The news about the wedding had started to die down. No one was talking about it as much as when it was first got out, well except for those who didn't have a life. Jules was stepping out of whatever phase she had been in and was able to go out and hang with Sofi and Andy outside the house which took another week to do. By the end of that week, the final week in the month, she had spoken to Selene and had accepted a lunch invitation from her which she had been certain about when she accepted but as she sat in her car staring at their house, she wasn't entirely sure.
What had she been thinking?
She finally made it to the front door with Ivy in her arms.
"Here goes nothing." She said before she rang the bell.
The door opened a nanosecond later before she could take a breath. She was welcomed by Selene who had a huge smile on her face. Jules couldn't help but return the smile.
"Jules." She said, "So good to see you."
Selene hugged her after she shut the door behind them.
"Good to see you too." Jules said.
Selene took Ivy from her and kissed Ivy turning to Jules to give her her complete attention.
"How are you doing?" They walked into the living room.
"Better." Jules answered truthfully as they sat down. "I was thinking of going back to work soon."
"That's great." She said
Jules sighed.
"I'm not sure if he told you..."
"He did." Selene said, "And his father and I are so mad at him."
Jules felt the lump grow in her throat just talking about him.
"If he had talked to you about it like a normal person would, none of this would have happened." Selene said
"But what Bea did to him was unforgivable." Jules said, "How could she give her up so easily without mentioning it to him." She looked at Ivy in Selene's arms.
Selene already understood why Ceaser did what he did but hearing Jules say it made her smile.
"You're taking his side."
Jules looked at her and shook her head.
"I'm just siding with right over wrong."
Selene nodded, understanding her.
"Bea was a complicated person. When she cared about someone, she cared so much that the thought of losing that person was unimaginable. So, I guess when she found out she was pregnant, she didn't tell him because she knew he wasn't ready to have kids and he might have gotten mad at her for being pregnant and she would lose him." She said
"But he would never do that."
"She didn't know that." She said, "Just like she never told him about it, it ruined them and he never told you about it and..."
"It ruined us." Jules completed
"Relationships are hard work." She said, "I know that because Eric and I still have problems but we fix it because we love each other and there's transparency between us and trust."
Jules sighed with a smile on her lips.
"You both remind me of my parents."
Selene gave her a smile.
"Jules I want you to know, regardless of what happened, you're part of this family. You're like a daughter to me and we'll always be here for you."
Jules felt her eyes tear up.
"She's right." They both turned when Eric walked in "You have and will always be a part of this family."
Jules looked at both of them.
"Thank you."
"We're family." Eric said, "Thank you's aren't needed."
Eric hugged her.
Lunch went better than Jules thought it would. She was glad she decided to come and it just sunk in that Ivy had a bigger family now and she was happy about that.
"Ok sweetheart, you come by anytime." Selene kissed her forehead which was the sweetest gesture and made Jules' heart clench.
Eric kissed the top of her head.
"Take care."
"I will and you too." She said as she smiled at both of them.
She got into the car and drove round out of the compound and she saw them watching from the rear-view mirror. She smiled and looked back on the road.
Just as she reached the gate, a car drove in and just as it passed by her, in slow motion, her breath caught when she saw Ceaser looking right at her. It was like time stood still and she could see all the emotions playing in his eyes but she pulled her gaze away when her car passed his pretending like she hadn't just seen him. She needed to get home safe and Ceaser on her mind wasn't a good thing given their current situation.
Ceaser on the other hand had lost his breath when he saw her in her car driving out of his parents' house. He wanted to push on the break, get out of his car and go after her but he knew it was stupid.
One: She wouldn't stop her car.
Two: She didn't look like she was ready to talk to him.
Ceaser pulled up in front of the house and turned the engine off. He took a moment before he stepped out of the car. His parents walked towards him.
"Hi, mum." He kissed Selene on the cheek. "Dad."
Eric nodded at his son before he went into the house leaving them outside.
"He's still mad at me?"
"We're both still mad at you." Selene said, "Your dad's just taking more time understanding why you did it."
Ceaser nodded and looked back at the way he just came from.
"Jules...?" He looked at Selene
She smiled and nodded
"She's getting there." She said not giving away too much. If her son wanted to know how the woman he loved and hurt was doing, he'd have to go talk to her himself. She wouldn't help him by reassuring him. "You hungry?" She made her way towards the house.
"Mum?" Ceaser followed "How is she?"
"You want to know that, you go ask her." Selene said as they walked to the kitchen "I didn't help you when you hurt her, so I'm not going to help you fix things with her."
"I just want to know that she's okay."
"Well you know where she lives, go ask her."
Ceaser groaned.
"Forget I asked mum."
"Good." Selene smiled at him "Now tell me, how was work?"
He sat down on the chair in front of the kitchen island as his mum fixed him a plate. He sighed.
"Same."
He hadn't been able to get so much done but with each day that passed, he was able to get more done than the previous day. Jules and Ivy were still stuck in his head. He wanted them so bad but he had no say in the matter. He was at fault and he had to take the punishment she was giving.
"How's Ivy?" He asked
Selene smiled.
"She's great."
He smiled.
He missed spending time with both his daughter and her mother.