moment, overawed once again by their intelligence. “I’m going to shower. Can you two behave while I get dressed?”
“Yes, but what’s for breakfast? And aren’t we going to be late for school?”
Siri glanced at her clock and sighed. “I think we need to skip school today,” she said and picked up the phone to let their school know they wouldn’t be in today. She suspected that Malik would want to spend some time with them and she didn’t blame him.
As she walked into the bathroom, she told herself that she wasn’t jealous of her sons’ day ahead. She didn’t want to spend time with Malik, she needed to get some work done and he was off limits to her anyway.
As she showered, she felt her whole body tingle with awareness. She’d always felt this way when she knew that Malik was going to be back and she shook her head, refusing to become excited, both emotionally and physically, just because the guy was coming to see their sons. She had to be firm, to stay away from him and not fall back into his arms. If she just kept herself an arm’s length away, she should be safe.
She added a bit more makeup, telling herself it was only because she looked so tired and wasn’t because she wanted to impress Malik. He was nothing but the father to her sons and if she wanted to keep her children here with her, and not in some foreign country, she had to be firm. No charm, no kissing, no making love ever again.
She walked out to the kitchen, needing coffee pretty desperately at this point. She looked out the window as she filled up the coffee pot with water, intending to make double what she would normally brew since Malik would probably need some as well.
As she looked at her yard, her mind wondered where those frogs had hopped off to during the night. She laughed softly, thinking about Sam’s expression when he saw all of his little treasures hopping around the kitchen and his sad little face when she put them outside instead of ‘safely’ back in the fridge.
Something to the right caught her eye and she focused her attention. When she didn’t see anything again, she relaxed and assumed she was just seeing things because she was so tired.
Then she caught another movement, this time on the opposite side of her fence. Was it a cat? No, that was definitely too large to be a cat! As she watched, she saw a man standing on the corner of her yard.
Picking up the phone, she scrambled to find the on button, frantically trying to call the police. Someone was in her back yard and they weren’t from this neighborhood. She knew all the neighbors and large men with dark suits were not neighborly!
The doorbell rang at the same time she found the on button but she ran to the door, thinking that maybe it was Malik and he was in danger. Sure enough, as soon as she peered through the peep hole, she saw him standing there.
She whipped open the door and grabbed him by the middle of his shirt, then slammed the door shut behind him, leaning against it as she tried to dial, but her fingers were shaking so badly she couldn’t find the numbers.
“What’s wrong?” Malik demanded, putting a hand to her phone and stopping her fingers.
“ Someone …!” she tried to speak but she was too terrified. “Out back!”
She tried to push his hand away but he stoppe d her by grabbing her wrists. “Are you telling me that t here’s someone in the back yard?” h e clarified.
She nodded frantically. “Yes. Two men, I think. They’re big . I don’t know them. We need to call the police.”
He was already shaking his head before she finished her statement, putting a reassuring hand over her own that were trying to dial the phone. “Relax, Siri. Those are my body guards. Or at least part of the team.”
“Why are they in my back yard?” she gasped. “You weren’t here! They should be with you!”
He was already shaking his head. “Siri, as
“Yes, but what’s for breakfast? And aren’t we going to be late for school?”
Siri glanced at her clock and sighed. “I think we need to skip school today,” she said and picked up the phone to let their school know they wouldn’t be in today. She suspected that Malik would want to spend some time with them and she didn’t blame him.
As she walked into the bathroom, she told herself that she wasn’t jealous of her sons’ day ahead. She didn’t want to spend time with Malik, she needed to get some work done and he was off limits to her anyway.
As she showered, she felt her whole body tingle with awareness. She’d always felt this way when she knew that Malik was going to be back and she shook her head, refusing to become excited, both emotionally and physically, just because the guy was coming to see their sons. She had to be firm, to stay away from him and not fall back into his arms. If she just kept herself an arm’s length away, she should be safe.
She added a bit more makeup, telling herself it was only because she looked so tired and wasn’t because she wanted to impress Malik. He was nothing but the father to her sons and if she wanted to keep her children here with her, and not in some foreign country, she had to be firm. No charm, no kissing, no making love ever again.
She walked out to the kitchen, needing coffee pretty desperately at this point. She looked out the window as she filled up the coffee pot with water, intending to make double what she would normally brew since Malik would probably need some as well.
As she looked at her yard, her mind wondered where those frogs had hopped off to during the night. She laughed softly, thinking about Sam’s expression when he saw all of his little treasures hopping around the kitchen and his sad little face when she put them outside instead of ‘safely’ back in the fridge.
Something to the right caught her eye and she focused her attention. When she didn’t see anything again, she relaxed and assumed she was just seeing things because she was so tired.
Then she caught another movement, this time on the opposite side of her fence. Was it a cat? No, that was definitely too large to be a cat! As she watched, she saw a man standing on the corner of her yard.
Picking up the phone, she scrambled to find the on button, frantically trying to call the police. Someone was in her back yard and they weren’t from this neighborhood. She knew all the neighbors and large men with dark suits were not neighborly!
The doorbell rang at the same time she found the on button but she ran to the door, thinking that maybe it was Malik and he was in danger. Sure enough, as soon as she peered through the peep hole, she saw him standing there.
She whipped open the door and grabbed him by the middle of his shirt, then slammed the door shut behind him, leaning against it as she tried to dial, but her fingers were shaking so badly she couldn’t find the numbers.
“What’s wrong?” Malik demanded, putting a hand to her phone and stopping her fingers.
“ Someone …!” she tried to speak but she was too terrified. “Out back!”
She tried to push his hand away but he stoppe d her by grabbing her wrists. “Are you telling me that t here’s someone in the back yard?” h e clarified.
She nodded frantically. “Yes. Two men, I think. They’re big . I don’t know them. We need to call the police.”
He was already shaking his head before she finished her statement, putting a reassuring hand over her own that were trying to dial the phone. “Relax, Siri. Those are my body guards. Or at least part of the team.”
“Why are they in my back yard?” she gasped. “You weren’t here! They should be with you!”
He was already shaking his head. “Siri, as
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