3. Chandler
3
CHANDLER
The week passed too slowly for me, but I’m glad it’s finally Friday and I can do absolutely nothing for the next two days. My schedule has been packed lately, and I need some time off before I burn out. I learned my lesson early on when I started my company and worked nonstop. It took a while for me to pull myself out of that rut, and I promised myself I would never get to that point again.
I hit the intercom button on my desk phone that connects me with my assistant.
“Jillian, will you come in here and bring the schedule?”
I release the button and wait for her reply.
A beep sounds just before her voice comes through. “Of course, I’ll be right there.”
I start collecting all of my things to take home with me while I wait for Jillian to come in. I want to get out of here as soon as we are done going over the schedule for the next week. She breezes in and smiles at me as she takes a seat across from me, and I can’t help but smile back. Jillian has worked for me for six years, and she’s the best assistant I’ve ever had. She is like a little sister to me, and I’m grateful that she continues to work for me.
“Do you want to go over everything that you have for the next week or are you wanting to shuffle things around?”
“List off what I have for next week. I’ve lost track of who needs what and when.”
With my things packed and ready to go, I sit in my chair and rub tiredly at my face. I drop my hand and look over to Jillian and see that she is giving me a reproachful look.
“What?”
She raises one eyebrow at me.
“You’re overworking again. Have you been sleeping at all?”
I smile innocently at her, and she simply rolls her eyes.
“I’m fine, it’s just been a long week. Let’s go over this so I can get home and sleep.”
She looks down at her tablet in her lap and taps at the screen a few times until she has the schedule in front of her.
“The beginning of the week is pretty clear. You have one meeting Monday afternoon, then you are pretty busy Thursday and Friday with quite a few meetings both days. Marketing is going to be ready to present Friday afternoon as well, so we’ll have to fit them in somewhere.”
She pauses as she scrolls through her notes and calendar, and I wait for her to finish.
“That looks to be about it for next week. Don’t forget that you already RSVPed to the charity gala tomorrow at Willow Creek Memorial. Do you want to drive down or take the helicopter?”
I groan and slump down in my chair.
“I did forget about that. I’ll take the copter. I don’t want to have to waste most of the day to get ready and drive an hour there. Plus, I’m going to want to drink.”
She nods and starts tapping away at the tablet again. I’m assuming to make plans for the helicopter to be ready for me to use. There is always someone on standby to get my private jet or helicopter ready for me to take on a moment’s notice.
“Alright, done. They will have the helicopter ready at four. Do you want me to get you a suite at the local hotel so you can get ready there?”
The gala doesn’t start until eight, and I’ll probably wait until nine to go. The later I go, the less time I will have to spend there mingling with people.
“Yeah, go ahead and see what they have available. Book whatever you can find on short notice; I don’t care what it is. Send me the information then go home. I’m getting out of here.”
She nods her head but doesn’t bother to look up at me when I stand. I chuckle to myself, she’s as bad as I am at working too much.
I need to make sure she gets another raise.
I grab my bookbag with all my things and swing it over my shoulder as I leave the office. I know I don’t have to worry about leaving her in my office on her own. She’s too absorbed in doing her job to even think about doing anything. She’s also the most loyal employee I’ve ever had.
Steven is waiting for me out front of the Bishop Enterprise building, and once he sees me, he opens the back door for me.
“Good afternoon, Steven. I’m not going to need you tomorrow. I’ll be taking the copter to Willow Creek, so you’ll have the night off.”
He nods once in acknowledgement, and I climb into the car. On the drive home, I debate whether or not I should cancel going to the gala, but ultimately, I know that I need to go. There are going to be a lot of important people there, and it’s for a good cause. I don’t have any children, but I still like to donate to education causes to help the future generations. I struggled through college and had to work to pay for my classes and support myself, and if I can help one child not have to deal with that, I will feel like I’ve accomplished something.
As soon as I woke up this morning, I went over every excuse I could think of to get out of going to the gala. I didn’t have to go, but there had been promises made, and people were expecting to see me there. I spent the morning reading the news on my tablet and flipping through the channels until I found some old movie to keep my attention until I had to get ready to go.
Now I’m on my way down the elevator to meet Steven so he can take me to the airfield for the helicopter. I put on a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt to travel in, and my suit for tonight is in a garment bag thrown over my arm. We should arrive in Willow Creek at 4:30 p.m. at the earliest, and it will give me about three and a half hours to try and get a nap in before I have to get ready for the gala.
I’ve never been to Willow Creek before. It’s a very small town, and I’m surprised that Jillian was able to find a hotel room for me at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if the people of this town just set up visitors in their own homes, it’s so small. They can’t get that many visitors.
The copter ride is quick, only thirty minutes compared to the hour it would have taken to drive here. The small airport is right next to the hotel I’m staying at, so by 4:50 p.m. I’ve arrived, checked in, and set up in my room, which gives me plenty of time to sleep some, since I’m going to need to rest as much as possible if I’m going to be able to mingle with people tonight. It’s exhausting to even think about. Constantly having to charm people and make sure I keep their support for my business was getting tiring, and I was losing the fight to keep on doing it.
I hang my suit on the back of the bathroom door and collapse onto the bed, instantly falling asleep. It’s easier for me to sleep away from my apartment.
My alarm jerks me from a deep sleep, and for a moment, I’m disoriented. I look around the room, and I remember where I am and why. Sighing, I sit up and try to rub at my face to wake myself up some. I have thirty minutes to get ready and make it to the hospital where the gala is being held. I pick up my phone, and as I go into the bathroom to get ready, I pull up the app to find a car to take me to the hospital. I’m surprised when I find that there are none near.
Fucking small towns.
I throw my phone onto the bed and get ready. I’ll have to get the address to the hospital and see where it’s located.
Looks like I’ll be walking.
Luckily, it’s early September, so it’s not too hot for a walk. I take a quick shower and finish getting ready with ten minutes to spare. When I pull up the hospital address, it’s only a mile from the hotel. I’ll arrive a little later than I had planned, but that just means that I will have to spend even less time there than I planned.
On the walk to the hospital, I take in the town as I go. It’s straight from a fairy tale story, locally owned mom and pop shops line the one main road that leads in and out of the town. There’s one coffee shop in the middle of town, and it looks like none of the big franchises have made it to this town.
Probably the last place on Earth that doesn’t have a Starbucks.
The only thing this town has going for it is the beautiful scenery. Living in New York City, the only view of nature is from my penthouse window where I can see Central Park. Here, I’m surrounded by nature. Trees outnumber the number of buildings; it’s quiet except for the sounds of animals chirping and shuffling through the grass. There are wildflowers everywhere I look, and the shops are decorated with more colorful flowers and plants.
I have to admit that it’s a very peaceful walk.
I finally arrive at the hospital, and I’m grateful that I’m not a sweating mess as I walk through the sliding doors. There are people milling about, nurses and patients, and as I walk through in my black-tie suit, I get curious looks. There is a sign near the elevators telling people that are here for the gala to go to the cafeteria for the event.
I head down the hallway that the sign is pointing, and I’m assuming the cafeteria is though the double doors. Just as I’m reaching for the door handle, the door opens and a group of young kids run out. Laughter following after them as they run down the hall. Laughing at the excitement of kids, I grab the edge of the door and pull it fully open so I can walk in.
The room is fuller than I thought it would be in such a small place, but I’m glad to see that this charity is getting traction. I wave to some of the event planners that I know and see more familiar faces than I thought I would. I look around the large room, there are big round tables taking over most of the area. A table is set up close to the door for a greeting area, and across from it is a table with a sign that is labeled “auction items.” The lights are dim, and there is a spotlight pointing at a podium at the front of the room. They paid good money for a decorator and caterer. The food is spread out like it’s an art piece, and the table and chair are covered with maroon-colored covers and table clothes.
There is a welcome table set up to my left, and the woman behind it smiles at me. She’s pretty in a sweet girl next door kind of way. She has short blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and the dress she is wearing hugs her slight curves. I smile back at her and make my way over to the table. When I’m close enough, I see her name tag says Kayla.
“Welcome! Thank you for coming to support our charity. Over here are the name tags, and with it you will find your table number and a paper of the items for sale tonight. Over there is the table for things that you would like to put up for auction, and we should be getting started on bidding in fifteen minutes.”
I follow her hand with my eyes as she points everything out, then reach over to grab my name tag and the papers that are with it.
“Thanks. Is there a goal for the night?”
“Nothing specific, we just want to raise as much as possible tonight.”
I nod and look over the list of items while I turn to go to the auction table. I have a couple of items that I could probably list and want to put them down to help raise money. Just as I’m looking up to walk across the room, the group of kids from before runs back in; they are giggling and tripping over each other as they push their way into the room. There are three little boys, but the little girl catches my eye.
It strikes me that she looks like I did at her age, but with dark brown curly hair. She looks so much like I did that it stops me in my tracks.
A woman’s voice comes from behind me, and at the sound of her voice, ice fills my veins.
“Sophia, it’s time to take our seats, sweetheart.”
Tanya?
I turn around so fast that I get lightheaded for a moment, and when the room stabilizes again, my eyes lock on Tanya. My Tanya. Her dark brown hair is longer, down to the middle of her back, her curves are more defined, more mature than they were, and her tight red dress hugs her body perfectly. She’s lost the young girl look and is now a woman in every meaning of the word. I stumble a couple of steps in her direction at the same time the little girl who caught my attention moments ago races past me. I can do nothing but watch as Tanya takes the little curly haired girl’s hand.
She doesn’t just look a little like me, she looks exactly like me.
Suddenly, Tanya looks up and her eyes land on me. Those same emerald green eyes that I’ve loved for so long. My breath gets caught in my chest as her eyes meet mine for the first time in nine years. My heart is racing, and my chest is clenched tight in a vice. The smile she had on her face slowly fades as she catches me staring at her, and I can tell I’m making her uncomfortable, but I can’t take my eyes off of her. I’m afraid that if I so much as blink, she will disappear.
She stares at me for a moment, and I can only imagine what my face looks like. I wait for the recognition to show on her face and for whatever is to come next, but instead her eyes stay tight and guarded, and she gives me a polite smile and walks away. Like she doesn’t even know who I am, like she’s looking at a stranger.
What’s going on?
I can’t move my body. I want to follow after her and demand she talk to me. Tell me where she’s been all these years and why she’s acting like she doesn’t know me, but I can’t move.
“Do you know Tanya and Sophia?”
The woman from the welcome table, Kayla, is suddenly next to me, and it makes me jump. I turn my head in her direction and look at her for a split second before turning to look back at Tanya’s retreating form.
“Is Sophia her daughter?”
Kayla smiles fondly after the two.
“Yeah, sweetest little girl. It’s just the two of them. Sophia just turned eight, and they’ve been living here since just before Sophia was born; they’ve become such a huge part of our community.”
I block out whatever else Kayla is saying and do the math in my head again.
That little girl is mine. Is that why she disappeared? Because she was having my child?
My heart rate increases along with my breathing, and Kayla places a hand on my arm, a concerned look on her face.
“Are you alright, sir?”
I know I need to calm down. I need to get information on Tanya, and I can’t do that if I scare off the people close to her.
I clear my throat. “Yes, sorry. I just thought she was someone else. You said her name is Tanya?”
Still looking worried about me, Kayla slowly nods her head.
“Yes, she’s my best friend. She has the most unique story.”
I try to make my face as open and friendly as possible so she will feel comfortable telling me more.
“Really? Do you mind me asking what it is?”
Tell me why Tanya ran away from me, pregnant with our child.
I can feel anger start to burn in my chest at the thought that she didn’t want to have the child with me.
“Oh, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. It’s not like it wasn’t all the town talked about when it happened. Nine years ago, she was found in a single car accident. It was terrible. I was one of the nurses that took care of her. We have no idea what caused her to crash; she had no identification on her, nothing that could tell us who she was; when she woke up from her coma, we found that she had no idea who she was. She has amnesia from the accident, and she’s never recovered her memories.”
The anger I was starting to feel vanishes in an instant. That’s why she looked at me like she didn’t know me, she doesn’t. I am a stranger to her, and she has no idea I’m the father of her child.
“Was she pregnant with Sophia when the accident happened?”
If she was , it will confirm that Sophia is mine.
“Yeah, she was about three months along, I believe. I honestly think that little girl saved her, you know? She is the only thing that connects Tanya to her past.”
She was pregnant when she disappeared.
“Thank you for telling me her story. It is a very unique one. If you will excuse me, I’m going to write some things down for auction before the bidding starts.”
Kayla smiles at me, and I turn and walk to a door at the side of the room that is labeled EXIT . I need a moment to collect myself. I open the door, and the cool air rushes over my heated body. In the span of two minutes, I found out that Tanya is alive, she’s been living with our daughter an hour away, and she has no idea who I am.
I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. Do I just let her keep on living as she has been for nine years, or do I let her know who I am? Who she is?
Does she really have amnesia or is all of this just a ploy?
I write down my items on the page, then go and find the table I am supposed to be sitting at. Once I’m settled, I look around the room, trying to find Tanya. I catch sight of her straight ahead of me, where I have the perfect view of her and Sophia for the rest of the night.
She’s still so beautiful. Seeing her tend to our daughter while dinner is served has me emotional, and it’s taking everything in me to focus on the conversation that is going on at my own table. I watch Tanya cut up her food and place a napkin inside the collar of her dress. She smooths our daughter’s hair out of her face, a soft maternal smile on her face. I’m grateful when dinner is done and everyone shifts to look at the makeshift stage set up at the front of the room. While everyone is distracted by the bidding, I can take this time to focus on Tanya again.
My body is tense as I sit in my chair, fisting my hands to physically keep myself still so I don’t march over to her and take her and our daughter and make them come back home with me. I don’t want to scare either of them.
I take my phone out of my pocket and text Jillian.
Me: Something has come up. Please cancel the helicopter, extend my hotel room another night, and have a rental car delivered to me in the morning.
Jillian: Will do. Is everything okay?
Me: I will explain when I get back.
I put my phone away and bring my attention back to Tanya. Sophia gets down from her chair and crawls into Tanya’s lap, letting out a big yawn before snuggling into her mother’s chest and closing her eyes. Tanya sits back in her chair to make room for her on her lap and wraps her arms around the sleepy little girl. She gently rocks side to side and kisses the top of her head. Our daughter’s face is turned so I can see it, and her little cherub face is peaceful as she falls asleep in her mother’s arms, feeling safe to do so in a room full of people. An ache pinches inside my chest at the sight. I’ve missed out on the first eight years of my daughter’s life. I missed out on Tanya carrying our child.
As the thoughts of how much I’ve missed out on swirl around my head, I decide right then that I will tell Tanya everything tomorrow. I’m not going to miss out on having her and our daughter back, even if she is faking it all. Right now, I feel like I’m going to suffocate in this room. I don’t want to make a scene, and I need time to calm down before approaching her.