"Eva?"
He echoed the stranger's name with a swirl of emotion which told Nicole all she needed to know - this wasn't just anyone, this was someone he knew very, very intimately. The woman was pretty, she would give her that; hair dyed a burnt orange colour, face as round as a ball, pretty blue eyes, she was taller than she was by a few inches, moderately slim, nice curves and stature. Nicole couldn't help as jealousy raised its ugly head - who was this 'Eva' that caused such a stir in Alexander?
The lady smiled, "It's been a while." Nicole couldn't help but notice how cute her smile was - why was she so pretty?
Alexander was caught off guard for a second but when he finally spoke, he sounded cold and emotionless. "What are you doing here?" He asked. His hostility made Nicole shiver anxiously.
"I'm here to see you and my baby." Eva replied softly.
It finally clicked - this was Alexander's ex-wife. Looking at her with that realisation, she could see where Violet got her pretty eyes from. Nicole suddenly felt like she was invading and moved to leave as quietly as she could, but Alexander gripped her arm a bit too tightly and held her back.
"Stay." He ordered with his eyes still fixed on Eva. He didn't have to look at her, just that single word had her glued to the spot.
Eva's attention was then drawn to her. Her head tilted to the side as she eyed Nicole like she was the odd one out, something that was where it did not belong. "Who are you?" She demanded.
Nicole opened her mouth to speak but Alexander beat her to it, "That is none of your business." He spat.
"Now, if you don't mind, I would really appreciate it if you leave my house." He added with his hands stretched out towards the way to the main entrance.
Eva chuckled, "Is that any way to treat your wife, Alex?"
"You are not my wife. You ceased to become that, the day you left me and Violet." Alexander told her with a raging calmness. Nicole had never seen him this angry before and it was scary.
She felt someone touch her and looked to see Violet holding her hand but the little girl wasn't looking at her; she stared curiously at the strange woman, who was painfully her mother.
Eva turned her head, caught sight of Violet and grinned but when she saw her hand clasped in Nicole's, her grin slowly faded into a frown. "Why are you holding her hand?" She started to walk over to where Nicole stood with Violet but was stopped by Alexander, who blocked her way with his body.
"Get out." He seethed and it was obvious if he was pushed one more time, he would lose it. Nicole wanted to reach out and soothe his pain but she stopped to think: was she ready to become his balm? Was she ready to be involved in this unfolding drama where she was the side character who might not get to finish the movie?
Alexander looked to Trevor in anger, "What are you doing just standing there? Get this bitch out of my house!"
Trevor walked forward and held Eva but she pulled from his grip forcefully. "She is my child and I am still your wife!" She exclaimed in anger.
Alexander ignored her and kept his gaze fixed on Trevor. "I am going to walk away and when I come back, I want this bitch gone." He gritted out and started walking away, just like he said he would.
"Alexander!" Eva yelled but he ignored her.
Nicole just stood and watched Trevor escort the furious woman - who was giving her a murderous glare - out of the dining room. She didn't know if to follow Alexander or give him some space. At that moment, she was confused and didn't want to make things worse.
While she was still deciding what to do next, Violet tugged her and she looked down at the little angel with a forced smile.
"Who was that and why did they make dad mad?" She signed, her eyes filled with concern.
Nicole tried to keep her smile on her face. "Just a friend of your dad's. It was just a small friendly fight, nothing the adults cannot handle." She signed back.
Violet looked unconvinced but she didn't ask anymore questions and Nicole was relieved.
Nicole had managed to put Violet to sleep afterwards. She then decided to go check on Alexander, on the note that she had given him enough space and time to brood. Moreover, it was getting late, he needed to go to bed.
She found him sitting on the porch's hammock chair, his eyes focused on the night sky. There were two hammock chairs, put close to each other with only a slight gap between them. She sat on the other one and he acknowledged her presence by turning to look at her.
"Thought you were gone..." He forced a smile on his face.
"Well, even if I had passed you, I'm sure you wouldn't have noticed." Nicole joked and he released a dry chuckle. Silence settled between them and she didn't know if to say something else. Much to her relief, he spoke.
"I'm glad you're here." He said, his eyes staring deep into hers.
She nodded as she felt her heart skip a beat. "So, what are you going to do now?" She asked after a second.
He sighed, "Eva is a smart woman. She's strong-willed and will want to force her way back into my life. I will have to be prepared for whatever ludicrous surprises she comes up with."
Nicole nodded, "True. She might want to sign for a divorce and take custody of Violet..."
"I won't let that happen." He vowed.
Nicole believed him wholeheartedly - she was so sure Alexander would fight for Violet with whatever it took.
"I believe you." She confessed.
He smiled and leaned in. She tilted her head in anticipation and sighed internally when his lips meshed with hers.