The Second Marriage Chance

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Four years later…

At the Serenity Pines library, I am holding an invitation from my father for his sixtieth birthday.

Over the past four years, we had only met at a few business events, each one formal and filled with unspoken feelings. This gathering felt different. There were rumors that Father might announce the transfer of TerraTraxx Automotive’s chairmanship to Amir, which would change the company’s future.

“Mommy!” I heard Rowan cry out.

I went to the door to see what the commotion was about. As I opened it, I found my son with tears streaming down his chubby cheeks, his tiny body shaking with each sob.

“Mommy, Iris ate my favorite snack. She finished all the cheese headstrings that were for me!” He cried even harder.

Kneeling, I wiped his tears away with my thumb while my thoughts were consumed with the implications-Iris’s tendency to overeat frequently led to stomachaches, causing me concern.

Holding Rowan’s small, warm hand in mine, I called out, “Iris!”

Then, a small voice piped up from behind the plush leather sofa.

“She’s… she’s not here anymore!”

I held back a smile, impressed by my daughter’s cute behavior. “Oh, Rowan,” I said, looking into my son’s tearful eyes, “where do you think Iris went?”

Their different personalities always amazed me. With his thoughtful and quiet nature, Rowan was so much like his father. His sandy hair and wise eyes made him seem mature for his age. Iris, however, was full of mischief and charm. Her dark brown curls and playful grin made me think of Philip’s comment about her taking after me-a comparison I wasn’t sure how to handle.

“Iris, she… she went to her boyfriend!” came the small voice again from behind the sofa.

I raised an eyebrow, suppressing a chuckle as Rowan dashed around the sofa, forgetting his earlier distress as he eagerly unveiled his sister’s hiding spot.

Iris angrily scolded him. “Hey! Mommy will find me! Why are you so annoying?”

“You can’t have a boyfriend! You’re too small! Grandpa Mitchell will scold you, and Daddy will scold me, too!” Rowan countered.

Iris came out of her hiding spot, her messy curls framing her face and her eyes full of defiance. “Mommy, Rowan is bothering me!” She pouted and faked tears. “Mommy, Rowan is being bad!”

I crossed my arms. “Come here, both of you,” I said, gesturing to the sofa. “Sit down, please.”

They obeyed and scrambled onto the leather couch. Iris’s legs dangled, not quite reaching the floor, while Rowan sat up straight with his hands folded in his lap.

“Tell me, Iris, what did you do wrong to Rowan?” I asked.

Her lips parted as she launched her defense. “I didn’t do anything wrong to Rowan. I saw his snack in the fridge! It’s all the snack’s fault because it was there waiting for me to eat it. Mommy, it’s not my fault! It should be the snack’s or Rowan’s fault!”

“But it’s mine! You finished yours yesterday!” Rowan said.

Iris’s cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk’s. “I am your baby sister! You shouldn’t be stingy with me! I’ll tell Daddy that you were mean to me! And when I ask him to buy me more snacks, I won’t share any with you!”

Rowan cried. “But he’s my daddy too!” His voice cracking like he’d just lost his father’s love.

I felt a dull ache behind my eyes as I watched my kids’ antics. Their argument left me both amused and frustrated. Iris had clearly inherited her father’s knack for twisting stories, making Rowan look like the troublemaker in their fights.

Taking a deep breath, I addressed them both. “Alright, you two. I asked what the mistake was. Iris, you know eating too many snacks is not good, right? If you saw Daddy’s beer in the fridge, would you drink it?”

Iris wrinkled her nose in disgust. “No! I don’t like beer! Cheese sticks are different; they’re yummy!” she argued, her reasoning clear in its simple, childlike way.

I was momentarily struck dumb by her reasoning. Gathering my wits, I instructed, “Apologize to your brother Rowan.”

My daughter pouted, clearly stubborn and unwilling to give in.

Recognizing the need for leverage, I added, “If you don’t apologize, we’re not leaving Serenity Pines. We won’t be going to Daddy’s office.”

“Sorry!” they chorused instantly, their eyes wide with alarm.

“I want to go to Daddy’s office, Mommy!” Iris pleaded.

“Me too!” Rowan chimed in.

Settling into the single armchair, I fixed them with a stern gaze. “Then you need to show me that you can be kind to each other.”

“Brother, I’m sorry! Mommy, I’m sorry too! Iris will listen to Brother Rowan and won’t eat Rowan’s snacks anymore!” Iris said, her head bowed.

Rowan, always the peacemaker, said, “Iris, I’m sorry for scolding you…”

“Listen carefully, both of you,” I said firmly. “No snacks for one week, okay? We’ll focus on eating fruits and vegetables.”

Rowan’s face fell. “B-but what about my cheese headstrings?”

“What if I replace it with a car toy?”

His face lit up. “Yes, yes, yes! I want that, Mommy!” He began bouncing on the sofa. Iris joined him, and their faces were full of cheer. Rowan had clearly inherited our family’s passion for automobiles.

Amir is sending Rowan a toy car-a scaled-down sports car model. It resembles the new TerraTraxx sports car model, but its engine is simple enough to be rolled around on the balcony of Serenity Pines Estate.

Since they apologized, I took them to Philip’s office. This will be our second visit because Amanda and Pepper are in Dubai due to my grandfather’s illness.

Philip and I had agreed to share custody of the twins, and neither of us was comfortable leaving them with others. I had a meeting in Henderson that afternoon, so the plan was to drop the children off at Luminary Productions beforehand.

As we entered Philip’s office floor’s elevator lobby, I noticed a strikingly beautiful young celebrity waiting. We didn’t pay much attention; seeing people like her is common on Philip’s office floor.

“M-Madam Sarah!” Alex’s greeting carried a hint of nervousness that gave me pause.

“Hi! Is your boss around?” I inquired, studying his face for any sign of trouble.

I couldn’t read Alex’s expression. Did Philip do something? Nervously, I opened the door and was stunned to see Jane sitting in front of Philip’s desk.