Chapter Fourteen

"What's going on over there? You are too silent," Diane looked into the rearview mirror again to check on the kids.

She wasn't used to not hearing their voices during a car drive, except when they were sleeping, but that usually only happened on their way back. It was too early for them to sleep, even lunchtime was still far away.

"We're fine," Emma replied, clipping the words and it made Diane suspicious.

"Do you have something in your mouth?" she leaned backwards to look at her daughter who quickly turned her head in the other direction.

"No," she replied shortly.

"Look at me and open your mouth," she ordered, already suspecting what was going on.

Emma slowly turned in her direction and instead of opening her mouth she spit something into her palm.

"Here," she said, holding out her hand and Diane quickly took out a tissue and grabbed the small white thing with it.

"What have I told you about gums?"

"That you don't like them."

"I don't like finding them glued under the table or inside the wardrobes, not to mention your clothes and books."

"I'm not doing that anymore."

"Because we are not giving you gums anymore. Where did you get this?"

"I found it."

"Where?"

"In daddy's drawer."

"What were you doing in my drawer?" Will interfered with slight indignation in his voice.

"Why? Are you hiding something in there?" Diane turned to him curiously.

"Just gums," he shrugged.

"You're setting a nice example," she smiled, but already forgot her anger. She bent down to her bag and took out an apple, "Why don't you eat this instead?" she offered the fruit to her daughter who just made a face.

"No, thank you."

"Ok," she replied and bit into the apple herself, "You want a bite?" she held it out towards Will who also took a bite. She wanted to compliment him for setting a good example, but she knew he didn't really like apples himself, so she didn't want to push it.

"Are we there yet?" Nat sounded impatient, but it was understandable because they had been sitting in the car for more than an hour now.

"Almost there buddy," Will replied, glancing in the mirror before turning his attention back to the road again.

They planned to spend the weekend out of town, because Will thought it was the only way to keep her away from the new office. Normally she would have protested it, but she knew they needed some family time after what they had been through during the last weeks because of her.

"You should have left that damn thing at home," Will sounded a bit frustrated when her phone started to ring again and this was the third time during their drive. He would have made her leave her phone at home as well if he had been able to, but no matter how much he wanted her to leave work behind he knew he wasn't safe either, unexpected calls belonged to both of their lives.

"Yes?" she answered her phone, intending to make it quick this time. It was Evelyn, who spent the morning in the office, where she should have been as well. She had a guilty conscience, but it wouldn't have been different had she been there and not with her family that day.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I just wanted to let you know that the flower stands you've ordered finally arrived and they look incredible. I think we're officially ready to open."

"Perfect. Will you take a photo for me?"

"They are already in your mailbox."

"Thank you," she really appreciated how Evelyn seemed to read her mind most of the time.

"Is it Evelyn? Can I talk to her for a sec?"

Diane was surprised to hear Will interfere in their conversation, but she saw no harm in putting her cell on speaker, she knew Evelyn and Will got on well with each other.

"Will wants to tell you something, so I'll put you on speaker."

"Sure."

"Hey, I know I'm not your boss anymore, but it's the weekend already and I'm sure you have better things to do then sit around in an empty office while your boss is having fun out here with us."

"It's ok, I'm heading home shortly, I just needed to make sure we're all set for our first day on Monday."

"Good, that was what I wanted to hear."

"I promise not to call again."

"I appreciate it," Will replied and Diane rolled her eyes as she switched her phone back from speaker mode.

"Just call me if anything comes up, don't listen to him," she tried to ignore Will's reaction, who was most likely more than ready to just throw her phone out of the car in front of them and smash it, "And thank you for everything. Have a great weekend, see you on Monday!"

"You too. Bye."

"Bye," she hung up and turned to her husband with her phone in her hand, "Was it really necessary?"

"Yes. It's not like the office won't be there on Monday."

"But my flower stands have arrived, wanna look at them?" she opened her mailbox to check out the photos.

"I have seen them already before you ordered them."

"But these are different, because they are mine," she said, looking proudly at the photos. She had been in love with those flower stands from the moment she had laid eyes on them. It had taken her forever to find what she'd been looking for and it had seemed like forever to finally get them, but they were there already, they were officially ready to launch this boat.

"You know I'm happy for you and for your flower stands," Will replied in a more relaxed tone, it must have affected him how happy she was about the new delivery.

"And you promise not to interfere with my business again?"

"You haven't even opened yet, but you make that girl work on the weekends already."

"No, I don't. It was her choice, you heard her, she wanted to make sure we are all set."

"So now that you are all set, can you turn off your phone, pretty please?"

"You know I can't do that."

"But that is what we want, right guys?"

"Riiiight!" the kids shouted from behind and although Diane thought it wasn't fair to involve the kids in this, she knew it was probably time to forget about work for a short while.

"What about I turn off the sound and I'll only check it in each hour?"

Will took a few seconds to consider her offer before he replied.

"Deal, but I want that thing out of my sight now."

"Just let me take another look at my new flower stands first," Diane said and it made Will chuckle.

"So what do you guys say if mommy sang with you for the rest of the ride? Time will fly by this way."

"Yaaaay!" came the enthusiastic reply from both sides and Diane couldn't help chucking herself.

"So what do you want us to sing first?" she asked as she hid her phone in her purse and intended to keep her promise not to have a look at it for at least an hour, maybe more.