SWNOVELS Chapter 31: You Were My First
"Do you think... Daddy loves Mommy too?" Samantha did not like using her kids for information, but her poor heart could not help it.
Somehow, something inside of her wanted to know what Ethan thought about her.
"Yes, Mommy! He says you are pretty all the time!" Announced Kenzie.
"All the time?" Samantha asked with a frown, trying to recall whenever Ethan was around the kids.
"Yes, Mommy." Kenzie sat up and demonstrated with her hands, resting them on her face. "When Kenzie says I'm pretty like Mommy, Daddy says you are pretty."
Kenzie's answer made Samantha throw her head back on the pillow. She thought, 'He was just acknowledging his own child was pretty. It was not really a comment towards me.' "And Daddy always asks how you are, Mommy. We always talk about you," suggested Kyle.
Getting up to look at her son again, she asked, "In WhatsApp?"
"Yes, Mommy," said Kyle before yawning. "I'll sleep now, Mommy. You should talk to Daddy. You have your own phone."
"Right," said Samantha while squinting at her son.
After seeing the twins go to sleep, Samantha got up an hour after twelve. She pouted her lips before turning to the bedside table and grabbed Kyle's tablet in secret.
It was there where she read the exchange between Kyle and her father.
"Don't forget to kiss your Mommy goodnight for me, Kyle." Samantha read the message from Ethan the other night.
That immediately caught her attention. She scrolled up some more and found a shocking picture of her while still asleep!
Kyle had sent Ethan a picture of her and that was even before he even found out he was their father!
Samantha's heart drummed vigorously against her ribcage.
"Oh, my goodness!" She contemplated deleting the picture, but it was clear to her that Ethan had seen it, base on his response. She wound up reading the exchange between Ethan and Kyle during that time of their chat.
"Good morning, Daddy. See our Mommy, she sleeps so nice," said Kyle.
Reading his response, however, her cheeks burned. Ethan said, "Your Mom is pretty even when asleep."
Rolling her eyes at herself, she softly muttered, "He was just... probably being polite... or not?"
Out of the blue, Kyle received a message from his father and it was fortunate that the boy was already fast asleep.
In the message, Ethan said, "Goodnight, Kyle. I'm going to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget to kiss your Mommy."
Samantha did not know what came into her, but her hands inched. She wound up replying on behalf of her son. She said, "Kiss Mommy for Daddy?"
"Yes. Kyle? Why are you still awake?" Ethan answered in seconds.
"Going to bed now, Daddy. I just gave Mommy a kiss for you," said Samantha on behalf of Kyle.
"Did you tell her it was from me?" Ethan asked back.
Yet again, Samantha's face turned red. Her insides were squealing in thrill, bringing her back to her teenage years. She earnestly wondered what Ethan thought of her, following his next messages. She was about to answer when she noticed the tablet rang!
Ethan initiated a video call with Kyle, and that was a call Samantha could not dare to take!
After all, she was only acting to be Kyle.
Worried that Kyle would wake up, Samantha quickly turned the tablet to mute, panting as she accomplished it.
She quickly sent a message to Ethan, saying, "Goodnight, Daddy. I'm going to sleep now."
Ethan's next reply, however, took her aback. He said, "Goodnight, Sam. I'll see you tomorrow."
"What the! Damit! How in the world?" She placed the tablet back on the table and said, "Whatever... I'll just deny it."
The next day, however, during their lunch date with Ethan and the kids, there was no way out of Ethan's probing.
Upon seeing the children walking in the restaurant and taking their seats, the first thing Ethan asked his son was, "Kyle, what time did you sleep last night."
"Hmmm... before twelve, Daddy," said Kyle while getting settled next to his sister.
"Interesting," said Ethan before turning to Samantha.
"No, I think it was about one." Samantha massaged the back of her neck before insisting, "Remember we were still talking before you guys slept?"
Kyle pondered for a second before he answered, "Let's see, you were asking us if Daddy loves you too."
'Shit!!!!! My own kids are telling on me!' Samantha's insides were screaming. She unwittingly turned to Ethan and explained, "Kids. Haha! Don't believe everything they say."
"But you did ask, Mommy? I remember," Kenzie said eagerly.
Gesturing with her hands, Samantha tried to describe, "It was - it was a casual conversation. They said you loved them and that you." She raised her shoulder while squinting and said, "You might love me too. Haha!"
"So I - I just asked back like, really... Does Daddy love Mommy too?" She tried faking it as if they were having just a casual conversation last night.
"I think so," Ethan said, looking straight into Samantha's eyes.
All four of them were seated in an exclusive restaurant across The Wright Diamond Corporation, perfectly hidden in a secluded area of the establishment.
It was there where Edgar, the driver, drove Samantha and the children from school.
Following Ethan's reply, there was a moment of silence. Samantha could not tell where the answer came from, but she had an inkling, or at least she hoped, it was an answer to the question of whether 'Daddy loved Mommy too.'
While their eyes were glued together, Samantha bit her lip. Her blue eyes gleamed while staring straight into Ethan's dark brown eyes.
Just when she was about to clarify, a woman came into the picture, calling Ethan's name.
"Ethan? Thank goodness I found you." It was a girl with long caramel hair, walking straight in the direction of Ethan.
The same girl was completely ignoring the presence of Samantha and the children.
She was wearing a designer dress that covered her chest up to her neck and arms. She wore a decent amount of make-up, and a Chanel bag dangled in her arm.
The woman sat next to Ethan uninvited, and only then did she eye Samantha and the children.
"Patricia, I am having lunch. You know I don't like to being interfered," Ethan asked with his stern voice, his eyes were nearly shut as he tightened his gaze at the woman.
"Oh, but clearly, you have company - "
"It's none of your business, and I don't remember how you need anything from me. If your father does, he can ask me himself. Will you please, step away." Ethan replied while maintaining the clear irritation on his voice.
The girl tried to hook her arms around Ethan, but the man raised his arms outright. "I!" He wound up grabbing Patricia's arm and warned, "I don't like to be touched. You know that."
"Daddy who is she - "Kyle's words were cut off by Samantha's hand, not wanting her kids to be part of the awkward conversation between the girl and Ethan.
With a clear grimace on her face, Patricia questioned, "Daddy?" She laughed and said, "You are joking right! Ethan has no kids - Ahhh! My arm, Ethan!"
"I'm having a private lunch with my family. Whoever let you in here," Ethan pointed out before looking for the restaurant manager.
'Family?' Samantha thought from across the table.
"Excuse me, this woman is disturbing us!" Ethan called the attention of the manager while getting up from his seat.
"But Ethan - "
Patricia's objection was once again halted by Ethan's words. He said, "I am having lunch with my family. I need you to leave." "What are you saying, Ethan? Ah! Let me go!" Patricia raised her voice while the security urged her to step outside of the restaurant.
Samantha and the guests who were enjoying their lunch that day, watched as the elegant lady was escorted by the security.
It took only a few minutes for Ethan to return to their table and he said, "I'm sorry. I'll be sure the restaurant is scolded for letting her inside without reservations. It's just that they were used to her coming inside of here."
"Who - who was that?" Samantha leaned forward and softly whispered, "Was that... your girlfriend?"
Of course, she doubted if, with the way Ethan treated her, she would be a girlfriend, but the girl named Patricia was just so beautiful and casually called him by his name. She assumed she was someone important.
Meanwhile, the question from Samantha utterly made Ethan smile and Samantha could not understand why.
Seeing Samantha fondling with her fingers on top of the table, he reached for her hand and gripped it tight. He said, "She is just a daughter of one of our board of directors. It's just because we have known each other for so long, she assumes we are that close... And no. I never had a girlfriend in my entire life. Like you... you were my first."
Yet again, she felt that burning sensation in her ears and cheeks.
He said it like they were already a couple, but Samantha understood what he meant.
Still stunned by his answer, she struggled to find the right words to say. She wound up acknowledging, "Thank you for the information."
"You're welcome... I hope that was enough to reassure you," said Ethan before calling for the waiter to take their orders. "Let's eat. I'm hungry."