THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS

When Kathleen woke up the following morning, it was already bright outside and there was no one on the big bed except her.

She remembered falling asleep with the children held in her arms last night.

Did she sleep so deeply that she didn’t even know when they woke up and left the room? It must be because of her taut nerves from all the events of yesterday.

She yawned again and stretched her arms wide, knocking down the alarm clock on her bedside table. She moved over, repositioned it and saw that it was reading 8:25am.

"Is it already so late? No wonder everywhere is bright. I guess the children must have gone to school by now."

She got up from her bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up, she had no plans of going out today, so she changed into a loose T-shirt and shorts before heading downstairs.

As she descended the last staircase, the front door opened and Mrs Carr stepped into the house.

"Good morning Kathleen. Hope you had a good rest." Mrs Carr took in her refreshed look and was greatly relieved.

"Yes, I did Mrs Carr. Good morning," Kathleen greeted in return. She was feeling surprisingly refreshed after a restful night’s sleep.

"I’m just coming from the children’s school. We didn’t want to disturb you seeing how tired you were yesterday."

"Yesterday? Yes I was really tired." Thinking about why she was so tired yesterday, the events came rushing back again and a hint of sadness settled on her face.

"Please excuse me, while I get your breakfast ready."

"Go ahead," Kathleen replied absentmindedly. She was already thinking of how to deal with Shawn who made her almost lose her life for the second time yesterday.

She suddenly realized that anytime they argued, something evil always happened to her. She was lucky to have escaped again this second time. Who knows whether her luck will be so good the third time.

"I think the less I interact with him in the future, the best for both of us."

She made up her mind to stay away from Shawn for the two remaining therapy sessions with his grandmother.

And jus then, the enticing aroma of breakfast wafted through the air and she followed the tempting aroma to the kitchen where Mrs Carr was bustling about preparing a sumptuous breakfast spread.

This smells so delicious, I can’t wait to have a taste." Kathleen praised sincerely.

With a cheerful smile on her face, Mrs Carr replied, "it’s nothing. I thought you could use a hearty breakfast after not eating enough last night. Sit down, and I’ll bring you something special."

Kathleen: "..."

If the several dishes they forced her to gobble down her throat last night which made her sleep like a log of wood till this morning was considered "not eating enough" then she was in for trouble in this house.

However she still felt a sense of gratitude for Mrs Carr’s loyalty and love as she took a seat at the polished kitchen table which was decorated with freshly picked flowers.

Although it was autumn, they had a particular portion of the garden where they groomed fresh flowers all year round.

So at any time of the year there would be no lack of fresh flowers in the house which apart from its aesthetic purpose was also therapeutic, giving one a fresh start each day.

Moments later, Mrs Carr set a plate before Kathleen, filled with a delicious array of breakfast delights – fluffy pancakes, crisp bacon, and a colorful fruit salad.

"This looks amazing, Mrs Carr, I think you’ve outdone yourself today. Thank you."

"You’re welcome, dear. Eat up; it’s the best way to start the day," Mrs Carr was pleased that her hard work was appreciated.

As Kathleen enjoyed the delectable breakfast, her mind was temporarily taken off her worries. The warmth of Mrs. Carr’s gesture and that of the children last night and the enticing flavors on her plate this morning, helped to ease the lingering tensions, bringing a sense of normalcy back to her life.

While she was relishing the aftertaste of the sumptuous meal she had just taken, her eyes sparkled with excitement at the notification that popped up on her phone. "I’ll be arriving this afternoon."

"Are you for real? That was the same thing you said two weeks ago," Kathleen shouted the moment her call was picked.

"That was because something came up that required urgent attention," Lauren Holmes clarified.

"How am I sure something will not come up this time too?" Kathleen chortled sarcastically.

"You still don’t believe me? I’ll send you a picture right away," Lauren said.

It wasn’t up to a minute when a picture message popped up on Kathleen’s phone.

"Where do you think I am right now?" She said to Kathleen after sending the message.

Kathleen looked on in bewilderment, "Don’t tell me you are already at the airport."

"Of course, Dumb Ass. Our flight takes off in the next thirty minutes."

While she was still talking, Kathleen overheard the usual announcement one would hear only at the airport, being made.

"Do you believe me now? That’s our flight being announced, Mrs Doubting Thomas. See you soon," Lauren said and ended the call before Kathleen could throw back a retort.

"This girl will never change," Kathleen shook her head as she left the kitchen.

She didn’t forget to thank Mrs Carr for the food before heading back to her room. She had some calls to return, one of which was her brother’s.

She was a hundred percent certain that the reason for his call was related to yesterday’s news so she decided to call him this early so that he would not have enough time to probe her, as this was usually his busy period of the day.

Taking a seat on the couch in her bedroom, she dialed his number. After two rings, her brother’s cheerful voice sounded.

"Hey, Sis! What’s the scoop? I saw you in the news. Are you and Shawn back together?"