CHAPTER 5: BACK

Maria’s POV.

The Mercedes Benz AMG glided to a stop before me as I stood at the airport entrance, my dark sunshades managed to conceal my features but not my red succulent lips and my high fashion sense.

I got the stares a lot, which I was already used to; I stood tall and magnificent as the driver rounded the corner and got the door open for me.

"Mommy!" Timmy, the third of the triplets, shrieked tugging at me with my designer bag.

"What is it, darling?" I asked, smiling down at him.

"Are we going home?" Ted, the first of the triplets, asked me, holding onto his kite. He had asked the question which his brother had wanted to ask.

But before I could answer his question, Theo, ever inquisitive with his sharp eyes, looked up at me.

He was the smartest of the triplets and was ready to ask questions until he had answers.

"When are we going back to Massachusetts? How long are we staying in Louisiana? Do you think we will ever make new friends, Mommy?"

All the questions he threw at me and I felt so weak with his questions.

The driver had arrived with a nanny whom I had employed.

She came down too, and helped my boys into the car.

I wanted to tell little Theo that we would never go back to Massachusetts, that we were back here for good, and that Louisiana was our home and had been our hike before everything went south.

As the car zoomed off, he kept staring at me; I pulled off my shades, ruffled his hair, and said to him.

"I don't think we will ever go back to Massachusetts, Theo", I said in a small voice drowning those memories that were threatening to spring forth, those ugly memories.

"Why?" Ted and Timmy whined.

"Louisiana is beautiful, you will have fun, the weather is great, the sun is bright —"

But they didn't let me finish when they cut me off.

"We don't want the sun." They whined again.

"Yes, I know. You will also make new friends in your new school”. I said in a very patient voice.

"I don't want the sun," Ted said.

"I want new friends," Theo said smiling.

"I want some ice cream," Timmy said, and I rolled my eyes mechanically, and they laughed when I did.

"Do it again, mommy." They pleaded.

" No, I can't”. I said, smiling mischievously.

"Pretty please”. Theo said.

"Can you teach us?" Timmy said.

"No”. I won't and rolled my eyes one more time and they shrieked in excitement, clapping their hands.

The car soon stopped at a big, magnificent gate which opened automatically and the car drove in.

The maids immediately filed out to meet us, bowing in greeting to me, taking the luggage, and helping the triplets into the grand living room.

"Sasha," I called the middle-aged woman I had employed for the triplets nanny.

"Yes, Madam." She answered.

"Where is the second lady that would assist you in taking care of my kids?"

"I'm so sorry I didn't let you know of the situation at hand," she said in a small voice that was barely above a whisper.

I raised my brows.

"What situation?" I asked in a bossy tone.

"She said she won't be able to make it—"

I cut her off with a wave of my hands, brushing her words off as if she were a fly.

"Call the agency and tell them to send someone else," I instructed her to leave. " Or if you can't do it, I will do it myself, I want another nanny as soon as possible."

I turned away and walked up to my room.

I heard heels clicking behind me and I glanced over my shoulders to see Patty, my PA.

"I thought you had planned on losing your job," I said with an air of nonchalance.

She half ran trying to keep up with my pace.

"Not really, ma'am; I had to go in the second car; I was waving frantically for you to see me at the airport."

"Whatever," I said cutting her off.

"I need to go to the beach, call the company tell the board of directors that the meeting has been rescheduled —"

She cut me off immediately, her voice breaking into my thoughts as the butler wheeled in the food trolley.

"Madam Maria, we can't possibly do that."

I stretched my hand to take the wine flute and took a sip half turning to her.

"And why is that if I may ask?"

"It's because — we can't leave the meeting — the shareholders have something very important to discuss with you ."

I faced her, staring at her in the eye; she couldn't meet my gaze and stared down at her feet.

"Are you deaf?" I asked slowly as the butler left. " Who gives the orders here, you or me?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, I will never —"

I was quite pissed that I didn't let her finish.

"Whatever." I waved my hands." I need to go to the beach, to relieve the stress."

"You mentioned that you will visit your fashion house today". She said in a thin voice.

I slapped my temple softly.

There were so many things that I had forgotten; they had slipped my mind, and I was also quite tired.

There was a reason why I was back here.

Not because of any business or attending any kind of meeting.

It was because of him.

"Have you called Mr. Anderson?"

"Yes, I did ."

"Good." I said and took a sip from the wine flute ." What about the business gala tomorrow?"

"I wanted to let you know.”

"Perfect," I said. "I think it's time to see him after four years."