abcnovels
Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Chapter 44 – The Business Proposal
(Anj‘s POV)
I peeked at the Excelente Café after stopping my car at its parking area. Perhaps it is still early, that‘s why I don‘t see many cars in the parking lot. Whenever I go to the university, I always see this place packed, but today, it seems the café had fallen asleep despite the lustful scent of . the brewing coffee.
My daughters excitedly unfastened their seatbelts in the child seat, and when I opened the door, Leyanne jumped out first, Lyra Helene went out on the other side, while Selene, for the first time, did not complain about going out of the car last, raised her arms to me. “Argh!” I said, chuckling as I carried her. “My baby‘s getting heavier every day. What‘s Aunt Anya feeding you?”
She giggled, wriggling her body to go down. She joined her sisters as soon as her feet touched the ground, and they all waited patiently at me as I took the paper bag with our samples and closed the car door. They held hands as they walked toward the café and chatted about what they wanted to do after this short meeting. If there is something in my life that I don‘t want them to experience is having no good memories with my mother. Although Sister Grace and Aunt Rose have raised and taken good care of me, nothing could connect us except I was adopted to be loved and be part of their family.
As we entered the café, Steve Mars was sitting near the window, overlooking the small park outside. He was reading a newspaper but smiled happily when he saw my children. “Grandpa!” Lyra Helene shouted excitedly, and the three of them ran to him.
When they hovered around him, it was only then I noticed that there was no one in the café except him, a woman seated far from him on another table wearing a white scrub suit, drinking coffee with the man in a driver‘s uniform.
“Look at you! I bet you slept early last night. You grew up already,” he joked, making my girls giggle as they kissed and embraced him.
When I walked toward them, he raised his head and rose to his feet.
“Good morning,” I greeted, smiling apologetically at him. “Ah! You‘re the culprit for having these beautiful angels. Steve Mars,” he said, introducing himself and extending his hand to me.
My heart went to my throat, taking me a few seconds to speak. I felt relief when Steve did not recognize me, but as I thought of it, who would ever know it was me when I was too young, only seventeen, looking ugly with lots of red spots on my face.
“Ange...Anj Perry,” I said, shaking hands with him and turning my head to the café, wandering my eyes to an almost empty coffee shop.
“I rent the whole place for two hours, Anj. I knew how sensitive some mothers are when it comes to the privacy of their children,” he explained, pulling the chair beside him. “Please, please, take a seat.” He raised his hand, gesturing for the staff to come.
“Tea for me,” He looked at me, his eyes asking me what I wanted as he helped each of my daughters to sit down.
“Cappuccino,” I answered, smiling at him nervously.
“You heard the lady, a cappuccino, please.” He turned to the girls. “And to my favorite future partners? What do you like?”
The three simultaneously prop their elbows on the table as they look at the menu, causing Steve to chuckle softly. They are all eyeing the cakes but could not decide which one.
“How about I order all the cakes so you can taste them all?” Waggling his eyebrows as he suggested.
“Woah!” exclaimed the triplets as the three pairs of eyes turned to me, but Selene smiled and shook her head shyly when I didn’t say anything.
“I can have carrot cake,” she said and looked at Lyra Helene.
“Blueberry cheesecake,” she pointed at the mouthwatering picture of the cake.
“I‘ll have salted caramel cake,” Leyanne said, tapping its image.
“That‘s all?” Steve asked. “We can order all except the ones with nuts.” He winked at me. “I heard Lyra Helene is allergic to peanuts, so... as the school head said, no peanuts for everyone,” he shared, laughing at Anya‘s familiar line.
Leyanne shook her head. “Just three cakes, Grandpa, and then we‘ll just share,” she looked at her sisters, and they nodded in agreement.
“If that‘s what you want,” he smiled gently at them and nodded at the staff. When she left, he turned his head back to my girls. “Now, shall we get down to business?”
“Mommy?” Selene‘s eyes widened, but when I pushed the paper bag to her, she breathed out and nodded. “How many are you buying, Grandpa? I don‘t know how to sell perfume to a grandpa,” she twitched her lips as she waited for him to react.
As expected, he laughed at the cuteness of my daughter. He narrows his eyes and touches his chin as he thinks. “Well, I‘m actually thinking of reselling it.”
“Like a retailer?” Leyanne asked, making Steve smile. “Something like that. Did they also learn that from Mrs. Salvador?” He wondered, glancing at me.
“No, Mr. Mars. We used to live together with students and young employees.” I breathed out, not wanting to sound like an irresponsible mother, but I had to tell him the truth. “Sometimes I leave them in Mrs. Sandoval‘s care when I go to work or school, and when she‘s busy, our housemates gladly take care of them.”
“Work... school... and business,” he nodded, and he must be thinking where the father could be, but he did not. “It must be tough,” he smiled admiringly at me. “I wondered how you managed to raise three alone when raising one was difficult already?”
I wanted to tell him it was not easy, but I had to be strong for my children. His question hit my heart, feeling the pain at the thought that my mother surrendered early, giving me up on raising me when I was just one mouth to feed.
“Sky, my son, he is asking about them.”
I swallowed hard, wondering why Sky would take an interest in my children. Did Sky discover about them?