One Text, one truth

Chapter Five: One Text, One Truth

It was over a week, and things were getting messy. Chloe sank into the couch in the living room. She felt a strangeness in her subconscious self. Chloe had no control of her emotions. She had lost it so soon that she burned her heart for someone who had not talked to her yet. Who would believed that Wayyt had not confessed his love for her? But what matters is the heart. The connection. It was true that any other thing was just a symbolic representation. Those that could diminish in the blink of an eye. Forever in existence were the drumbeats of their emotions. She knew her mum was soon en route to the room as her steps were thunderous enough for her to conceive that. Chloe had to lid her sadness and faint-heartedness. She smiled. Mia had offered her juice.

 "Mum, I could have gotten a pack for myself from the fridge..." Chloe said to appreciate her

 "Nope! That was naturally blended. " Mia expressed, walking away without hesitation

Chloe threw her head backwards, excited. "What a freaky nutritionist I have got as a mum!"

This time, She had with her what could help heal the wound in her heart. Her mum was perfect at making such natural juice, and Mia knew Chloe's appeal for one was significantly enormous. Thus, Mia would spoil Chloe's day without offering her taste whenever she made one.

She needed one of those healing moments, but then, it was blurred to her when this healing moment would be, but very transparent was how it would come.

 It was Dinner, and Chloe could not help but wonder why her mum had decided not to make what they had on the Menu — burgers and fries. This thought did not come because she disliked what they were having now. Come on; there was none of Mia's delicacies that she wouldn't always love to digest, but for her favourite—it was her inter pair—first among equals.

 "This is the time being a student could ever be so challenging." her mom said. There was a brief pause. Chloe didn't understand where she was driving but knew it was about her. Come on, the 'student' — it was her.

 "What do you mean, mom?" She responded

 "I meant your project work now that you are in your penultimate. I have observed that you have looked stressed lately. "

 "It is unbelievable to know that a human can't password his thoughts, after all. " she said, smiling. "But, I think Professor Emily Anderson wouldn't be so. Intransigent to have for a project supervisor. "

 "You think so, or have you stated the fact?" Mia hurled. "Working hard is the etiquette to getting everything in shape and enveloping them in a state of perfection. "

 "Yeah. The sweat you put in today is the strength you stand on tomorrow, " James added

 "I think I have read about that... Umm, " Chloe said. Staring into the thick air, trying to recall where that could be from

 "Shannon L Alder ", James mentioned

Chloe was instantaneous, "You got it, Dad. Shannon Alder"

Swinging one at a time on James and Chloe, "All right, enough of the Academic project and work. Was no one ever going to ask why we didn't consider what was on the Menu for dinner?"

James, partially closing his face for a while, with his head backwards, had it as if the sumptuousness just registered, "Come on, I wouldn't want to imagine that there's something more sumptuous and digestible than this. "

 "I agree with you, Dad" Chloe came in

Mia couldn't help but shake her head with a fair smile. "You both are just too ridiculous. "She had stopped eating. "You know what, I read that many foods are being reengineered to be more nutritious. I'm just waiting so they can get burgers and fries figured out so it does not mess with our blood sugar levels. So, I wouldn't want us to continue having it for now. "

 "How come I never knew about this, " James said, less concerned

 "You expected to read it in ABA journal or Harvard Law? " Mia asked with a burst of reserved laughter in her throat, which she didn't hesitate to allow to escape

 Chloe loved the way her parent related to each other. Most significantly, at that time, they both taunted each other like this, and they would laugh ceaselessly, leaving Chloe out of their comic as if she never existed. This was what she wanted too—a moment like this in her own home. A man like this for a husband. She knew she could not be like her mum, who, by her virtue, chose to become a housewife. Instead, Chloe wanted to become something more. She wanted someone extraordinary to live with. She knew to find one was not going to come by so soon. Her mum had long told this to her, but the disequilibrium was that James Cooper had chased her mom and maybe found it too challenging to win Mia's heart. But was it not clear that it was not the same with her? She didn't know if there was any part her mum omitted on herself, but she would ask, especially now that Wayyt was in the picture.

 It was the weekend, and James and Mia Cooper went alone to any place of captivating interest, per their tradition. This was initiated because Mia once classified James as an unromantic partner. Of course, how romantic was a man who was always busy at work and had few moments to spend on long talks after the office had had the better portion of him? Mia was excited now. She had James to herself, far away from home, where they spent good times together every weekend. The drive had been quiet. James was focused on the road, one hand gripping the steering wheel, the other resting on the gear shift. His phone vibrated in the cupholder between them. He didn't even take a look. "Can you check that for me?" he requested casually

Mia reached for the phone without any thought. It was not familiar to her to go through his phone. She never had a reason to. James was steady and predictable. If there was anything she believed in, it was him. But as soon as she got hold of the phone, her eyes caught the message on the screen. This read: William Hayles: Since we are no longer in business, I think it is best that we cut off the contract between our kids. It would be fair. "

 Her grip on the phone tightened. She knew what she read, but it didn't seem to be what she could quickly digest. She reread it, her pulse running fast. She turned to James, her voice measured but firm

 "James, what is this?"

 "What?" he answered, barely looking at her

 "This message from Williams" Mia held the phone up. "What does he mean by a contract between our kids?"

 "Mia, it's nothing ", James replied. His expression did not change, but his fingers tightened around the wheel.

 "Nothing?" she repeated with a sharper voice. "James, Williams is texting you about our child and a contract, and you are saying it's nothing?"

 "Mia, please. At least not now. "

 "Not now?" Mia released a hollow laugh. "So when? When were you planning to say that there was some deal involving Chloe?"

James exhaled through his nose, his grip tightening on the wheel. "It's complicated."

 Mia turned in her seat, looking directly at him, waiting for James to stare back at her. James wouldn't. "Complicated?" he paused. "James, are you saying that you signed some agreement with Williams involving my daughter and just let me out of it?"

 "It's not what you think." James swallowed, still he didn't look at her.

Mia's hands shake as she sets the phone back down, her mind rolling like a ball. Whatever this was, it was Something. And James was aware of it. She turned slightly to the window, staring at the city light as they passed. For the first time in their marriage of over twenty-five years, she didn't know if she wanted to listen to the truth.

What do you think would happened next?