Chapter 41: MOTHER MEETS CHILD

Dmitri came home from the hospital to get ready for Ethan's birthday party.
Last week marked the beginning of a long series of emergency schedules which meant that Dmitri was always tired and behind on his household chores.
As he proceeded into the house, he found the floors spotless, the dishes cleaned and dried, and the dirty laundry washed and folded. He went upstairs to change his clothes and noticed that the beds were made, and there were even flowers in a vase beside his bed.
He soon realized that when Hazel came home after picking Melody up from the daycare, she must've made Melody take a nap before the birthday party and took the opportunity to help him out.
Dmitri learned an important lesson that day about compassion. And it was that their friendship was sealed for life !
Dmitri, reached the birthday venue, just before the dinner and Melody came running to give him a tight hug.
Hazel had caught Calvin"s eye as they just clicked at the first sight and first meeting which was quite unusual for the both of them.
Once introduced to each other by the hosts of the party, they talked about their respective professions, politics, their interests and about innumerable things happening in their lives except a common thing called romance.
It was quite natural that an intelligent man like Calvin was attracted more to a woman like Hazel who knew what was going on in the world.
He admired her for caring about things outside her immediate orbit. This came along with her other attractive qualities like empathy, confidence, and engagement with the world around her.
Hazel was quite attracted to Calvin's confidence, being witty with a tinge of intelligent sarcasm.
It seemed they were too engrossed in their own world throughout the evening that they were quite oblivious of the world around them.
In the meantime, Audrey reached the birthday venue following the address given to her by Calvin.
The first time around, seeing a little girl with her face was a new different sensation for Audrey. Her mind just blew when she saw how similar the little girl acted which was the craziest thing about her as she observed her from the doorway.
Her inner motherly instincts just evoked. As she was about to go inside the door, her eyes fell on Dmitri, Melody and Hazel together in the same party.
It didn't take her time to connect the open ends and move out of the party without meeting anyone.
She reached the hotel room all heartbroken, disturbed and red eyes streaming with continuous tears and cried inconsolably in Rachel's arms.
Rachel was quite taken aback because Audrey had all dressed up excitedly to meet her little doppelganger and came back crying. She repeatedly asked her the reason for being so upset but Audrey was in great shock.
Once Audrey calmed down she narrated the whole incident about seeing Dmitri, Hazel and her little doppelganger to her.
"I think that Dmitri and Hazel had took away my baby girl with them from the hospital, giving false information about her loss to my parents, and have settled together at this far away place," Audrey said with a lot of pain in her heart.
"Are you sure, Audrey ? I mean, sometimes what meets the eye isn't always true ! You should have questioned them !!" Rachel directed.
"Rachel, I didn't want to create a scene in front of the children who were enjoying a birthday party and also I love Dmitri enough to confront him in public," Audrey replied remorsefully.
"Aww, I am so proud of you, hun ! In spite of being under enormous emotional upheaval, you behaved with maturity," Rachel comforted her bestie.
"Rachel, I want to be with my baby ! I've grieved deeply for her for so long. I can't just let Dmitri take away my daughter," Audrey sobbed.
"Don't worry ! Tomorrow we'll talk to Calvin and get all the relevant information from him as he must have interacted with the guests at the birthday party tonight," Rachel comforted Audrey.
"It's not a very big town, so it should be easy for us to track them down and talk in person," Rachel added after analyzing the situation.
As Rachel went to her room, Audrey couldn't sleep the whole night. She just tossed and turned in bed thinking about the pain of separation and betrayal.
Not even in her wildest of dreams, Audrey had thought that time and fate would bring her face to face with Dmitri in this situation.
At the end of the party, Calvin confessed to Isabelle, "It was awesome to meet Hazel, and now my obstinate heart has got a bit of a crush on her. I would love to get to know her better, what do you think, Isa ?" He asked.
"Why not ? Do you want me to play Cupid ?" Isabelle teased.
"Ahmm !" Calvin cleared his truth before murmuring, "If you don"t mind, Doctor," making Isabelle chuckle in agreement.
Most people, at least those, whose relationships were not abusive or vitriolic, want their exes to be happy and actively work to help their ex find love, right ?
"Don't you hate to see your ex, Calvin, getting with someone else ?" Kenji asked after everyone left the party.
"Why would it bother me ? We're not together any more. Why should that concern me ?" Isabelle retorted as she knew it's unusual but not impossible, particularly in monogamous circles.
"Monogamous relationships can be like that ! Even after the break up, people can"t let go of that sense of ownership," Kenji replied.
"But we shouldn't be possessive about relationships in that way," Isabelle countered. "I know Calvin and I know my friend, Hazel, so I can basically tell what sort of people they will like in relationships and what they do like and don"t like," Isabelle commented.
"Darling, setting up your friends with other single people will become your signature move soon," Kenji joked and chuckled.
"If I think people will get on, I'll definitely introduce them. I just want the people I care about to be happy and if I think they would be happy together, I might as well help," Isabelle replied before she wound up all the household chores and went to her bedroom.
"Isabelle, you're phenomenal, extraordinary !" remarked Kenji. "My super woman !"
"Thank you ! You're quite generous with your compliments today," Isabelle grinned.
"Aren"t you tired ?" Kenji asked as he opened his arms in the bedroom.
Isabelle shrugged and snuggled into Kenji's welcoming arms.
"Not so much now," she sighed happily in his warm, comforting embrace after a long day"s work and there was no other place she"d rather be.