Real Mom

Walking to the table she recalled all the worst times that now seem like a distant memory. She knew he was looking at her back so she kept it straight. Were these worth sharing with a person I wanted to spend my life with? She asked herself as a tear skipped her eye and she poured herself a drink.

"I was working in Boston for Mr. Saad. He owns a law firm." Sydney replied,

"Why you never visited me? Why only now?" She inhaled deeply before replying,

"I was told you died. I thought my kids were dead too," She replied facing him this time.

"And, you believed without looking at my body?" This made Sydney recalled when she left him wounded on the roadside.

"Your grandma told me that I have no place in this family. She refused me every right," Sydney knew he won't believe.

"Why she would do that?" Noah asked and she had to decide. She could chose to tell him everything and got things more complex or only tell him things he could handle.

"She never approved me as your wife," Sydney took a sip on the drink.

"Excuse me? Then how come that we ever got married," Noah got his arms crossed. And, this is when Sydney noticed how much Noah's aura has changed, for one he had become talkative.

"You were whipped by my beauty," Sydney passed him a sly smile.

Her answer made his interrogating face a little puzzled.

"You are indeed beautiful, Mrs. Miller but I am the man of resistance too," She noticed a smile she never saw before. Of course, he didn't have any baggage.

"Are you?" Sydney provoked and this made Noah look at her in wonder. Of course, she was his wife and if they were related she knew a lot of things he can't know.

"Fine! I only believe you because my granny could do this. I will have a talk with her. You didn't hide any fact from me until now. This is the very reason that you are here. I don't know how we lived in the past but you should know that lies can do a lot of bad things." Noah said as setting out new boundaries.

"Believe me, I am your wife and I am aware how much you hate lies." Sydney pressed her lips. Somewhere she knew she had lost her Noah. She could tell from his eyes that he didn't want her.

Who told you that I am alive?" This got Sydney out of her thoughts.

"I came across an article stating Miller enterprise welcomes Mr. Miller. I didn't believe it at first but then someone got me your picture." Sydney stated placing her empty glass back to the table.

"Why you didn't believe at first?" Noah was quick to ask,

"If my Noah was alive I would have known. He,...he can't live a single day without me." Sydney knew she should not have said it so she added to lessen the tension.

"Don't worry. I now know that my Noah isn't here. You don't need to feel,..."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Noah cut her off,

Do you think a woman who has tasted you can ever settle for anything else? She thought to say but refrain instead she looked deep in his eyes before asking, "What do you think?"

"You are beautiful. It will be a surprise if you were widowed for five years and didn't get into a relationship. You can tell me if you have had breakups in these five years. If I can live without Sarah and see Kate you have every right to move on too..." He stopped before asking,

"I must have told you about Sarah, right?" Sydney knew what she had to say,

"No, Noah. You never mentioned this name to me. But I know who she is? It was Grace who told me who Sarah was. I was eight months pregnant at that time and had a fight with you. I never shared I know because you must have talked about her if she was important..."

"She was important! If I never mentioned her to you, it means you were not trustworthy." The sharpness in Noah's voice made Sydney inhale sharp. She blinked to stop her tears from falling when Noah said,

"I am sorry,"

"I am fine. I think we should leave," Picking her purse Sydney tried to fake a smile and they walked out to his car but the moment Sydney saw a red sports car she knew he had become a stranger.

"So, what's next? What do you want?" Noah asked starting the engine,

"I want my kids," Sydney asked,

"I can't give you that," Noah laughed taking the left turn.

"I am not asking," Sydney kept her mouth a little curled up.

"You,...you have a whole life ahead of you." Noah tried to convince her.

"There is no life without you," Noah barely managed to not hit the car cutting them. Of course, he knew she was still his wife.

"Then, don't take them away. Stay here." Sydney knew he was serious but didn't know why he was asking her to stay when they can't be together like old times.

"Then, what about Kate?" Of course, she had to ask.

"Kate is only two dinners old. And, she is too formal for my taste." He finally said it to someone. Only he couldn't believe he will say this to his wife.

"I am not your taste either, Noah. I don't even know you anymore," Noah knew she had the point.

"Somehow you were my taste," Noah said starting the car again.

"Things might,...won't work." Sydney replied the moment their car was pulled in their driveway.

"I am not looking for any relationship. And, you are not looking for anyone too. And we have common kids...We can make it work as friends." Noah said and Sydney's heart dropped.

"We can't make it work as friends,...I can never see you as a friend." Noah looked at her left to find the woman who was his wife. And, she had every right to say this.

"We can make it work as husband and wife that we already are." Noah didn't know if it would work but he knew she was far more perfect for his kids than any other woman in this whole world.

"That won't work too you will never be able to see me as a wife," This was the dead end. But there was one thing he could see. His wife knew him so he had to give her more credit from now on. She was taking his interests into account too.

"Then what?" Somehow Noah knew he could count on her.

"I will see you as a husband but you will see me as a friend," Sydney offered,

"Excuse me?" Noah asked believing he had heard it wrong.

"I think it is awkward and I need some time to think over it," Noah added before getting out and shook his head thinking how uneasy it could be.

Getting in Noah walked to the kitchen and got out some leftover to microwave.

"I want to ask something," Sydney stated standing at the kitchen's doorframe.

"I am not sharing my food,..."

"I have a son," Sydney cut him off,

"From your ex-boyfriend?" Noah asked totally forgetting about the food now.

"He is adopted,...not my biological son," This made Noah sigh and he wondered why he would care.

"You want him here, with you?" Noah asked,

"Yea," Sydney nodded,

"Good, you can have him," Noah said,

"Let me help," Sydney offered to which Noah asked,

"You are hungry too?"

"Yes, but I would set myself some sandwiches," Sydney said before getting to the cabinet.

"...And, I want to continue doing a job because Nick is my responsibility," Sydney added with her back to him.

"If it was not for Nick, will you do a job?" Noah asked and she turns to look at him.

"Yes, but right now I would have preferred spending my time with my kids," Sydney replied with honesty.

"Then, you don't need to do the job," Sydney got stiff listening to him. Spending her time with her kids and not doing the job sounded good but it wasn't her Noah and she knew she shouldn't depend on him for Nick.

"No, I really want to do it, I,..." She was about to explain when Noah offered,

"You can join me as my secretary,"

"You already have two," Sydney shook her head in refusal.

"But I can't trust them with my kids," Noah said, as a matter of fact, making Sydney look at him in shock.

"I don't want to be paid for my kids,"

"No, you will read the files for me. So, I don't need to read them before signing." Noah offered.

"Noah, you have to read many files. And, if I recall correctly this is most of your job," Sydney said before getting back to the cabinet to look for mayonnaise.

"No, no, no, no,...there are a lot of other things such as planning and problems needing solutions. You are my wife, an ultimate trustworthy person and the pay will be good...And, you can always take files home." Sydney looked at him in disbelief before sighing,

"I will think about it," Her pressed smile was the ultimate rejection making Noah edgier.

"You are coming to the office tomorrow,"

"I haven't slept for a single night since I landed in here and I need time to do things before I join." Sydney tried to reason with him.

"You seem fine to me and you are Mrs. Miller. You don't need to think about your outfit. You get to my office, use my bedroom there and read the goddamn files for me," Noah's banter took Sydney off guard and made her lost in his eyes before she agreed and whispered,

"If this is what you want,"

"Thank you," Noah mouthed showing his victory smile.

"Daddy?" They both turn to look at small sleepy versions of themselves.

"Hey, you two," Noah welcomed the kids as Amber walked with her Dora doll and Gideon rubbed his eyes.

"I am hungry," Amber said while Noah helped her sit over the kitchen counter before getting Gideon to join too.

"She looks so much like you," Noah whispered getting his food out of the microwave.

"Nah! She is so cute," Sydney smiled looking at Amber.

"You are cute too," Noah said but looked away the moment he noticed Sydney's cheek heating up,

"I want ice-cream," Amber asked his father.

"But we already had ice-cream I will set you some sandwich," Sydney offered,

"No! I wanted ice-cream," Amber replied quickly but was soon poked by Gideon.

"Sorry daddy, I forgot," Amber whispered looking at her father.

"I need to tell you two something," Noah said and made Sydney still. She feared how her kids will react.

"What is it?" Gideon asked setting his frame.

"Remember how you two used to pray for me. Your mother is back too. And, we were looking forward to telling you and even showed you videos.... She is back...Mrs. Miller is your mother." Sydney looked at her kids to see how they would react.

"Real mom?" Amber asked looking at Sydney,

"The one who took us from the hospital?" Gideon asked making Noah nod,

"No,...she made us," Amber passed a shot to Gideon as if he was stupid,

"I know but you are not supposed to know this," Gideon reasoned,

"...Yes, I am the one," Sydney said carefully. The silence prevailed for a few seconds before Amber hiccupped and Gideon asked,

"Were you listening to me when I prayed to you?"

"I am so sorry that I took so long," Sydney's voice breaks as she comes to hug her kids.

"I prayed a lot for you," Amber said in Sydney's neck.

"I know love, I know," Sydney smiled before kissing Amber's head.

"Ok, a family hug?" Placing his arm over Sydney's shoulder Noah hugged them all. But got teary feeling Sydney's heaving back.

"Relax, they are not going anywhere," Noah said placing a kiss over Sydney's head. This made her look at him with such adoration that Noah knew he will fall for her beauty if he looked for a second more.

"I think I need to feed us all," Noah said and made sandwiches for all of them.

Kids were excited to have their mother and wondered if she will be here in the morning. Sitting on the couch of their living room Sydney tried to make them sleep but they wanted to share everything about their friends and all the things they had thought to do with their mother. Gideon had known that their mother used to paint and Amber knew her mother made tasty food.

"Let's have a picture," Noah said before caging a moment where Amber and Gideon had their head leaned on Sydney as she kissed Amber's head.

"Mom, you are so pretty," Gideon whispered dozing off,

"Yes, far pretty than any mom," Amber said,

"Thank you," Sydney smiled knowing her kids loved her.

Looking at their sleepy figures Noah offered to pick them up,

"Let me,..."

"Careful," Sydney whispered,

"I know how to pick them," Sydney rolled her eyes.

"In which room you are staying?" Noah asked getting kids to their bed.

"I am,...I haven't picked any room yet. I,..." Sydney found herself out of words.

"Of course, I,...you can,...I am not giving up on my room. Staying in that room or not is your call," Noah said and only turn to move when Sydney asked, "Noah why are you acting so clueless?"

Noah didn't turn but replied, "Maybe I am,"

Getting into his room he got out of his shirt to change into his trunks after he stepped out of his shower but the moment he looked at his bed he found his wife lying peacefully.

"You!" He couldn't help asking,

"Switch off the lights, Noah. Believe me, it's been quite a long journey." Sydney replied without opening her eyes.

Noah gulped hard looking at that delicate frame lying on his bed. He looked at his sofa for a few seconds but knew he can't do this.

Sydney opened her eyes to Noah looking at her with sleepy eyes. "My beauty didn't let you sleep?" Sydney asked,

"That too but I didn't want to disturb you in your sleep. You will be broken before I could touch you," This made Sydney giggle before she said,

"Stop making me want to seduce you," The thought of this woman seducing him tensed his muscles but he was quick to take the turn and said. "I am going to sleep now,"

When Noah came down he saw Sydney ready in a blue blazer with her bun high as she smiled over something Amber told her.

She was perfect and now he wondered what their story was. He wanted to know her. He wanted to know how he was ever able to convince her to marry him.

"Daddy! You look great," Amber found him staring at them and he had to come down but the moment he was about to take the seat all of them heard a familiar voice,

"Good morning, Kids,"