Late As Usual

Hazel West

"Mummy we're readddyy" Zion hums after they were done eating

For the first time Zion woke up by himself and even woke me up too. He was so excited to have William stay over. I have never seen him this excited and I must say his excitement was contagious.

"That's boy" I said giving him a high five

"What about me too" William asked looking up at me with his cute face

"Aww, you get a high five too" I said and he jumped and smashed my hand "alright, grab your lunch boxes so we won't be late"

They grabbed their lunch boxes and went outside and waited by the car while I locked the door and kept the key in the usual place, under the flower pot

I unlocked the car and we got in, William sat in the front with me while Zion sat at the back

"William, seatbelt" I told him

"You sound just like daddy" he said laughing and extending his hands to reach the seatbelt

As William mentioned Dunlop, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over me. His name still held power over me, stirring up memories of our past together, both the good and the painful. I couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like if things had turned out differently between us.

But as much as I tried to push those thoughts aside, they lingered, haunting me like a ghost from the past. Dunlop had made it clear that he didn't want to be a part of my life anymore, yet his presence, even just in conversation, still had the ability to affect me deeply.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus on the present moment. I had my boys with me, and they deserved all my attention and love. No matter what had happened between Dunlop and me, I was determined to give my children the best life possible.

Wait, did I just say my boys? I let out a soft laugh. I guess William is gradually rubbing off on me

"Mummy, are you good? Why are you laughing?" Zion asked from the back seat

"Oh, nothing is wrong Zion. I'm totally okay. I just remembered something funny" I said looking at him through the mirror

As we drove to school, I engaged the boys in light conversation, asking about their plans for the day and listening to their excited chatter. Their energy was infectious, and I couldn't help but smile as they talked animatedly about their friends, their favorite subjects, and their plans for the weekend.

Once we reached the school, I parked the car and walked the boys to their respective classrooms, exchanging cheerful greetings with other parents and teachers along the way. As I watched them disappear into the school building, a sense of pride swelled within me.

I headed back to the car, my thoughts still lingering on Dunlop and the unresolved feelings that seemed to linger between us. But as much as I wanted to dwell on the past, I knew I had to focus on the present and the future. There was no point in dwelling on what could have been.

As I drove away from the school, I made a silent vow to myself. I would do whatever it took to create a happy and fulfilling life for myself and Zion, regardless of the obstacles that stood in my way. And if that meant finally letting go of the past and embracing whatever the future held, then so be it.

I reached the office early and as usual, Jacob wasn't around. I went through the emails I sent previously to see if any of the companies I emailed had responded. Three companies had responded so far and requested to have a meeting.

One of them was willing to sell forty percent of the company shares to us, the second wanted to sell fifty percent of the company's shares while the third one wanted to swell twenty percent of the company's shares. I emailed the three companies giving them dates that we were available for a meeting.

I set a meeting with one of the companies today, hoping Jacob would arrive by the time they got here. A few hours went by and Jacob still wasn't here. I picked up my phone to call him because the time for the meeting was soon approaching

After a few rings he picked up

"Hey hazel" he said, his voice sounding like he was still in bed

"Jacob, are you still in bed?" I asked

"Of course, it's still very early. What is it I have some sleep to catch up on" he says

"Jacob June Warner, have you forgotten you have work today?" I said over the phone

"It's nothing you can't handle" he said "well, except someone is missing me" he says and I can hear him laughing

"Jacob, we got a meeting in thirty minutes a company who wants to sell their shares to us so you better get your ass down here before they change their minds" I yelled into the phone

"Oh god, ok I did not know that, I'll be there soon" he said

"Oh, you better be" I said hanging up

A few minutes later, some men pulled into the office and claimed to be executives from Globex Corporation. They flashed their ID cards at me and I quickly instructed the courier to show them the conference room.

After the followed the courier, I quickly called Jacob and but he didn't pick. I decided to text him

Hazel: WHERE IN HELL ARE YOU?

Jacob: Take a chill pill, I'm on my way

Hazel: well, I would have taken that pill if the investors weren't already here

Jacob: just discuss with them, I'm almost there

I put down my phone and carried all the documents I needed. I also went to Jacob's office and carried all the documents I felt he would need and headed to the conference room.

The room was silent so I decided to say something so the investors won't get bored and leave

"Uhmm, so sorry about the CEO, he'll be here soon. While we wait for him could you tell me more about your company and the profit level" I said

The men started talking about the company and their annual profit while I listened and nodded at intervals while watching the time and the door, hoping that Jacob would walk in anytime soon. After the men finished their detailed explanation which I paid no attention to because I was anxiously waiting for Jacob, they asked about the CEO again

Just as I was about to give them another excuse, Jacob walked right in

"I'm so sorry for my tardiness, gentlemen" he said shaking their hands one by one "Shall we begin" he said taking a seat next to me