Chapter 1: Let's Look Back With Regrets

Helen Barksdale sat alone in her large office. She sighed as she flicked her hair back out of her face.

It's not like I was trying to work my way to the top or anything. She thought as she sat in a large comfy chair. I just liked working. Still maybe I over did this. What would have happened if I had became a lawyer... She let out a laugh as she imagined someone cracking a lawyer joke. Being on the top - a CEO. She'd worked hard and here she was! No regrets!

She noticed an envelope placed in the pile of all her paperwork. Someone had spilled something on it so she couldn't make out who sent it - it was addressed from Lawndale of all places. She checked with her secretary.

"Winter, who sent this letter from Lawndale?"

"Lawndale ma'me?"

"Yes you have family there right? Is it for you?"

"Let me check." Her secretary paused for a moment to check her notes. "Jake Morgendorffer."

"J-Jake Morgendorffer? Jake..." Helen said this in a near whimper.

Helen was quiet for awhile - Winter was worried. She assumed she was reading the letter, but why had she acted the way she did.

"Excuse me..." She waited a moment. "Helen is something wrong?"

"Winter come in here."

The older women with long blonde hair entered the room. Winter had known Helen since Helen was in college. They met on a whim and stayed in contact. Winter left her old life behind to join the business world in hopes of being helpful to her friend. Winter was surprised at the joy she felt working like this. Helen rose quickly until she was the top-dog, but no one recognized Winter's abilities expect Helen who took her as her secretary, but more importantly she was her confidant. Still Winter always got the feeling that Helen was hiding something from her. They we're so close that Winter wondered what could have been that painful that not even she was allowed to know.

"Helen..." She noticed Helen was crying. "Is something... wrong?"

"Winter - I think I made a mistake?"

"Are you talking about the merger? I think you robbed them blind - we corner the market now..."

"No - not that... Jake..." Helen covered her face. "Jake is-" Helen turned her face in just a way as so the security cameras couldn't see her.

Winter moved quickly to her friends.

"Helen it's okay. Let's go into the bathroom. No one can see you there."

They moved into the bathroom and sat down on the carpet.

"So what happened? Is Jake an ex-boyfriend? What does he want?" Helen remained quiet. "Does he have anything on you?" Helen shook her head.

"Jake - Jake and I had a kid together... a little girl."

"You have a daughter."

"No - I gave up a custody to Jake. My job came first. The closest I came to being a mother is child support."

Winter put her arm around her friend. "It'll be okay."

"Daria - that's her name. I chose it, the only thing I gave her."

"It's a nice name."

"Yeah - she's a bright girl. Doesn't have many friends according to Jake, but - I know Jake has given her a lot of love and she has a really good friend named Jane."

"..." Winter seemed hesitant to speak up.

"Winter?"

"Jane Lane?" Winter asked with some worry.

"Yes..."

"Helen..." Winter stood up. "Must be Kismet..."

Helen looked up at Winter. "Winter?" She paused for a moment before asking her friend again - this time by her first name to show she was serious. "Amanda what's wrong?"

"I'm just thinking... I haven't been home in a long while..."

Helen was confused, but didn't push.

"Perhaps your should visit them?"

"There isn't time..." Helen said with some disappointment, but noticeable fear. "They wouldn't want to see me anyway..."

"You never know..." Winter said as she left the bathroom. "Trying is better than never knowing..." Helen considered what her friend had just said.

Yes, Ill do it. Ill write back to Jake and ask if I can visit.