"This is Daisy Richard on the line, who is speaking?" She asked, the moment she picked up.
"Hey..." The caller sighed lowly as though treading cautiously to avoid being lambasted. "Just calling to make sure you got home safely..."
Daisy's stomach twisted as her fear came to pass. Her damn ex-husband! She looked at her son, bent to him, and whispered, "Give me a minute, okay?" He nodded and she shifted to the door, indeed going to lambaste him.
"What exactly is your problem, Ethan? Calling to check if I got home safely. Really? Since when did you start caring about my welfare, huh?"
"Please, Daisy, I didn't call for any trouble, okay? I was worried after the_"
She cut the call with a loud hiss, balled her fist until her phone nearly cracked, and then exhales audibly and veered back inside.
"Is that Daddy?" Daniel rushed to her and she stilled, her left hand holding him to her and lifting her head up to restrain herself from lashing out at him to stop that bastard his Daddy.
"No, son, just a pestilent client."
"Huh! Do I need to fight to protect you? Daddy said I should make sure you are always safe..." Just great!
"Really?" She feigned overjoy as they began making out of the study. "Maybe you don't need to protect me, baby. I'm your mother and should do that."
"I know... Still," He insisted.
"Okay, my love. I'm fine. I have handled that well."
"Okay, mommy."
She took him back to his room and read him a bedtime story until he smuggled the pillows into sleep before she kissed his curls, trailing her eyes softly over his soft baby features in his unconsciousness, and striving not to imagine what it would feel like not having him with her.
She felt a flurry movement close to her and looked down to see Ella hunching there, his watery orbs fixated at her.
"What? You want to sleep here?" She asked her.
Woof! She barked, stood and ran to the door, meaning she wasn't willing to stay here tonight. Daisy smiled, stood and followed after her.
When they got to her room, she jumped in Daisy's bed while Daisy went to refresh herself and change into her nightie and started checking out the prior designs on her phone.
This time she willed her mind to concentrate on the present and then examined the designs as well as sent them back to her designers with the corrections. Tomorrow would be a busy day and she would have to drop Daniel and Ella at the kiddies so he doesn't grow bored at home or have to watch her work which would be very boring for him.
The next morning arrived faster than normal. It didn't take long after she managed to close her eyes and the next thing, she felt bright light on her face from her curtain which she realized she had left open last night.
She rushed down to the dining room to have breakfast and while at it, as well as checking up on her morning emails, her maid came with a little package to the surprise of Daisy. No one has sent her any package for as long as she could remember.
It wasn't like she didn't have admirers, but she made sure not to tag them along as she wasn't interested. If she ever needed a one-night stand, she made sure she went with the man home and disappeared the next morning before he even awoke from sleep.
So who could have sent this?
"Drop it in my room, I will check it when I'm done eating," She instructed her maid and went on with her food, her mind now distracted. Something very odd tells her that the package is from the one person she wouldn't want it from, she mused, but shook it off. There would be no way he would have the audacity to send her anything, not in his damn life!
"Good morning, mom," Her son came down the stairs and pecked her cheek.
"Morning, baby. Hope you slept well?"
"Yes, mom. Are you leaving so early?"
"Yea, baby. I have an early appointment at work but don't worry, Lucas would take you to the kiddies with Ella and maybe you can even walk him while there, what do you think?"
"Okay..." He drew and started picking his food. She noticed something off with him and dropped her skin to find out.
"What's the problem, did you have any nightmares?"
His eyes shot up. "No! Why will you think that?"
"You are acting strange like you are unhappy.."
"I'm fine..." His eyes didn't drop, as though he had something to ask her but was holding back.
"Go on, baby. You know you can always talk to me. I don't want you to ever feel you can hide anything from me." She encouraged, slightly feeling bad that he was hesitating to tell her something that is apparently bothering him.
"I-I... Can Dad come, please, mom?"
She rolled her eyes within. Maybe it would be nice to have the conversation with him about her not being with his Dad anymore so he doesn't think his father had any right to be with him. Or, maybe not. "Babe, not today, okay? I swear, when it's the right time, i_i will call him to spend time with you."
"Okay..." He seemed to bobble up a little and started eating earnestly.
When she finished eating, she pecked him and left for her room, her heart heavy with the latest turnaround of her life all because of the rotted man who she never believed would surface anytime in her life.
Her phone started ringing and when she checked, it was Amanda. "Hey," She greeted, somehow happy she still had time to call her this early.
"Babe, you good?" Amanda quipped.
"Yeah... I'm good. You?"
"Fine! Eh... I was wondering if you will be dropping the big man over here instead of taking him to the kiddies. He can spend the day with..."
"Is that even a good idea? What if she harms him?" Daisy countered, still not trusting the brunette.
"Cmon, Dee. You know she won't do that. Becky is working so hard to get your approval. Please give her a chance... For my sake." She knows when she puts the last part it would get to Daisy.
"I dunno... I'm preparing to leave for work now, I will tell Lucas to drop him off there, then." She finally budged.
"Cool! Thanks, babe."
"Nothing much. See you at work then." She said and cut the call. She didn't want to think it's because Amanda wanted to use her son to get her to approve of her lover that she called her, so she strode into her room to dress up.
Entering her room, she opened the door and her eyes landed on the black box on the minor table in the room. She hurried to it, unwilling to accept she was excited to know what could be inside the box.
Picking it up, she twisted side to side to check for any attachment but got nothing. "Hmmm," She hummed and ripped the pink ribbon holding it together.
Her eyes widened, inside was a red gown, and silver shoes, very gorgeous ones. She picked the label on the gown and checked and her eyes popped. $5000!
Who could this be from? She hastily offloaded the packages from the box and an envelope fell from the box. She picked up and tore it and a card, a very scented one pulled from it with a tiny red rose. This surprised her further.
She read what was inside.
I saw your designs at the last showcase and now I want nothing more than to invest in it. Do me the honor of meeting me in the upcoming 1996 opera gala held at the Basque on Saturday.
Santiago
Santiago? She pondered.
Well, she placed back the card and eyed the gown..In this line of work, there are bound to be clients, very weird ones. This isn't the first time she is getting such nice things and invitations, nor would it be the last. As far as she has to secure an investment, so be it.
Well, well, it appears she has good news and a gala invitation to extend to her friend. She twirled, finally getting something to sweeten her mind.
She readied and left the room for work. Today that has started with investment invitations, she hopes it remains interesting and no one ruins it for her.
The day's work was smooth, and she shared the early morning opportunity with Amanda who was equally shocked and declared she was more than willing to go. Of course, the gala would be the talk of the town and every influential person in the society would show up. So it has to be attended in grand style.
"Maybe the President might even be there, what do you think? Or maybe his first lady..." Chimed Amanda.
"Maybe..." Daisy assented, and danced to her office.
...