"You're in the legal field. No. you should have done something with psychology instead. That suits you more," Angie said, and Val laughed.
"I like it where I am," she added, then went quiet, thinking about how she had begun falling in love with the legal profession. It had been because of her parents; they would never know that, though.
***
After their divorce, Grace had taken custody of the kids.
Cally was given visitation rights over the weekend and during some days during the school holidays.
Val couldn't forget the first visit they had at their father's new home.
Cally had picked up the children and driven them to his new home, where they were to spend the weekend.
The children were overjoyed to be spending time with their dad, whom they knew would spoil them silly with gifts.
They got into the house jumped on the sofas as their dad ordered food for delivery. They had settled on the dining tables when they heard the main door of the house open.
They heard someone walk in with heels, and a strong perfume scent accompanied her.
Cally was relaxed, not even turning to see who was getting into the house.
"Daddy. Is someone coming for dinner?" Tracy asked.
"Yes, dear," Cally replied, smiling.
The lady who had walked in walked towards the dining table, bent over and gave Cally a forehead kiss, then pulled out a chair and sat.
It was Val who had asked who she was, and Cally had proudly answered, "Your new mommy."
"New mommy! Why should we have a new mommy?" Tracy asked in disbelief.
The woman and Cally looked at each other, and the woman chose to respond.
"I promise you that I will love you just as much as your real mommy does," the woman said. They would later learn that her name was Michal.
Michal looked young, maybe in her mid-twenties, and looking back, Val wondered why she had decided to get involved with a middle-aged man with a family.
Over that dinner, Val looked at her father in hurt. She was eight, but she could add one plus one and know that the woman before them was the reason her parents weren't together.
She looked at Monique, who hadn't uttered a word, and touched her on the shoulders, and a fountain of tears broke open.
"We don't want her. We want you to stay with our mommy. She won't love us. Stepmothers never love their step kids," Monique said, pushing her plate away and running to the living room from where she cried, rolling on the floor.
"Don't worry. It will be all okay. It's their first time seeing you, so they were bound to react in a hostile manner," Cally assured Michal, who was more concerned about Monique.
Even Val herself was shocked by Monique's reaction and how she had talked of stepmothers never loving their step kids. Where had she heard that?
***
Carey had finally given into Ken's demands. He couldn't wait to finish his day at work and finally feel loose.
The two got into their respective cars and drove away to a pub that was located quite out of town.
The music there was loud and inviting. The parking lot was packed with cars of all makes. There were lights that dimmed and shone brightly.
It looked like a party. People were full, and they were dancing in pairs against the music played by the DJ.
"This looks like a party," Carey observed, taking a set.
"It is."
"Whose?"
"A friend of mine. What will you drink?"
"Whatever is there, man," Carey answered, looking around for any familiar faces.
Ken returned with the drinks. They poured them on glass and toasted before they gulped the drinks down.
"That feels super good," Carey said.
He wanted to forget about what he considered betrayal from Karen, so he drank more and more till he began to see things in twos.
Ken wasn't by his side anymore.
He touched his trouser pockets, looking for his car keys, and heard them fall down.
From being so drunk, he had a throbbing headache, so he closed his eyes as if it would block away from the pain then bent down to pick the keys
"I got you," a lady's voice said.
Carey looked up and smiled dumbly. He couldn't even clearly see her face, but the voice sounded angelic.
He stretched out his hands for the keys, but the lady greeted him instead, and he felt a rush of electricity run through his body.
"Thank you," he said, struggling to get up and leave for him.
He staggered past people, out of the pub, and when he got to the parking lot, he couldn't even remember where he had parked his car.
"Maybe you really need some help," the lady from the pub said. Carey didn't know that she had followed him out.
"Are you following me?' he asked.
"Maybe, maybe not. What's the make and color of your car?" she asked, "By the way, I'm Liz Cullen."
"Such a nice name," Carey answered, acting impressed. He cleared his throat and then spoke, "I'm…."