Chapter V - Confusion

When they found a round table, secluded from other people. They immediately decided to pick that perfect place. Chelsea sat first, then Rebecca and followed by Pamela, Louise, and lastly Michael. A waiter came to them, for them to order.

The man saw his boss so he made a good impression on the guests. "Good evening madams and sir, please choose freely from our menu with different special dishes," the waiter said with gracefulness and placed five menus in front of each of them, he waited patiently for them to picked their order.

They all said their own orders while Chelsea helped her daughter in choosing a dish. The waiter wrote down the foods they ordered for the chef to cook and collected the menus placed on their table. "What drinks would you like to have?" he asked them.

"I would like red wine," Pamela said. Michael and Louise also repeated Pamela's statement. "Lemon juice," Chelsea said whispering with a chuckle to her right side where Michael was sitting. Michael replied by glaring at her.

"Could I please have some water?" Chelsea said politely to the man listing their orders. "Of course, madam," he replied nodding at Chelsea.

"Honey, what drinks would you like?" Chelsea asked whispering to her daughter to her left side.

"Can I have some soft drinks? Cola?" Rebecca replied timidly looking down, embarrassed that the people near her were looking.

"And a cola for the young lady," Chelsea added her request to the waiter.

The waiter left, giving them privacy. "Pam, you mentioned earlier that you're celebrating. May I ask the reason behind this?" Louise asked facing her left to see Pamela in her view with a questioning face plastered on her face. She was confused about the two girls sitting in front of her and thought it may be related to what they were celebrating about.

"You see, today is Children's Day, and Michael directed a play that was performed earlier, which was successful so here we are celebrating," Pamela said to her friend and Louise nodded slowly and made an eye movement towards Chelsea and Rebecca, questioning about them. "Oh, I forgot about that," she realized while her friend just rolled her eyes towards Pamela. "Rebecca here," she pointed to the child. "Was one of the performers earlier and her first time at that," Pamela said facing and gesturing to Rebecca who shyly looked away with a blush on her cheeks. "And this lady," she continued now pointing at Chelsea. "Is the one I'm talking to you about," she said informing her friend. Louise moved her head to face Chelsea and Rebecca with a smile now knowing them.

"Nice to finally meet you," Louise said with a faint smile. "I hope that you will love my restaurant," she continued.

Michael was silently listening to them about their conversation while Rebecca composed herself about the compliment Pamela said to her. She was also looking at the owner of the restaurant with curiosity.

"I already have, the exterior design of this establishment was marvelous and when I got inside, it was just breathtaking," Chelsea commented truthfully looking at the owner.

"I'm glad that you like it," Louise replied back, smiling at Chelsea's statement.

The waiter arrived with the drinks they ordered. "Your dinner will be served in a moment, please enjoy the music while waiting," he said with a smile and nod, turning around to leave and gestured to the musician near them to play some classical and peaceful music.

"And, how was your experience in your first act on stage in front of a crowd?" Louise continued to communicate and asked Rebecca with a small smile.

"It was scary!" the girl replied. "but it was fun. It was kind of a scary-good thing for me," she continued now with a wide smile.

"That's great. I'm sure you will achieve more in the near future," Louise complimented Rebecca which made the girl blushed. 'Aww, that's cute,' she thought and smiled towards the girl.

As the waiter promised earlier, their food was presented in front of them. They ate peacefully and talked about the things that happened during the performance. Louise was intently listening to their stories, after all, they were celebrating about it.

"After the performance, Michael found me and Chelsea on our seat," Pamela said telling what happened earlier to her friend. "Then, I watched these two bickered at each other," she chuckled remembering the events that had taken place. Pamela watched them react with the same expression on their face that made her laugh while Louise just watched them with amusement.

"You were quite right when you said that they were entertaining," Louise whispered to her left side facing Pamela. "I told you," Pamela whispered back.

They watched Michael and Chelsea bicker again. Rebecca was quite busy eating her food so she ignored everyone around her.

"Noooooo, you will not call me that!" Michael said looking at Chelsea sharply but his eyes also showed a twinkle in them.

"Nope," Chelsea said popping the 'p' sound. "I will describe you the mad man drenched in lemon juice or lemonade?" she continued thinking deeply. "I will think more description for you," she said thoughtfully with a smirk on her lips.

"Children..." Michael and Chelsea heard Pamela's mumble.

"I'm not," the both of them said, earning glares from each other and faced the smirking face of Pamela.

They stopped acting like children and continued to share their insights on a different topics that come to their minds. They laughed, enjoyed each other company, and got a deeper understanding of some topics.

Their dinner was finished late at night. Chelsea noticed her daughter getting sleepy and all of them decided to go home for the child to finally rest for today.

One Month Later

Chelsea decided to went out to went to the mall, she planned to buy gifts for Rebecca, Tom, and her new friends that she met in the school theater. She called Tom for him to guard or babysit Rebecca while she's away from home.

"Hey, Tom," Chelsea greeted her friend. "So, I was wondering, since we're on vacation, and I thought..." she rambled not knowing if Tom will agree to her favor.

"Spill it, woman," Tom said getting impatient at Chelsea but an amused tone was sticking to his voice.

"I want you to babysit Rebecca," she said straightly, getting to her point.

"Consider it done," Tom said with a smile knowing that will make his friend happy.

"Thank you, Tom! You're the best!" Chelsea exclaimed through her phone, smiling widely to hear Tom's approval.

"Now, now... don't get my ego go high," Tom joked to her friend, smirking at it.

"Shut up," she said chuckling at him.

"I'm hurt," he said dramatically crying at the other line.

"Ok, I'm going to wait for you. Ba-bye," Chelsea said cutting the line. 'revenge is surely great' she thought remembering their last phone conversation.

Tom arrived shortly, knocking at the door like a mad man. "Why the hell did yo-" he complained with a glare to her when Chelsea opened the door.

"You can have whatever you want in the kitchen," she immediately said and Tom's reaction changed to a pleasant one. "I also made spaghetti," she added leaving him in awe.

"That's wonderful," he said daydreaming about the food in the kitchen and forgetting his anger towards the woman who ended the line of the call abruptly earlier.

"Just don't leave Rebecca on an empty plate," Chelsea said seriously at him.

"Understood," he said, standing straight and moving his hand to the side of his head, saluting to Chelsea.

"I'm going to go now, you silly," she said laughing at his ridiculousness. "Rebecca is still sleeping, you can entertain yourself in the living room," she informed and suggested to him.

"I can entertain myself in the kitchen," Tom said smiling at his statement.

"Do whatever you want but don't forget my conditions," Chelsea reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah. Now... begone, woman," Tom said dramatically and turned around imagining the long robes that a ruler has, following wherever he goes.

'That's why Michael should meet this man, they are both dramatic, one professionally and the one is just natural,' she said in her mind.

She left the house and proceeded to go to the mall to buy presents for the people she cared about. When she got inside the mall, she thought first of a present for Pamela. Chelsea went to a record store, she decided to buy Pamela a piece of old and new music that she might like. Then, she looked for Tom's present, well, it should be related to food.

She saw a pack of chocolate and junk foods and she instantly bought it. She also bought a long robe for him, she felt that he might like it. Now, next is for her daughter, arts has always been Rebecca's passion so, she bought a full set of colored pencils and other art materials, 'I hope she will like it,' Chelsea thought.

Chelsea's previous gifts were always stuffed toys or basically toys, but she saw her daughter changed this year, why not try other things? Chelsea thought to herself. Lastly, a gift for Michael. She funnily thought to buy him lemons, so she went to a supermarket and also buy some necessary things she might need in her house, mostly food because Chelsea knew that when she got back to her house, there will be no food left and the reason will be always Tom.

On a serious note, Chelsea bought Michael a book, a compilation of poems. She remembered the other day about him mentioning poems. With the heavy bags she carried and being the clumsy woman she is, she didn't saw the small object in front of her, resulting in losing her balance. She closed her eyes waiting for the impact but she was shocked by a tight grip on her waist preventing her to fall.

"Be careful walking, miss," a familiar voice was heard and the first name comes to her mind was her husband's name.

"Esmond?" Chelsea whispered to herself, shocked by the voice, and an overflowing emotion was just crushing down on her that made her dropped all of her bags and hugged the man without looking at his face.

"I missed you..." Chelsea said while tears came running down her face.

"Wait, miss," the other man said with a panicked and surprised tone and immediately forced the woman who was now sobbing and crying away from him. The man furrowed his eyebrows and said, "Chelsea?"

She noticed the change of voice but it was familiar to her that made her curious about it. Chelsea looked at the man and was shocked and disappointed by what she discovered. "Oh, Michael!" she said. "What are you doing here?" she said changing the topic and avoiding the events that happened to them.

"Just wandering," Michael said simple and direct answering her question. "What happened, Chelsea?" he asked connecting to her outburst with a concerned tone sticking to his words.

"I thought that you were someone else," Chelsea truthfully said, looking sheepishly with a sad face.

"Just forget about it," she said still not looking directly at him and wanting to finish the topic.

"Fine, but if you want to talk to me about it, call me," he said informing her with a genuine smile, not pushing her the topic that's obviously sensitive to her. "By the way, what are you doing that almost made you fall?" Michael said with a smirk, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

"If you don't know the word 'walking' then I'm gladly volunteering to teach you," she said sarcastically, now looking at Michael with a fake smile, and forgetting the situation earlier.

"When?" Michael said, riding on her joke, mirroring her expression. "But really, what errands did you do before falling?" he asked her.

"Well..." Chelsea said stepping backward and pointed the bags on the floor. "I'm finished shopping and thinking of going home but then I fell," she said informing him and chuckle a little bit when she had finished talking.

"Let me help you carry your bags," Michael suggested to her.

"Thank you," Chelsea said beaming at him while Michael collected some of her bags. "Just don't peek at it," Chelsea warned him.

"Why? What did you buy?" Michael whispered to her, leaning to his left side as they started walking.

"I didn't buy illegal things! You shmuck!" she whispered shout at him as she hit his right arm.

"I didn't say anything!" he exclaimed.

"But you're hinting at it," she firmly said and looked at him with a pointed gaze and stopped walking.

"And for your information," Chelsea said now facing forward and continued to walk. "I bought presents for my daughter and friends and you are included. So, don't peak at the bags or if you do, it will not be a surprise anymore," she continued.

Michael didn't say anything, understanding her statement. "Did you know where we are headed to?" he asked just realizing that they are walking without a destination.

"I absolutely have no idea," Chelsea admitted making the two of them laugh loudly, resulting for the other people looking at them like they were crazy. A minute later they calmed down. "Well, as I said earlier that I'm going to leave, so outside?" Chelsea said, earning a nod to Michael. "By the way, what is the real reason you're here?" she asked and continued to walk outside the mall to the parking lot.

"Same reason as you," Michael said glancing at Chelsea.

"But where are your bags?" Chelsea asked confusingly to the man.

"My younger brother was with me, but we parted ways because he said he wanted to go home earlier and I decided to explore a little while at the mall," he explained. "He agreed to carry my bags," he said smiling at his brother's action.

"What a great brother you have," Chelsea commented pushing the door to get outside the mall.

"Yeah..." Michael still smiling at the thought of it. "Oh," he said seemingly remembered something.

Chelsea looked at Michael. "Before I forgot, mother said that if you don't mind. She wants to invite you to our house for this Christmas," he said looking forward and noticing the familiar car of Chelsea.

"Oh, thank you for the invitation," Chelsea said directly to Michael. "Now, I don't need to mail your gifts," she said smiling at him.

"You can also invite your other friend," Michael added to his statement earlier.

"I can't thank you enough," she said and suddenly hugged Michael who was carrying her bags. She broke the hug with her face getting red from embarrassment. "Sorry 'bout that," she said timidly, not looking at Michael.

"It's fine, hugging a friend isn't a crime," he said smirking at Chelsea to her expression with an amused tone on her words. She didn't say anything still thinking about her action.

They reached her car and Chelsea bravely face Michael and still having a pink hue to her cheeks. "So, see you at Christmas," she said.

"Yup, see you," he nodded.

Michael dropped down her shopping bags at the backseat of her car, then Chelsea sat at the driver seat. She nodded to say bye to Michael and closed her car door, finally leaving the mall to get back to her home.