LOGINSEREIAThe morning air was cold on my face as I knelt down in front of Liyana. Her backpack was hung on her back and hair was messy from her tantrums in the car. There was a jam stain on her cheek that I hadn't seen until now."Mommy you're staring " she said and I reached out wiping the jam with my thumb. "I'm just looking at you " I replied."Why?" she asked."Because I love you " I replied.She rolled her eyes the only way a five-year-old could. "I know that Mommy " she smiled and I hugged her tight holding her a little bit tighter than usual. Today was going to be a long day."Be good at school " I warned her playfully and she nodded."I'm always good " she said.Gracie laughed from the seat of the car. "That's not true, child " she said.Liyana giggled. She kissed my cheek. Then she was off running toward the school doors with her friends. Her purple backpack was bouncing with each step.I watched until she disappeared inside.Valerian appeared beside me and he took my hand."She
SEREIA"Sereia."Valerian’s called out from behind me his voice low and urgent. His hand met my back before I could even see his face. I didn’t turn around to meet him because I couldn’t even move. I just stared at the papers held in my hand. My hand trembled as the words blurred together.Full custody, visitation right, legal guardianship. He wanted it all."Sereia." Valerian’s voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts as he stepped in front of me raising his eyes to meet mine.Hr looked at my face and then the papers in my shaking hand."What is it? Sarah said Lucas was here. She said—" he started and I immediately pushed the papers into his hands. He took them and began reading them. His jaw got tight the further he went and his eyes darkened. "When did he give you these?"" Just now, before you came.""Was he here? At this party?" Valerian asked just to be sure and I nodded. My throat was too tight to speak.Valerian looked toward the garden, his eyes meeting Liyana who was
SEREIAI woke up early today but the room was still dark, the sun was just barely starting to creep in through the curtains casting a subtle almost non existent warm glow.I rolled round the bed and it was empty, I didn’t hit Valerian’s muscular body. It was just cold and empty. He was probably up already. Ugh I let out a groan as I sat up on the bed rubbing my eyes and looking around. Maybe he went to work. I mean he had probably been so busy lately, the scandal, the company and everything.I mean I wouldn’t even blame him if he didn’t know what today was. Today was Liyana's birthday.I had been planning this for a few days. Nothing serious, I had ordered cake and a chocolate fountain for her. I added a few trinkets and jewelry that I knew she would love and I was so pumped up to show her the gifts.I thought maybe Gracie would remember but she hadn’t said anything about it and so I didn’t remind her. I slipped out of bed and headed downstairs and when I reached downstairs the l
SEREIAAfter the entire Selena news I went back to sleep and when I woke up the sound of birds was heavy outside the window. There was no buzzing of my phone or may bad news just peace and for a moment I laid there watching the light move across the ceiling.Valerian was also asleep beside me with his arm heavy around my waist and his face looking relaxed. I was kind of shocked that he was still asleep but I liked to think that it was because I was here with him. I turned to face him, tracing my finger along his jaw and down his cheeks. He soon caught my hand and his eyes opened."What are you doing?" He asked and blush immediately creeped up my cheeks."Memorizing you." I answered and he raised an eyebrow before pulling me closer and kissing me. "Memorize me later. Sleep now." He joked and I rolled my eyes."It's late afternoon Valerian." I groaned and he joined me. "Then sleep in."I laughed. "You're impossible.""You love it."I did.---We came downstairs an hour later and Liy
SEREIAThe foyer was now quiet and I stood there with my arms wrapped around myself—my heart still racing from all that just happened few minutes ago. I looked over fro maybe door towards Liyana who had her face buried in Sarah’s neck, I watched her body rattle softly indicating that she was crying.I stared at my crying daughter, my heart breaking with each second that passed. The presence of Gracie’s arm on my back calmed me lightly the warm seeping into me.Valerian was still by the door, he hadn’t moved. His back was still to us and his fingers still clenched at the sides."Valerian." I started walking towards him. I finally reached we’re he stood and I lightly brushed his arm. "They're gone." I informed him like he didn’t know what just happened, he turned around; his face hard."I know." He answered and I cocked my eyebrows at him. "Are you okay?"He looked at me for sometime and then he pulled me into his arms pressing his face into my hair. "I will be." He whispered. “Ok!!
SEREIA"Mommy are you there?" Liyana’s voice cut through the moment like a knife. I immediately froze on the bed and Valerian’s arms which were still around my waist stiffened.My daughter was outside the door while I laid here with my back pressed against Valerian’s chest with his breath warm on my neck.I jumped up from the bed grabbing my clothes from the floor and Valerian joined me too as he pulled on his pants and shirt, running his hands through his hair to make sure he looked presentable." a minute baby!" I called out and I was pretty sure my voice sounded too high and breathless. I pulled my dress over my head and by now it was all wrinkled but I didn’t care and apparently Valerian didn’t care too because his shirt was equally wrinkle. He looked at me with a guilty expression on his face. Rightfully so because he had told me Liyana wouldn’t be here. But now look at him, his hair was messy, his shirt button wrong and he looked noting like the man who owned companies. "Rea
SEREIAI stood in Valerian’s office clutching a stack of files that I had spent the last two hours working on. Valerian had been on a call for the past ten minutes his low voice speaking in rapid-fire German to the person on the other end.He didn’t bother to look at me but his hands moved, pointin
SEREIAThe four days of house arrest was finally over. “Mrs Gable, who was the nurse Valerian hired wasn’t who I expected her to be.She was sweet and showed this grandmotherly love, she had spent most of her time tucking me in or making sure Liyana was having enough cookies.“You look so much bett
SEREIAI laid on my bed for what felt like hours as I waited for Valerian to return, the room was quiet with only sound of my thumping heart filling my ears.I decided to stand up and walk around a little and I pushed the duvet off my legs the cold air in the room hugging me immediately, making me
SEREIAWith a sigh as I left his office for the elevator still trying to understand why I was being sent to a garage on my first day back. I didn’t want to argue with him but when I reached the VIP garage and looked around there were no boxes here, no files, nothing!! It was mostly empty just fill







