CHAPTER 7

“WE want her to be our mommy!”

“I only warn you this time, and the first and last. Whoever you are, stay away from my man.”

A declaration from a little girl is shaking Cath’s mind right now. Asking herself if she is hearing it correctly, worst, she just receives a threat in a whispering way from the entitled Erika that she even didn’t care about. Especially since it revolves around Sam. 

“Do not worry, I am not stupid to dig my own grave.”

She tries to play it cool and whispers back to Erika, with an awkward smile that the latter didn’t even buy. Making her question her luck and just how the heavens are playing and toying at her right now. 

“Hey! What are you doing with our mommy!”

Monique protests, defending Cath like she is entitled to do so. Looking up towards Erika with the eyes and expression that’s screaming, she will protect her newfound mother no matter what. 

“Mommy? Do you have any idea what you are talking about?”

“I know, I am very aware of that fact.”

Erika couldn’t even defend nor reason with Monique’s assurance and stands that are truly adorable to Cath’s eyes, but considering it is all about the idea of being with Sam, it made her spine shiver. 

“Monique!”

Sam’s voice becomes deep and stern. On the brim of scolding his daughter in a kind of discipline that he usually does and for a long now. 

Monique runs behind Cath and is followed by Cole. Making Cath their shield against him. 

“Cole?” Sam’s voice raises a bit in both dismay and surprise at what his twins are doing. “Stop it you two.”

He commands with a hand and finger to emphasize his authority towards his kids. But instead of feeling scared and even a bit obligated to follow his word. The twins shake their heads and even tightly hold unto Cath. 

“Monique, Cole. I am not joking around here.”

His warning, while Cath is holding onto her ground and trying her best to not fall face flat forward from the twin’s grip on her.

“No!”

The little girl screams, pouting, and all red in anger. 

“Monique!”

A bit had enough, no, definitely had enough. Sam raises his voice more, making the twins startle, and scared, and start to sob, yet immediately stop themselves from ending up crying because they do not want to lose against their father. Somewhat turning the scene into a fight between the father and his naughty kids. 

The twin’s kind of protest and tantrums that Sam is struggling with ever since his wife left them behind. The daily routine he honestly wanted to think that it is the twin’s way of getting his attention, but he knew that it is more than that. 

“CEO Lawrence.”

Erika butts in, making her presence known and typically inserting herself in the middle of the family argument. Thinking that Cath is having it like she had the right to be in the first place. Now pretending to offer her assistance, crouching down to look at the twins and smiling. 

“Kids, you do know that what you are doing right now is not right.” She reminded the twins, kind of imitating Cath, but adding her touch to it. “You shouldn’t be naughty.” Her little scolding while keeping in mind to do it in the gentle way possible. 

A bit pushing Cath aside who in the meantime is mocking her in a whisper from her previous attitude and hurtful words towards the twins. 

“Such a liar.”

“Did you say anything?”

“Nothing.”

Their little exchange and Cath’s expression rolling her eyes and two that Sam notices and observes about her. Now smiling unknowingly and reminiscing about the fact that Cath hasn’t changed at all. 

“Monique, Cole.” Erika continues. “You should listen to the CEO for he is your father.” Her little way is to prove her worth and self to Sam. “Come here.”

She then extends her arms with all her smiles and asks the twins to run toward her and away from Cath. 

Yet. 

‘NO!’

Cole protests inside his mind while shaking his head. Hiding and even tightly holding unto Cath. Scared and all by the vicious snake in front of him who is currently wearing a goody-too-shoes mask. 

“Fake! No! Never!”

Monique’s reply was the stubborn and fierce one of the twins. With her arms crossed and stepped in front to reject Erika hard. 

“Not at all and never if it is you! I don’t want you, we will never like you!”

The eldest of the twin declares, surprising and at the same amusing Cath. While the little boy is now blowing raspberries Cath couldn’t help but giggle in secret. Not to offend anyone or find herself having an enemy the first day that she came back. 

Blowing raspberries at her as Cole ended up doing the same. Adorably, she couldn’t help herself but feel the same. 

“That is enough!” Sam finally blows his fuse. Taking his authority towards his children in a deep and threatening voice that sure enough shook and scared the twins. “I am only counting up until three. You two better come here and do not make matter worse for the lady.”

‘LADY? THAT’S NEW.’

The words suddenly made Cath ask herself. For Sam never address her in that elegant manner, no imagining of how well he grew to this perfect Casanova who happens to be her first love.

“Why are you being mean like that daddy?”

Monique shivers while holding her tears, while Cole finally cries beside his twin sister and holding her hand. A taboo that Cath consider and couldn’t take anymore, being weak to the cries of the kids and all. 

“Alright! I’ll do it!” 

She declares arms spread between the twins and Sam. That surprised everyone and made Erika irritated and before she could say a word, the twins celebrated. 

“What?” Erika wanted to protest, but couldn’t. “This is crazy.” She whispers and made her way out, expecting to be followed by Sam, yet.  

“You will?” Sam immediately asks for assurance. “Will that be alright with you?”

Completely forgetting that his patience explodes from his twins, and now beaming with the smile that Cath realizes that she couldn’t run away from.

“We got a mom, Cole!”

“Mom-Mom? What?” 

Stun with her jaw almost drops, she immediately composes herself and almost screams. 

“No! I will not, I will never!”

Quick and stern, her unconscious words and rejection. Which made the twins stop jumping for joy, Monique’s face is to the brim of crying, Cole looks at her with that sad expression and Sam is disappointed in more ways than he ever had. 

“Well, I mean.” 

Cath's guilt kicks and blames herself for her impulse of saying words before thinking twice. She crouches down, smiles look at the twins, and explains everything simply and gently. 

“Being a mom is not easy, especially for the two kids who are kind of naughty.” Hinting at the twins as for Cath it is a way to shut them up. As she then added. “If you wanted a mom, should you consider first being a good child for your father?”

Words that Sam appreciated and had the guilt of letting her slip from his hands years ago. 

“You should be the good kids that you grew up with, especially to your father who only thinks what is best for you, right?”

Unexpectedly and a first for long years, Monique and Cole nodded and obeyed someone. Obedience that Cath thinks is just any children’s nature especially if you will just explain everything gently and properly to them of what they should know about. But for the case of Sam, it is a miracle to be called. A blessing in disguise with his wild and feisty twins are now being tamed. 

“We understand.”

Monique reply and immediately, with Cole nodding in agreement, making everyone smiles, especially Sam. 

 “Promise?”

“Promise!”

They ended up having a pinky swear. The little gesture reminded Sam of the past and his stupidity then. But before Cath could think that she is safe, the little girl screams and now wanted. 

“Then, you must become our nanny first!”

“Be our nanny!”

Taken aback and seems her words weren’t that clear to the twins, but at least it is not the worst thing unlike being the mother of the two. She is thinking quite deeply about it. For being one is not that worse right? Besides, it is the way that she can get close to Sam. Her target and eventually finish her assignment as soon as possible. Right?

“Will you consider it?”

Finally agreeing to his kids, but with a sly plan at hand and two. Their eyes meet at that moment when Sam moves close to her. With a few inches from each other that the twins are somehow anticipating something to ever happened. Cath’s face brightens, and she could not help but smile. Be captivated as she has always been. Towards the Casanova that she curses for years ever since he breaks her heart. 

“CEO Lawrence.”

The moment was then interrupted. When Erika came back, handed the phone and pretended that it is her advantage a coincidence while throwing gazes like daggers at Cath. 

“Phone call from Chairman Anderson.”

The name that Erika emphasizes and somehow quotes, not just towards Sam, but particularly to Cath.      

“I apologize, but I need to take this call.”

Cath is somewhat disappointed. A feeling that she shouldn’t be feeling, right? As she reminded herself that all that she came for in this place and back is to write an article about him, and nothing more but that, right?

“I’ll think about it, your offer, Mr. Lawrence.”

Now addressing him formally and with a deep sigh. It took Sam’s attention in a bit of a dismayed look. For he is not used to hearing such formality, especially from her. He then ended up giving Cath his business card. 

“I’ll be seeing you then, Miss. Wayne.”

On that note, they headed on their separate ways with the twins bidding her a temporary farewell. She took a deep breath in as she thinks of what happened, saying the words to herself.

“Keep your mind in the game, Catherine Wayne.”