Chapter 15: Away from him
The flight had been absolutely nerve wrecking. Kelly had taken the window seat, Anthony the aisle seat. She had been staring out of the window for most of the trip. Although Anthony had suggested his sister get some rest, Kelly couldn't stop thinking about how her kids were going to react when they saw her. Would they still recognize her? Would they be happy to see her? What would they say? All worst case scenarios entered her mind; she fumbled with her fingers almost non-stop, leaving her meal untouched which left the flight attendant asking her if she were all right. Kelly let out a long sigh when the intercom finally said: 'Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts please. We are preparing for landing at Nice Airport. Estimated touchdown in 30 minutes.' It was a smooth landing; as soon as the plane stopped, Kelly unbuckled, got up, took her bag from the overhead compartment and headed for the exit. Kelly and her brother were the first to get off the plane. They didn't need to go to baggage reclaim since they didn't bring any big suitcases. They went to the arrival's hall and looked for Hermes and Helena. Hundreds of people roaming around, but Kelly immediately spotted them. Hermes looked her way; his arms lifting up a big colorful sign saying 'WELCOME SUPER MAMA'. The sign was one thing, but seeing the big smile on her son's face meant so much more to Kelly. She ran to him, and Hermes came running towards her. As they made their way to each other, she could hear her daughter scream: 'MA-MA'. Daniel must have put their daughter down because her little feet were catching up with Hermes. There were no doubts in Kelly's mind any longer. Yes, they still recognized her? And yes, they were definitely happy to see her. No, no words needed to be spoken, Kelly dropped down on her knees and welcomed Hermes into her arms. How she had missed him. Helena reached them just a fragment of a second later. There was enough room in Kelly's arms to hug both of her kids. 'I have missed you guys so much' Kelly managed to stutter between sniffs of utter joy, hugging her kids as tight as she possibly could. 'Mama, I made you a sign' Hermes said. 'It's very beautiful, Hermes' Kelly said. 'And I got you this, mama' Helena said as she put a Hawaiian Lei around her mother's neck. Kelly had tears in her eyes. She hugged both of her children again. Kelly looked up at her brother, who was standing beside her and gave him a huge smile. 'Look who I brought' Kelly told the kids. They hugged their uncle and showered him with kisses. Kelly looked to where Daniel was standing just moments ago. He was nowhere to be seen; she just looked straight into the lens of a paparazzo. From the corner of her eye, she could see Daniel approaching them, undoubtedly looking forward to interrupting this happy family reunion. Kelly decided then and there she wouldn't let him. She took a few steps forward. She looked her ex straight in the eye and said: 'I'll bring them back just before I leave for New York again.' Daniel just nodded and gave her the key of the house she could stay in and a car key. 'I won't be needing those' Kelly was happy she could tell him this. How she was happy her brother had taken care of everything for her. She didn't need to depend on her ex-husband for transport or residence. She looked at Daniel with no sign of emotion, then she turned around, brought her arms around her kids and told them: 'Let's go, kids'. Not looking back, she walked away from her kids' father, away from her ex-husband, away from him.
Kelly's brother sat next to the cab driver as Kelly took the backseat. Her kids on her left and right, her hands never not touching them, her eyes never not looking at them. She was happy. The beach house was great, and she was really thankful her brother came with her. He took care of their bags, the kids' bags, he installed the kids' rooms, Kelly's room and his own. This way, Kelly had time to spend every single second with her kids. Anthony even took care of dinner, he had made a grilled steak, French fries and a salad and he had brought ice creams from the shop for all of them. Kelly didn't think her brother could cook, but here he was, being the perfect houseman. He'd definitely make a great father someday. After dinner, Kelly took a bath with her kids. Again, Kelly was in between her kids. While Hermes was investing with the spout, Helena was playing with the foam and spreading it all over her mother's face and hair. Kelly didn't mind one bit and did the same to her daughter and son. Shrieks of laughter could be heard far from the house. Anthony was on the beach, enjoying the smell of the it, seeing the waves crashing and the water covering his feet. He was happy Kelly was happy. He looked at the enlightened house, then at the cell phone in his hand, it was Kelly's. He had taken it with him when she went into the bathroom with the kids. He composed a new text: I'm so happy to be here. The kids and I are doing just fine, finally! Xoxo He doubted for a moment but he decided to send it anyway. He scrolled through Kelly's contacts and found the person he wanted to receive this message. Send…
After their bath time fun, the kids were exhausted and although they objected, Kelly said it was time for bed. Even though they each had their own bedroom, the kids wanted to sleep with their mother. Kelly told them it was okay for tonight. Knowing all too well if they asked her again tomorrow, she would let them. She lay in the middle of her King Size bed, having Hermes to her right and Helena to her left. She read them a bedtime story, but they didn't even make it till page 3. They were fast asleep. Kelly was tired as well, she put the book away and snuggled her kids closer to her. In less than five minutes she was sound asleep as well. It was her first good night rest in a long while. Only one reason for that. Her kids were all she needed. No one else. She didn't need anything or anyone else to make her happy. Not even Matthew. She was away from everything, she was away from him.