Falling in love
Though she hated the anxious feeling that rose in the pit of her stomach every time Mark was around, she had to work with him. Not only in her investigation but with raising Tommy. And with the promise of marriage, she had to find a way to bury whatever she was starting to feel for him. There’s wouldn’t be a marriage for love and she didn’t want to fall in love.
Taking hid of the advice her aunt gave, Melissa walked to Tommy’s room where Mark was reading him a story.
Before Mark always went straight to his office after work but since Tommy came he spent most of his free time playing with him.
Standing outside the door, she smiled listening to her son’s giggles envying how happy they were.
“Can I join?” Pocking her head inside the room she asked with a half smile.
“Yes come.” Smiling back, he tapped the bed beside him inviting her to sit.
“Mum, will you sing me a song once dad is done reading the story?” Tommy asked as he sat on his mother’s lap bringing her closer to Mark.
“Ha ha ha…” She laughed scratching her head as the two stared at her. “I’m not a good singer, besides I don’t know any song.
“I want the lullaby you used to sing to me when I was a baby.” She smiled as her gaze collided with Mark’s who had his eyes on her since she walked in.
Lost in his amber eyes, she nodded agreeing with everything Tommy asked for.
“Your turn.”
“Huh!” Lost in her little world, she didn’t realize when he stopped reading until he spoke.
“You have to sing.”
“Yes, mum it’s your turn.” Tommy exclaimed cheerfully sitting on his mother’s lap.
With the two gazing at her, she could do nothing else but hold him like she always did when he was a baby and sang.
‘Go to sleep baby, go to sleep baby…..’
As she sang to him while smoothing his hair, Mark stared at her in awe. Looking at her holding their son, he couldn’t help falling in love with her more. She was stunning with the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. She was simply the best mother he would wish for his children.
As he excused himself walking out to answer a phone call, Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. She was worried she would share the bed with him again.
Melissa was comfortable joking and playing around when Tommy was awake but it became so awkward when he fell asleep. She kept singing and rocking him just to avoid Mark.
After laying Tommy on the bed and covering him with the quilt, Melissa went next door to change into her pajamas.
She was used to sleeping next to her son back in the province so she did mind what she wore to bed.
Getting in bed, her lips curved up as she remembered that morning she woke up in Mark’s arms. Thinking of that kiss they almost had made her blush so much she had to cover her head. Clearing her mind off ifs and buts, she let herself think of him. Not just as her one night mistake but as a man. The man she liked.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
With the sweet imagination coupled with exhaustion taking precedence, she fell asleep instantly.
“Morning sunshine.” Hearing the deep voice hovering around her face, Melissa thought she was dreaming but then she saw Mark’s face nose to nose with hers. Not sure of what she was looking at, she blinked several times to clear her foggy mind.
“Aah!” As the realization hit her, she screamed covering her head knocking him off the bed. “What are you doing here?”
“I slept here.” With a smile on his face, he responded getting back on the bed. “Hey, I suggest you get out of bed if you’re going to work.”
“Yes sir, thank you for waking me up. Can you get out first, I need to shower before going for breakfast.” She request but he didn’t budge.
“Where is Tommy?”
“He’s having breakfast, your aunt and Mary keep competing who will feed him first.” With a smile on his face, he spoke gazing at her.
“Yeah, they are excited to be grandmothers, back in the province aunt won’t let me do anything especially when Tommy was just born.”
“It must have been very hard for you, having a child at a young age.” He had thought about it many times and when he saw the pain in her eyes, he wished he had not brought it up.
Staring into his eyes, she nodded since she didn’t know what to say to him. He was the first person to see her struggles in raising a child alone and she knew it was hard for him having not seen his son grow up.
“Can you get up now?” He pulled the blanket but she held it tight.
“Nooo, you have to get out first.” She couldn’t let him see her in the pajamas she wore.
“I don’t think I can do that.”
“Why do you like bullying me so much?”
“You’re so stubborn and always challenging me. So I enjoy teasing you. Now I will give you two choices, either get out now or accompany me to the hotel.” He smiled loving how cute she looked.
“What if I don’t choose either?” Holding the blankets to her neck, she asked staring at him as he got closer.
“Then I’ll pull out the quilt and make you do everything I want.” With a mischievous look in his eyes and the world’s highest grin on his face, he slightly tugged at the covers.
“Okay fine you win.” Tired and running out of time, she gave in. “I’ll go with you to the hotel.”
“Good, thirty minutes to get ready sunshine.” Leaning closer, he touched her chin as she closed her eyes.
With her lips slightly apart he placed a light kiss on her lips, then went out.
“Huh!” When she heard the door close, she opened her eyes and touched her lips.
“Oh stop it, Melissa.” She snapped at herself as she ran to her room in an old T-shirt and over size shorts.
She knew it was childish but she enjoyed playing with him more than she should have.
At the breakfast table, everyone’s jaw dropped when Melissa walked out. “Honey, are you going on a date?” Her aunt inquired teasingly.
She was wearing her curly hair down, in a White crepe vintage dress with a matching black belt and black point toe stiletto heels. Looking beautiful and different from her usual boring grey skirt suits.
“I’m going to work, why?” Melissa questioned adding milk to her cereal ignoring everyone’s stare.
“Mum, you look so beautiful, dad will surely love you now.”
“Thank you baby and no aunt, I’m not going on a date.”
“Really, you dressed like that for work?”
They kept teasing her but stopped when Mark joined them at the garden where breakfast was set.
“You look stunning.” Sitting beside her, he whispered into her ear. “I’ll take you shopping so you can dress like this more often.”
“Thank you, I don’t need more clothes.” She murmured stuffing bread in her mouth.
With everyone gazing at them, Mark took a piece of bread nodding his greetings to Mary and Betty. As they ate quietly enjoying the morning sun, the smell of the roses and the freshly baked bread, the two older women kept exchanging glances.
Feeling uncomfortable with Mark beside her and how the people at the table kept looking at them, she placed down her cup. Wiping her lips Melissa got up and kissed Tommy on the cheek. “Bye baby, aunt, Mary.” She spoke taking her bag.
Walking down the stairs, Mark caught up. As he tried to hold her hand for support, she walked faster getting in the car when the driver held the door open.
“I’m worried for her.” Betty murmured watching them leave.
“Why, I’m sure they will make a beautiful couple.” Mary spoke stuffing more bread in Tommy’s mouth.
They were still competing and he enjoyed being pampered by his two grandmothers.
“The odds are against them. She is my niece with no big last name and the Johnsons are a wealthy family, way above her.”
“That is right but they will fight for each other. Melissa is not one to give up easily and neither is Mark. Their love will surely keep them together.”
“Not when the universe is against them.” Betty said remembering her own experience.
Looking at her, Mary couldn’t stop wondering why she left her family.
When Melissa brought her son and aunt, Mary was both surprised and speechless. For a while, she thought she was mistaken but when she checked her old photo album, she confirmed it was indeed Betty.
Back then everyone was envious of the secretary who got favor and married her boss. She had not been introduced to the family but there were rumors in the mansion about the beautiful young woman.
One day one of the maids went to clean his house and brought a picture of the beautiful young Lady to show her colleagues and Mary took it.
Richard’s adoptive family was opposed to him marrying his secretary but they later accepted the relationship. On the day he was to introduce his new wife and son, he got into an accident losing his memory.
With severe injuries, they had to move him and his son abroad for treatment. Two years later when Richard got his memories back, he insisted on finding his wife but he was told that she fell into depression and died shortly after his accident.
Looking at her now, Mary didn’t understand why she let her family believe she was dead when she was living in the province all this time.