CHAPTER 1 The Gap

It was February fourteen, valentine's day and it was raining heavily that afternoon and Vivian had to get home fast, she didn't know that she was going to have a second cold bath in the rain that moment. She had been waiting for a taxi to pass by so she could get home fast.

"Oh! What a stupid rain! "

She blurted angrily,

"Why was it when I came out that you started? I didn't even take my umbrella" she hissed and shivered under the shade she stood to protect herself. She could not wait any longer.

"Four thirty!"

she muttered under her breath as she checked her watch.

Just then, she looked up and saw a taxi move speedingly across the road, she tried to stop it by waving at it, it only made matter worse by splashing water on her dress.

"Aarrgh!"

She screamed angrily and tried to get the muddy water off her body. she never planned for this, she had just expected a cool sunnny afternoon where she would board a taxi and go home peacefully from her working place but instead, the rain fell angrily towards the earth never informing the clouds of its outburst. It was so unexpected and almost everyone was wet.

At that moment, a Rolls Royce parked right beside her and the screen was rewinded by the person driving it. She looked up and saw a handsome young man with spiky brown hair inside the vehicle, smiling at her.

"Hop in"

he said.

"Oh!"

She said in reply

"excuse me but do I know you?"

She asked again.

"Come on in first, you are so drained. You need to go home fast or you will catch a very bad cold"

The young man said noticing she was shivering. He opened the door and she came in.

"Don't be scared "

he said

"You haven't forgotten, have you?"

I am Sean, we met one week ago at the Community service program done in this vicinity"

he said.

"I guess you stay around this area"

He asked her.

"oh! Yes and I don't really much remember you"

Vivian said confused.

"Okay do you know Arnold?"

He asked

"oh! now I recall, you came with Mr. Arnold"

Vivian answered now certain.

'but how can he recognise me that much when he only met me once, a week ago?' she thought.

"So, Mr. Arnold is my very bossom friend"

he said breaking into her thought to continue the conversation he was enjoying with her but it was cut short.

"That's my house over there. I'll get down now, thank you very much Mr......."

"Sean"

he said to remind her.

"Take this"

he pointed an umbrella to her as she was about to open the door.

"Don't worry Mr. Sean"

Vivian smiled feeling it was not necessary.

"No I don't just want you getting any extra wet"

he said and they both laughed .

"Thank you once again"

she said and collected the umbrella.

"bye"

she waved and he waved back and sped off.

That was how it all started, They both met on valentine's day, he had helped her and they got close.

"Where was that same Sean now?"

She thought sadly as she sat on her desk in the office, she had been doing some thinking about her marital life.

She and Sean had been married for four years now.

"Why had he grown cold all of a sudden?"

She asked herself in her thought. He had always helped her in the past and had been a prince charming but all of a sudden that story had become 'once upon a time'.

She knew something was wrong with her marriage but she just didn't know what to do. She was jotted out of her reverie by the tap on her shoulder. It was Jade, her best friend.

"Vivian, what's the matter?"

She asked concerned.

"Why are you so carried away in your thought?"

Jade asked.

Vivian sighed.

"I am just feeling tired that's all, nothing's wrong really"

She said smiling to reassure Jade who always loved to pester her.

"Are you sure?"

Jade asked again not wanting to believe that fake smile on Vivian's face

"I mean you look so pale and I was wondering how you could go far in your th.........."

Jade was cut short by Riele their friend and co-worker, she had just excused herself to have a chat with her sweetheart.

"Yay!"

She screamed and walked into the office happy and feeling radiant

"What's the matter?"

A curious Jade asked her happy friend

"did you win a lottery?"

"This is more than a lottery"

Riele said chuckling as she start to pack her files.

"I'll leave you guys. Francis just called, we're having a date tonight, it's Valentine!!"

She said happily,and carried her bag heading to their boss's office probably to submit her work and get them signed.

"Bye guys, I need to get going, have got lotta plans"

she hummed happily and closed the door behind her.

"That girl!"

Jade said and hissed jokingly. Vivian couldn't help but smile although beneath her face was a cloud of worry and frown she couldn't help smiling at Riele outburst of excitement on her date.

"Hello"

It was Jade on the phone now, she was talking to her husband also who had called her.

"My love, don't worry I'll be home early today ....don't forget to buy me that gift you promised okay... Chicken casseroles right? don't worry..I will make your dish ready before you even think of having it " Jade said smiling while Vivian watched on from her seat.

"You got me a gift for valentine?"

Jade asked happily over the phone.

"Awwwwwn!!!, Thanks so much honey. I'm so grateful, I also bought you a gift"

"I can't wait to get home honey, we've gotta make this day special"

Jade said with a smile.

"A date?"

"Really?, We should go on a date?"

"But what of the kids?"

Jade said now with a little frown on her face as she remembered her troublesome kids would definitely ruin their Special Val.

"Okay, the babysitters, no problem honey".

"I love you, bye!!"

Her friends were really having fun time in their various relationship, here was Jade smiling and laughing uncontrollably at the joke of her husband on the phone and Riele getting super excited on her date tonight while she was just there brooding about how worse her marital affair had grown.

After the closing hour, Jade gave Vivian a quick wave and exited the building, probably In a hurry to spend the rest of the Valentine's day with her husband.

Vivian was all alone, looking moody and down but no one noticed it.

She left the building and walked out to the street to board a cab home when a man with long brown hair and glasses bumped into her.

"Oh!, I'm so sorry".

He apologised as he turned to face her.

"It's ..Okay, it's nothig".

She said nicely and waved at a yellow cab moving slowly down the road.

Just before entering the cab, she noticed that the man with the brown hair and glasses looked familiar.

It was like she had seen him somewhere before but she couldn't remember.

She entered the cab and it sped off while the brown haired man with glasses watched the cab till it was out of sight.

"Vivian, Vivian Daves,".

"Long time, no see!"

The brown haired man said with a smirk on his face as he removed his glasses and giggled stupidly.

**************************

After picking Justin from school, they drove back to their penthouse in a taxi.

They alighted and used the elevator to the last floor which was where the Smith's apartment was.

"Happy Valentine's day mom!"

Justin said happily as he exited the elevator.

"Same to you my little prince".

Vivian said happily as she dragged his soft cheeks.

"Look what I got you mom!"

Justin said as he removed a colorful card from his bag.

"Wow! This is beautiful".

Vivian complimented as she took a look at it.

"I made it in school today mom".

"This one is for you and this one is for dad"

Justin said pointing to the other card in his bag which was for his daddy.

"Mom, have my candies"

"They are gifts for you".

Justin said cutely while Vivian gave him a hug.

"Thanks son, you can eat your candies okay".

She said Patting his head..

"Mom, where are we going for valentine?"

Justin asked because he remembered last year, he and his parents spent the valentine's day at the central park in New York.

"Please mom!"

"Don't tell me we are not going any where today?"

Justin said cutely looking into his mom's eyeball.

"Alright, we'll go to the park and the restaurant down the street".

Vivian said reassuringly to a happy Justin.

"Dad is coming with us, isn't he?"

Justin asked again and this time around, Vivian felt a rush of anger in her as he mentioned Sean's name.

He never cared to call or wished her for valentine let alone sending her a gift.

"Tell me mom, he will come like last year, won't he?"

"I can't say Justin"

Vivian said and Justin's happy face became sad.