Chapter 3
“Cassandra, are you in there? It’s Julie!”
“Julie?! What are you doing here?”
“I’m sorry I had to see you, you won’t believe what happened at work today, I tried calling you, but…” she sat on the sofa of the living room, and cried.
“Julie you’re scaring me, what happened?” she brought a set of tea cups, and served her friend a cup of coffee, “here drink this, it’ll warm you up.”
“I quit my job today!” she cried louder, “I didn’t do anything wrong but he accused me of being rude to a customer, Rebecca was there.”
Cassandra sat to listen, “what happen tell me everything,” she grabbed the second cup filled with coffee, and drank it.
“She found out I was working there, and it was high school all over again, she was purposely dropping her stuff, on the floor, and I would pick it up, Mr. Winston noticed but he did nothing to stop it! I got tired because she was with her friends, and they would snicker. I finally dropped a bucket full of ice on her, I went up to Mr. Winston’s face, and I quit!”
“Well, don’t worry, I might feel lonely, if I would have to move alone. Listen, I went to my family’s house today, my father actually apologized for what happened all those years ago, and my mother, is giving me a job, but the problem is I would feel lonely if I were to move in alone, into such a big house.”
“You’re moving?”
“Yes, I’m accepting the job my mother offered me, I have to take care of one of her houses, that she owns, I didn’t want to but I heard Thomas may be back in town, so I’m leaving to protect Thomas from his father.”
“I see, but what will I do?”
“You can help me, I never worked like that before, and her houses, are more like museums, I don’t want to feel lonely in a huge house, so maybe you could… move in too.”
“Thank you, I haven’t been paying the rent, and they were going to kick me out, I have been paying hospital bills for my mother, she is ok now but her bills are too much. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me your mother was in the hospital.”
“I didn’t want to worry you, and you already have so much with your family, and you’re moving.”
“Yes, well I just decided that… my mother knocked on my door yesterday, and she told me about Thomas’ family coming back home, and it looks like it is serious, because they are staying, I never thought it could happen.”
“But do you think Thomas is really with them, I mean if he left you, what right does he have to come look for you now, after all this years?”
“That’s exactly what I mean, why would he look for me after all this years? But what if he knows about his son? I don’t want to think of him trying to separate us, I couldn’t bare to think… no I won’t have that.”
“But why would he know?”
“I told everyone that night, that I called for help, and if he stays in contact with them than I’m toast.”
“I was there for you then, and I’m here for you now, ok? Look at me you don’t have to worry, I’ll move with you like you’re saying and we’ll think of something, but you’ll keep your son.”
“Why don’t you stay here and sleep over? It’s late and I can’t just send you out at this hour, come and we’ll start moving tomorrow. I’ve already spoke to my mother, and she gave me the house keys, I’m coming home early tomorrow.”
“Ok, I can help you move out. Thank you, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“It’s ok, you did the same for me five years ago, why wouldn’t I do the same for you, you didn’t have to but…”
“I did, you see I could never leave a sister out like that, my friend is a sister to me and you are a friend, you always were, the others were too, but no one like you, you were rich but you never seem to care that I was a scholar ship student, in private school by luck.”
She had always been the smart one, but she couldn’t go on to college, since her father died, and she had to start working right out of college, just to have enough for her siblings, and her mother, would work along side her.
One day she had promised she was going back to school, she would graduate and become an important business woman, but one day was far away it seemed, and she had surrendered, she thought it had only been a dream.
“You can go back to school, and achieve your goals, and the next time you have to see Rebecca, you will have a career, and she and her ‘buddies,’ can eat your dust.”
They slept talking all night, and laughing, she left the alarm clock on and she woke up on the sofa, to her friend’s note saying she had to leave, but she would be back soon.
She got up and got ready for work and woke her son up and got him ready for school. Thomas seemed so excited! She called Mrs. Shultz, and told her she only had to come in the afternoon. Mrs. Schultz, agreed to coming later.
She dropped her son off at school, and waved good bye, and blew kisses. He saw all the other kids with their parents, and lowered his head, remembering the story of his father, “sweety I love you.”
He raised his head, and nodded, “ I luv ya! Mommy! See you later,” he walked in to his class with all his classmates, and all the kids were smiling and talking.
Cassandra left for work, and time went quickly for her, she only worked part of her shift, went to Mr. Winston’s office, and quit her job in the restaurant to go to work for her mother.
When she got home, her friend Julie was there, Mrs. Shultz left, as soon as she got there, and her mother was in the living room waiting for her.
“Your sister told me she knew where you were, I was surprised to have found that out by the detective, that she has been visiting quite often,” she handed her an envelope with the pictures in it.
“Mother, I’m sorry I never knew how you’d take it that’s why I told her not to tell you, I was afraid you’d find out and you’d be furious to see me, I didn’t know that you were looking for me.”
Olivia looked at her daughter with big round brown eyes, “I understand, but I’ll give that girl a piece of my mind she should have told me, I always worried about you.”
“Trust me, mother she tried convincing me, but I didn’t want to go back, I was afraid. Now none of that matters because I’ve already accepted your offer, and I even got out early from work to get my son out of school, he’s going to be happy to see me pick him up, I also need to talk to his teacher. I’ll be busy today moving in, that’s why my friend is here to help me.”
“Ah yes, Julie I’ve had the pleasure, and she seems nice, I don’t mind her living there too, if she is a friend to my daughter she is a friend to me. She also told me, that she’s moving in with you, since she will be moving in I offered her another job.”
Julie looked happy, “I told her what I was interested in and it looks like your father wants someone to manage his money, I don’t have experience but…”
“Come now, if you are going to be working for us, there is no need, we can teach you. I’ll hire a private tutor for you, and we’ll have you working in the office in no time. After all I remember you from back then. And you have the brains just need the right tools.”
“Mother are you saying?..”
“She is going to start working for your father’s company.”
“That’s wonderful! Mom I have to go to pick Thomas up from school, he is coming out in a few minutes and I need to talk to his teacher, to transfer him to a new school.”
“Go ahead, I got things under control here, Julie has been very helpful.”
There was a knock on the door, and Cassandra went to open it, it was the moving company, they came in and Olivia attended them while she went to pick up her son from school.
When she got there, her son was ecstatic, after she spoke to the teacher, she went back home together with her son. And he would talk about his first day of school talking merrily.
Julie was there, in the kitchen with her mother, “hi sweety, how is my grandson?”
Thomas looked at her with a little smile, “hi,”
“What did you do today?”
Cassandra saw how happy he ran off to her mother and cheerily started to speak with her of his first day at school.
When they arrived to the new house, Thomas walked around as if he were an explorer, exploring through new places, and he ran from room to room until he came to the one that would be his.
Cassandra and her mother hugged goodbye, “I won’t come to see you tomorrow, but here are the keys to your new house. There is enough space for you and your son, you’ll find that there is a room for your friend, I wanted to make each room special.”
“Thanks mom,” if someone told her a week ago, what would happen she would have never believed it. She had her family back, and a new job, now she was closer to her son, but more worried of him than ever.
Her son’s room was full of toys, they were Stanley’s when he was about Thomas’ age, and Thomas couldn’t put them down.
Her friend Julie, had her room full of books and a note, her tutor would arrive the next day to begin her lessons. She was excited, and thankful, she never thought that she could ever be this lucky again.
Cassandra, went to her bedroom, it was big, with it’s own fireplace, and the rooms had balconies, when she went out to her balcony she could feel the breeze, and the sweet smell of flowers, in the air.
The balconies had a view to the pool, and she noticed it was secured with a locked door. There was a knock on her door, and she went to open it, “hey I just wanted to say thanks, for all that you’re doing for me, I don’t know how but some day I’ll repay you, you have always been there for me as I for you, but this I never expected this, thank you.”
“Hey, you were there for me five years ago, I couldn’t just leave you, like that, your mom was sick and I am sorry I never knew she was sick, I should’ve ask about her, I mean the last time I saw her was about a year ago.”
“Six months.”
“Well six months, but I really could have asked, I could have helped you, and how has she been by the way?”
“She is doing fine, thank god, she’s coming out tomorrow, I was kicked out of my apartment, but I can still bring her here, right?”
“Yes, of course you can…”
Julie noticed, she had something on her mind, “hey, what’s up? I’ve noticed you have been worried about something but you won’t say it for some reason.”
“I am worried about Thomas, I don’t know what I’ll do if Thomas finds us. I never told him or his family about my pregnancy, but what if they found out? That would explain why they would be back.”
“And he probably doesn’t even know about your pregnancy, both of you were very young then. I don’t think he would want to show his face, around here, if he left you like that, and he is probably not even here.”
Cassandra sighed, “I hope your right, or I might just lose my child, I can‘t lose him...” her voice broke down, and she bent to sit on the chair.
Thomas came in, “I’m right here, I’m not lost mommy.” Cassandra had to resist to not break into laughter, her eyes were full of tears, and Thomas sat on her lap and raised a little hand to wipe her tears.
“Yes, you are hon, were you playing with your new toys?”
He looked at his mother, and nod his head, “I was in my new room, wanna check it out? It has the coolest toys!”
“Ok, sweety, tomorrow you are going to a different school, and you will love it you’ll see.”
“Oh but I liked my old school, everyone was nice to me.”
“Everyone is going to be nice to you in this school too, you’ll see.” Cassandra kissed him on the fore head, “now come on I’ll take you to your room, you have to get ready for school tomorrow, I’ll be back Julie.”
“It’s fine, I have to be ready too, I have my tutor coming tomorrow and I’ll be back.”
Cassandra went to leave her son in his new room, she put him in his bed and turned off the light, “go to sleep, and I’ll make you pancakes tomorrow before you go to school.”
Her son grinned and showed off his whole teeth, wow he looks so much like your father, for a moment she remembered his father, he has his smile. Cassandra turned and closed the door.
She went back to her room, and Julie was there, “Cassandra, why are you saying that Thomas is back?”
“Because when my mother came yesterday, she wouldn’t have said anything if it wasn’t true. I worry he might have contact with someone and find out about my pregnancy.”
“Listen will you? First you have to figure out if he knows, probably he has no idea. If he is here, try to figure it out before jumping into any conclusions.”
“I know, you‘re right it‘s just that I can‘t help it.”
The next day, Thomas was ready for school, and Cassandra was in the kitchen making pancakes for him.
He was so happy, to be in a new place, and to know he was going to a different school.
Cassandra was explaining that it would be a different school he would learn new things, “they have a pool, and you will have to wear a uniform.”
He liked knowing that there would be a pool, but he hated the idea of having to wear a uniform everyday, “why can’t I just wear my clothes? I like it better.”
“I know but if you want you can change everyday when you come from school, and… Thomas?”
“Mommy look we have a pool! Can I go for a swim?”
She sighed, “not now sweety, but if you want to when you come back from school and do your homework, I will pick you up today, ok?”
“Ok. But can I take some pancakes to school?”
“Of course.”
They left for school, and when she got back her mother was there, “ok are you ready to begin? I will show you today what you will do around here,” she left to the office and showed her the security system.
“This is the security system which will make it easy to keep a look out for your son, I want you to hire staff, with experience. To clean, I already have a gardener, and the pool cleaner. And after you hire them I want you to look your best, because you are going to host parties for me.”
“Parties? What kind of parties, am I hosting?”
“We are going to put together a social gatherings, to raise money for a foundation, and I want you to do the speeches, I’ve written them, I mean you are going to be my partner in this fundraiser.”
“But are you sure? I remember when I did speeches, but…”
“I won’t take no for an answer, we are going to start renting the property for a few hours a day for photo shoots, and the models are going to model their clothes, while you host it! Of course the designer will do most of the talking.”
“Mother, I don’t want to have models here, my son…”
“Oh god! What do you take me for? They are going to be covered, they’re only modeling night gowns, we don’t want to make the wives jealous. I just want them to buy, we are getting a percentage, from this.”
“A year from now I will open a business, where I will need your friend’s help, so it’s a good thing I found a great tutor for her. She will be great at managing the money.”
“Well, if it’s like that than you can count me in! but of course I will need time to be with my son.”
“Perfect, I want you to start practicing your speech today because the grand opening is next week.”
“Next week?”
“Next week, and don’t worry I’ll have the night gown sent to you tomorrow, the speech will be in a week from now at seven at night, we’ll be done by ten. So you’ll have to have a nanny for Thomas that can work part time with him, at nights.”
“I don’t want to ask, Julie, actually I think it will do her good to be there too, if she really is going to work with us later on then…”
“Yes, you’re right I‘ll have a night gown sent for her too, but do you have someone?”
“Yes, her name is Mrs. Schultz, she has been his nanny since, he was just a baby, I can trust her.”
“Good! Then there’s only one thing left, here is the opening speech, and this is the closing speech, see if you can memorize them because it looks more realistic without the piece of paper on your hand.”
Cassandra opened the speech and began reading, what she was suppose to say, she would practice all day until she got it!
When her son came from school, she was working on getting the staff, she went with him to help with his homework, and played with him in the pool. Cassidy was there, and she was helping her out.
Julie was exploring looking for the library, where she would meet with her teacher. She had been walking through the hallway it was full of paintings.
As she was coming around the corner of the hall way, she jumped back she noticed one of the paintings was staring right at her, it was Mr. Hopkins’ father, who was standing proud overlooking at anyone that came through.
She screamed when she felt a hand touch her shoulder suddenly, “I’m sorry it’s just that, I think you were looking for me, I’m Mr. Thompson, I will be your tutor.”
Julie sighed, she still had a hand over her chest, “Oh, you scared me, it’s because I was looking for the library, hi my name is Julie.”
“Hi Julie,” he shook her hand, “just follow me, I know where it is,” they walked the rest of the way together. Amazed at the art work, she was looking at, he kept looking back at her.