Playing To Win

Playing To Win; Prologue.

Ariana POV

It's been two years and life is good. My children are perfect, and I'm making good money. Aj is now almost four, and my youngest son Aaron is two years old. Andre changed me, he'd made me much wiser than I was before.

I mentally thanked him everyday for giving me the greatest gifts in the world, but at the same time I mentally shook my head in disappointment. He was wrong for leaving his child behind to raise another one. I sighed and shook my head going downstairs to get some coffee.

"Mommy." I heard Aaron yell as he ran down the steps. When he came into view I smiled and picked him up.

"Where's Aj?" I asked.

"He's sleeping." He said and I nodded pulling him onto the couch and laying him down next to me. I turned on the tv and he watched intently.

"Mommy can we go and get breakfast?" He asked and I nodded.

"Sure, go and wake your brother up." I said and he nodded quickly running back upstairs.

Walking into IHop, the boys instantly got excited. I laughed and walked up to the front desk. The middle aged boy looked up from his podium and smiled.

"Table for three, two kids." I said and he nodded grabbing the menus. He led us to a booth and we sat down. Aj looked at his menu, and Aaron looked over his shoulder. Just then a familiar looking woman walked up to our table.

"Welcome to IHop. I'll be your waitress this morning, what can I get you to drink?" She asked and I cleared my throat.

"Three raspberry lemonades." I said and she nodded walking off. I looked back at her one more time and shook my head, dropping all thoughts.

"Mommy can I get blueberries on my pancakes?" Aaron asked.

"You can get whatever you want." I said and he nodded his head. Our waitress shortly came back with our drinks.

"Are you ready to order?" She asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, can I have two fruit pancake meals. One blueberry, one peaches. Also I want the strawberry crepe with bacon." I finished and she wrote everything down.

"Your food should be done momentarily." She said walking away.

When we were finished eating I picked up their crayons and looked at our waitress once more. I left a tip and proceeded to walk up to her. She took off her apron and walked toward the front door. I peaked outside and she was being tightly squeezed by a male figure and a little girl, that I assumed to be her daughter.

As she pulled away from the hug with a smiling face, I took a look at the guy she was with and couldn't help but to smirk in disbelief. How is it even possible that everywhere I go, he follows. I put the pieces together and smiled. This was Quaja.

I sighed, and shrugged my shoulders carelessly, walking the kids outside, making the bell go off. We walked to the car and I buckled them in. I felt Andre's stare burning holes in the back of my head but I paid him no attention.

I sat on the bench at the nearby park watching the kids play around. I smiled as Aj pushed Aaron back and forth on the swing. I felt someone sit next to me.

"That's my baby, isn't it?" He asked and I nodded slowly. I never once looked up at him.

"What's his name?" He asked.

"Aaron Caleb Johnson." I said quietly and I felt his hand on top of mine, but I removed it just as fast as it came.

"Ariana." He said and I shook my head.

"I don't even want to hear it." I really had no cares for Andre and I wasn't ashamed of it. He had left his child, and that's all that I thought about. I tried to let it go, but something inside of me wouldn't let me.

"I really am sorry." He said and left a piece of paper in my lap before getting up and leaving. I shook my head in disappointment. Things were never going to change.

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