"I am so ready to be back to New York, I've missed so much work." Bryant remarked as he brought his bags down to the living room.
Violet sighed and said, "I don't know, I kinda loved this place."
"Don't worry, this won't be the last time we're here. We actually plan to have our wedding here, just ironing out a few details." Luigi answered as he helped Pat with her luggages.
"Alright, everyone is packed and ready. We'll be dropping Violet off first since Anton needed to talk to her urgently." Pat announced as everyone headed for the garage.
Shoot! Anton, I haven't thought about him in a while. Violet thought to herself as she got into the car, not knowing that she was riding with Lucas instead of Pat and Luigi.
"Hey, stranger."
Violet was so in her head that she absentmindedly got into the other car, where Lucas, Joana, Bryant and the others are riding in. Pat and Luigi's car were already heading out of the garage, leaving her sulking beside Lucas.
"Hi." She replied muttering to herself something about being stupid and stuck with her ex for a 4 to 5 hour drive back to New York.
"Do you remember your bucket list? You were so crazy about it when we were in high school." He asked, chuckling to himself as he remembered how he helped her tick off some items off the list.
Violet smiled, thinking of their hot air balloon date, among the many memories they shared because of the list. "Of course, and I still have it, I actually haven't thought about it since I left."
"You know I had plans for every single thing on that list." Lucas bragged.
"What do you mean? I don't remember ever giving it to you permanently."
Lucas chuckled, "Yeah, you didn't have to, I took a photo of that list years ago. That's what you do for the people you love, Vi. You find ways."
His words stung, she knew he didn't mean it the way it came out, and when Lucas realized how his words may have affected Violet, he quickly apologized.
Violet shook her head, "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, I know you didn't mean it that way, I still cannot imagine what I must have put you through all these years. I'm surprised you don't hate me." She looked at everyone in the car, knowing that they can hear her. "How any of you must have felt."
Bryant nudged at her side, "Well, we certainly did not have fun, we actually thought we'd only see your corpse at one point." He joked half-heartedly.
"He was amazing to me, I mean, not at the first year or two, I hated his guts and was really looking for ways to get back home, until I didn't find a reason to." She replied.
"Like we weren't enough of a reason?" Joana scoffed. Annoyed at what she was hearing out of her close friend's mouth.
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that Anton gave me enough of a reason to stay everyday. I figured you all didn't need me back so soon to bring back old scars."
"So why'd you even decide to show up now?" Bryant asked.
"It was time to come home, I wouldn't want to miss Pat's wedding for anything. And I wanted you all to see how much Anton has really changed."
"You're not making a very good case future lawyer." Lucas whispered in her ear.
Violet took a deep breath and sighed, "Guys, I know I have a LOT of making up to do, but please give Anton a chance too."
"I'll give him a chance when I see that he's worthy." Eric, her eldest brother answered.
This seemed to have ended their conversation on that topic because Lucas and Bryant began to talk about his Filipino roots and how they should all try Lumpia, a Filipino dish that his mom makes, everyone loves Lumpia, he says.
Violet couldn't remember much of what they were talking about because she ended up falling asleep.
~~
"What about Violet?" Margaux asked as they entered the car, preparing to go back home to New York.
Anton sighed, realizing that he hadn't thought about his wife since he found out about his little bambino.
"What about Violet?" Anton asked.
"You know, how are you gonna tell her?"
Shoot! I haven't thought about her this whole weekend.
Anton ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know man. I know Violet, she's gonna want me to choose you and Charles."
Margaux smiled sadly, "She hasn't changed through the years, huh? Still the same selfless girl that everyone loved and adored." She sighed. "I miss her."
"One thing I know what to do is to tell her about my son and you, no matter the consequences."
Margaux looked worriedly at her old lover, "You don't have to love me again, you don't have to get back together with me Anton. I'm the only one who still loves you and you are in no obligation whatsoever to love me back." She held his hand. "I just want you to be a part of Charles' life. I know how hard it is to grow up without a father and I don't want that for our son, especially when I know that you're here."
Anton squeezed Margaux's hand, but did not say anything further, he was more focused with what to say to Violet.
They rode the car ride home, singing to old songs they loved during their youth until they reached home.
~
Violet came home first to their apartment, she quickly flopped down their bed and set aside her luggage, too lazy to put her clothes away. She probably won't do it until a week or two.
She was awoken by strong arms wrapped around her sleeping body, she knew all too well that it was her husband's, and instead of opening her eyes, she rested in his arms and they slept.
Anton woke up in the middle of the night, suddenly hungry because of the smell of steak being cooked in their kitchen. Realizing that his wife was cooking, he got up fast.
Violet looked up from the aromatic steaks and smiled at her husband, knowing full well he'd be awoken by the smell of them. "Hey, stranger." She smiled.
Anton rubbed his eyes and stood behind her, hugging her from behind as she cooked, "I missed you." He whispered as he kissed her cheek.
Violet set aside the steaks to cool, turned off the stove and turned around to wrap her hands around his neck, "I missed you most my love." Kissing his lips.
And at this moment, their old lovers were out of their minds, they were once again back in each other's love like nothing else mattered.
"I'm hungry." Anton pouted.
Violet chuckled, "Go set the table, I'll bring this out. Do you want wine or vodka?"
"Hm. I kinda want vodka right now." Anton answered, kissing her cheek as he exited the kitchen to set the table.
As soon as Violet came out with the steaks, vodka and mashed potatoes, they began to eat, enjoying the silence of being with each other again.
"So, how was your weekend babe?" Violet asked as she cut through another melt in your mouth steak.
"It was good, I got to see everyone and it's like no time has passed with us." Anton smiled, thinking of a good way to tell his wife about Charles and Margaux.
"That's so good to hear, I know Margaux was with you guys, how is she? And the boys? Are they still as silly and crazy as I remember?"
Anton took a big sip of his vodka. "Yeah. Margaux is-- is great, she went back to modelling and the guys are still the same, but richer and more mature." Anton chuckled softly remembering the childishness of his friends during the weekend. "I mean, as mature as they can get."
Violet nodded and smiled as she listened to Anton tell her everything, happy that her husband enjoyed the weekend.
"Wait, what do you mean Margaux went back to modelling? When did she stop? And did you know why?"
Ah shoot. Here it goes.
"Oh, uhm.. you see-- Margaux, she uhm. she got pregnant."
"Oh my! Really? That's so nice! I didn't know she got married, how's her kid? Who's the father?" She asked excitedly. "Ooh! And did she bring her child?"
"Vi," Anton sighed, reaching out to hold her hand. "Margaux got pregnant more than five years ago, I.. she--"
Violet realized it, she quickly let go of Anton's hand, not sure what's real anymore. "But you, you were her boyfriend at that time. Did she-- uhm.."
"She never told me, Vi, I just found out this weekend, she didn't want to come between us." Anton sighed, broken at the sight of Violet being hurt about gaining new knowledge. "I'm sorry, Vi. I know this is too much for you, I understand if you wanna smack me, but I swear, I didn't know she was pregnant. I was so horrible to her, I beat her out of the relationship, literally."
Anton kept rambling and Violet kept drinking and pouring vodka into her glass. Not sure what to do with this major information. But she chose to be calm.
"Violet, please talk to me."
She took a deep breath, it finally sunk into her that Anton has a child, with Margaux his ex, and her ex-friend. "Uhm, is he a boy or a girl?"
"A boy." He answered, looking worriedly at his wife. "His name is Charles, he has the most beautiful smile and his eyes are the most green you've ever seen. Plus, he has my amazing hair." Anton fondly talked about him and she saw how it made him happy.
"I know you know what to do, Anton. And whatever you do, I support you, because I love you and I'll accept whatever it is you decide. The ball is in your court, and I want you to be a part of Charles' life. But please give me time to process this." She got up and left to go to their bedroom, leaving Anton with more questions for himself than ever before.
And that's on vodka and old lovers. Not a good combination.
~~~