One Night Stand With My Husband’s Brother

Calista fiddled around with Mackenzie’s collar. “I know.”

“Where’s Cameron?”

“He’s sleeping.” Calista answered, then added eagerly, “Thank you, mommy, for letting us go back to school again.”

Mackenzie’s voice went softer as she patted Calista’s hair lovingly, “Baby, you don’t have to thank me. It’s mommy’s duties to make sure you go to school. Did you have fun at school, today?”

“Yes! I had so much fun with my friends. I missed a lot of school games and activities, but I’m happy to be back again. I never want to stop going to school again!”

Mackenzie lets out a small smile when Calista stumbles over some of the words in her enthusiasm, but within, there was a tug at her heart. She should never have stopped them from going to school out of fear, like a damn coward.

That was such a bad decision on her part. What was she thinking?

She sighed lightly and brushed Calista’s light hair away from her face. Her baby girl’s hair kept getting less dark and more light every day. She wondered who she got her hair from.

With one fleeting look back at the door she had just come through, Mackenzie wondered what would happen if she told Chase about the kids. There was no longer any reason to keep him in the dark. But then, now was a bad time, because Jeffrey knew she was in the city.

She had to be extra careful with her kids, and not have them exposed.

Her thoughts were cut off when Charlotte stepped into the living room, in some cozy clothes and a giant bag of chips in her arm. As she spotted Mackenzie, she hooted,

“Look who it is! Look who’s back! Creative designer slaying every one in Axford!”

Mackenzie laughed, shaking at head. She asked Calista if she had had dinner.

“No. I was waiting for you, mommy.” Calista answered.

“No…why?” Mackenzie sounded distressed. She gave Charlotte a displeased glance which Charlotte responded to with a shrug.

“Felicity and I tried to get her to eat something, but she refused.”

“But did Cameron at least have dinner before he fell asleep?”

“Of course. You know he likes his food.”

Mackenzie moved to place Calista in the couch, and she noticed the drawing books and pencil crayons around her.

“Why don’t you show mommy what you have been doing so far?”

Calista smiled eagerly and placed the drawing book on the table, opening it to show some pictures of a small furry dog. As she opened the pages, Makenzie realized that they are all pictures of the same dog. The drawings are so detailed, the colors so realistic, that it would be difficult for anyone else to believe that a four year old drew them.

It was a beautiful gift.

“Baby, your drawings are so beautiful, honey.” Mackenzie cooed with a soft smile, giving Calista’s cheek a soft tickle which made her giggle. “Now, how about your piano lessons? Are you enjoying them?”

She shook her head slowly. “No… but I am enjoying my art lessons in school!”

“Oh, really? I can tell by all those beautiful drawings.”

“Do you like them, mommy?”

“Of course, I do!” Mackenzie exclaimed with a hand on her heart. As if not liking Calista’s drawings would be literal sacrilege.

Calista was overjoyed, and began to babble on about what happened in arts class, the compliment the teacher gave her, the new colors they mixed, and how fun it was to draw a new painting on a fresh canvas.

Mackenzie smiled at her in fascination, then remembered that it was getting late and Calista should have a dinner on time so she does not get a stomach ache. She leaned in to place a peck on Calista’s hair and told her,

“I’ll be right back, honey, let me go bring in some food, okay?”

She straightened up and moved into the kitchen to serve in some dinner for her and Calista. She returned to the living room and they huddled together to eat, Mackenzie dutifully wiping off stray stains around her baby girl’s lips.

After they were done eating, Charlotte’s eyes were glued to her favorite anime show on TV, yet her hand was slowly trying to sneak a chip into Calista’s hand. Mackenzie noticed immediately and gave Charlotte a glare.

“It’s late, Charlotte.”

Charlotte, knowing that she had been caught, let out an easy laugh, “Come on, Kenzie. It’s just one chip. It’s not going to kill her, you know. Stop being such a mother hen.”

Mackenzie let out a sigh, “Fine. Just one.”

Calista happily accepted the chip and popped it into her mouth, scooting closer to snuggle against Charlotte, probably hoping to get more sneaky chips.

Felicity stepped into the living room, stretching her arm and yawning. She asked, “What happened, Kenzie? You are back home so late, and on your first day too.”

A heated blush appeared on Mackenzie’s cheeks as she remembered what had happened between her and Chase, that made her completely lost in his touch and his kisses, to realize that time was flying by so fast.

She gave them a look that said they should stop asking questions, and both Charlotte and Felicity exchanged knowing glances.

Charlotte smirked, “Seems like a long story.” They both laughed, and Mackenzie quickly hurried away from the living room to escape their teasing.

She stepped into her bedroom and looked over at Cameron’s corner. He was fast asleep on his bed, clutching a toy. It was his favorite, one of the ones her father bought for her kids back in North Dakota.

It reminded her that she should take the kids back home to visit her dad during their next vacation. He must have missed them so much. When they still lived with him, the kids always kept him on his toes and he was so sweet with them.

The toy in Cameron’s hand had always been his favorite since when he was younger. Nothing but a stumbling toddler. Nothing could make him part with the toy. It was so special to Cameron, that he even called it ‘daddy toy’.

Hearing him call it that always made Mackenzie feel so guilty to making her kids grow up without a dad. Of course, her own father was there to act as a father figure, back in North Dakota, but having grandpa was different from having a father, like all other kids did.

She remembered when Cameron asked her why he and Calista did not have a dad, like the other kids. She could clearly remember him saying, ‘I want a dad too.’

It broke her heart to pieces.

Now, thinking about it again had her choked up inside.

Every time he asked her that question, she had always brushed it off by saying something like, ‘You’ll have a dad too. He’s coming.’ But each time she said that she just broke a little more inside.

Gently, Mackenzie brushed off the strands of jet black hair hanging around Cameron’s eyes. His hair reminded her so much of Chase’s hair. His eyes, his straight nose and his facial features. They were all so strong and beautiful, just like his father.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Cameron was going to grow up to become a man of raw beauty, exactly like Chase. It was already apparent in his features. Everything he did screamed Chase. Cameron was energetic, full of life and sometimes rebellious. She was sure his rebellious tendencies would increase as he grew older.

Just like Chase who was a damn rebel that never conforms to other people’s standards.

Her eyes strayed to the side of his bed and spotted his baseball gear. They already looked old, since she got them in North Dakota, so she had to get the twins new supplies.

She looked back at Cameron sleeping peacefully and remembered his small voice asking, “When will my dad get here?” He had sounded so hopeful as he asked that, meaning he truly believed her lies with all the innocence and purity of a little child.

A tear escaped Mackenzie’s eyes without her notice.

It hurt her more because she had to grow up without a parent. It was out of anyone’s control because her mother died while giving birth to her, so she had felt the emptiness and sadness as a child, while she watched other kids’ mom’s show up at school to check their grades or during sports to cheer them on.

There was no one to cheer her on.

Her father tried his best, but he also had to work hard on the farms to provide, so he could not be there all the time. She could never wish that type of pain on any child.

But now, her kids were experiencing the same. They were too young for all of this, especially when their father was alive and well.

She decided she would tell Chase about them, but this storm of a scandal had to die down first.