the wrong thing, one of them is inviting you here when I could have called Rian.”
“That is not what I am trying to say.”
Something uncomfortable stirs in her and she quickly changes the subject.
“Why not let us get down to business quite alright, let’s talk about why you are here.”
She walked away and returned with a box,
He raises his eyebrows.
“What is that?”He looked rather surprised wondering if he had come all the way to look into a box.
“Why don’t you look into it yourself.”If she had her suspicions about him, she doesn’t any longer… He most definitely couldn’t be that good an actor to act so oblivious.
He gasped and dropped the lids looking into the box and staring right down at the hideous mutilated dolls he picked one up and stared straight at it.
“What madness, you got them this?”
She was surprised seeing him acting so defensive but she would rather not get dragged into all the madness happening at the moment.
“No, of course not… Why would I get my kids that.”She sounded rather possessive rather than defensive.
“Then who did, your fucking lover?”
“Just stop, stop!”She appeared vexed.”Don’t act as if you care about them.”
“If you didn’t believe I care, why did you invite me then?”
He was right, she sighed to herself.”Look I just want to … I just want to get this entire situation out of my mind.”
He knows what it’s like; He knows the pain.
He stared at the doll in his hands again wondering to himself who could have lost and sent it, could it be a message?”
“That’s awful,”he whispered, as Laura nodded her head.
“It is. And to answer your question, no family visits-I don’t think it was any of my friends either.”
“Really?”he appeared a bit surprised about what he just heard.
“Yeah, the only people I speak with are Riley, Rian and now you.”
“And why did you call first, “Or were you thinking I sent the box?”
She has no response to that.
“Why not let us get over this, we need to know who sent them and why.”
“I have a detective friend I could call but he wouldn’t be able to do anything, not tonight.”
“Call him then, we need to get going.”
He picked out his phone and texted, he saw messages from Antonia but he was feeling too ashamed to face her now, far too broken so he ignored them.
He inspected the dolls again, picking up the other phone, where he found another hidden note.
“Have you seen this?”He questions as he
shakes his head, his face overcome with misery.
“Nowhere did you find it?”Laura asked.
“Right here!”
“What does it say?”
I am coming for the twins, and I would have them… Nothing can stop me.
They were still reminiscing about the content of the note when a piercing scream came from the kid’s room.
Instinctively, they made their way and pushed the door open.