You Broke Me First

 “Uh… I don’t know how I am going to deal with everything without you,” Milly heaves a huge sigh when Charlotte packing her stuff.

“I trust you, Milly, you can do it,” she encouraged placing her small family photo in the box.

“I am not better than you,” Milly frowns. 

“You see this is one of the simplest jobs. All you need to do is to smile and act nice, okay?” Charlotte smiled.

“I understand and I will try to work hard as you,” Milly gave a thumbs up.

“That’s what I need to hear,” Charlotte turned her attention to her monitor.

“What you’re working on your last day?” she asked.

“Just these pending bills, I have to send this to Mike.”

“Take it easy, you still have time,”

“No, I don’t have much time, I am leaving earlier today.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t finish packing yet and I need to go to Noah’s school to get his transfer certificate and also to see his teacher who wants to talk to me,” Charlotte scratched her head with her pen.

“Okay then, bye. Visit this place often and keep in touch,” Milly told before going out of her cabin.

“Sure,” Charlotte nodded.

Cloud Plaza is a famous hotel in the country having branches everywhere in the world. Charlotte is working in the hotel for more than a year now. She joined here as an intern when she was doing her final year management degree. Eventually, she got a permanent job here with her witty attitude. Seeing her talent and hardworking nature the company management promoted her and asked her to move to the main branch in the city. First, she was hesitant then later she felt she needs a change. She wants to earn more to support her son and she really wanted a better life than this.

After accepting the offer Charlotte had a very limited time to finish off her pending work but she has done a very good job in choosing her new house. She always wanted a decent separate house for her. For so long she has been living in tiny apartments.

Now putting all her savings and selling her late mom’s old house for a better price she can finally able to buy a new house for her budget in the sophisticated area of the city. She didn’t struggle much to find that beautiful house because of her real estate broker Janet. She has once stayed in this hotel and became a good friend to Charlotte.

After finishing off her work, Charlotte sends the documents to Mike the new PR manager and, came out of her cabin carrying the box and her purse.

“Bye, Charlotte,” she heard that from her side while walking down the hallway.

“Hey,” she was surprised to see Jennifer.

“This is for you, Charlotte,” she handed a small gift box and Charlotte accepted it with a smile. Jennifer is a new employee here and Charlotte has helped her a lot.

“Keep in touch,” Charlotte said and they both went towards Mike’s place.

Her colleagues greeted her and others handed her a farewell bouquet. She bought it all and placed it in her box. Then she moved to Mike who’s sitting at the corner.

“Hi, you received my mail?” she asked.

“Yes, I did,” Mike smiled.

“Okay, here are some of the records. This might be helpful for you,” she told and handed her journal.

“Thanks,” he bought it.

“And here, it’s for you,” he gave a gift box.

“Thanks,” Charlotte bought that.

“So have you prepared everything to move?” he asked.

“Yeah, tomorrow morning I am leaving this town,”

“Be safe and all the best for the new beginning,”

She chuckled before telling, “Thanks”

Charlotte made her way out of the hotel and saw the dark grey clouds settling over the place; she thought it’s going to rain since yesterday the weather forecast mentioned it. As she stood there in the silence, she had a feeling that she’s going to miss this place. Because when she moved to this town after high school, after all her heartbreaks it embraced her warmly. This town is only famous for the university where she studied and a couple of tourist spots has made this place quite famous. Now, this is her last day in this town. Taking one last look at the hotel, Charlotte walked to her car. She started it putting all her stuff in the backseat.

As soon as she crossed the busy streets, the rain started drizzling which awoke that uncomfortableness in her heart. Her smile slowly faded away and reminded her of the things that give nothing but bad feelings.

She nodded her head to clear her thoughts, you’re getting the life you wanted, so stop thinking about the old stuff. Who knows you might find someone better in the new place.  She hoped only to increase her lonely feeling. She knows how hard to begin another relationship than just to think about it. Maybe that’s why she’s still single.

Heaving a sigh, Charlotte drove towards the school and parked her car before getting out with her purse and umbrella. She walked to her son’s class plastering a smile across her face.

“Hello, Mrs. Petty,” she told while entering inside.

“Hello, Charlotte,” a lady in her early forties welcome her.

Nodding her head, she went to her son and kissed his forehead. “Did you said goodbye to your friends?” she asked.

“Yes,” Noah smiled.

“Great!” Charlotte smiled.

“His friends have given some gifts too,” Mrs. Petty voiced.

“Is it?”

“Yes,” he nodded.

Charlotte then turned her attention to Mrs. Petty. “Have you packed everything to move?”

“Yes, almost I will finish by today. Tomorrow morning, we are leaving.”

“Noah, is a wonderful student, in fact, he’s a smart kid in the class,” she said and looked at her son. Understanding that Mrs. Petty wants to talk with her alone Charlotte asked Noah to wait outside for that he reluctantly agrees.

“What is it, Mrs. Petty?” Charlotte's words danced in nervousness.

“I don’t know how to say this, but you know that Noah stutters a lot while talking and he’s so upset when other children smile at him and sometimes I think he needs his father. Whatever your personal life, I don’t want to involve in that.”

“Yeah, I know, Mrs. Petty,” Charlotte cut her off, “We are consulting doctors and he has a speech therapist. I hope he will soon talk like normal kids.”

“That's great to hear,”

“And about his father, I think I am not ready to talk that to him,” Charlotte gave a helpless smile.

“I can understand your situation; all I concern about that he’s too young to take that negatively. I strongly believe that he will come out as a great person one day,” she told. 

“His certificates,”

“Okay,”

“Did you talked with his new teacher?” Mrs. Petty questioned since she recommended that school for Noah.

“Yeah, but about this speech disability I need to talk to him in person.”

“Okay, if you need any help please reach out to me,”

“That’s so kind of you, Mrs. Petty, thank you so much.”

“No problem, take care, Charlotte, and one more thing Noah is a good painter. Encourage him to continue that.”

“Sure, bye,” Charlotte smiled and walked out of the classroom.

Once she saw Noah is not beside the class, she got panicked and searched around the corridor. Then she calmed when she found him at the entrance of the school. He was standing there and watching the rain, surprisingly.

He’s going to turn six soon and already started to understand the world around him. As a result, he kept questioning. “Why I don’t have a daddy when everyone in my class has one?”

Charlotte couldn’t tell him that his father is dead when he’s actually so well, good and strong yet she can’t tell his identity too. So she kept avoiding the question whenever the circumstances bring it. She hopes one day when she can forgive herself and comes out of her guilty self she can confidently tell her son about his father until then she’s going to stay calm even if Noah takes her wrongly.

“Hey, buddy,” she patted his shoulders lightly and he looked up at his mom.

“Are you sad that Mommy taking you somewhere out of this place?”

“No, a-actually I am h-happy to leave this p-place.”

Charlotte smiled at her son’s reply. “You know what, I feel like you will get a lot of friends in your new school,”

“I hope so,” he replied.

“Shall we go home?”

“Yes, but b-before that you promised me to buy my f-favorite pizza,” he said. Since most of the kitchen supplies were packed Charlotte proposed this idea yesterday.

“Thanks for reminding me!” she smiled and lifted the umbrella above their head as they walked to their car.

They went to their usual restaurant near their house and ordered Noah’s favorite Margarita pizza. Watching the drizzling rain outside through the glass walls, Charlotte took a bite and smiled at its taste.

“This is so good,” she exclaimed looking at her son.

“Yes mommy,” he smiled munching the pizza. Seeing that Charlotte kind of felt strange because this smile reminded someone who she can never forget or probably in this lifetime. She doesn’t know how she’s going to redeem her actions but for now, she faked a smile for her son.