"What goodies did you find?" I inquire as she hands me a cup of tea. We exchange information and opinions for half an hour before I bring up the topic of our former employer.
"I bumped into Natasha," I tell her.
Isabelle jerks her head back in surprise.
"How did it go?"
"She basically accused us of stealing Alice Bennett from her."
Isabelle snorts, looking through some of my notes. "I spoke to some girls from the office, and apparently business isn't going too well. I guess now that the bees have left the nest, the queen actually has to do some work herself."
I know what she means. Natasha never came to fairs, only her employees. She still has about seven girls in the office, but the fact that she came here herself means she's desperate for clients.
"Can she really sue us?" I ask. "We've done nothing wrong."
"Absolutely not. She was just trying to intimidate you."
Still, I can't help the uneasy feeling forming in the pit of my stomach.
***
The next week is hell. Half of my clients seem to want to change their setup, and the other half seem to go out of their way to complain about something. Among all the mayhem, I pick up the keys to Christopher's apartment and make sure to prioritize it.
I encounter a few hitches along the way. Nothing more than the usual back and forth with delivery services trying to move me around for their convenience, but I ride anyone's ass who tries to wiggle their way out of my time frame.
I want everything to be perfect when Christopher returns.
On Friday afternoon, as I help the kids pack for their overnight stay at Aunt Christina's, I mull over the idea of talking to them about Christopher, telling them there's more than friendship between us. Sienna already knows, of course, but Lucas and Chloe see him as a family friend.
There's a healthy dose of hero-worshipping involved too, especially on Lucas's part. After running the pros and cons in my mind, I decide to keep quiet on this topic, mostly because I can't answer the questions Lucas would surely ask. I don't have answers. I just know I can't wait to see Christopher tonight. I miss him so much it scares me.
Part of me also can't help drowning in guilt, remembering Lucas and Chloe's apprehensive expressions when they asked if I'm still going to look after them when I have my own kids. My heart squeezes, their little faces appearing clearly in my mind. I wonder if I shouldn't press pause on things with Christopher. Then our therapist's words replay in my mind, that it's important to carry on as normal, not put my life on hold. That the kids, even Chloe, are old enough to understand certain issues if properly explained. Drawing in a deep breath, I hold on to those words, but I have a hard time ignoring the suspicion that I'm being selfish.
"Victoria," Chloe says, snapping me out of my mental drama. "Can I take Mr. Cuddles with me to Aunt Christina's?"
"Sure thing. Let's pack him too."
My phone vibrates just as I finish zipping up Chloe's backpack.
Christopher: Can't wait to see you tonight. So happy this trip is over.
The plan is as follows. I'll drive to the airport with the kids in the car and pick up Christopher. We'll drop them off at Aunt Christina's, and then I'll drive him to his fully furnished apartment. Since I have his keys, it makes sense for me to drive him there. In addition, I had his car brought to the garage underneath his building. Also, I have a surprise for him. Initially, I wanted to first drop the kids off and then pick up Christopher, but they wouldn't hear of it. Chloe says she must tell him about the new superhero cape she made for her doll. Lucas insists he tells him about some soccer techniques he learned at school.
"Can I take my prank box to Aunt Christina's?" Lucas asks as we load the backpacks in the car.
"That’s not such a good idea, champ."
He sticks out his bottom lip, frowning. "But Chloe’s allowed to take her teddy bear."
"The bear is smaller than your box." The second I say it out loud, I know I chose the wrong words.
"Then I can just take my spider or my skeleton mask. It's Halloween."
"You already have your costumes with you for trick-or-treating. And Aunt Christina doesn't like getting scared much." With a stroke of genius, I add, "But you know who does? Christopher! Why don't you take something to scare him?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. He'll love it." He's the one who said there's nothing like a prank to make his day better, and from his message, I can tell he needs cheering up. "But maybe not the spider or the skeleton mask. Something more creative?"