2

"Hey Jill, have you seen my tie?"

"You mean the one I gave you for your birthday Daddy?" Lauren asked with an utter look of obnoxiousness on her face. He nodded.

"It should be upstairs with the other four thousand you already have." Jill said-sarcasm.

"I checked…it's not in there…" he said. He looked down at his watch and noticed that he had been pressing for time.

"Goddammit I'm gonna be late!" he said while continuing his search for the important article, he had ran what would've been equivalent to a 12K marathon up and down the stairs.

"Just choose another one…no sense in wasting this much time trying to find one lousy tie…" Jill said while following him back up the stairs. "Seriously hun…you've been up here at least ten times in the past thirty minutes." She finished.

"It's the only one I can wear with this suit." His eyes were focused yet again on the closet he had already visited nearly a dozen times.

The suit was made of fine Italian fabric- dyed the darkest of blacks. It was his favorite and secretly that of Jill too. He wore it with a pride similar to that whenever he wore a badge.

"What's so special about it?"

"I wore it to the interview-"

"Oh so let me guess- it got you the job right?"

"I think its safe to say that yeah." he said from inside of the closet to Jill who stood outside.

"I guess this one will have to do." he said with minor disappointment. He emerged from the closet, his clothes still undone with a solid black tie hanging around his neck.

"Here let me help you." She laughed as she tucked his shirt into his unbuttoned pants.

He completed the job on his tie before giving Jill a kiss on the cheek.

"No…I don't think it's the tie that got you the job." she grabbed his lips with her own.

"So what do you think it was?" he asked before responding in the same manner.

"You're very charming my dear." She said behind a sinister smile.

"Now you're really gonna make me late…" he said.

Jill smiled at the comment while Chris laid her down to her back unto the bed.

"Here it is Daddy!" The young lass ran up to her father holding the silver/black tie with pride. Its shapes were of parallel diagonal lines, with the silver bands being the thickest and the black bands being narrower.

"It's pretty- I really like this one too." Lauren said from the doorway of the bedroom.

Chris arose from atop of Jill; a smile crept on his face at Lauren who had found the tie in a matter of fifteen minutes compared to his full morning search.

"Thanks sweetie…" Chris said while kissing his young daughter on the cheek.

He removed the old tie.

"Where'd you find it?" he asked.

"It was on the chair in the kitchen underneath your jacket." She responded.

Jill looked at him with mocking eyes.

"Don't say it Jill…" he said behind a small grin.

"What…that I was right when I said that your head is spinning?"

He kissed her forehead.

"I love you." He said. "And you too." He said while lifting Lauren into his arms to give her peck on the cheek.

"You look great." Jill said with sincerity- the kind one holds while telling the honest truth.

"Thank you," he said before going into her for another kiss.

She smiled once more.

"I think you should get going- you're already running late." She said.

"Yeah…I'll see you ladies tonight." He said while grabbing his jacket. Hey kissed the both of them once more.

"Bye Daddy." Lauren yelled out to him as he exited the home.

They both stood by the door waving; Lauren who merely stood as tall as Jill's hip held an ego that reached lengths higher than even the K2. She was a strikingly pretty young girl- the innocence within her big hazel eyes made it known that the world had not yet been fully seen by them. Her hair was short, cut just at her jaw line and cascaded upon her face in layers- it was a small look of sophistication Jill had thought looked perfect for Lauren. Her personality matched that of her father, Chris- who thrived on nothing more than sarcasm, making her almost his twin.

"Now all that's left is getting you to school on time…let's not miss the bus today ok." She said to Lauren who had already made a dash for the kitchen to finish what was left of her cereal.

"C'mon…don't worry there will still be more Lucky Charms when you get back today." Jill said while grabbing Lauren's small Sailor Moon Lunch box that she had gotten from their trip to Chinatown.

"Here you are Scarlet…and don't forget your medicine." Jill said while sitting Lauren's things on a small oak table next to the door.

"O.k. mommy I got it."

"Alright now c'mon the bus is waiting for you." Jill said while opening the door.

"Have a good day sweetheart!" Jill yelled out the door and watched her little daughter board the school bus.

"O.k. it's finally just you and me pup." Jill said to the family's aging Great Dane, Babe.

"I don't have to be at work for two hours…so let's see what I'm gonna wear shall we?" Jill said to the dog that sat peacefully on their bed.

She came out of the massive closet with two summer dresses; one was black with white dotted patterns covering it and the other was a solid yellow number. Both were made of light fabric and were designed to hug feminine curves.

"O.k. which one do you think?" she asked him while holding the two dresses out.

He barked after the first selection.

"Yeah I like this one too." She said.

After a relatively short shower she dressed, took everything she had needed for the day and headed out the door- after kissing Babe on the crown. She had about and hour and half to waste so she decided to go to her habitual morning stop- Café Bach- her most liked place to relax before or usually after a mentally draining day at work. She spent the passing forty-five minutes drifting off into thought about the dramatic change in her life that spanned over nine years.

After the final days of Umbrella, Jill and Chris sought for a life of simplicity and safety- they headed west and decided to start their lives anew, from scratch- leaving behind the horrific events they had both fought to the depths to escape. Jill decided to pursue a career as a writer- her newfound goal being to write a book about the corruption in major and powerful organizations that are undoubtedly in control of the social society they were manufactured in. She got hired as a local journalist of the small town newspaper; where in most of her articles she slammed politics for their inability to respect and uphold the very laws and justices they had promised. She became well known and respected by many people in the town for her liberal and oftentimes candid opinions and factual truths against the government. With the exception of the few individuals that got along by giving her the title "the rambling conspiracist".

Chris began a career as a stock broker- a position completely different from what he had been used to. He figured this position would keep he and his family out of danger and out of the spotlight. Although the money was a lot better and the main source of the family's wealth- he vowed never to forget the basic rules of survival.

After a lengthy drive into the city, Jill arrived at the small café. She exited the vehicle before slowly walking towards the entrance.

She entered and was instantly overwhelmed by the meaty smell of freshly brewed coffee and calmed by the sultry sounds of Norah Jones.

It was a modest and small place, filled with vintage artwork and furniture. It had almost an organic feel to it- as if it had naturally been this way. To the right of the entrance sat a massive fish tank that had been filled with exotic saltwater aquatics. It looked as if the management had spent more time on it than the rest of the place. To the left of the entrance and a few feet forward stood the long countertop. Cash register, baked goods, bottled drinks, and periodicals lined the chromed finish, spanning all the way down to the end.

A man of stocky build stood awaiting the first customer's approach to the counter. His face held a pride much too great for his title of work. Yet it was as if it did not matter to him. He had to have been in his middle ages judging by the mild lines of maturity that sat at the corners of his eyes. He watched as she walked closer towards the counter, his eyes briefly studied her physique without her notice.

"Hey Jill…I didn't recognize you at first. How are you?" He said to her.

"Hey Bob, I'm good and yourself?" she said behind a warm smile.

"Never been better. What can I get started for you?" he asked with politeness.

She paused for a minute looking at the menu that sat high on the rear wall behind the counter. It was handwritten with multi-colored chalk, flamboyantly displaying the options to choose from. It ranged from coffees, espressos, teas, freshly baked pastries, soups, and Panini.

"I think I'll do a Chai Latte."

"Good choice" Bob proceeded into fixing the beverage.

"So how is the latest one coming?" he continued without warning.

"Pardon me?" she responded.

"The article…the most recent one. You are writing another one right?"

"Oh the article. Are you talking about the one on a more efficient highway structure?"

"No…I meant the one about modern diseases…aren't you writing a response to it?"

"Umm…yeah." She fibbed. It wasn't entirely her most recent, or famous - but she admired the fact that he still found it intriguing.

Jill hesitated at first to reexamine a part of her life she had left in the past. It was blatantly a topic that she had gotten stuck with. To her surprise the article had gotten far more acclaim than she had thought and hoped for. It mostly discussed the issue with diseases and the main causes of them. The primary target of interest being pharmaceutical companies. It was the breaking point of her career- the point where she had become loved and respected by many, and shunned by few.

"You really should. It was a very interesting piece I loved every minute of it. Especially how you grilled that asshole of a scientist, Bryce Morris. It was great." He admired.

"Thanks…I'll definitely look into it."

She briefly thought back to the day she sat down to interview the man he had spoke of.

Dr. Bryce Morris was none other than a modern day prodigy. He is well known for his major contribution to research in molecular theory. He is also the founder of SAAS- Scientists Against an Alternative Society- meaning he opposed the use of alternative 'anything' especially medicine. He first started SAAS after hearing of numerous accusations towards pharmaceutical companies and their involvement with medicinal deaths worldwide. Which gave him the popular title, 'The Savior of Conventional Medicine'- he literally saved the pharmaceutical companies from declining.

He created the group during his time as professor of cognitive science at the University of California, Berkley, where he became appointed as head of the science department all-together. He received a Masters as well as a PhD from the University of California, San Diego. His work in the organization is known by his colleagues as the 'gateway into more effective conventional drug studies' the entire aspect on why The Umbrella Corporation existed; in which he secretly laundered ideas, information, etc to scientist employed to the corporation before it fell.

Now he blatantly denies any cooperation with them.

The thing she sometimes hated most about her job were the interviews, especially when they involved people who were given the power to control the wheels of the world.

She hated every second of the interview with Dr. Morris. In a follow-up article she mentioned him as being "knowingly obnoxious" and acting as if the public "weren't capable enough to understand the physics of the universe". What she detested most about him was his never-ending failure not to mention his greatness; she was thoroughly convinced the man believed he was made of gold. He carried on bragging about his 'brilliant' work and how he was the only human on earth to truly understand the basis of existence. She felt a grave sense of corruption towards him as she did to many people like him. At each moment of the interview she bit her lip, refraining herself from speaking the fire she craved to scorch him with.

The peak of the interview involved the introduction of Jill's featured article: "The Solidified Truth About America's Health" She attacked him on every issue she felt needed to be addressed; purposely avoiding the discussion of the historical destruction of Raccoon City for reasons she always kept to herself. In knowing that she also realized just how big of an impact that argument would've had on the public if she had investigated it further than she had allowed herself.

"Ok here you are…a regular chai latte- made especially for the best artist I've ever known." His voice held an appreciation she hadn't heard in a while. It grabbed her attention.

"Ah…I'm no artist." She said while looking through her bag for her wallet.

"Yeah you are…you're a kickass writer…you express yourself- without care for criticism. And on top of that…you've crafted it into a career." He handed her the hot drink. " So not only are you kicking ass and taking names- you're making money in the process." He finished.

Jill smiled while placing the money onto the counter. She noticed his eyes meeting the wallet that sat ajar in her hand. She looked down and noticed the STARS identification card she had habitually kept in there.

His eyes scanned the small emblem next to the photograph she always complained of hating.

"Thanks." She said.

Her hand slammed the wallet closed with a force that could be heard even from a distance.

She walked away avoiding his curious eye.

The small image of the word 'STARS' lingered throughout his thoughts. It had sounded familiar but he had a hard time configuring it. He examined it mentally without glaring at Jill, who had already made it to her seating. He couldn't remember the small article he had glanced over a few years prior, about the downfall of a distant town. He couldn't remember reading about the police department being wiped out due to their involvement with the tragic incidents that wiped the city from the face of the earth; or how a small unit barely made it's way to the top when it suddenly gotten dismantled and its members began to vanish. Or that the very woman he admired played an important role in that unit.

The average person who had read anything pertaining to that inciden only received partial truth about it; that being an intentional cover-up courtesy of the Umbrella Corporation. What they failed to apprise was the validity behind why the city declined and became destroyed thereafter; the country was left in utter shock and completely brainwashed. Little did the American people know the dark horrific secrets that escaped the town with the few survivors that barely had made it out; Jill and Chris being the mere few.

Jill settled into the rear corner of the bistro; her body descended into a large cushioned chair; it was violet and composed of fine velvet upolhestry. In front of it sat a small dark wooden table that could not be visible from the anterior of the place. She purposely sat in the position to avoid being spotted by Bob- whom she knew would find more interest in her than in the Sports section of the newspaper he had handled. She relaxed her body into the cushion of the chair, crossing one stockened leg over the other. She opened the novel she had started reading two months prior.

Her eyes studied the second page, they glanced over the title: The Interview with the Vampire. It was one of Anne Rice's best works.

Jill began reading it three months after Chris had left and continued reading it on and off throughout the time of his absence.

One would imagine a person who thoroughly reads a story to have the capability of explaining it thereafter. However this wasn't the case for Jill; although she had read the story previously she did not truly understand its meaning or nature. Her eyes scaled every word on each page, falsely gathering the information she thought she had a grasp of. The only thought that entered her mind during the time she read was none other than the matters that were at stake. She merely read it hopes that'll offer some kind of comfort.

"Carlos?" she could hear Bob greet an entering customer.

"Holy shit…I haven't seen you in ages bro!" his voice was loud and it caused Jill to glance up at the front of the café.

'Carlos…' she thought. The name sounded familiar- too familiar for her to disregard.

She turned her head towards the direction of the entrance- her eyes froze at the sight.

It was a person she hadn't seen in a while. Their eyes met at that point.

Jill quickly turned her body away so that he could not see her face.

It had already been to late.

He had spotted beauty from a mile away.

"Yeah...it's been too long my friend." The mysterious gentleman said. His eyes glanced over at the figure sitting at the very end of the café. He had recognized the frame. He smiled before walking. He stood at the entrance for quite some time before he began his investigation towards the back of the bistro.

She kept her eyes glued onto the pages of the book although she wasn't really reading it; her struggle to stay focus was a result of his footsteps growing closer. Each step increased the pace of her heart. A familiar hot feeling soon encased her body; it was a feeling she had never wanted to feel again after the first time - but allowed to happen for it to be a second and third time.

"Jill…" he spoke.

She closed her eyes at the sound of his exotic voice. Every nerve that had been working felt as if it had shut down at that moment. She turned her head at the striking view of him. The charming eyes, black hair, sultry accent, full lips and gorgeous figure, he was the same way she remembered him.

"I knew it was you…" he continued. She remained silent.

"How have you been?"

"…I…I've been good…how about you?" she asked.

"I'm better now that I get to see you again." The way he responded caught her off guard, it was as if he meant it in a way of it being an everyday thing.

She blushed while setting the book down to the coffee table in front of her.

"May I sit?" he asked politely.

"Sure…" she said hesitantly at first.

"So…why haven't you called me?" the question she fretted hearing from him.

She had hoped that he would ask her about anything else but that.

"…I've been really busy." she answered nervously.

"You haven't answered my calls either…I was beginning to worry about you." he spoke behind a cunning smile. It was too sexy to ignore. "No more visits…I was beginning to think that you had forgotten about me." He continued.

Jill looked at him with errant eyes. The last time she visited him she had made it a point to never go back- she ended it permanently. She had become a total different person after visiting him- a person who had fallen down the spiraling pit of disloyalty.

"I've been missing you- is all." His smile was beautiful yet sinister in its own rite.

She studied the warm panes of his face before dragging her eyes down to his chest- visualizing it through the cotton barrier of his shirt. For that brief moment she could remember her hands touching the soft muscles there and that of his abdomen. She shut her eyes at the memory.

"…What have you been up to?" he asked while going for the half full box of cigarettes he kept in a pocket on the inside of his jacket. He took one out of the box and lit the end of it.

"…Oh you know…the same- writing my life and dignity away." Jill answered scornfully.

Her eyes studied his hands, remembering what they felt like touching her skin and how they indubitably gave her goose bumps. The cool feeling swept her entire body from head to toe without warning or need of approval. She uncomfortably grabbed her drink and took a small sip. The liquid singed the first set of taste buds at the tip of her tongue- it was still piping hot but it did not bother her.

"You're a funny girl Valentine…it's a shame it's been so long." He said before exhaling the first mass of smoke.

Her embarrassment shot up at him in a glance that he could almost say was similar to that of a young child after being scolded for stealing. She looked as if she had been tormented- as if she had been forgotten, left in the dark to deal with her troubles by herself.

It was the same look that covered her face the first time he encountered her.

It was a look that told a man he was needed.

He licked his lips and took the matter as a repetitive invitation.

"So I see you're still reading that…" he pointed to the book with the cigarette lodged between his fingers.

His eyes were focused not on the book he spoke of but on the woman he had grown to care about during the two months prior to this date. It was those very two months that she had continuously slashed herself for allowing to happen.

Her eyes closed, forcing the tears to momentarily stay in their place.

She inhaled and turned her head so that he wouldn't see her torn condition.

"Yeah…I put it down for a while." She said while placing the novel back into her bag. "Haven't really felt like reading it…"

"It's funny," he said before taking another hit of the cigarette. It was a long obnoxious drag- the kind that old men take after a hard drink.

"What?"

"I thought you'd be done by now." His eyes met with hers-those imitimidating dark brown eyes, she felt as if they could see straight through her.

She could feel the hot glare moving up and down her body while fighting the indulgence of making him feel the same glare. She forced her eyes away from his.

'I thought you'd be done…and ready for another.' He thought to himself. 'Ready…for another night- spent with me…."

"Would you excuse me for a sec?" Jill raised her body from the seat; her dress adhered to her ageless form giving Carlos the chance to devour it with his eyes.

The heat began to escape the nearer she had gotten to the bathroom door. A sense of paranoia and suffocation had swept the air surrounding her, and although she escaped it for a brief set of minutes, it waited patiently for her to exit the bathroom.

She exhaled.

Her eyes stared back at her in the large beveled mirror that decorated the unembellished wall. The memories she had fought to suppress had begun to reawaken themselves- reintroducing confusion within her already frail subconscious. It was the ultimate feeling of betrayal- being betrayed by someone yet betraying that very same person. She hung her head low so that her face hovered above the bowl and away from her eyes.

A sigh of great grief escaped her mouth- shameful.

The valves of the sink were antique knobs made entirely of bronze that seemed as though royalty had touched them countless times. They were crafted with such beauty and skill that the average person would most likely be too ashamed to touch it after relieving themselves.

Her eyes examined them. The unusually smooth mirror-like surface shimmered beautifully and allowed for her to see a clear dwindled image of herself; symbolizing how she truly felt at the moment. Shrunken, like a balloon after deflation.

She raised her head to the sight of her own reflection once again- staring at the tired eyes, the soft lines of bitterness that trimmed the corners of her mouth, the smooth skin of her cheeks, and the chestnut brown strands of her hair. She hadn't seen herself in a while- at least her true self, and this was yet another example of what she didn't see. The burning sensation of newly formed sadness began to form within her eyelids; she wanted nothing more than to just be left at this place- in this moment. Alone. Away from the world. From Carlos. And even from Chris.

She brought this upon herself…and she knew it.

She twisted one of the valves allowing the water to flow into the olive porcelain basin. Her hands cradled the water as it poured from the elegant faucet. Its hot sting didn't seem to bother her at all; it was oddly the only thing that felt normal to her at this moment. She opened her eyes and lowered her face closer to the sink and without further delay the hot water splashed onto her face. She sighed pleasantly.

Deep down inside she had hoped he'd be gone when she got back to the outside world however she also wanted him to be sitting there waiting for her like he normally would. Staring at her as if he were her master- as if she were to obey every command he had set. She had fallen victim to a fear she had loathed for a long time- that is to be controlled.

She paused before opening the door.

His eyes caught her attention with an abruptness similar to an explosion. They pierced her from the great distance from where she stood.

He watched her.

The soft silhouette of Jill's body painted a pleasant image in a maroon shade against the tawny light of the morning that shown softly through the large windows of the café. He traced the curvy lines of her hips with his eyes before running them down to her legs and then up to see the delicacy of her face. Although he couldn't quite see it's immaculate beauty in the low-lit room, he pictured the beautiful blue eyes, soft lips, and high cheeks.

He smiled at her blank facial expression.

"Are you ok, Belleza?" he asked.

Jill responded to the name by looking up at him as if it were the one she was given at birth. She remembered hearing him say it. She struggled to not give in and fall back into the hole she was finally managing to climb out of.

"Yeah…I'm alright." She said while relaxing into the chair.

"You just seem…tense." He said.

"I'm fine…really."

"Isn't this similar to when we first met?" he asked. "Only that time…I convinced you to come home with me." He smiled- cocky.

"That wasn't the first time we met." Jill snapped back in attempt to avoid falling into temptation.

"Oh?" he ashes the cigarette for its last time.

"When was our first time then?"

She remained silent hanging her head down so that her eyes set parallel to her revealed thighs. She was ashamed.

"…Don't worry- I haven't forgotten…" he said. He smashed the head of the cigarette into the bottom of the ashtray- extinguishing it along with the enticing moments spent with the woman he fancied.

"I'll see you later Valentine…" he said while standing from his seat.

She watched him rise.

"Give me a call sometime…" he smiled at her before bending down to kiss her. "I'll be in town for a few more days."

She accepted the fatal blow without a fight, it was something she couldn't control and she had a hard time trying to figure out why that was the case.

Jill had no problem with responding when it came down to taking control of a situation that was obviously reprehensible, but this one left her motionless- unable to even think. It was as if she had been waiting for him to do it the entire time they sat there. His lips were soft yet firm, and held a pride about them that let her know that he knew of this himself.

She briefly remembered feeling them everywhere, touching every inch of her body- hungrily. Leaving behind a hot trail of lust.

The thought tingled her insides to the point of numbness. She could remember feeling this way for the first time- in a long time. Her body craved to feel it once more.

She remained in the same position even after the kiss had broken. Her eyes watched the back of him as he walked away; they were expressionless, as if the kiss had taken everything out of her.

And it surely did.

1:30 pm

"Dammit…" Jill said to herself.

Her eyes were locked onto the screen before her. Her fingers appropriately positioned onto the keyboard, her leg restlessly moving from side to side- it was evident that her thoughts were overwhelming her.

picking up Lauren on time from school

getting home to start dinner,

going to the grocery to get the dinner,

meeting the deadline for the new article…all forced by her own consent.

All to block out a list of thoughts she had hoped to never revisit.

Seeing him again was the very first on that list.

Feeling those things towards him was most likely the second.

Going back to him was without a doubt the third.

"Goddammit." Her head rested on her hand- impatiently.

Her want for him had begun to intensify- the desire for him conquered all she had known to be pure until she was brought back to reality when Chris returned. When she had almost given in to her intuition- the want to be loved, adored, needed by someone, she was reminded that her heart had already been promised to another.

She swore to herself to never go back, to never see him again, to never feel those feelings towards him again.

Once again, it felt like she was losing herself. She closed her eyes and drifted into comatose.

"Jill?" the sudden voice burst out of the intercom on her desk.

"Jill…are you there?" it spoke once more.

She remained silent- her head still perched low onto her arm. She had been dreaming like a child- vividly. She could hear the footsteps in the distance of someone approaching her office doors. She sighed annoyingly and waited for them to enter.

The young girl knocked twice on the door before opening it.

"Jill…" she asked wearingly. She entered the large office. Her eyes looked around at the French inspired décor. There were three large windows that crowned the circular wall in the rear behind Jill's desk. Giving the room a prestigious feel similar to the oval office. On the walls hung numerous portraits of Lauren and Chris as well as a few of herself from vacations they sometimes took. Framed articles that were well accepted by critics also decorated the walls; they gave the office a small sense of pride. She made note of the two loveseats that sat on either side of the office close to the door giving the feeling of warmth and coziness. Her eyes then locked onto Jill.

She walked closer to the desk looking at the melancholic display set upon it.

Jill looked up at the sudden approach.

"Are you o.k.?" she asked.

"…yeah, just resting my eyes." Jill replied. "What did you need?" Her voice held a soft and tired scratch.

"Chris is here…did you want me to let him in?"

Jill's face flushed red at the unexpected visit; she was physically and mentally not ready to encounter him. Her body encased a heat that made her want to avoid him simply because it was a heat that was ignited by someone else.

She inhaled a deep breath of the stale air that succumb her office; the rich smell of fresh paint mixed with the pungent odor of mothballs.

Note to self-get nag champa...

"You can let him in," she said while sitting up straight into her chair. "Thanks Lynn…"

The young girl turned and nodded to assure Jill that it was simply her job.

Seconds later the door reopened revealing the familiar face she had hoped to see for the longest time but couldn't stand to see at this current moment. It was if she was morbidly excited but at the same time disappointed by his arrival.

She ironically chose to feel this way.

He stood in the doorway- his firm body kept the door ajar; he stared at her behind wide eyes and a zealous smile.

She could sense something exciting him beneath the facade.

"Guess what?" he shut the door behind him.

"What?" she responded as if it were a response to a joke.

"I got it…"

"Got what?"

He walked further into the office, slinging his jacket onto one of the French deco seats in front of her desk.

"The promotion…"

There was a brief silence that followed.

"Oh my God that's great!" her voice held a delight that was far from factual. She sounded as if she were forced to pretend; she was happy to hear of his accomplishment yet angry at his neglect to confront the problem that she believed was quite obvious.

"Yeah isn't it?" He walked even closer.

"So…what does this mean?"

"This means…" he spoke while walking around her desk. "…I take you out to dinner tonight…" He wrapped his arms around her nimble frame; and with the deepest of passion, he kissed her twitching lips.

He looked into her eyes and could see minor disappointment afterwards.

"What's the matter?" he asked concerned.

"Oh...nothing." she withdrew from the embrace. "I just kinda had dinner planned for us tonight."

"It can wait for another day…this is really important. Really life changing- for us. I want to talk to you about it more tonight…just you and me."

Jill stared at the large window of her office; it overlooked the eastern horizon of the city. Her eyes focused on the street below studying the slow movement of cars through the midday traffic. She could hear his voice in the back of her mind although she paid hardly any attention to what was being said; all she focused on was his mention of 'you and me' and the shame she felt for no longer feeling that union.

"We won't have to worry about anything anymore- Jill. They increased my salary by…"

"That's not important Chris." She spoke with quick fierceness in her voice.

It caused Chris to look at her without the confidence he had before she spoke.

She was aggravated by the sudden thought of him using his financial gain as a means of her sticking around. She took a great offense to it. She felt like he was trying to imply her leaving like he did.

"What matters is…" she suddenly paused from her thoughts. 'Whether or not you'll leave us again...' she thought silently. She shook off the thought as to not mention it out loud.

"What matters is…that you are happy with it." Her smile cleverly hid the true feelings that harbored her soul.

"I am, but it's not me who matters in this equation…" She looked at him, slightly aggravated.

"I care more about you and Lauren's well being."

She falsely smiled yet again; this time to suppress the angry tears that had already began to appear.

"I'll make it special tonight…don't worry Jill. It's the least I can do…"

She looked up at him with hopefulness in her eyes as she awaited the apology she dreamt of hearing, his expression of regret for leaving the family for five months without notice.

He continued to speak.

"For dropping by here without notice…" He smiled while embracing her once more. His warmth reminded her of the safety she often felt around him yet the words he spoke made the embrace feel similar to smoldering.

She had been waiting since the previous night for an apology from him and was disappointed that she still didn't hear it.

He kissed her lips tenderly, running his fingers through the lengthy strands of her hair with one hand, supporting her back with the other.

"I will see you tonight." He said between the kiss. Jill stared into his eyes; she was still in disbelief at his failure to apologize. She felt as if the connection they once shared had been incinerated along with her patience, love, trust, and willpower.

He had already started to approach the door before she caught his attention once more.

"Wait Chris." she wanted to tell him how she felt, every nerve in her body wanted to pour out to him how he left her to rot alone without any hopes of ever seeing his face again. But alas, her courage could never overthrow his own.

He turned to her.

"Is Lauren coming with? We can't just leave her at home by herself."

"Oh yeah…that's also what I had to tell you- I'm picking my sister up from the airport today around 3:45. She's coming down to visit for a while."

"Claire's coming?" she asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Yeah…she really wants to see you and Lauren."

"That's perfect!" Jill felt a minor relief. To have help with Lauren was a godsend.

"I'll be heading out to Lauren's school around 3:15 so we should be home by the time you get there."

"We'll meet you at home then…" he said before winking at her. She leaned against the front of the desk, smiling insipidly and watched his exit.

3:25 pm

Jill's hands traced the curvature of the steering wheel as she sat waiting in the car. Her eyes moved around at the setting around her. She had been sitting there for ten minutes although it felt more like thirty. In her mind it may as well have been. She sighed a breathe of dismay at the thoughts that swept through her mind, they were dark and degrading and driving her to the point of insanity.

When or if you ever betray someone - remember that it is only because you were once a victim of it. – The words she dreaded hearing but respected each time they were mentioned.

Her father spoke them frequently. He told her this at a very young age, at the time when she found out of his affair, the incident that fractured her trust, in any person. She eventually learned the truth behind it all thus giving her a reason to accept his words as guidance. She often hated the fact that she was like him but couldn't deny that she was his child and that they shared similarities that were impossible to change.

Jill focused on the school that was adjacent to her position. The sign that stood next to the building span a great length nearly to the top were it displayed the name of the institution as well as the futile motto.

Lane Park Elementary School;Where mind, body, and soul can work as one.

"Why isn't it all working for me right now?" she wondered.

She sighed and tilted her head back against the seat allowing the afternoon breeze to sweep against her face and hoping that it would lift her out of the car and to a far away place.

Seconds later the front doors of the school opened with fury, the sound of laughter roared from a stampede of running children- escaping the hardships of the day. She watched the many unfamiliar faces pass by until she spotted the red-haired lass.

With a honk of the horn Lauren's head jolted in her direction.

"Hi Mommy!" she yelled while getting into the car.

"Hey scarlet how was your day?"

"It was boring…I'm so glad it's over."

"Yeah…my day was rather boring also."

"We did do something fun though…" Lauren unclasps the clamps of her lunch box revealing a drawing of what looked to be her family. "We had Art for an hour!" she pulled it out to show.

"Wow honey- that's amazing!" Jill's spirits were temporarily uplifted.

"So what did you do today?" Lauren asked.

"The same…" the corresponding response to Carlos' question. She realized it.

"Wrote about some stupid plan to open up a giant toy store downtown…" Lauren's eyes lit up with delight. "But I don't think you'd be interested in that…" Jill laughed to herself.

"Toys…c'mon anything to do with that I'm interested in."

Jill looked over at her daughter and smiled.

"I was only joking scarlet…"

"Oh well…that would be awesome if they really did build a giant one."

The harsh air that filled the car once before became mellow and comedic from the innocent beauty bestowed by the child. Lauren eased Jill's pain and sanity although at times she would be the major component for it. During times like this it was attention she without a doubt needed.

"What's for dinner tonight?" the infamous question Jill loathed to hear daily.

"Well I was planning on making something…but your Dad changed plans. He's taking me out tonight."

Lauren looked disappointed. "What about me? What am I supposed to eat?"

"I don't know…my dust?" Jill smirked.

"I'm kidding. We won't leave you hanging dear."

"Well still—what am I gonna eat?"

"That's for you and Claire to decide."

"Claire?"

"Mmm-hmm."

" …as in Aunt Claire?"

"Yep"

"Sweet!" Lauren became excited.

"Your Dad should be at the airport waiting for her." Jill gazed into the rearview mirror at herself and then at the traffic behind her.

Lauren drifted off into sleep as the long drive home proceeded.

Jill looked over to her and smiled at the peaceful look upon her daughter's face. She envied her- wishing she could relive the days of childhood. The carefree and innocent days of life when everything seemed simple and nothing mattered; everything was taken for granted, and if mistakes were made they could easily be taken back. Now everything was completely opposite.

She sighed at the true harshness of reality.

The sky began to fill with darkness as the clouds smothered the evening sunlight and welcomed in a night of quiet storms. She could sense it.

They arrived home, and without hesitation, rushed into the house as the first set of raindrops showered unto the land.