“Where is mommy’s Jayden?”
I playfully called out, listening for the familiar goggles that never failed to warm my heart. I knew he was hiding behind the curtains, but I decided to pretend that I hadn’t spotted him just yet. His feet were clearly visible and the soft giggles passing through his lips didn’t go unheard by me. But his theory is as such that if he can’t see me then I can’t see him as well. That’s why he kept his eyes hidden with his palms.
“Oh, he is not behind the couch” I acted. Where is he?”
With a mischievous glint in my eye, I gently moved the curtain aside, revealing the adorable, giggling Jayden.
“Gotcha!” I exclaimed, causing another burst of infectious laughter from my little one, his eyes still hidden behind his tiny palms.
I scooped him up into my arms, and with all the tenderness in my heart, I stopped him into the air, eliciting even more joyful laughter from him.
The sound of his sweet giggles filled the hall. I couldn’t resist the temptation of squeezing his plump cheeks and planting a deep, long kiss on his chubby face, showing him with my love.
“Now, momma will hide behind the curtains and Jayden will find her” he giggled.
I chuckled. He always tells me where I need to hide so that he can find me and most of the time it is hiding place.
“It’s enough of playing. Come let’s have something” Mom interrupted us.
“Granny has made cookies” Jayden jumped in my arms in excitement.
“Yes, come” mom laughed.
I dropped him down and he directly went to Mom to have cookies.
“Mom, come and try these, they’re delicious” Jayden encouraged with a mouth full of cookies and grin that could light the room.
Smiling I took a seat. Jayden jumped on my lap and fed me a bite from his cookie.
“Indeed ” I chuckled.
Suddenly my phone buzzed which caught my attention. Today is a day off then why Mr. Mavin is calling me?
As Jayden was sitting on my lap so I decided to attend the call here.
“Hello”
“Hey, Nara. You aren’t here yet. Is everything fine?”
In the office?
But….
Oh god!
How could I forget?
I had to discuss about the evidence that I collected for the case that needed to be present tomorrow.
How could I be so stupid?
It was me who asked him for help and he got ready even on the day off and I forgot about it.
“Sorry, I just… I will be there in 20 minutes” I told him.
“Ok, I… ” He was about to say something but before he could, Jayden interrupted him.
“Mommy, you going to work?”
I looked down, my heart heavy as I realized what a mistake I had made. I had promised Jayden that this would be a special. “Jayden, mommy day” and now, I was about to break that promise.
“But it’s Jayden -mommy day” small tears welled up in his eyes as he pouted, his innocence pulling at my heartstrings.
“Bring him with you” Marvin said from the other side of the call.
Jayden’s eyes lighten up. I am sure he has heard Marvin. His senses are very sharp.
“But…”
“It is fine, he hasn’t come here for the last two years. I will also get company while you work” Marvin said.
“Yes, mommy. Jayden also wants to go” he argued.
“Fine”
I sighed. It is not like I have many options.
“Yaayyy” Jayden squealed in excitement.
“I will be there in 20 minutes ‘ I told him.
“Don’t rush, take your time in driving. O will be waiting” he said.
We hung up. Jayden jumped out of my lap with two cookies in each of his tiny palms. Before I could stop him he rushed out, his attention getting the best of him.
“He always stays happy around Marvin it would have been best if his father was like him” my body froze for a second when my mother said that.
Without giving much thought to what she said, she simply took up the dishes and walked to the kitchen.
Shrugging away the thoughts I walked out to find my baby practically dancing around the car, having his cookies, waiting for me to join him.
We soon reached my office and Jayden waited patiently for me to open the door for him.
I unbuckled Jayden’s seatbelt and gently helped him out of the car. He was full of energy, and before I could even close the car door, he sprinted towards Marvin. Jayden was lightning fast, disappearing from my sight almost in the blink of an eye.
I followed their trail, and there I found Jayden happily dancing in Marvin’s arms as we entered my office, which was empty, as expected for a weekend.
I took a seat and opened my laptop to look at the pieces of evidence and ask the way I could present them. The first thing I need to do in morning is to face the court. It is a complicated case over which I have been fighting for the last year. Tomorrow is its last hearing, I won’t be able to live peacefully if I lose this case because my client is innocent. I don’t want him to get punished.
I was going through my case once again when I heard the source of wrappers which caught my attention.
When I saw Jayden tearing the wrapper of chocolate, my eyes narrowed at him and his hand froze at his place and Marvin’s lips formed ‘O’ as if they had been caught stealing.
I am sure he was trying to be silent so that I don’t catch him.
“You already had 6 cookies today” o scolded Jayden.
“Mr. Marvel brought it for Jayden. Now he will not feel good if Jayden doesn’t have them ” he pouted, those big, innocent eyes looking up at me.
Marvin tilted his head asking me to let it go.
This clever little boy had a way of getting his way, especially when he has an ally like Marvin on his side.
Shaking my head I felt the two of them on their own while I focused on my work. Marvin engaged Jayden with assorting the colours of various files that were not in use anymore while also went through a few cases in between.
After around half an hour of going through the same my shoulders slumped.
“What happened?” Marvin asked sensing my discomfort, he was now standing behind me.
“The timeline is muddled. We don’t have any concrete witnesses or physical evidence. It’s almost like trying to connect the dots in the dark”
“Let me see”
He leaned forward, his one palm resting on the edge of the desk while the other was on my chair. His body came so close to me that I could smell his cologne. He was so focused on the screen that he didn’t come to know that our faces were just an inch apart.
“Remember, in case like this, it’s not always about a slam dunk win. We can work on building a compelling narrative. It might not prove innocence, but it can create reasonable doubt” he spoke his eyes still on the screen.
“Ok” my response came very meek which caught his attention.
He turned his head towards me and our noses almost touched.
I gulped feeling a bit uneasy, I had never been this clause to anyone except Ansell.
He blinked his lips broke into a gentle smile as he pulled back sensing my discomfort.
My hand lifted up to tuck the hair strand at the back of my ear and at the same time, his gazed and his body stiffened as if electric shocks had passed through him.
Both of us took our hand back at the same time, leaving the hair strand in its place.
“Create the narrative and let me know if you need help.
I nodded.
After that, I just focused on my work trying to complete it as soon as possible so that we could head back home. I have already taken enough time for Marvin on his day off. I can’t take his full day.
After creating the narrative, I discussed it with Marvin and he offered a few suggestions here and there.
“Thank you so much Marvin for helping me on my day off” I said.
“Oh come on, Nara. It is my duty as well. You are in my firm and I will never want anyone from my firm to lose the case. It is my responsibility to help them whenever they need.
I nodded.
“There is a case which could help you to grow in your career. You are the first thing one to whom I am proposing it. Take it” he said, moving a file towards me.
“What case is it?” I asked him.
“It is one of my important clients Ansell Orion”
My body froze in my place when I heard his name he is still everywhere even when he is not physically present.
Why?