Chapter 23

            Isabel Fuentes-Kirkland watched her grandchildren play in her living room with pride. She was so happy that she had reconciled with her daughter, for if she didn’t she wouldn’t have been able to see these beautiful children who she had grown to love.

            Despite the fact that they had a bastard for a father, Isabel had accepted them and hated that she had been so stubborn for not accepting them as her grandchildren earlier. In these two children, her faith was restored and her dreams for Natalia and Andrew were transferred to them.

            When her pride and joy, Andrew was sent to jail, Isabel felt that her world was collapsing around her. She blamed Justin for the corruption of her two children. If Isabel could do anything in the world, she would make the real criminal, Justin Timberlake, go to jail.

            But she had no control in that matter, in fact Isabel had not spoken to her son until a few months prior to Natalia coming back to New York. The Hispanic mother had reconciled with her son and poured all the blame on Justin. Andrew was only trying to protect his sister and went about it the wrong way because of her stupid brother, Eduardo.

            If she had only known what was going on 4 years ago, she would change it all. She would have fought for her children.

            But at the same time, she didn’t regret the past because of her grandchildren. She would not trade them for anything, even a better fate for her children.

            Life was going to get better; Natalia was getting her act together and was going to be an author. Isabel had always known her daughter was talented, and Natalia was finally going to get the chance to show the world her talent.

            One day, Andrew would be out of jail too, and he would also change his life around. Isabel Fuentes would have her family back.

            Her husband would laugh at her when she’d share her visions, in a way it was almost as if he didn’t want it to be true, but it would be.

            “Natalia come here!”

            “Yes, Mami?” Natalia smiled at her Mother who sat in the living room, watching her two children paint.

            “Listen to this… Samantha, Nikolas… tell your Mami what you want to be when you grow up.”

            “I’m gonna be a doctor!!” Samantha said proudly.

            “And I’m gonna be a lawyer!” Nikolas beamed at his mother. Natalia just shook her head.

            “That’s great guys…” Turning her head to look at her mother. “It’s never too early to brainwash them and pressure them, is it?”

            “Oh stop it, Natalia. I’m just making them have something to strive for.”

            “Yeah, but let them decide what they want to do on their own. Don’t push them, Mami…”

            “I’m not pushing!”

            With a roll of her eyes, Natalia walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Isabel just sighed and stood up when the doorbell began ringing.

            She didn’t bother check to see who was at the door and opened it, but Isabel would curse herself for doing so later on. Isabel saw a man standing at the door holding a bouquet of white orchids and pink roses.

            The man looked familiar but she couldn’t place who it was at first.

            “Is Natalia here? I need to see her please.”

            That voice, Isabel had heard it before and she knew it.

            That was when Samantha and Nikolas came running to the door screaming. It wasn’t that they were screaming that turned Isabel’s blood cold, it was what they were screaming.

            “Daddy!! Daddy!”

            Before the twins could reach the door, Isabel slammed the door shut and locked it. Grabbing the two twins, she screamed for her husband.

            “William!! William!! I need you!! Help!”

            Within seconds, William had run to the door and saw that the doorbell was ringing and someone was pounding on the door. Seeing the fear on his wife’s face he just nodded at her and took control of the situation the best he could.

            **

            “NATALIA!!” My mother ran into my bedroom with the twins in her arms in a frenzy. I looked at her confused and worried; I had never seen my mother like this before.

            “Mami… what happened?”

            “Stay here Natalia!! Under no circumstances are you to go downstairs.”

            “What… why?”

            “DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!!”

            Grabbing my sobbing children from my hysterical mother, she slammed the door to my room shut and instructed me to lock it. I didn’t know what was going on but I didn’t like it.

            “Guys… what happened?”

            I sat the twins down on my bed and did my best to calm them, but I didn’t know how to unless I knew what was going on. I felt utterly helpless.

            I hated this feeling, I was just fucking clueless. I hated being out of the loop, especially when it was about something as serious as what was going on right now.

            My stomach was in knots and it just got worse when Nikolas spoke the word that made me want to pass out.

            “Daddy…”

            Justin was here. Oh God, I knew it. I started to panic as well, conflicted if I wanted to see him or not. I got up and walked to the window and spotted his favorite car, a Maserati Spyder.

            I started to hyperventilate, which was the worst thing to do in front of my children. I couldn’t be strong when it came to Justin, no matter how hard I tried.

            That was when the door to my bedroom opened and there stood Justin. I didn’t know how to act, then again how is one supposed to react?

            “Please… leave them alone… I beg of you… please!” My Mother ran in behind him, crying.

            Justin said nothing in response but comforted his crying children, while I stood in shock.

            “I told you I would come back… I promised you didn’t I?” Justin smiled and kissed our children. “Your Daddy loves you more than anything.”

            I just watched as he soothed their tears until there were no more left, that was when he looked at me.

            “I need to talk to you… please.”

            “I don’t know.”

            “Natalia, you owe me that much to talk to me.”

            I looked to my mother and my children. Justin had brought me so much joy and so much pain, but I did owe him that much. He was the father of my children and it wasn’t like I was going to get back with him. I needed to be alone.

            “Fine… but it has to be quick… I have work to do.” My statement wasn’t a lie, I had gotten this amazing job writing for Glamour Magazine. It wasn’t exactly publishing novels as I wanted to do, but it was fun and it gave me money, which I’d save to buy a new home for the twins and I.

            Now I needed to settle this with Justin and that wasn’t going to be easy.

**

            There was an awkwardness between us for the obvious reasons. I used to be so comfortable with Justin and now it was different. It was like we were now two different people.

            “How have you been?” He asked finally as we walked down the street. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he had yet to look me in the eye.

            “As good as one can be.” I replied, staring down at the cement.

            I knew my mother was going to be angry that I was speaking to him, but Justin was the father of my children. How could I just ignore him?

            “Same here, life has been… crazy… and I’ve missed you so much.”

            “I know.” I sighed and pushed a strand of blonde-brown hair away from my face.

            I changed my hair color so much that it was probably going to fall out. I didn’t care though and in a weird way, I think the changed of my hair symbolized the changes of my life.

            It was like, I could control my hair color but I couldn’t control my life. It just made sense.

            “I want to fix things with us, Nat. I love you, you know that.”

            “I know you want to fix things.” I turned my gaze from the ground to right in front of me. “But I don’t. I need my space… I need to be alone.”

            “Take your time and all the space you need but you are not getting a divorce out of me.”

            “Who said anything about divorce?”

            “Well you did, when you filed for divorce and sent me the fucking divorce papers.” He was angry, and I could tell by the way his voice got deeper and the way his fists clenched. I wrapped my arms around myself, nervously.

            “Stop being paranoid, I didn’t send you shit!”

            Now he was making me frustrated. Justin was quiet, as if he was contemplating his words.

            “Natalia, I was sent divorce papers.”

            “I swear on my children that I didn’t file for divorce! I considered it, but I didn’t.”

            “I’m being fucking set up. Damnit!” Justin put his hand on his forehead and I stopped my steps and just looked at him.

            “Normal people don’t get set up, Justin!” I hissed at him. “But normal people aren’t in the fucking Mafia, are they?”

            “I’m sorry! I’m trying, I’m really fucking trying! It’s not easy!”

            “I know it isn’t. I tried to be patient for so long, but I can’t anymore.” I started to cry and I couldn’t hold it back. “This is why I need my space, I feel like I’m having a break down! I need to be selfish!”

            “Please don’t cry.” He pulled me into his arms as I shook from the heavy sobs that racked my body.

            “I won’t keep the twins from you, but you need to respect my wishes.”

            I hated that I was crying like this, but I couldn’t help it. Being in his arms was soothing me but it wasn’t enough to make me go back to that life of fear.

            “Thank you, Nat, it means a lot to me that you won’t take the kids away from me.” Justin sighed and kissed the top of my head. “I will respect your wishes but I need to know that you believe me that I was set up with the Paris thing and just fucking everything.”

            One look into his eyes and I knew I’d be lost, thank God he was taller than me so I didn’t get to stare into his ocean blue eyes.

            “I don’t know what to believe but that isn’t the main concern right now.”

            “I love you Natalia… please… just tell me you love me too.”

            “Stop it, Justin.”

            “Natalia, please…”

            “You know I do…” I sighed and wiped my tear stained cheeks.

            Justin said nothing else but leaned in and kissed me. Before it could get too heated and before I could lose control, I pulled away.

            “I need to go…” I turned away and headed back to my mother’s house.

            I knew I wasn’t going to hear the end of it when I got back to the house. I wasn’t looking forward to it.