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Chapter 23
Ophelia
The last few weeks have been amazing. I've settled in nicely, and I love the house. I've already started finding favorite spots in the town and neighborhood. Gregory came and spent the weekend with me, and we talked a lot. He informed me that Maggie is trying to help Cole find me and that he thinks it's best if I reframe from contacting her for a while.
I showed him around town, and we settled into a comfortable father-daughter relationship that makes us bother happy. I asked what he had told his family, and he said he informed them that he went to hang out with some of his old college friends. It worked out well because he was able to get away, and no one thought anything of it because he did this from time to time. I hated when he had to leave, but he promised to come back soon.
Today I'm going to the campus books store to get all the books, and supplies I'll need. I'm taking a heavy course load, and I can't wait to get started. I drive to the colle
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ColeIt has taken four years and countless private detectives to find her. I have spent all of my free time searching for her. Many would think that I am a stalker, but I'm not. I need to fix this and tell her what has been on my heart all these years. If she doesn't want anything to do with me after, I will leave her alone, simple as that. I have spent these four years working on myself. I finished college early and now run my father's company and still spend time with Maggie and her son. Maggie met Jake a few months after Ophelia left, and they fell in love. They married after only six months of dating, and they had their son a year later. Carter is two and a total mini-me. How he looks and acts so much like me is crazy. But with how close Maggie and I are now, it is no surprise. Gregory has pulled away from the family somewhat. After Ophelia left, he was upset with Maggie for trying to help me find her. He kept saying that Maggie should understand why she doesn
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Cole My phone rings as I sit watching the restaurant where I have a clear view of Ophelia. I look and see that it is the person running the check on the gut Ophelia is currently making eyes at. "Talk to me." "Sir Christopher James is clear. He is from a middle-class family and works in publishing. No arrests, charges, or even traffic tickets. There is nothing wrong with him. He had a fewgirlfriends in the past that have nothing but great things to say about the guy." "Thanks. The money will be put into your account." I hang up and look in the window at them. Ophelia leans in to whisper something in his ear, and his face lights up. He kisses her forehead and my heart breaks. There has to be something going on with them. I man up and realize I have to do this and get it over with. I hate to interrupt her, but the longer I put this off, the worse I am going to feel. I walk into the restaurant, and the place is slammed. There are people all over, and
Claimed Chapter 26
Ophelia Once the door closes, and Cole is gone, I turn to look at the people who mean the most to me in this world. I am hoping that they are not angry at me for lying to them for four years. What I see makes me almost cry. I see love on their faces. Not a single look of anger, hurt, or even hate is there. "So, does this mean we should start calling you Ophelia?" Emily asks with a smile on her face. "Yes. I am going to change it all back. Now that my family can't get to me and I am finally free from my past, I want to be me again. Are you guys upset at all?" I silently pray that there is nothing that is upsetting them. "Are you kidding? We are just glad that you finally opened up to us. We are
Claimed Claimed Again Chapter 1
Ophelia The saying goes that some people are in your life for only a reason or a season. The question for me has always been, is it only the bad people or is it anyone that can disappear from your life? Does that mean that those that leave are only there for a season, and those that stay are there for a reason? I had been living the last four years of my life in pure happiness. I married a man that loved me and we had a beautiful son together. The problem is that he was only in my life for a season. I lost Christopher when our son turned a year old. The car accident happened just two days after his birthday. A drunk driver took him away, and they left me a shell of a person with a small child to raise alone. If it wasn’t for Emily and Alexander, I don’t know that I would have made it through. They helped me pick up the pieces of my life and move forward. Chris would have wanted me to live my life regardless of whether he was here. This thought alone helped me through many nights o
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OpheliaThe sound of the doorbell brings a chorus of squeals from the stairs, and I know Ethan has heard it. The child gets more excited to see Alex and Emily than he ever does me. I can’t help but laugh at the tiny body flying through the house, racing toward the door. Ethan knows to not open the door until I get there, but that doesn’t mean that the kid won’t stand by the door, dancing around impatiently, waiting for me. If I could have a quarter of the kids’ energy, then I would be in great shape. And getting more work complete than I thought possible.“Okay, okay, calm down there, big guy. I will let them in.” I say, watching as my child is wildly jumping around.I no sooner get the door open than Ethan runs and jumps into Alex’s arms, and I hear them both laughing together. Alex has been a positive force in Ethan’s life, and I do not know where we would be without my friends. Chris wanted them to be the Godparents for Ethan, and I made sure that wish was a reality. “I’m thinkin
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Ophelia Monday morning came all too soon, and I felt my nerves getting the best of me. The weekend had gone quickly, with Ethan and me playing at the park and painting. Ethan loves to teach me how to paint. I’m not the greatest at it, and he loves to tell me when I do something wrong. I have been out of practice since high school and it shows. I left him with Grandma Bess this morning. He adores her, and she feels the same about her. They like to spend their time doing many things together, and I think the child loves her as if she were his grandmother. Bess is nowhere near old at 52. But to Ethan, she is the right age to be his grandmother. Bess has always lived alone and has never been married. She said that there has never been a man that is good enough. I have often wondered if she and Dad would be interested in one another. Both of them claim to have never found someone who lights their fire. Maybe next time Dad’s in town, I should invite her over to meet him. I walk into th
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Ophelia The time flew by while getting everything ready for the move. Ethan was over the moon, knowing that he was going to have his Papa in the house and that his Grandma Bess was coming with us. I put the house up for sale with all the furnishings left in it for the sale. We packed away all our things and hired movers to get them to Frankford. We have grown closer each day because Bess has been a lifesaver. Bess got out of her lease and sold all the things she didn’t want to take with her. Bess has been talking about how excited she is to meet Dad and to see the town that made such an impact on my life. I always tell her the same thing, you’ll be surprised. “Mommy, can I take some art stuff in the car with me?” Ethan asks as we load up the car. “I already set a bag of things in the seat for you.” I smile at him. “Yay!” I hear Ethan yell as he jumps up and down. “That child is always wanting to do something creative. He
Claimed 5
Ophelia Light hits my face as I roll over in my sleep. My body fights the light and wants nothing more than to return to the darkness of my slumber. My sleep last night was nothing short of glorious. Thinking back, I realise I haven’t slept that well since Chris passed. The safety and love that he gave me always made me fall into a sleep that was deep and peaceful. Rubbing my eyes, I sit up in the bed and see that the sun is high in the sky. How late did I sleep? Looking at the clock, I see it is almost 11:30 in the morning. Jumping up, I head into the en-suite bathroom and get myself ready. I can’t remember the last time that I slept this late. There is no doubt in my mind that my dad and Bess have taken care of Ethan all morning. For the last few years, they have both begged me to make more time for myself and stop focusing all my attention on everyone else. Looking into the mirror, I see exactly why they have been telling me that. My face looks refreshed a
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