Chapter 47

AMBER'S POV
I kept on pacing to and fro till I felt light in the head, I couldn't get my mind off the fact that I had agreed to allow Jay take Frankie to attend the principal's meeting at Oxford Oaks. I never knew parenting was this hard until the triplets started growing up.
Mel had been with me ever since they were five months old and I was eternally grateful to her, honestly but she had her own children and her marriage to think about, It wasn't fair of me to demand more than she had already given. How could I possibly do that knowing the scumbag she had gotten married to.
Don't get me wrong, Ken wasn't always such a jerk, actually, he was a nice guy from the start. I really should work on my anger issues, I've been swearing too much. Anyways, back to Ken, He had relocated with his family from California and unlike Mel and I, he had not grown up in Los Angeles. His mum was sick at the time and he had to take care of her since his younger sister was still in college back at California.
Mel was just starting up her restaurant at the time and with the kids to take care of and her trust in me, I ended up with a job as her accountant. Guess one of my kids took after me after all, I was great at mathematics. Was, past tense. The only I am good at now is worrying about my kids. Anyways, Ken had gone from frequent visits to the restaurant to asking Mel out on dates faster than I had expected.
Still angry at Daniel Fletcher that had moved away from Los Angeles not long after Jay did, Mel starts going out with Ken and a year after their meet up, Mel gets pregnant. Ken mother's dying wish was for him to marry Mel and that was what happened afterwards. A marriage of convenience and compromise, they weren't supposed to have problems since they were waxing strong before the pregnancy but marriage does things to people.
The door bell rang and I hurriedly rushed towards it anxious to see who had come calling, Jay had promised to come around the house after the meeting with the principal and I was getting impatient waiting. I wasn't just impatient, I was practically losing it.
Mrs Carol greeted me with a smile as I opened the door, 'Good morning, Amber. How are you?" I made an attempt to return the smile but failed woefully, she didn't notice as she walked past me into the house.
Mondays were the busiest for me at the convenience store, it was the start of a new working week and people usually realized they had to get stuff they couldn't get during the weekends cause they were busy partying. I also had the accountant job at Mel's restaurant but it didn't demand much of my time, perks of being best friends with the owner.
I didn't hear Mrs Carol call out to me from the kitchen, I had continued pacing, 'Amber, did you like the pie?" Her voice floated from the kitchen towards me for what I thought was the third time, I was really distracted. I stopped pacing and went to attend to her.
I had no comments in regards to the pie since I didn't taste it after getting back home from my suicidal hiatus. It didn't stop me from lying though,
'It was great, Carol" I feigned a smile as I stood opposite her, she had started bringing out the things she wanted to use to cook and for the hundredth time since I met Carol, I said a quick prayer for her in my heart.
Carol Joseph came into my life, or rather, I did the coming into her own life, a few months after my mum had kicked me out of the house. Pregnant and broke, Carol had given me a roof over my head and a job at her convenience store. Yes, same one I still work at or I'm about to leave once I can get around to completing my applications and submitting them.
I turned my attention back to my worrying, it was way past the time Jay promised to be back and i was getting impatient as the clock kept ticking. Danny had tried to explain things to me but it wasn't easy dealing with a child that used to be a sweetheart. I honestly have no idea where it all went wrong and it bothered me a whole lot.
'The kids told me they met Jay Harley at the carnival. I was really surprised you both came back to the house together" Carol said amidst the vegetable cutting and i sighed, I thought I had covered my tracks perfectly well but apparently, the past doesn't stay buried for long.
It was something to do with the fact that everyone knew themselves in our little town of Oxford Oaks, it was a good thing sometimes but a huge burden the other times.
******FLASHBACK******
'I used to come here with Peter a lot you know, he maddeee surreee iiii sw..." I slurred from all the drinking and stumbled as I took a step forward to adjust on the edge of the waterline. I turned to look at the boy that looked so much like peter but most definitely wasn't him.
Peter Harley was cute where as this boy was drop dead gorgeous, do they use gorgeous for boys? It doesn't matter, this boy has earned it.
'Come here" the boy grabbed my waist as I stumbled into him. We were both drunk and I had never felt so free before. The boy removed a piece of my curly brown hair from my face as he traced a finger on my lips.
'I asked you if I could kiss you and you didn't say anything" he moaned slightly and I smiled broadly. Wasn't it Jay Harley that had asked to kiss me? Was this the same person?
The boy stared at me for a while, cupped my face, whispered, 'You're very beautiful, Amber Swift" and kissed me.