It has been an extremely long time since I have written anything! Thank you to everyone who has continued to read my workout throughout the years and continue to support my journey! You all have encouraged me to add on to this story. Hopefully I do it the justice it deserves. Thank you.

CHAPTER 12

Seeing Sam outside working on the yard made Mercedes realize that she really had to get a grip on the state of her home. It was not nearly ass bad as it had been the last time Sam visited, but there was still plenty work to do. Mercedes desperately wanted a shower to wash away the events of the day but instead she began loading the dishwasher and opened the windows to let some fresh air in.

When Mercedes felt she'd done enough cleaning for the day, she got ready for the bath she had been longing for all day. A call on her cell phone interrupted her music playing through her Bluetooth speakers. It was Sam. Mercedes looked at the caller ID unsure if she was going to answer. She watched for a few more seconds before the screen went blank, letting her know that Sam had hung up. She knew what he wanted to talk about. All the work that she had put into hiding her pregnancy went out the window when he saw her coming out of Sydney's car earlier. In the moment she was grateful that he hadn't brought it up but she knew that it was only a matter of time before he did. Afterall, It was a surprise to him too. Mercedes promised herself that she was going to call him back in the morning, maybe invite him to breakfast so they could talk. Just as she was deciding on the best way to invite him, she received an alert notifying her of a voicemail. Mercedes picked her phone and pressed "1" to hear the message.

"Hey, its Sam. Ummmm. I know it has been a while since we spoke, but I wanted to tell you that I haven't forgotten what today is. Through everything I hope you believe me when I say you are still and will always be the one true love of my life. Even though I know I no longer deserve you, I hope to never lose you. My heart is hurting knowing what I have done to you and our family. I will never stop trying to heal these wounds. Seeing you today made me even more sure of that. If you give me another chance, I swear on my life we will never ever have another anniversary like this again."

Mercedes had completely forgotten about their anniversary. She checked that calendar just to make sure. "Damn you Sam!" Mercedes cried aloud at the realization. Never had the pair celebrated an anniversary apart. Sam would always plan extravagant celebrations for their anniversary. Mercedes thought back to their 5th anniversary. It was by far the best surprise anyone has ever given her. Mercedes was scheduled to film a commercial all day on their anniversary so all day Sam kept reassuring her that there would just be a quiet dinner afterward with just the two of them. What he failed to tell her was that dinner was happening in another country. Sam had charted a private jet to fly the couple to Santorini, Greece. As the drive to the airport Mercedes kept passing billboards on the highway wishing her a happy anniversary. At the Hangar, pink rose pedals adorned a red carpet leading up the stairs to the massive jet. Mercedes was now accustomed to flying in jets now, but she was still stunned by the time and detail that went into all of Sam's planning. Once boarded, Mercedes saw that the plates were made to look like vinyl versions of their wedding music album. The wine they were served was the same as their wedding and dinner was her favorite, Lollipop lamb chops, grilled asparagus and roasted red potatoes. For dessert, the pair shared a yogurt parfait prepared with fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries topped with granola and drizzled with honey. All the exhaustion melted away from Mercedes when the stewardess escorted her to the private quarters where a masseuse awaited. Sam and Mercedes barely exchanged words on the flight. He just kept staring at how beautiful his wife looked and how happy he was that she was enjoying all her surprises. The next morning when the duo arrived in Greece, they received the same five-star airport treatment as boarding, the driver escorted them to the Carpe Diem hotel. Sam and Mercedes were in complete awe of their private villa. Although the songstress was used to lavish resorts and hotel rooms, she had never seen such a beautiful view of the ocean. The entire fourth wall of their suite was a window with a sliding glass door that opened to a private heated pool that overlooked the most beautiful panoramic view of the ocean. Sam and Mercedes decided to sleep in that morning and enjoy the city for its famous night life when they awakened.

Mercedes pulled herself back to reality just as she heard the splash of the water hitting the tiled floor. She dashed to the faucet to turn off the water and drain some of the water. "what happened to us?' Mercedes asked out loud. "How could I have missed this. There had to have been some signs, something that told me that things were off between us". Mercedes entered the bathtub, frustrated that she couldn't remember a time where she felt like Sam was unhappy or unfaithful. Mercedes decided that after her bath, she would call her husband. She knew that there was a lot to discuss, and they were running out of time. As the warm water encapsulated Mercedes, she hoped the lavender she added to the bath would help to release some of her stress. She closed her eyes, breathed deep breaths and let the tears flow from her eyes freely. She knew didn't know what would come of her marriage, but she knew she had to prepare for whatever came. After all, she was soon to be a mom to three