Chapter 64 A Family bonding
NOVA
A bouquet was waiting on my desk for me when I arrived. When I saw it, I assumed Dashiell was the one who placed it since he was the only one who could do something like this, but I discovered he wasn't the one after reading the card the flower came with. Benita sent it.
I took the flower off my table and walked over to my dustbin to dispose of it, but couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. Groaning in frustration, I returned to my desk with it and placed it back the way I saw it before I sat on my chair, so I could stare at the flower.
If she thought sending a bouquet with a card would make me forgive her easily, then she had more than enough surprises coming her way. Things like this don't cut it for me.
I was still lost in thoughts when I got a knock on my door, and Benita stepped in, with her gaze on the floor. She closed the distance between us and walked over to my side, still with her gaze averted. Frowning, I watched her, waiting for her to say something.
"I'm sorry," she said at last, whispering. The rest of the words she spoke after that were inaudible.
"Nova," she called when I didn't say a word. "I understand I overstepped my boundaries last night. I shouldn't have asked such a question."
"You know that's not why I'm mad at you, right?" I sat up at my desk, waiting for her to recognize her mistakes. I wasn't pissed at her for asking that question.
"I know." Puffing out a breath, she ran her fingers through her curled hair, slowly lifting her gaze to mine. She swallowed. "I shouldn't have asked the question in front of your kids. I'm sorry, Nova. Please forgive me." She joined both hands, her gaze earnest as she watched me.
I sighed, leaning back on the chairs as I observed her lazily tapping my index finger on the desk.
She approached my desk. "Please forgive me, Nova. I have realized my mistake. I promise I won't ask such a question. I will respect your privacy and do nothing that will displease you. Please, Nova." I still didn't say a word.
"Please Nova," she begged, her voice breaking at the end. "You are the only genuine friend I have. Though we aren't that familiar to each other now, I believe we will be in the future. We can We can return to the way we once were, but I'm not letting you go anywhere close to my kids until you prove to me you have changed." I won't let what happened last night happen again. She looked broken at my words, with his shoulders hunched. She didn't say a word, but I could tell what she wished to say by her body language. She wanted to protest, but she knew she wasn't getting anything from the deal.
I have already decided on what to do. There was no changing of mind. Having her as far from my kids as possible was the right thing to do. The last thing I wanted was for her to blurt another question out in front of them, and have them question me over it.
Sighing out loud, she nodded. "Thank you very much for giving me another chance, Nova. I promise you won't regret it." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she watched me. "I hope I don't."
Offering her another chance was the least I could do to get her to wipe the tears.
"You won't." She smiled at me. Though it seemed forced, I returned the gesture. "I will leave you to continue your work. Have a wonderful day, Nova." She waved at me before she turned and headed out of my office, closing the door behind her.
I watched the door for a long time before I relaxed, my gaze going over to the flowers she got for me. I wondered if I did the right thing by giving her another chance. Wouldn't it have been better if I had cut ties with her? At least, I won't worry about others knowing my secrets.
Well, I have already taken that step. I just hope I don't regret it.
I left for work earlier than I should have because my kids were having a parent's bonding day. It wasn't that much of a celebration. Because it was a weekday and most of the parents had white-collar jobs, the school establishment decided to make it short. It was just an hour-long performance, where parents got to read a favourite passage from the kid's books, while the pupils and parents watched. After that, parents and their children will be taken to the kid's drawing class, where they will be asked to draw anything they want.
I was running last and had to hit the pedal hard, so I could make it on time. I was already 20 minutes late and hoped they hadn't started it yet.
"Miss Nova," the security man greeted me with a smile when I walked up to the gate.
"Have they started?"
"Yes. The third door down the hall. I believe they have gone to the second program for the day."
My blood turned cold at his words. Gulping, I took the participation bangle he offered and rushed into the compound, praying I wasn't too late for the celebration. When I dropped my kids off at school this morning, they had me promise to be there for them, and I did. Who would have thought I would be so carried away with work that I would forget my promise to my kids?
When I reached the third door, I stopped to catch my breath before I stepped into the room.
I paused in my steps, my eyes widening when I realized who was with my kids. Dashiell fuckin James. All the blood drained from my face when I saw him raise his right hand to pat Willow on the head. I was frozen in shock, too stunned by what I was seeing. I shook my head, blinking, to be certain my eyes weren't making anything up, and it wasn't.
Just like the other parents seated on the few chairs in the room, he was taking part in the family drawing. Willow and River had their heads bent, drawing while he stared at them, his eyes filled with admiration.
I shoved my hands into the pockets of my suit, to hide how much they were shaking, as I tried to think of what to do. Leaving seemed like the best thing to do since none of them had noticed my presence. However, before I could turn, Teacher Agatha had already spotted me.
"You are here, Miss Nova,"
At the mention of my name, Dashiell raised his head, and his eyes locked with mine.