Chapter 100-Face To Face

I can't believe this is my 100th chapter! I had no idea when I started this story it would become such a story LOL. I know that sounds strange but it's the truth. My first attempt into the world of sim stories and I thought hey a baby challenge should be easy. Well 100 chapters later, it's no longer a baby challenge but I appreciate the continued support you all have given me! Through all the ups and (mostly) downs of Amari's life you guys have stuck with me. I can't say it's going to make it 100 more as I feel the story may be nearing its end, but I hope you all enjoy the final ride with me.

She was even more stunning up close. I had only seen her briefly that day I went by their house but now being face to face with her, I felt instantly shabby in comparison. Her skin was flawless, her makeup was perfectly applied, and her clothes looked like something you would see in a magazine.

“Pardon my English. I seek Amari Smith.”

“That would be me and who are you?”

She cocked her head to the side and gave a sly smile. “Tink you know already. May I come inside?” Her words were spoken with a thick accent, but her body language was easy enough to understand. She was here to fight for her man and my morning just got a hundred times worse.

“Certainly.” I replied stepping to the side to allow her in. I didn’t miss the once over she gave me as she entered.

I directed her towards the living room. “Give me a minute to get dressed and we can have a talk. Although I’m not sure we really have anything to discuss.”

When I got to my room I thought about calling Marcus to let him know she was here. I suspected her just showing up like this meant she hadn’t told him she was coming. I was pissed she had come here. She had already won, even if she didn’t know it, but now she was here to stake some claim on him. She was wandering around the living room when I got back downstairs.

“Can I offer you something to drink?”

“No, but thank you. He loves me, but only feels an obligation for you.”

So the claws were out. She was cutting right to the chase and skipping all the pleasantries. “An obligation? Is that what he’s told you, to help ease your fears?” I asked walking towards the sofa.

“It is obvious. You use children to get him, but it will fail.”

I sat there shocked that this woman, this stranger who didn’t even know me, accused me of using my children to get Marcus back. I was going to attempt to be nice, but why? The gloves were coming off.

“I don’t have to use my children to get him. He came looking for me, he may love you but I think you know he has feelings for me as well.”

“You play on his memories. What he feels is nothing.” She spat angrily.

“If you really thought that, you wouldn’t be here. What I think is he stays with you out of a sense of obligation. I mean considering your troubles, he may not want to seem heartless leaving you after such a loss.”

It was her turn to be shocked. Her entire demeanor changed and I felt slightly bad bringing up the loss of her babies. I had experienced that sort of grief and knew the heartache that came with it, but she was the first to strike.

“How you know of my losses?”

“Marcus, we talked the last time he came to see me.”

“Marc would never share something private with a stranger.”

“Ah, but see I’m not a stranger, I’m his wife and the mother of his children.”

Florence’s face contorted into an angry scowl when I said that. She didn’t like being reminded we were married and certainly didn't want to be reminded I gave him something she couldn't. I understood, however, how learning something so deeply personal had been told to the other woman would be hard to hear. I could see that this meeting was not turning out in the way she had hoped.I was willing to be nice and even help ease her fears more, but she didn't want it that way.

“You are just a link to a life forgotten.” She counted regaining her composure. “If you were so memorable Marc would not forgotten you so easily.” She sat back with a smug look of satisfaction on her face.

“You are so very correct Florence.” I replied coolly. “If we were dealing with a simple case of amnesia, but we aren’t. Which is why you are here. If you were as confident in your relationship as you would have me believe, you wouldn’t have come here to have this little meeting with me behind his back. So you are here to what? Ask me to walk away? To plead your case on letting the two of you have a chance? I sent him divorce papers, the fact that he didn’t sign them should speak volumes to you, because it does to me.”

This time her brave face crumpled. Florence got up and started walking around the room. I knew I had struck a nerve and it was cruel of me to do so. She was just as innocent in all of this, but I was tired of playing nice. I know she was scared of losing Marcus, hell I shared her fear, but I was tired of putting everyone’s feelings above my own. That favor never seemed to be returned to me and today she got the brunt of that. The pain I am inflicting on her now would only be temporary. Once she made it to his hotel she would learn she won. He signed the papers; he was free of me and my mess. She had him, she had won.

“I think you should go now.” I said standing. “You need to talk to him, not me.”

Without saying a word, Florence picked up her purse and gave me a weak smile. Once she was gone I finally let this morning’s discovery sink in. He had signed the papers, he did as I asked of him and chose the easier life and it hurt worse than I thought it would to lose him a second time.

Marcus POV

Leaving Amari last night was hard. I wanted to stay, I wanted to keep talking so I could have more answers, but mostly I wasn’t ready to leave her yet. I still couldn’t believe I signed the papers. It didn’t feel right but I did it for her. Seeing her break down and talk about grieving over me again, seeing the sadness in her eyes when she looked at me convinced me to do it. She felt so guilty over what happened to me. How she managed to deal with the fact she was bonded to the person responsible for her pain was beyond me. I really hoped she would call to ask me to reconsider what I did, but part of me knew she wouldn’t. She had been very adamant that my life was better without her in it, but I wasn’t so sure. A knock at my door brought me out of my thoughts. I quickly answered hoping it was Amari.

“Ciao Amore.” Florence said flinging herself into my arms when she walked in.

“Florence. What are you doing here?” I asked surprised to see her.

“Non sembri felice di vedermi.” (You don’t sound happy to see me)

“No, no of course I am. I’m just surprised.” I replied giving her a warm hug. “You should have told me, I would have picked you up from the airport.”

“Dopo aver ottenuto la tua di non sapere quando sarebbe tornado a casa ho desciso di sorprendervi.” (After getting your email about not knowing when you would be home I decided to surprise you.) She answered wrapping her arms around my neck.

Florence leaned in to kiss me. I wanted to respond as if nothing was wrong but I couldn’t. Amari was correct when she said things would be different when I saw Florence again. I was not that man, yet I was that man.

“You want her.” She accused pulling away.

“Florence I’m just trying to figure it all out.”

“Bugiardo!” (liar) She screamed slapping me hard. “Venite a vederla, la vuoi!” (you come to see her, you want her)

“Florence!” I growled at her. A tone I didn’t take with her often but when I did normally she would back down. Today she was too upset to care.

“No choose. Now Marc!”

“What? How do you expect me to choose between you and my children? How can you even ask that?”

“Not them, her. I tink you do this to see her.” As soon as she said the words I got a read on her feelings. I normally tried not to invade her thoughts, but the guilt that she was feeling prompted me to do so.

“You went to see her?” I accused once I saw all that happened.

“What? No, I…”

“You’re going to try and lie about this?” I asked cutting her off. Her face dropped when she realized lying was not going to work. However her mood shifted quickly when her anger surged.

“Ho fatto!” (I did) Florence yelled. “Avevo bisogno di vederla. Come potevo non?” (I needed to see her. How could I not?)

“But you didn’t just see her Florence. That’s not why you went there at all.” I bellowed getting angrier with each passing moment.

“Cosa ti aspettavi che facessi Marc? Stai tirando via da me a causa di lei. Io voglio solo che vada via. Potrebbe essere sbagliato, ma devo fare! Perché non puoi solo essere felice con me come prima?" She cried looking at me with desperation. (What did you expect me to do Marc? You’re pulling away from me because of her. I just want her to go away. It may be wrong but I do! Why can’t you just be happy with me like before?)

“I’m not unhappy with you, but things aren’t like before. I have a wife and children damn it. They won’t just go away because you want them to. You always got upset when I wanted to look into my past and I never really pushed the issue, but my past is here now and we have to deal with that.”

“Non sono i figli, è sua. Non sarà firmare le carte Marc perché? È questo perché non posso darvi i bambini e lei può? Si prega possiamo riprovare. Si prega di Marc dimmi quello che devo fare e lo farò." She pleaded with me. (It’s not the children, it’s her. You won’t sign the papers Marc why? Is this because I can’t give you babies and she can? Please we can try again. Please Marc just tell me what I have to do and I’ll do it.)

I hated seeing her like this. I felt terrible knowing my inability to make my intentions clear affected her in such a way. It wasn’t fair to either woman and knowing I had crossed a line with Amari yesterday didn’t help matters. She was all I thought about when I got back to my room last night. Yet she was pushing me away when I didn’t want to go and Florence was begging me to stay.

“Marc, please.” She said dropping onto the sofa. “Don’t punish me.”

“That’s not what I’m doing. I have this whole other life I just learned about. This isn’t about you. I didn’t plan on my life being turned upside down but I can’t ignore what’s happening. I have children and a wife, and family. I need to see this through and give myself and Amari some closure.”

“Her again.” She screamed pulling away from me. “Why her needs more important than me?”

“That’s not what I am implying but just try to put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel finding out your husband basically came back from the dead? This can’t be an easy thing to have someone just ripped out of your life like that and when you find him again he has a new life and doesn’t know who you are." I said trying to make her see reason but the more I talked I felt myself becoming angry over the situation. "She’s not fighting for me or what we had. She isn’t trying to come between us and our relationship. In fact she’s sacrificing and giving you what you want.” I yelled.

As crazy as it seemed, I was upset that Amari wasn't willing to fight for whatever we had before. I could see she loved me deeply even before she said it out loud but she wanted to push me away. Each time I was with her, I felt the connection we had get a little bit stronger. It was wrong and confusing, and I should have felt guilty and part of me did. Florence didn't deserve this anymore than I did or even Amari. My feelings for Florence were still there and I didn't want to hurt her.

“Mi dispiace.” She said quietly. (I’m sorry)

“Mi serve solo la pazienza e un po ‘di tempo.” (I just need your patience and some time) She smiled up at me hearing me speak in Italian again.

I could have eased her fears by letting her know I had already signed the papers but something held me back. There was more to the story with Amari and I needed to know what. She needed help I could see it and I wanted to do whatever I could for her. Something in me wasn’t going to allow me to just walk away from her no matter how much she pushed.  

Amari POV

I spent the rest of the day wandering around the house trying to keep busy. I forced myself to put the signed papers in the mail. It was hard and I stopped myself several times from ripping them up instead. I had tried to call Dunham and Dax but their phones kept going to voicemail. Telling Dax over the phone wasn’t ideal but I saw no other option. I wanted Dunham here when I talked to the triplets. As time ticked on getting closer to the end of school my nerves started to get the best of me. Two-thirty came and went and they didn’t get off the bus. 

By three I was really worried especially when they didn’t answer their phones and Finley didn’t get off the bus. I tried to call Mulo but also got his voicemail, I couldn’t contact him via our connection because he had the block up since I told him to leave me alone yesterday. This day had gone from bad to worse, my children were missing. I pulled out my phone to call their siblings when I felt Mulo.

I tried.

I didn’t get a chance to ask what he meant because the triplets came walking into the house with Dax and Dunham.