Chapter 96-A Job To Do

“This is going to be so much fun mom.” Finley squealed from the backseat.

The triplets weren’t as excited for this family outing but they begrudgingly came along anyway. I still hadn’t heard anything from Marcus, not even an email asking about his children. Mulo told me that once his memory started coming back, there was no safe way to re-erase it. He could try but there are limits to how much the mind can be messed with and it was much harder to do on a vamp. It was done the first time before he was turned. I had gone to a lawyer to ask about the legality of the situation. It was a tricky situation but he said that my marriage to him was technically over when Marcus was declared dead. He agreed to draw up divorce papers for me still because I wanted to be sure nothing was going to stand in his way. I had the lawyer send the papers out to him since I didn’t trust myself to actually drop them in the mail. Now I waited to hear back.

“Ok guys we’re here.” I said pulling into the parking lot.

Finley jumped out of the car then grabbed Elphie’s hand pulling her off towards the skating rink. Elton and Edson followed behind them leaving me standing alone by the car.

“So much for family fun.” I said sadly as I wandered towards them.

“Mom, get a pair and join us.” Finley called out as she slowly made her way around the rink. I watched for a little while as they laughed and had fun with each other.

“This was your idea Mom. You should be made to suffer like the rest of us.” Elton said holding his hand out to me. It wasn’t the greatest invitation, but it was still an invitation and that was more than expected.

We spent the next hour or so skating and having fun. I fell a few times and of course they laughed, but it was the first time we had this sort of interaction. After skating everyone was complaining about being hungry so we headed over to the food stands. After lunch the kids humored me with a quick family photo before taking off to have a water balloon fight.

“Working on the mother of the year award?”

I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh at the sound of her voice. It never failed, every time I had a moment of peace something or someone had to come along to ruin it.

“I was hoping you had been staked in that spot that should contain your heart. Or had been locked away in some tomb so that the world would be forever freed of you.”

“My, my, my someone is feisty.” She said laughing. “I think I liked the old meeker you better.”

“Aww that’s too bad. I’d like a much deader you so that proves we can’t all get what we want in life.”

I kept my eyes on the kids. They were continuing their game and I wanted to make sure she didn’t go anywhere near them.

“Watch your mouth girl. Just because he’s turned you into some sort of freak of nature it doesn’t make you invincible.”

She stepped in front so that we were now facing each other. She glared down at me; in a previous time in my life I would have been intimidated. I looked around her to see the kids. The triplets were now casting looks in my direction while keeping Finley occupied. Exhaling loudly, I returned my gaze to Marisol.

 “I never said I was, but I not about to grovel at your feet either. Do your worst Marisol. How much more pain can you really cause? You’ve killed my sister, destroyed my family, and forced me into this life of servitude. I’m holding up my end of this ridiculous thing, why can’t you just watch from afar and leave me alone?”

She studied me for a while and I refused to shy away from her gaze. This situation, the pain and loss I’ve had to endure has changed me. For better or for worse I still didn’t know, but I knew I was not the same person.

“Now where is the fun in that?” She asked turning back to face the kids.

Finley came running over to me wet from the balloon fight but smiling broadly. The triplets walked up behind her but no one spoke to Marisol.

“Mom who’s this?” Finley asked pointing towards Marisol.

“No one important dear. Would you like a snow cone now?”

“Yes. Come on Elphie.” She replied pulling her sister off towards the snow cone truck.

“Family fun day means you have to have fun.” Elton said stepping between me and Marisol.

“Yes we would like to beat you at horseshoes now.” Edson chimed in.

I turned to leave with the boys when she grabbed my arm pulling me back.

“Remember you have a job to do.” She hissed.

“Yes I know.” I replied yanking my arm free. “And its being a mother to my children which you are prohibiting me from doing.”

She stepped back and started to say something. Instead she gave me a sinister smile that despite my best attempts cause a shiver to run down my spine. She gave me a little wave then turned and left. I tried to thank them for trying to come to my rescue but they waved me off stating that they were doing what dad told them to do should she come around. 

 

They worked as a team very well and usually that team work was used against me. The game of horseshoes turned into a major competition between the boys so I eventually stopped taking a turn as they tried to duke it out. After listening to them trash talk for a while, I wandered off in search of Elphie and Finley.

“Do you ever wish things had turned out differently with us?” Elphie asked as we stood waiting on Finley to finish getting her face painted. I was surprised by the question since she rarely talked to me, let alone questioned the standing of our relationship.

“Yes in some ways. I wish I had handled things differently when you were younger. That I had tried to understand who you were instead of trying to fix something I thought was broken. I wish I had a better relationship with all of you, but I don’t. But I’m glad you guys have each other, and Mulo.”

I looked over at her and smiled. I reached out to smooth down a stray hair and she didn’t recoil from my touch.

“Do you think it would have been easier to love us if we were human?”

I pulled her into a hug not caring if she protested or not. Her arms hung down by her side, but she didn’t pull away immediately.

“Oh honey loving you was always the easy part. Me showing that properly was where I had the issue and I’m sorry for that.”

Elphie started to respond but Finley emerged with her clown face and her attention turned to her sister.

“How do I look?” She asked.

“Like a clown.”

Finley just rolled her eyes before running off to show her brothers.

Marcus POV

I sat staring at the papers on my desk. I had read them over and over at least thirty times since they had arrived. Florence had gotten so angry with me when I didn’t sign them right away. She accused me of using this as an excuse to leave her because in her words she was defective. I tried to explain to her that it wasn’t case, but that I couldn’t ignore the real fact that I did have children out there no matter how much that pained her. 

I pulled up my email in an attempt to compose another one to Amari. I had tried and failed at this several times much in the same way I could never connect the call after I would dial her number. I had no doubt that by now she took my silence as a rejection. The confirmation of that thought sat in the form of the divorce papers that sat in front of me. It was the note that came from her that really got to me.

 I folded the letter and put it back in my desk drawer. 

Pulling out a pen I attempted again to sign my name to the papers. She clearly was ready to let it go and move on so why was I having such a hard time doing the same? Was it because of the sadness I saw in her eyes or was it because of how I responded to her when she kissed me? More memories and feelings were returning. Florence knew things were changing, she cried a lot about me becoming distance and closed off to her.

No matter how many times I told her my feelings for her hadn’t changed she was still worried and my reluctance to sign those papers didn’t help. I needed closure on one life before I could start in on another and there was only one way for me to get that.