The Kids' Father?

"How is it?" Ava asked as Allicia stepped out of the children's room.

"Zia got jetlag, she is not used to travelling by air yet. She is sleeping already while Zayn is okay, he is playing games. He does not like to be disturbed" Allicia answered with a smile as she closed the door gently behind her. Ava nodded slightly and the two ladies walked away from the door.

"What about you then?" Ava questioned, she knew a side glance at Allicia and cocked her brows.

"Huh? Me?" Allicia paused, confusion written over her face as she pointed a finger at herself.

"Yeah. I mean, are you not going to rest too? Just look at those hideous dark circles and bags under your eyes!" Ava exclaimed.

Allicia was instantly taken aback, her eyes widened and she immediately touched her face here and there subconsciously.

"Okay, okay… don't be silly, that was a joke. You don't have dark circles or whatnot. I am just saying that you should also rest. Did you not say you are resuming work as soon as you return here? If you keep this up, I bet you will become haggard overnight!" Ava voiced in exasperation.

"Mm…" Allicia nodded in response with a tiny nasal accent. "I am reporting at the office tomorrow," she said and then ran her fingers through her hair and pinched her glabella.

"Tsk tsk! Look at you, you are just in your early twenties but you are acting so ancient already! You really should rest. I will take care of every other thing while you and the kids are taking a nap." Ava assured. They stopped walking when they reached a room.

Allicia looked at her friend gratefully and opened her mouth, "thank you" she said.

Ava rolled her eyes. Instead of answering, she opened the door and pointed with her chin. "I prepared this room for you, I hope everything is to your liking. You should take a nap now. You need that a lot"

"Mm, okay," Allicia said with a smile before walking into the room.

Ava kindly shut the door after Allicia and walked away. Poor Allicia, she thought. She was only in her early twenties but she already had to face so much.

—-

In the evening that same day, Ava stood in front of Allicia's room, she held a glass of water in one hand and knocked on the door with her free hand.

"Allicia, are you awake?" She leaned against the door and whispered.

"Come in" a soft voice came from behind the door.

Ava opened the door and walked in immediately. She saw that Allicia had already changed out of her previous clothes and was now dressed in a casual t-shirt and a pair of shorts, her short hair was tied up in a ponytail and she wore a pair of glasses. Some documents were scattered on the bed beside her and she had a laptop placed on her lap. She looked like she was working seriously.

Ava saw this scene and frowned slightly, "you're working already?" She questioned as she gave Allicia the glass of water.

"Mm, not much work. I have to round this up before going to work tomorrow" Allicia explained. She looked up and took the glass of water, "thank you"

"Why are you always so busy" Ava mumbled with a hint of displeasure but Allicia only smiled, she shut down the laptop and placed it aside before gazing at her friend.

"What do you expect me to do? Idle around? I am a single mother, Ava… I must take care of myself and my kids. No one will do that for me" she uttered.

Ava snorted and rolled her eyes, "with this figure and look, I bet there are a lot of men out there who are willing to have you and get your cuties free!" She said.

"Do you believe everything you read in books? The world is not your random romance novel, you know… no one wants a woman who has a child these days, not to mention two kids" Allicia voiced.

"Well, I know of a man who really does not care" Ava pouted and muttered under her breath. Her voice was so low that Allicia did not pick up what she said.

"Moreover, I like my life better when it is just me and the kids. We are living fine. I have a stable career now" Allicia shrugged.

"Whatever, I won't force you to do anything. Not like you will even listen to me in the first place" Ava snorted causing Allicia to laugh.

Ava had first met Allicia at the orphanage. Allicia had been in the orphanage a year before Ava and although she was older, she was usually a subject of bullying at the orphanage when she newly arrived. It was Allicia who had first stood up for her amongst other kids. Since then, she would love to stick around Allicia every now and then.

Unlike Allicia, she was lucky to have been adopted by a decent couple who managed a small farmhouse in the countryside. Even after they were separated, both girls still exchanged letters. Well, it was Ava who did more of the writing while Allicia only responded to a few letters and only a couple of times.

The time when Ava met with Allicia again was when she suddenly showed up at the farmhouse in the countryside. She was shocked and exhilarated to meet with her only friend again however, at that time, Allicia was not the peaceful and joyful child she used to know anymore. She became a hollow of her old self and appeared to be living in a shell.

No matter how much Ava asked, Allicia did not say a word, she only ate and drank and cried herself to sleep every day. Ava and her adopted mother could only use up all their brain juice to console her. Later, Allicia said she was leaving the country, the explanation she gave was that she had a recommendation letter to study abroad. It was only then that Ava let her go.

They maintained regular talking terms afterwards. Then, one day, Allicia called Ava crying over the phone and told her that she was pregnant and that she had missed admission into college. She cried so hard over the phone that Ava wanted to leave everything in her hands and rush over to where Allicia was but, at that time, she could not afford it.

She did her best to console Allicia and even advised her to get rid of the pregnancy to which Allicia objected seriously. Now, thinking back, she would have felt really guilty if the kids had been aborted.

Ava sighed softly, it appears that the existence of the children was what later gave Allicia the courage she needed to go on with her life. Although Allicia had been deprived of many things that come with growing up, she still has so much joy in her life.

"I am glad that you are good now, Allicia" Ava blurted out sincerely.

"Me too" Allicia uttered. She was also glad to see her growth and development over the years.

"So… what was the story? Are you never going to tell me about it?" Ava asked with a smile, her eyes were greedy for the information her friend had to share and her interest was piqued.

Allicia's gaze lingered in emptiness for a split second before she smiled. It's been so long that time had almost made her forget about the story. She despised what happened to her back then but, she did not want to live in her hate. The best help that she gave herself was forgetting about the matter, and giving herself a chance to grow by forgiving herself first.

"It's all in the past now, Ava," she said with a small laugh.

Ava arched her brows, she did not hear what she was expecting at all.

"Thinking about it now, Zia only bears a slight resemblance with me while Zayn, I bet looks so much like his father. Even the aura…" Allicia stated. She could not help but recall the man's cold sharp eyes. It was the same way her son looked at people.

"You…" Ava stuttered. Were they not supposed to be cussing people now?! Why did her friend appear so peaceful and was even talking about resemblance?!

"You don't plan to find the kid's father, right?!" Ava could not help but exclaim in exasperation.

Allicia shrugged and gazed calmly at her friend.

"I have nothing planned out yet. But, I definitely will not deprive the kids of meeting their father if that's what they want. I am not saying I will give them away so easily either. If we meet eventually and he isn't a good man, I will fight him to the last over the kids. I will do what is right and go through the right process. I don't want a problem for the kids either" Allicia explained.

Ava's jaw dropped and she looked at her friend in amusement.

"You– really! How did you become so mature? I don't even get you anymore!" She exclaimed. The thuggery in her made her want to find whoever the man that slept with her friend was and beat him up but Allicia was simply too calm–

Aghh– so annoying! She was vexed.