“So, what else is new.” She giggles quietly as I kiss the top of her head and then reach over to turn off the lamp.
Yeah, life is good.
MIA
“Gabe and Remi, hurry up, please. We will be late for school.” I should take a recording of this statement so I can play it back to them on repeat. I feel like a broken record every morning, screaming at them from the bottom of the stairs.
We have our nanny, Stella, who helps out after school, but I like to be here for the kids in the mornings. Being a working mother has been a challenge with four kids, but we make it work. It’s a joint effort between Lex and me, but I’m on my own this morning because he has a meeting at the charity office.
“Remi was sitting on the floor playing dolls when I walked past her on the way down,” Jack says to me as he finishes tying up his shoes at the front door.
“That child is just like her father. When she gets into the land of make-believe, she is lost from all form of reality.” I’m about to dump my work bag that’s already on my shoulder onto the floor to march up the stairs when Kayla sees my frustration.
“I’ll go, Mom.” Dropping her bag on the floor, she runs up the stairs two at a time, calling out to both the twins before she even makes it to their rooms. Kayla is like Lex, she hates to be late, it gives her anxiety, so she is always the first ready for school every morning.
The next thing, I hear three sets of feet running down the hallway, and then I see them all at the top of the stairs.
“Sorry, Mommy,” Gabe yells, trying to take the blame off his twin sister.
“Okay, chop, chop, let’s get in the car.” I herd them out the door to my Range Rover that’s parked in the drive. I can’t believenext year Jack can start driving on his learner’s permit. That is a frightening prospect. I’m not ready to have that worry or for him to grow up. For so long it was just me and him against the world that I still feel like I need to be there to protect him. He is a beautiful boy and still humors me by letting me hover, even though he doesn’t need me, but I know I’m going to have to learn to let go soon.
Lex told me it’s like we have a rope wrapped around Jack’s waist, and we have to work out how to slowly let it out, a little at a time. Giving him space to grow, learn, and make mistakes, but still knowing we are here to help when he needs us. Easier said than done.
School drop-off takes me forty-five minutes before I’m pulling into my parking spot at the office. One of the perks of working for my sister is that I have flexibility for the hours I work. It’s a juggle being a working mom, but surprisingly, I’m still sane—well, most days anyway. Grabbing my bag out of the car, I stand and pull myself together. Straightening my outfit, I check my face in the side mirror of the car. Lipstick, check. Hair still in place, check. Okay, good to go.
As I enter the elevator, my phone alerts me to a message from Paige asking me to come to the boardroom as soon as I get in. And so, my day begins.
I stop off at my office next to Paige’s and fire up my computer, dumping my bag and grabbing my iPad to make notes for today’s work.
With Paige’s door closed, I knock lightly and then proceed to enter. I never know if there is already a meeting in progress or not, even though there is nothing on her calendar, but better to be safe than sorry and look totally unprofessional.
But as I start to open the door, I hear Paige call out to me.
“Morning, come in,” she says, and I assume the room is empty, but the moment I have the door fully open, I see morethan just Paige in the room. Also sitting at the table are Mason and Paige’s father, Jonathon. He is now my adoptive father too. He asked if he could officially adopt me and change my surname to Ellen before I married Lex. He wanted me to start a new life completely and leave every previous surname behind me. Jacinta, my and Lex’s lawyer, is also in the room. And the man who is already standing and walking to me, where I’ve frozen just inside the door, is my husband who is supposed to be in a meeting at the Mia’s Place office.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as he gets closer.
“Oh, just popped in to say hello.” But the smirk on his face tells me that’s a lie.
“Why don’t I believe that?” I mumble quietly as he kisses me on the cheek, taking my hand and seating me next to Paige.
“I didn’t have a family party on the calendar for this morning.” I give Paige a questioning look.
“Well, it’s lucky I did then, otherwise it would’ve been weird when they all showed up here.” Paige just smiles matter-of-factly at me.
“Alright, someone needs to tell me what’s going on, starting with you.” I stare at her.
“Stop panicking, it’s nothing bad.” Paige leans toward me, taking my hand in hers.
“Easier said than done when all your family and your lawyer are sitting in the room.” I glance around the table at them.
“Fair enough,” she replies. “I asked them all here today because this is something important that I have been wanting to do for a long time, but I knew you weren’t ready. But now that the twins are in school, life is getting a little easier for you.”
I can’t help laughing. “You wouldn’t say that if you saw this morning’s shit show, but carry on.” I roll my eyes at her as everyone else laughs a little at my comment.
“As I was saying, I have been wanting to do this for a long time. Ever since the day I found out you were my sister, I wanted to share my life with you, and before you say it, I know you are going to say I smothered you at times too. But hey, I waited a long time to find you. Anyway, we all know the backstory. Since you started working for me, you have grown into such a powerful businesswoman who works extremely hard. I know I couldn’t do this without you anymore. So…” She pauses. “I have drawn up the paperwork to sign over half of my ownership in Ellen Corporation to you.”
Gasping, I try to speak but no words come out. I can feel Lex’s arm around my shoulders as I look from smiling face to smiling face, but no one is saying anything, until our father stands and walks around the table to me.
