Sharon just came inside to get some water for her Children when she heard April crying loudly.

Sharon ran outside to see 'what the hell happened in two minutes she was inside.

She saw Chase laughing while April was shouting "Take it away!! Take it away". Chase was holding a bug in his hand and was running after April with it.

"Chase...Chase... leave that."She said holding his wrist and trying to pry his fist.

"What are you doing Chase?" She demanded.

Chase pouted and stood still while his mother made the bug go free and washed his hand.

"Say sorry" Sharon ordered.

"No." He replied trying to free his hand from her hold.

"I said say sorry" Sharon gritted through her teeth.

"But Mommy...."

"Now!"

"Sorry" Chase said but Sharon raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry, April" He said and ran away inside the house.

April was sniffing loudly when Sharon took her into her Arms.

" I want Daddy. I..." She said and broke into more tears.

Sharon rubbed her palm soothingly on her back "Sh...sh..sh.. it's okay. I have got you."

It took Sharon a while to calm April down. Chase was still somewhere inside the house sulking.

"What happened to the boy?" Momo asked as Sharon came with April on her back.

"He was scaring April with a bug, I asked him to say sorry." Sharon explained, April had her face hidden in the crook of her neck and was breathing in Sharon's smell it was soothing her. Her hold on Sharon tightened a little.

"Oh... he is turning out to be more handful. Is April okay?" Momo asked.

Sharon looked back at April and she just nodded.

"Come girl , sit with me and we will watch Tv" Momo invited. April reluctantly left Sharon's side.

Sharon sighed and went in after her son. Chase was playing with his Car riding it as he laid on the floor.

The moment he saw his mother standing he turned to the other side.

"Chase... " Sharon called him for attention but he was not looking her way. However, he stopped playing.

"Baby...." she called again.

There was no response from his side but she continued "Chase.... what you did was wrong. You made her cry. You should never be reason for anyone's saddness and if you are at fault you should learn to say sorry." Chase turned to look at her. "Saying sorry doesn't make you small. Infact if you say sorry it means you know your mistake and would try to never repeat it." She took a deep breath wondering how much of her words were actually going into his brain.

"Okay?" She asked to see if he was following her.

He just gave her a small nod.

"Good. I love you Chase." She said giving him a small smile.

"I love you too Mommy" he said quickly which made Sharon's smile grow big.

"Then come down honey. We will go to park or go to Mrs.Kingsley place and play with Bash."

"Really?" He asked getting all excited.

"Um....Sure...As long as Mrs.Kingsley is okay with that." She said though she was very sure Mrs.Kingsley would never say No.

"I love you, mommy" he said again running into her arms. Sharon chuckled at him. "You will behave and say sorry to April like you mean it and never make her cry." She said.

Chase quickly nodded his head and ran down stairs with Sharon following behind him.

She heard her phone ringing somewhere and ran to get it. She had to search for a while and the phone was still ringing. The person other side seemed to wait until someone gets the call. Sharon smiled when he saw Chris name flashing on the screen. It was 3rd time he was calling to check upon April.

"Hello" she said.

"Sherry...."

Sharon's eyes widened a little listening him calling her with the nickname he gave her during their dating days.

"Sherry..." he called her again and before she could snap at him. She caught on his voice. It sounded pained.

"I'm listening..." she said in a small voice as she sat down on the stairs.

But he didn't say anything. If not his heavy breath from the otherside she would have thought he had hung up on her.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"No." He replied.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. Why was her heart hurting listening to his pained voice.

"Not now.."

"Then come home.." she said. She had no freaking idea why she called her place his home.

"Where?"

If it was in the past she would have told "Your home is where I am" but now "Here.. for April and also for Chase" she said.

Chris didn't say anything. She thought she might have lost her signal but his voice was loud and Clear "I'm coming."

Sharon cut the call wondering what might have happened in New York. She was worried and that scared shot out of her. She hates him then why is she worried ?

"Mommy, Come come" Chase shouted as he was ready to go out and play with Bash.

"Coming honey!"she said brushing her worries aside.

"Did you say Sorry?" She asked him.

"He did Sharon, and I am not angry at him." April said.

"Good." She said to chase and turned towards April "Do you wanna come and play with a puppy?"

"Yes, I do want to come." She said smiling.

***

Mrs. Kingsley was an fifty five years old lady. She stays alone with her dog. Her husband passed away few months before Sharon first came four years ago. All her Children have settled in cities and visit her once in a year.

Sharon liked the lady a lot. She wasn't like the nosy neighbours on her street. She was sweet and she always loved to play with Chase.

"Hello lovely!" She said welcoming then into her house.

"Hello Mrs.Kingsley." Sharon greeted as her kids followed her inside.

"Hello Chase and who is this pretty lady"

"Hello...Mrs.K. This is April she stays in the big house opposite to ours." Chase filled in.

"Oh... the Vanderwoods" She said smiling at April.

"Hello.... Nice meeting you" April said shyly.

"Ah... such a sweet girl. You guys came to play with Bash?" She asked.

Chase nodded his head excitedly looking for Bash behind her.

"Bash!! Look you have friend's to play with" Mrs.Kingsley said calling her dog.

The golden retriever circled Chase and started licking his face. The dog itself was few inches taller than Chase.

"Bash... Come here, Say hello to April also." Mrs.kingsley said as April his behind Sharon.

"Its okay" , Sharon said taking her hand into here.

Bash gave a welcome bark and smelled April. While Sharon helped April to pet the dog.

Once acquainted April was running behind Bash with Chase on tail.

"She is lovely girl.."

"She is" Sharon agreed with Mrs.Kingsley.

"I didn't knew you had a daughter." Mrs.Kingsley said casually.

"What?" Sharon asked not shocked.

"The girl looks like you."

"No... she doesn't. Only her hair colour is as same as mine. Everything else is her father.

"I have 5 kids, honey and 8 grandchildren. I can match kids with their parents as easily as you could identify your own children." Mrs.Kingsley added with a small laugh.

'Weird' Sharon thought but have a small smile.

****

"Did Daddy call?" April asked Sharon again.

"No...Not yet." Sharon said. It was already night. After a hour at Mrs.Kingsley Sharon took both her kids to the park. She video

Tapped everything, a habit that didn't change. She did it a lot when April was born and with Chase too. She is sure there was boxes of footage in New York's mansion of hers.

"But he promised to be back." April said pouring a little.

"He must be on plane or in a cab or something." Sharon said. April mumbled something like 'He never listens' and went inside. Sharon couldn't help but smile. She was sitting in the front porch waiting for him. She didnt want to admit it but she was worried after that phone call.

Joseph called her while ago asking why she didn't open the shop today. She briefly explained him that she had decided to do. He said she was doing the right thing.

April tried but couldn't help but doze off, while waiting for her father.

'Why is it taking him do long?' Sharon thought as she went on biting her nails.

She released the breath she didn't knew she was holding even she saw him get down the cab.

He had his little travel bag. His coat was dangling on his arm. His hair was everywhere, it looks like he did run a hand through it many times. The first two buttons of his shirt are undone. He looked like someone who crossed hell.

Sharon had seen Chris like this only once. She waited for him to come to her.

" You are waiting for him?" He asked trying very hard to give her the smug look.

"What happened? " she asked ignoring his question.

He didn't answer but his head immediately hung low and eyes turned glassy. Sharon's heart clenched at his sight. She tugged him slowly so that they both were sitting on the steps of front porch.

She gave him sometime to compose himself but Sharon didn't expect what happened next. He placed his head on her lap, his face pressed to her stomach as his body shooked silently. She didn't find the heart to push him away. Her eyes teared but she brushed her tears away as she ran her hand through his thick dark hair. Sharon missed doing that. She sat there silently allowing him to tone down while she was lost in her own train of thoughts.

"My mom received the call" he said bringing her out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"The call four years ago... she told me it's some girl who she wants me to meet. If...I... knew it was you." He said sitting straight looking into her eyes "I would have run after you."

Sharon could see it in his eyes. She gulped at turned her head.

"I can't believe She is capable of doing anything like that.... She was the reason I couldn't get to see Caleb..... I don't think I can ever forgive her" he said staring of into far space.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. She swiped them immediately.

They sat there silently for few minutes each of them absorbed in own grief.

"Did April give you hard time?"

"No"she said but didn't anything like he expected.

"We will tell the kids tomorrow? " he asked her.

Sharon nodded her head.

"I will be a good father" he said.

"I never doubted that, if that was a question then I would have never left April with you" she said.

But that's not what's eating Sharon's mind, 'could she be a good mother to her daughter?' , 'Will her daughter ever forgive her?' 'And how would Chase take the news of his father?'

"Everything will be alright." Chris said reassuringly.

"I think I should get inside." Sharon told standing up.

"You should" Chris replied.

"What if April wakes up in middle of night and Asks for you.? Sleep in the guest bedroom with April." She said.

Chris nodded his head before turning around.

"Chris!" Sharon called.

"Hmmm ?"

"I still don't like you and definitely didn't forgive you or forget what happened" she said.

"I know" he said with a small smile and retired for the night.

Sharon kept tossing in her bed that night. Tomorrow is a big day.......

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@DanielleEsterman

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