Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

HAZEL 

Ring! 

Ring! 

Ring! 

No answer. 

I called again and again and again. Yvonne didn’t take any of my calls. My fist tightened around my phone. I felt this rage burning inside me. 

How could she not have attended her daughter's school? How could she have failed to come over even if it was just for an hour? 

Just how many events at school has she missed? 

My fingers danced around the phone again, calling her again when his hands clasped against my phone. 

My eyes locked on that wide hand, veins popping on top of them, as though they were fighting to come out of his flesh. 

I slowly turned to meet his eyes, filled with this sad knowing look. 

He didn’t say a word, he just held my hands and my phone together. 

I turned to Navira. She stood by the door of the car. Her head bowed, hands clasped. I could sense the pain emitting from her. 

If no one understands her, I do. 

My parents did the same to me. 

Yvonne was their focus. They never came to any function for me. They always left me alone. I struggled alone and it was hard… so fucking hard. 

“I have to call her, there must be a reason she …” 

“She is busy.” Niko cut me off before I could finish, his voice, cold and low. His teeth clenched, his jaw set, “She is always busy.” 

He was hurting. For his daughter. 

We ended up leaving Navira’s school without correcting the teacher. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt my niece like that. 

And Nikolai, whom I expected would correct the principle simply sat there and listened to every piece of information she passed through, and even promised that we were not going to miss any event going forward. 

He said “WE” 

As in the two of us.

Nikolai and Hazel

We are a “WE” 

“Navira.” Nikolai’s sharp voice yanked me out of my thoughts as he walked to meet his daughter whose heart was obviously burning with guilt. 

Navira looked up, her brows furrowed, and sadness clouded her face. Nikolai froze. Obviously captivated by her sad look. I was too. 

He sighed. He slammed his eyes shut, “Why did you do it?” He asked. His voice was calm. 

So calm. 

I couldn’t help but steal a glance. He was always like this. He rarely raised his voice at the people he cared about even when he was hurting. He was sweet, considerate, and caring. 

He bent over to the level of his daughter. 

“I was the only one without a mum.” Navira's shaky voice broke me. I had never seen her whine like this before. “Everyone has a mummy but mine never came… the other girls at school said I didn’t have a mummy. …. I knew Aunty Hazel would come to me if I called… I’m sorry.” She cried. 

Something inside of me broke. 

I clenched my dress. My fist tightened around my bag. 

I didn’t realize I was crying until a tear dropped down my chin. 

She is just a kid… why would Yvonne do this to her? 

Why would she abandon her child like this? For what? Fame? Money? Connection? She had had enough… why is she hurting this girl like this? 

Nikolai was silent. His fist clenched again. Still bent in front of his child, he cupped her cheeks to wipe her tears, “I’m sorry too, Navira but your aunt Hazel was at work when you called. And lying about her being your mum… will put her in a very tight spot. Your aunt has her life, you can’t just do something like that… especially without her permission.” He muffled, gently stroking her hair. 

That was… very sweet. 

He was right though. 

I would gladly be an aunt for Navira at any given time of the day. I’d close down my company if I had to. But being her mum.., especially in a situation like this.., it’s not only going to end badly, Yvonne would accuse me of things and … I don’t think I can go through that…. Again. 

Someone tugged at my dress. Navira. Her eyes filled with tears, her lips pouted, “Are you mad at me, Aubty?” She asked. 

I bent over, my lips curled into a smile, “Is that even possible, my love. There is no way.” I winked, brushing her hair with my hands. 

She laughed, brightly, “Does that mean you will continue to pretend to be my mum?” She asked excitedly, the light so bright in her eyes, I almost feel bad because I can’t… It’s all shades of wrong. 

“I think your aunt and I will need to discuss that first, okay, Avira?” Nikolai cuts her off. 

Uhm… discuss? Discuss what? 

There is nothing to discuss, pretending to be his wife is just … I can’t pretend to be his wife… that’s … too much. 

Nikolai drove Navira home and I followed. 

“Okay, just have all the documents mailed to me. And please send my schedule for tomorrow. Ah one more thing, I think my schedule may need to be revised but that’s… uhm… I’ll get back to you on that.” I said over the phone, staring at my laptop, finishing up my work for the day. 

As the call ended I sighed into my tablet. What am I doing? Why am I having my schedule revised? I can’t pretend to be his wife… I can work with Navira but with Nikolai? I can’t hide it.., I won’t be able to. 

“Coffee?” 

“Oh… fuck me!” I yelled, startled, almost jumping out of my seat. My heart was beating fast, and my body leaned back. 

I didn’t realize he was already in the living room. 

“Make some noise, you old mongrel!” I snapped at him, throwing one of the papers I had squeezed while working at him. 

He chuckled, “Sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you.” He bit his lips, bent over to pick the paper, and trashed it. “So… coffee?” He asked again. 

I took a deep breath. “Yes.” 

He turned his back on me and began brewing the coffee. 

He still looked very much the same. His broad shoulders, that well-defined back. The way his hands moved to the machine. 

And the smell of the coffee is still the same even though it’s been years. 

He turned and I looked away immediately, eyes anywhere else but on his. 

“Here you go.” He announced, placing it on my table. As my eyes settled on it, I realized. 

He never forgot how to make my coffee. 

“So would you do it?” He asked, tearing my gaze from the coffee that almost made me cry. 

“Do what?” I cleared my voice, holding back the waterworks as I lifted the coffee for a sip. 

“Become my wife.” He said.