Childhood Past.

"Now our dinner is burnt because of you" Irene looked at Sean.

He turned away avoiding her glance. They had played too much that they forgot Irene had been cooking.

He passed the plates to her and walked to the table. Irene served their dinner with a glare directed to him.

"I love you," he said to her.

Irene ignored him as she pushed his plate to his side. He held her hand and looked up with a smile.

"I said I love you " he smiled.

Irene found herself smile she bent down and pecked his lips.

"I love you too ".

Sean looked at her as they ate their dinner. Irene was someone he had not expected to ever have. She was perfect just for him, even when his mother or his past hurt her she would still jump into his arms and say she still loved him.

Was it because of Arthur and Rose that he found his precious love. Sean laughed thinking about it.

Maybe he should thank Rose for having such a friend. He watched her clear the table after. She was a strong, beautiful,

responsible, and loving woman. He loved everything about her.

He got up and blocked her way back to the kitchen. She looked up at him with a questioning face.

"Your time is up," he said grabbing the dishes from her and placing them back on the table.

"What do you mean by that?" Irene asked as she let him clear her hands.

Sean carried her again and walked to the bedroom.

"Sean put me down I have to wash the dishes " Irene shouted.

"I said your time is up," he said as he closed the bedroom door.

Sean was late for work the next day.

And his mother stopped harassing Irene for awhile.

Sean and Arthur had just left the last meeting of the day when they both got a text.

"Rose wants to go for dinner," Arthur said.

"Irene too " Sean said.

They left work early and returned home. Rose and Irene had left already so the men had to just join them.

"They are so late " Irene complained.

"The meeting must have taken long," Rose said.

She had been weak the last month which had limited her movements but after she got better she begged Irene to take her out. So Irene organized dinner.

Irene smiled when she noticed Sean and Arthur walk to their table. Rose followed her line of sight and smiled too.

"How did we end up in love with such gorgeous men " Irene mumbled.

Rose laughed as she wondered too.

Arthur kissed Rose when he arrived.

"Butterfly, how are you doing?" he asked.

"Am okay now " she said.

Arthur placed his hand on her belly, " And the twins?"

"Fine too "

Irene smiled at their expression of love. She turned to Sean who had just taken his seat and opened the menu.

"Am starving " he said.

Irene pulled away the menu from him, " Am I invisible?" she yelled.

"No your not, I did see you but am starving " he cried.

Rose laughed at them.

"Let's order then," she said.

Irene didn't talk to Sean as they ordered their dishes.

"How was work today?" Rose asked Arthur.

"Okay," he said feeding her some juice.

"It's not that fun with you missing at work since Arthur now stays at the company during lunch break " Sean complained.

"It's his company after all " Irene commented.

"Arthur your overworking them again?" Rose asked.

"I hardly do anything but they claim I do"

"It's because you encroach on our lunchtime break that we don't have time to even eat or rest " Sean let out.

"Oh come on all you ever say or think about is food, missing one or two meals in a week isn't bad," Irene said.

"It's not one or two days but the whole week " Sean cried out.

Irene got to know why he was always starving.

Rose turned to Arthur, " You should start coming home for lunch " she said.

Arthur nodded smiling at her.

Sean frowned, "I suggested that last time and he almost ate me alive but now when Rose tells him, he accepts with a smile "

Irene turned to him, " Because he loves and listens to her, not like you "

Their dishes were delivered which silenced Sean who became busy with eating than talking.

"How did you two ever became friends, your complete opposites ?" Irene asked Arthur.

He turned to Sean who was busy with his food. "Sometimes I wonder too," Arthur said.

Sean put down his fork and looked up.

"We all grew up together since our families were business partners and friends," he said.

"So you played together all the time?" Irene asked.

"Not really since Arthur was always surrounded by that witch Victoria and Vivian "

Rose looked up after she heard the name. The memory of Victoria in that place came back instantly.

Noticing their reactions to the name Sean apologized.

"It's okay am over it, " Rose said.

"We were so close after she left. I became his shadow" Sean laughed.

"His mother thought we were both gay," Arthur said as he cleaned Rose's lips with a napkin.

Sean laughed remembering the past.

"She attacked him at school telling him to leave me alone "

"What? "exclaimed Rose.

" Why am I not surprised," Irene said.

"But Arthur brushed her off which made her even angrier " Sean said.

"So she came home to my parents," Arthur told them.

Sean's mother had always been hot-blooded. After Arthur had ignored her she attacked her friend's home and told them about her suspicious.

Arthur's parents had called him out of his room to explain. But he only looked at her with no interest to defend himself.

His parents knowing his attitude didn't push him further.

"I think you have the wrong idea, they have been friends since childhood so it's understandable if they are so close " Arthur's mother had said.

But Sean's mother had not taken the explanation they gave seriously. So she warned her son from being close to Arthur. But Sean knowing they did nothing wrong didn't listen to his mother.

"It was until Victoria said she was dating Arthur that my mother stopped harassing us " Sean explained.

Rose and Irene laughed at the story.

"Arthur has always been attracting girls around him with his good looks and cold attitude but mother still thought it was just a cover for his true self " Sean laughed.

"Your mother has always been crazy " Arthur commented.

"I wonder how father handles her " Irene wondered.

"You know, love can help you tame even a crazy woman like my mother " Sean sipped his wine.

"And Vivian?" Rose asked.

Sean laughed, " That one too was a nut case chasing after Arthur even when he chased her away a million times "

"She was like a plague," said Arthur.

"I wonder where she disappeared to?" Irene announced

"Me too, " Rose said.

They finished their dinner, Arthur helped Rose put on her coat as they walked out of the restaurant.

Irene waited for Sean to help her too but he just walked away.

"Your no gentleman at all " she yelled at him. Sean tried apologizing again but was ignored.

They walked to their cars, Arthur and Sean had come in their cars since they had to leave separately.

"Rose " a feminine voice called .

All four of them stopped and turned around to see who was calling Rose.

She walked closer to them giving them a clear glance at her face.

"Long time " she smiled.

Arthur and Sean fretted as they recognized who it was.

"Speak of the devil " Irene whispered.

But it was only Rose who said her name.

"Vivian!.." she called.