"What's going on here?" Nichole demanded, her voice loud and angry. "Why are you in a room alone with this woman?"Carmela ignored her, and instead walked toward the door. Nichole stood in front of it, blocking her path. "Let me by," Carmela said, her voice low and threatening."No way," Nichole said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not until you explain what's going on."Carmela pushed past her, and Nichole stumbled backward. Max just watched, saying nothing.Carmela hurried out of the room, her heart in her chest.She raced down the hallway, searching for her children. Finally, she spotted them, playing in a room down the hall. As soon as they saw her, they ran to her, Hannah first, followed by Noah.Carmela scooped them up in her arms, holding them close. Hannah snuggled into her, while Noah clung to her. She held them tight, feeling a wave of relief."Mommy, we've been waiting for you," Hannah said, her little voice full of wonder. "What took you so long?"Carmela smiled at he

Nichole's lips curved into a smirk, her eyes glinting. "I know her all right," she said, her voice smug. "And I know a lot more about her than you do." She took a step closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "In fact, I know something that could ruin her."Pedro's eyes narrowed, a look of suspicion crossing his face. "What do you mean?" he asked, his tone wary. "What do you know about Carmela?"Nichole let out a low chuckle, her eyes shining with amusement. "Oh, I can't tell you that," she said, a smug smile playing on her lips. "It's too juicy. But I can tell you this - Carmela has a secret, and it's not a good one."Pedro's eyes flashed, his jaw clenched tight. "What kind of secret?" he asked, his voice tense. "Is it something illegal? Something that could get her in trouble?""Why do you care so much about Carmela?" Nichole asked, her voice curious. "You seem very interested in her. Is there something going on between the two of you?"Pedro's face turned bright red,

“Carmela, there’s a call for you,” Carmela heard Sarah’s voice from the sitting room.“Who’s that?”Carmela yelled from the room she sat inside. But instead of an honest reply, Sarah answered, “I don’t know.”Because she didn’t want to tell Carmela who it was so she wouldn’t get to answer the call. Either way, Carmela was already on her feet and out already in the siting room. Carmela strode to the phone stand and collected the phone from Sarah who shrugged her shoulder once more, “Hello, who’s there?” She whistled. “Carmela,” a voice hummed from the other end and immediately, Carmela's eyes walked back to Sarah who was standing in the kitchen her hands crossed. “Max, why did you call?” Carmela angrily replied, remembering how he treated her when she came to get the kids at his place. Before Max could reply, Carmela whispered in the room to Sarah, “Why didn’t you tell me it was Max??”“Uh…” Sarah on the other hand, acted like she didn’t know. She shrugged her shoulder and pouted

As the clock ticked toward 6pm, Carmela heard the front door open, followed by the sound of little feet running down the hall. She went to greet the kids, but when she reached out to help Noah with his backpack, he shook his head. "I can do it myself!" he said proudly. Carmela's heart sank a little, but she nodded, trying to smile. Just then, Sarah emerged from her room, a sleepy smile on her face.Sarah looked at Carmela and said, "Hey, Carm, the little guy is growing up. He's getting so independent! But I know it's tough when they start to push you away. I'm here if you want to talk." Carmela's heart sank even further, and a lump rose in her throat. "It's not just that," she said. "I'm worried about something else." Sarah looked at her, concern evident on her face. "Tell me," she said."I think Noah is acting this way because he's upset that I won't let him see his father," Carmela said. "Max wants to see him, but I just don't trust him. He's not the man I thought he was." Sar

As Carmela slowly drifted back to consciousness, she became aware of the beeping of a heart monitor, the antiseptic smell of the hospital room, and the feel of the stiff, white sheets underneath her. Her head ached, and her body felt heavy and sore. But she was alive. She had survived the crash, somehow.She opened her eyes, and saw the sterile white walls of the hospital room, the machines monitoring her vitals, and the IV in her arm. She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her body. A groan escaped her lips.As Carmela looked around the room, she recognized several faces. There was Pedro, her former boss, who looked concerned and worried. There was Max, her ex-husband, his face full of sadness and regret. And there was Sarah, her best friend, her face full of sympathy and compassion. Finally, there were her twin children, standing at the foot of the bed, looking scared and confused.Carmela's head was spinning. She didn't know what to say, or how to explain what had happened.