Past Mistakes
Chapter 3
Christine had achieved everything she had ever wanted, but not with who she wanted. The girls were great and she loved them dearly, but she missed Mike. As she prepared for her meeting with the Navy people, a sense of dread filled her. Could she ask about Mike? How would she explain herself? It was going to be tough. She looked into her full-length mirror. She was wearing a knee length pencil skirt, a feminine blouse with lace and ribbons, and stiletto heels. Her clients expected her to look a certain way, and Christine had daughters who were passionate about her wardrobe. Just then, Emma waddled into Christine's walk-in closet. She was wearing bib overalls with a striped shirt and her dark curly hair was in braided pigtails.
"You look pretty, Mama." Emma said.
"Thank you. Do you want to pick out my jewelry?" Christine asked. It was an every morning ritual with Emma.
"Yes!" Emma said and ran for Christine's vanity where all the jewelry was. She began looking through the holders and picked an old locket that Mike had given Christine on their first anniversary, along with a pair of hoops that he also had bought her after one of their many arguments and a bracelet from Katie.
"Perfect. Now, are you ready for your day with Hannah?" Christine asked.
"Yeah. We are going to have a movie day since its raining." Emma said with a smile. She loved her big sisters deeply. Christine was putting the jewelry on and smiled down at Emma.
"Good. I have meetings this morning, but if I can, I'll get done early and watch movies with you guys." Christine said as she retouched her lipstick. She put a tiny amount of her index finger and touched Emma's lips with it, another morning ritual.
"Yay!" Emma said. Despite Christine's misgivings about her, Emma was innocent and she only knew to love Christine. She was not sure what she would do when Emma began questioning who her father was.
"I'll try really hard. Let's go downstairs?" Christine said. She took Emma's hand in hers and grabbed her designer purse. Her hair was done in a loose but stylish bun and she looked like an ad for a model agency. She led Emma down the grand staircase and then followed her into the kitchen where Christine's housekeeper and trusted friend, Rosalie, was fixing breakfast.
"Little Miss, your pancakes are almost ready. Christine; here is your smoothie, but promise me that you will eat an actual lunch? You are getting too thin." Rosalie requested. She was only five years older then Christine, but she tended to 'mother' Christine and was like an aunt to the girls
"Thank you Rosalie. Emma, could you sit down at the table so you aren't under Rosalie's feet?" Christine asked.
"Yes, Mama." Emma said before sitting down at the table in the kitchen nook. Christine walked over with the plate of pancakes and a fork. She sat it down in front of Emma and then gave her a kiss on the top of the head.
"Thank you, sweet pea. Behave for Rosalie and Hannah, okay?" Christine said.
"Yes." Emma said as she stuffed pancake into her mouth. It reminded Christine of Lucas but she shrugged the memory away and concentrated on Rosalie.
"Where's Hannah and Katie?" Christine asked.
"Hannah is getting ready. She's such a sleepy head. Katie had an early meeting with a new distributor for window treatments. She was out of the door before seven." Rosalie said. Katie interned for Christine, and she loved working with the interior design part of Christine's business.
"Good. I will be available by cell, but I do have my meeting with the Navy people. Wish me luck." Christine said. She grabbed her smoothie and a go cup of coffee.
"Good luck. Are you going to ask after Mike?" Rosalie asked.
"I don't know. It depends." Christine said.
"Just remember, Katie and Hannah need him and while you are strong and confident; you want him." Rosalie remarked.
"And her?" Christine said, glancing at Emma who was eating her pancakes.
"If he is the man that you describe, he will rise to the occasion." Rosalie said.
"Maybe." Christine answered before heading out the door. She would text Hannah and Katie good morning once she got to her office. The drive to her office was fast since she lived and worked in the Coral Gables area and her very efficient secretary already had the conference room set up with coffee, donuts, fruit and bagels. Christine glanced over the selection and remembered Mike complaining about the lack of protein in such layouts. She made sure her secretary knew to keep the coffee coming and set up the easels with the floor plans of the different residence, along with example pictures of her designs. She heard Cassie; her secretary, greet someone but Christine was concentrating on one of the designs so she didn't look up. It wasn't until she heard a familiar voice that she looked beyond the rim of her glasses.
"Is there coffee?" Mike asked Cassie as they walked in. Mike was with a younger woman who had a notepad in hand. She must have been his assistant.
"Yes, sir. This is the CEO of our company, Christine…" Cassie started.
"Mike?" Christine asked in disbelief.
"Christine?" Mike also asked.
"Cassie; could you leave us, please?" Christine asked.
"Yes, ma'am." Cassie said, while making a fast exit. She didn't have to be told twice.
"Lt. Adams, please leave also." Mike said, addressing his assistant, while not taking his eyes off Christine.
"Sir, we have a tight schedule…" Lt. Adams argued.
"NOW! That's an order!" Mike demanded.
"Sir…" Lt. Adams said.
"Please?" Christine begged.
"Okay, but we only have…" Lt. Adams continued as she made for the door.
"GO!" Mike shouted. With that Lt. Adams was out of the conference room, but Christine suspected she didn't go back to the front lobby.
"How?" Christine asked as the tears spilled over.
"I could ask you the same question. Are the girls…alive?" Mike asked. Christine pointed at a chair and they both settled at the table.
"Both are alive and doing very well. They will be thrilled." Christine said.
"Oh, thank God. So, how?" Mike asked.
"It's a long and painful story and your assistant said you had a full day?" Christine said, trying to stall. How was she going to explain Emma?
"Christine; please?" Mike begged. She got up and fixed him a cup of coffee and grabbed him a muffin and fruit to prepare herself. It was going to really hard.
"There was an exposure of Deer Park, and I got myself and the girls out of there. I knew that you were involved in something but didn't know what. I was approached by a man. His name was Croft. We heard that you all had delivered the cure, but Croft convinced me that we were safe. That you would come for us once things got better and that he was protecting us from the Immunes. I believed it, every line. Then, he handed us off to an Allison Shaw. I assume you knew her? Anyway, she had me and the girls hid away, and initially, I thought all would be fine, but it become obvious she was crazy and she allowed her…men…to do things to me. I only wanted to protect the girls." Christine paused, trying to keep the tears at bay.
"What kind of things?" Mike asked quietly.
"One in particular…I don't even know his name…he raped me repeatedly. Beat me bloody. They hired this woman; Rosalie to keep me quiet and to nurse me. She was duped, but was wonderful to me. You'll meet her later. We were able to keep the girls completely safe and innocent, but it was hard on me. About three months in, I realized that I was pregnant. I don't have to tell you, but you are not the father. I really wish you were. At the time, abortions were illegal and I couldn't give the baby up for adoption. Shaw had been killed, and her people scattered. I…didn't even know how to reach you or how to trust anyone. I was depressed, scared, lonely. I tried to kill myself when I was eight months along. Slit my wrist, but Rosalie found me and somehow, kept me alive. They got me fixed up, but by the time I woke up, they had performed a C-section. Her name is Emma Elizabeth. The girls had gotten attached, so I couldn't leave her at the hospital. Rosalie took care of her until I could wrap my head around it all. It has not always been easy, and there are days that its really hard, but Emma is a sweet little girl. I've grown to love her and she loves the girls and I. The housing market here was insane, and I was able to get licensed quickly. I built all this, but I really missed you; so, so much." Christine explained. She was sitting across from Mike and had taken ahold of his hands, not knowing what else to do. He was still wearing his wedding band, but she couldn't get a read off of him.
"Once everything settled down, you never tried to reach out?" Mike asked.
"No. I was afraid of who to trust. I would have had to in order to reach you and I wasn't sure exactly how, and you have been all over the world." Christine commented.
"True. I have no idea what to do with all this." Mike remarked as he rubbed his face.
"It will take time to digest it all, but I'm sure you want to see Katie and Hannah?" Christine asked.
"Of course." Mike said.
"Mike; I know things were rough between us, and I know I told you that I was going to divorce you, but I honestly didn't want to. All I've thought about the last several years is you. How much I missed you and wanted you back. I regret everything that was said that day. But, Emma? She is a part of my life and part of the girls' lives. She is part of the equation now and I don't expect you to raise her. If you want out, I understand." Christine said.
"I need time to digest it all, but I've missed you as well. I also never wanted a divorce." Mike commented.
"Of course." Christine said as she stood up, not knowing how to proceed. Mike also stood and they both walked around the table. As soon as they were in a few feet of one another, Mike pulled her into a hug. At first, she started panicking and then she remembered, it was her husband hugging her. The last person in the world that would ever hurt her, so she leaned in to his chest and prayed he could find a way to accept Emma. She wasn't sure what she would do if he didn't.