23

It's been a routine now, every second week we go in to check up with the Doc and then we chat for a while about idle stuff. It's like we meet up with the excuse of Kárri, I laugh at the thought as I sit in the waiting room with other mothers. How are their lives like?

Mine has surely changed. I hardly hear from Nate except for the occasional phone call to ask how I'm doing and if I need anything for me and the baby. And of course, every time he calls I say everything is fine and that we don't need anything.

It's quite sad how he's never made an effort to come visit us at my mom's place ever since I moved out of his but it's whatever. Maybe keeping his distance is the way he sees best fits the situation. My parents are glad he's keeping his distance so I guess I have to be, too. But would Kárri?

I don't want her to grow up without a father and that's why I'm holding on to the fading hope of him changing his ways and getting involved in her life. I won't deny, I sometimes wish we would have worked things out but now I'm so confused. My main focus is on Kárri.

And Doctor Stamford.

Yeah, him. I realised I always find myself smiling at the thought of him. But I don't want to repeat this vicious cycle any longer. I always get into something with an open heart and leave with it in pieces. I'd rather have my heart healed and whole than to try and do something about my little crush on him. I'm sure that with time it will all go away.

"Ms Scott?" A lady calls me and I get up and follow her down the corridor I'm well acquainted with by now. She knocks on his door and he opens, smiling when he sees me.

"Jane, how are you guys?" He asks as he closes the door behind me while I walk into his office and take a seat in front of his desk.

"We're alright. How are you?"

"Same old, same old," he says, smiling and making faces at Kárri who's eyes widen when he makes a peek-a-boo. "Let's get started," he says, rolling his sleeve and taking her from my arms. I watch him move around the office, putting Kárri on the scale and recording her weight.

I watch how his muscles move under his crisp white shirt and how his back muscles flex with every movement he does. How is he so gorgeous and not have a woman in his life?

He goes ahead and measures her weight while asking how I've been. That fuzzy feeling comes back when he smiles down at her, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he continues talking to me about changes I should start expecting now that she's growing a little. Why can't Nate ever be like this, actively involved, and happy to be involved?

"I'm gonna use the restroom," I say as I get up after staring at them for too long. I hear him hum in response as he continues examining her. I check my face in the mirror and wash my face before telling myself to focus. Nate is old news. And this morning's affirmation was that the love I keep giving will make it's way to me.

With new found confidence, I enter the office and my mouth falls at the sight I'm met with.

He's walking around the office with her sitting on his shoulders with each of her tiny legs on both sides of his neck while his hands hold hers firmly. He got his back to the door.

"Mama," he says in a baby voice as he points at something. I crane my neck to see what it is when I see that it's a pic of me and Kárri taken when we must have been sleeping. He then steps closer to it and repeats the word while holding the frame closer to her. Is he trying to get her to say her first word already? I couldn't help but laugh.

He spins around with his jaw open and I burst out laughing, his face the definition of 'got caught red-handed'. Even Kárri has her little eyes wide open as her eyes moving between me and him.

"Don't tell mommy that we're learning words," he whispers loudly, kissing her forehead as he puts the huge fluffy toy in her tiny hands and helps her hold it with his finger. We both chuckle, looking at her adorably.

Next to these two is where I am the happiest.

*

Stailene's POV (you'll know about who she is in the next chapter?)

"Lay it on me," I say as I walk into Cameron's office and he turns around with a paper in one hand and a taco in another.

"So apparently this guy is a successful architect, one of the biggest in their industry and he's got a baby mama. A Jane Scott, aged-"

"Skip that and tell me about him," I cut him off as I take a bite from his meal.

"Right, so he was said to have cheated on Jane with Nadia who's documents are here," he says, pushing a brown envelope my way.

"What's with this Nadia?"

"She's a demon," he says strongly.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean that after her accident she went for medical surgery to have some botox implants on her face and boobs. Now she's rumoured to be back in the country but I got my guys working on it. She's mentally unstable and her psychologist, Cara Boston, has filed a case against her but since Nadia hasn't followed through with her threats, no warrant has been issued."

"Can a psychologist do that?"

"It's a breech of privacy but she got a good lawyer that handled everything."

"Okay, and what with the accident?"

"It says here that she was burned with boiling water."

"What?" I yell, grimacing at the pain she must have gone through. "Why? By whom?"

"By Jane. She was messing around with Jane's fiance at time, Nathaniel Surogiv."

Serves her right then.

"But this little fucker is still in Jane's life," I say to confirm.

"And they have a baby together."

"Did the baby come before or after the infidelity?"

"Conceived before, delivered after."

"Right. I'll see how I can meet up with this Jane. Thank you," I say, getting up to give him a small kiss on his forehead seeing as he still had taco sauce on his mouth. I refuse to kiss him with a spicy mouth.

I ain't about that life.

I go back to my office with the documents and study them further, keenly interested in this Nate guy who has been calling me nonstop this entire week. Why I left my real number is beyond me.

Who knew he was such an ass to Jane?

I look through Jane's files and come across her phone number. I decide to give her a call. It rings four times before she picks up on the fifth one. "Hello?" She sounds exhausted.

"Ms Jane Scott?"

"Speaking, who's this?"

"I have some information you might be interested in. We'll have to schedule a meet-"

"Whoa, hold on. I never said anything about meeting up with anyone," she says strictly. Smart.

"It's important we meet, ma'am. I'll come wherever you want to meet me at," I offer.

I listen to her tell me a popular chain restaurant's name. She made sure to pick a public one because she probably doesn't trust me. Not that I'm blaming her or anything.

After making plans with her, I call my favourite human. "Homeboy, you are so not gonna believe what I found out," I say through the phone as soon as soon as he picks up.

Time to spill some tea.