Doing it For the Kids

Doing it for the Kids - Chapter 15

The twins enjoyed their few hours with Michael and as Violet led him to the front door, he turned to her, his face full of earnest.

"I know you hate me, I've not made the right choices so many times, but thank you for agreeing to this, I don't deserve it Violet, but thank you. They are great children and you and your mother did a great job."

She smiled in contemplation, "actually it was my mother that made the wrong choices.....repeatedly. I don't hate you; I just don't know you or trust you. I'm sure if we take things easy that will change."

He nodded, "I'm not trying to take them away from you."

Violet tried to smile, "yet! I'm expecting that to change too. I won't do anything to block that in the future if it's what the kids want, but at the moment I'm their legal guardian, and what I say goes."

Shaking her hand enthusiastically he smiled, "you are more gracious than I'd be in your position!"

"What can I say? I snap if I'm pushed!"

He laughed, "That I can imagine!"

"What shall we do?" she asked the children as they came down from the high of unrestricted attention from their father.

They finally settled on pizza, and as they waited on a delivery she phoned around manically. She needed to get to St Moritz, and she needed to get there the next day. Matt stepped up, he and Jo were at a loose end that weekend, and since Christmas he'd been pushing Violet to make up whatever differences she had with Hendrick. As soon as she mentioned going to see him, he offered to have the children Saturday the next day and Sunday. So once they were asleep she rushed onto the Internet and organized a flight. It wasn't easy! She had to fly to Milan on a six am flight, then hire a car and drive through the snowy Alps for about three hours. It wasn't the most appetizing thought, but she supposed there was no other way. Matt arrived later that night to sleep at hers as she had to go to the airport in the early hours.

Violet packed a small bag as light as she could and got a taxi to the airport. The budget airline to Milan got her there but there were no frills or breakfast. So in Milan she ate a decent breakfast, found her hire car and with a deep breath headed out into the midday sun. As she drove higher and higher, it started to look far more ominous, large banks of snow skirted the roads and icicles hung precariously from bridges and lamp posts.

As soon as she started to see signs for St Moritz she relaxed a little. But the dark clouds were getting darker, she had no confidence driving in heavy snow and the thought made her nervous.

The resort was easy to find, the biggest and most luxurious, perched on the mountain overlooking

the town, the lake, the ski runs. She'd never been as relieved as she was to pull into the underground parking lot as large flakes of snow had just started to cover the car.

Everything about the hotel was plush. Behind the reception desk were liveried reception staff who whilst helpful seemed aloof, she realized in her jeans and thick coat she was more casually dressed than the other women floating around the reception, and definitely said 'High Street' compared to the obvious designer attire on display.

She lifted her chin and carried on regardless, "I am looking for Mr Hendrick Kaiser. I understand he is staying here?"

The tight-lipped man who heard her request tapped into his computer before easing his face into a slight smile.

"I'll try his room for you...." he tapped away and presumably listened through his head set to an unanswered ringing tone. "I'm sorry he's not answering, he may be out on the piste?"