Back at Laura’s apartment, she couldn’t get herself to think a way out of the situation, her mind still felt heavy each moment, seeming more like something she wouldn’t want to think about.
Still she was left with no choice, there was a need to her to act and and there was a need to do that very fast-
The twins were at it fighting and creating a tantrum but she allowed herself into the thought that seemed to feel everything else at that moment, she was aware of the need to act fast amidst the entire situation..
Presently, She was just there seating amidst everything.
One of the twins Walked up to her and tugged at her shirt.
“Mom, you said you were going to tell us something important while we were eating earlier. What is it?”Alex said as he bounced up and down on top of his mother’s bed.
Laura paused while checking out the traveling bag that she had taken from the wardrobe and looked at him. His hair glittered in the slice of sunlight that came from the window. She swallowed as she looked at him while she could not help but do two things at the same time admire the son that had come out of her womb and the question that he had asked.
Her thoughts caused her to be transfixed to the floor and it was only interrupted by Alexis tugging on the traveling bag in her hand so she could take it out of her hand. She sighed as she let go of the bag.
She went to sit on the bed and then she put her hand around the shoulder of her son. He looked up at her expectantly. The only noise in the room was made by Alexis trying to drag the bag from the wardrobe to the bed where she and Alex were sitting.
She sighed again, took a deep breath, and said, “Yeah, I wanted to tell you two something. I was planning to tell you when you were eating your supper but I might as well tell you now.”
Alex paused in unzipping the bag and said, her bushy eyebrows furrowing at her mother.”What could that be, mum?”
Laura took another deep breath and decided that the best way to break the news was to simply say, “We are going to be living with Christian.”
“What?”The twins said in unison, jolting Laura a bit. Both of them looked at each other, surprised, moving like a thunderstorm in their eyes that looked so much like their father. With the way they were looking at each other, Laura knew that they both were doing twin communicationone that their mother could not take part in. It was Alex that broke eye contact with his sister and looked up at his mother.
“For real? Do you mean what you are telling us, Mum?”He said in his quiet voice that always made him sound years older than his age.
She did not say anything in reply. She was so tensed by how they would react that she could only nod in reply.
Whether or not this contract was going to make sense was dependent on the twins’ reaction to this news. She could not simply do anything that could harm them.
The kids regained their eye connection and she swore in her mind.
Still looking at Alexis as if watching for her reaction to what he was about to say, Alex said slowly, “Well, mum, I think it is a great idea. I think it is beautiful actually.”
“You really mean it?”Laura said on a gush of released breath. She had not realized that she had been holding her breath until Alex had spoken. A wide smile of relief curved her lips as she turned to her daughter whose eyes were dancing with laughter as they looked up at her.
“Same with me, mum. You know that I already like him so yeah, I would find it thrilling to go live with him.”She hit her hands on the bag that was sitting on her feet to gesticulate her excitement, causing Laura to laugh out loud.
She stretched out her arms and drew the twins to her body.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,”she said as she kissed the top of their heads while smiling.”You know you mean the world to me and that I would never deliberately do anything that would endanger your welfare.”
Even though the twins were being held under her tight grip, they nodded while smiling as well.
“I love you guys so much.”Her mind was still reeling from the huge relief that they had agreed so quickly. They had never lived in a stranger’s place before and she had thought it would take several days for them to warm up quickly to the idea. She had even begun to prepare herself for the task. So the fact that they didn’t have to go through that laborious task made her so happy.
“I love you two so much,”she said again and again, her happiness bubbling in her voice.
“Em,”Alex said with a strangled voice.”We love you, too, Mum but we might not follow you to Christian’s place if you don’t release us at this moment. You are killing us, mum.”
Laura released them from her hug and started laughing again. In her excitement, she had not realized that she had been holding them too tightly.
“Sorry, sorry,”then laughed even louder when Alexis began to do a mock coughingafter all, she was the dramatic one while Alex rolled his eyes at her.
“So mum,”he said, folding his hands after Laura had stopped laughing.”When are we leaving?”
Laura smacked her lips as she thought about it. Her mind went over the conversation that she and Christian had and as she carefully studied the expression of the twins, she said, “Today is Tuesday, right? I think we are going next week.”
Alex’s hands remained folded. Somehow, he looked as if he was the man of the house even though he was just a boy.”Mum, you think or you know?”
“Well, I know. We are going next week.”
Alexis shrugged.”That is cool by me for real, mum. I can’t wait to go. I like Christian.”
Laura smiled at her daughter. It was a good thing that Christian liked the kids as well. If it had been otherwise, this discussion wouldn’t be thought of at all.
“Bye, Mum!”Alex said, tugging on the hands of his sister so they could leave.
She took up the traveling bag that Alexis had dropped on the floor and waved at the kids.
She briefly watched the kids hurry to the door to go to their room and she knew with the way they bristled with excitement that they were going to talk about the news she had just broken to them all day.
She shook her head and went back to studying the traveling bag to see if it would be good enough to carry some of their stuff for the move next week.
********
Back at Christian’s apartment…
He stood for a long while and stared at the carbon copy of himself in the mirror, she was yet to be home, at that moment he didn’t know the best thing for him to do or the way to act as he felt doing anything stupid might push her even further away than from where she was at the moment, till it was hard for him him to control his thoughts-
He rang her phone again, unsure of what to say he drops the phone, with the strength of his muscles stalling in an evident of how disrupted he was
Dark, faintly damp hair laid still in his hair and hung shaggy over his forehead from the number of times he ran his fingers through.
His smile was broken at this point, he had no need for them as his mouth was firm and set in a straight, unyielding line. .
It was amazing that she could make him miserable, slowly as he gave in to the uninviting atmosphere that hoveted round the room , it seemed certain he had to act quick.
He smug as he reflected on everything etching In his mind, Standing by the bedroom window, staring out at the peaceful expensive landscape, a feeling of contentment welled up inside him.
Despite everything that had happened, he was sure she’d wouldn’t leave… he had that feeling deep in her mind that she wouldn’t.
Most importantly, in her mind at least, he had been searching for a way to let her see what all this was about.
Soon , It was approaching midnight, but he hadn’t turned off the lights. Most nights he would have preferred the soothing darkness but it had more damage to his heart than it did now.
The door opened behind her and he half turned, his Heart was beating very fast as he saw standing in the doorway, light from the
hallway silhouetting her frame.
Once again, his heart was stuck with silence. He had been waiting all day but now that she’s here he wouldn’t say a word.
She shut the door blocking the illumination and as she moved unerringly towards her. He waited silently until she was right there a few meter’s away.
She collapsed into his hands.
“Tonia!”He heard echoes of her name, still he couldn’t stop any of that Madness.
He let her down slowly and listened to her heart.