Love At First Sit

The One That Got Away...Returns

"Oh, okay," she muttered. "Thanks for the ride home." Roxanne waved, opening the gate. "I should get in. Thanks again, Wish."

She stepped inside the gate and was about to close it but paused when she heard Wish's voice.

"Roxanne?"

Her heart was fluttering as her name left his lips.

"Yes?"

"Lunch, tomorrow?" Wish crouched down to peer through the small crack between the gate and the frame.

"'Fraid not. Mommy duties. PTCA meeting tomorrow, sorry." All things considered, she felt sorry.

"Of course. Mommy duties." Wish straightened. "Give me your phone."

"What?"

"Can I borrow your phone?"

Roxanne handed over her cellphone. He dialed a number. His phone rang and he handed the phone back to her.

"There. Now you've got my number programmed in. I'd better go. I'll see you around, Foxy." He waved.

She nodded and gave him weak smile.

"Rain-check?" Roxanne asked, a little too loud.

"Call me," Wish gestured with his thumb to his ear and his little finger pointed at his mouth. He then slid into his car and drove off.

As Roxanne closed the gate behind her, happiness swelled through her at the same time as she struggled to make sense of her emotional confusion.

Turning the key in the lock, she slid open the door and, for an instant, thought she'd entered someone else's house.

The place was full of toys. Books placed over the center table, a few dolls, high-tech toy cars and some cuddly stuffed animals.

"Shit." She muttered to herself. The text the nanny had sent earlier crossed her mind.

"Mommy! You're home!" Daniella yelled happily when she noticed her standing by the door and hugged her tightly.

"Mommy, look!" Maximus ran up to her. She kissed the top of his head.

He showed his new toy truck and pulled the remote control tucked between his armpits. He pressed a few buttons that made the truck rear up on its hind wheels.

"Watch how fast I can make it go!" exclaimed Maximus as he pressed another button and the truck began zooming around the house. He dashed off as fast as he had come.

"Did grandma send us all these toys?" asked Daniella.

"Um..." Roxanne trailed off.

"Danny, come on!" Maximus called.

"Go on and play with your brother." Roxanne smiled at her daughter and sighed heavily when she ran off. "Tinay," she called softly.

"Ate?" Tinay came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Did the kids see him?" she asked in a low voice. "Did he give you his number? What did he look like?" Roxanne asked in rapid succession.

"Ate, relax. One at a time, okay?" Tinay stepped back and retrieved a note she'd hid under the refrigerator top cover. The note said:

Let me make everything right this time. - Chris

Her phone rang. "Hello, Ma," answered Roxanne warily.

"Kumusta, Ging?" her mother asked. "How are my grandchildren?" When Roxanne didn't respond immediately, she asked, "Ging-ging, is there something wrong?" Her motherly instincts had, apparently, kicked in.

"The kids are fine." Roxanne took a deep breath. "Everything's fine."

"You don't sound like it," her mother noted. "I already sent the money to your account. Pay Mrs. Francisco in full. How's the restaurant construction? I'll arrive this Friday 3 P.M. I am so excited, I can't sleep! Finally, I will be with you and my grandchildren."

Her mother, Roxette, who'd been working hard in Brussels as a caregiver, would be coming back home to the Philippines after twelve long years.

She would return home to a broken family.

"Yeah! Finally," Roxanne replied, unable to hide a deep longing for her mother to come home.

"Really, what's wrong?" her mother pressed her. "Do you still have budget? If you had only listened to me before, you would have never gone through all that hardship," her mother preached.

She had aways been a preacher, but after a series of sermons, she was always there to rescue her daughter. After all the hurt that Roxanne inflicted on her, her mother had still been supportive and loving.

"Ma," Roxanne sighed.

"I keep on telling you to ask for financial support from their bastard father."

They'd been through the topic over and over again, but Roxanne always resented the idea. She was determined to raise her kids herself.

"Here we go again," she muttered.

"God forbid, I don't know what I would do if I saw him again. Even his mother, Christina, argh...my blood is boiling at that woman's name."

"Ma," Roxanne mumbled at her mother's cursing. She bit her lip to keep the tears at bay.

"What? You kept saying Ma. What's really the problem, Roxanne Virginia?"

"Ma, he's back," Roxanne blurted.

"What? Who?"

"Chris. Chris is back."

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Hey Arcangels!

I feel so generous todayso there you have it double update!!How'd you like that? Yay! Wish is just making his moves and ex-boyfriend Chris is sneaking in! (0_0)