~Brie~

“What's the largest mammal on earth?”

“Elephant”

“Article?”

“The Elephant” he giggled.

“If you add fifteen cookies to a box that already contains ten cookies, how many cookies will you have altogether?”

“Twenty-five” he replied immediately.

“How many cents are in forty-seven dollars?”

“Four thousand, seven hundred.”

“How many stripes are on the American flag?”

“Thirteen.”

I opened my mouth to correct him but I shut it almost immediately. He was right.

“Okay,” I exhaled. “What nationality was Christopher Columbus?”

“Italian” he sighed. “Mommy, what are you do—”

“In what year was Pluto reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet?”

“Two thousand and six. Mommy—”

“How many inches are in one foot?”

“Twelve. I don't like this anymore Mommy” he frowned.

“What year did the first Thanksgiving holiday take place?”

He leaned back against his chair.

“It's in my embarrassing terrible twos Thanksgiving video” he sighed. “Sixteen twenty-one.”

I smiled.

“You wanna stop?” I asked.

He pouted.

“Hot tub” I reminded.

“Okay fine” he groaned dramatically.

“How do you calculate an average?”

“I find the sum of the numbers divided by the total number of values in the given set.”

“Good. What land animal can open its mouth the widest?”

“Amy” he giggled.

Iris slapped a hand over her mouth to hold back her laugh and I made a face.

“Hey, that's not nice, Manny” I scolded.

“A hippopotamus” he grinned.

“He's not entirely wrong” Aiden muttered from my side.

I chuckled and turned my attention back to my son.

“A soda costs d cents, and a candy bar costs c cents. Using algebra, how would you form this for two sodas and two candy bars?”

“Two d plus two c.”

“That's my quarterback!” dad chuckled.

“Ouu I have one” Iris chirped. “There are fifty dogs in a kennel. If fourteen percent of them are rehomed in one week, what percentage of dogs remain in the kennels?”

Roman filled his cheeks with air for a moment.

“Okay Iris. Maybe that's too complex for—”

“Forty-three” he cut Aiden off.

“— a nine-year-old” Aiden finished, a stunned expression on his face.

“Nine and three-quarters” Roman corrected him.

Aiden looked at me I smiled and shrugged proudly.

“Do I win the hot tub now mommy?” he asked.

“Not even close” I grinned. “How old must something be to be considered a fossil?”

“Ten thousand years.”

“If you wanted to buy a soda that cost two dollars and fifty cents, but he only had one dollar and twenty cents, how much more money would you need?”

“Easy. Your credit card.”

Aiden laughed and I arched a brow at my son.

“One dollar and thirty cents... which I would get from your credit card” he smiled.

“What is an invertebrate?”

“A cold-blooded animal with no backbone.”

I smiled.

He did give wrong answers to the questions on purpose!

“Which continent has the most countries?”

“Africa.”

“Which scientist discovered the laws of gravity?”

“Sir Isaac Newton.”

I sighed and leaned into him, looked him in the eye, and smiled. He smiled back.

“So why would you write 'Old Herbert' as your answer in the test?”

His smile disappeared and he leaned away from me.

“I-I don't know what you're talking about mommy” he stammered.

“Really?” I asked, faking my shock.

“Err... Brie? What's happening?” mom asked.

I looked at my phone's screen.

“What nationality was Christopher Columbus? You wrote 'Colombia' the country... not even the nationality” I read out. “What is an invertebrate? You wrote 'a wood penguin', Manny. Care to explain?”

He bit his lip.

“I'm sorry, this is a bad time but I gotta ask. What's a wood penguin?” Iris asked.

“That's what Roman called owls” dad answers. “And the penguin was the ice duck.”

“When he was two” I pointed out a bit angry.

I looked back at my son.

“Why exactly did you write those things, Roman?” I asked.

“Honey, what's going on?” dad asked.

I stood up straight.

“Annie just called me to express her concern about the mark Roman got on their test.”

“What mark did he get?” mom asked.

“A zero, Mom. A zero.”

I watched Roman fiddle with his drawstrings again. Mom chuckled.

“There's obviously a mistake somewhere, Brie. Roman? A zero? Please” she scoffed.

“Erm Breanna, I know it's not my place to get involved in this but I don't think zero is a mark a kid as smart as your son here should get” Aiden chipped in. “Why don't you ask his teacher to remark?”

“Oh but there's no mistake” I chuckled angrily showing him my phone containing Roman's test answers.

Mom and dad moved over to take a look. I tried to meet Roman's eyes but he kept them lowered.

“Aren't you going to say anything, darling?” mom asked him.

He ignored her. I sighed and knelt in front of him.

“Roman... why are you dumbing yourself down?” I asked. “Why would you write wrong answers when you knew the right answers to all the questions? Why?”

“Because you don't want me to go to Pacific View.”

I closed my mouth.

“What do you mean your mother doesn't want you to go to Pacific View,” my dad asked. “That's ridiculous.”

Roman sat up straighter and I avoided his gaze for a second.

“No it's not,” he said. “She doesn't want me to go and she keeps making that face.”

I looked at him.

“What face?”

“That face you make when daddy or anyone else squeezes the toothpaste from the bottom.”

I cringed.

“Toothpaste isn't meant to be squeezed from the bottom. It becomes all flabby and then the...” I stopped and exhaled deeply.

Nodding slowly at Roman, I took his hand.

“I do want you to go to a better school, Manny.”

“Then why do you keep looking like the world's ending?” he whispered.

“Because I'm your mother and I don't want you to stop being my little boy. I want you to run around and, play in the mud and puddles. I want to keep reading you bedtime stories and cuddling you to sleep. Sweetie, you're nine years old. I want you to be a kid...”

“And my new school won't let me be?” he whispered again.

“Maybe” I muttered, catching a tear from the corner of my eye. “I just... I won't be okay if you grow up faster than you should. You're my little boy and... and if I could, I'd stop you from growing.”

I looked up at him firmly now.

“But that doesn't give you the right to dumb yourself down, Roman. Why would you even consider that an option?”

“I-I just figured that if my grades were bad at Rutherford, I'd not be required to interview for Pacific View and Principal Bennett would be wrong about me being... that word.”

My heart broke.

“Roman...” I sighed, shaking my head. “You can't ever do that again, okay? Playing dumb isn't an option for you. Or anyone. Do you know the serious damage you could do to your grades? This is your future we're talking about.”

He nodded.

“I'm sorry Mommy.”

“And I'm okay with you going to Pacific View. You will always be my little boy and no matter how old you are, I will always and always cuddle you to sleep.”

“Even when I'm forty?”

I chuckled.

“Especially when you're forty.”

He smiled and wrapped my arms around my neck. I adjusted my chin so that my lips were close to his ear.

“I'm going to get on the phone with Miss Annie and request that you take a different test with different and much tougher questions and you better get each one of them right, do you understand?” I whispered.

“Can we get the hot tub after that?” he whispered in my ear.

“We're getting it right now” I chuckled.

He tightened his grip on me for a second and pulled away to kiss my forehead.

“Thank you, Mommy.”

“You're welcome” I smiled.

He turned in his seat and grinned at my parents and Iris.

“She said we can get the hot tub!” he exclaimed.

My parents smiled and Iris held out her hand to him which he jumped off the chair and ran to take. I smiled as they filed out to continue exploring the rest of the house.

“Pacific view huh?” Aiden asked behind me.

Shit! I forgot he was still here.

“Isn't that the school for the super smart kids?”

I got up and patted my knees.

“It is” I replied.

“From the little I've seen, your boy's going to do great. He'll fit in just right.”

I nodded.

And come back one day as Einstein.

“Breanna” he called out.

I blinked.

“Yeah?”

His smile had grown soft. He glanced over my head and then stepped closer to me. My breath caught in my throat. Aiden took my hands in his.

“They're just going to challenge his academic performance... push him to do more because he can do more.”

Oh, this is about Roman?

I released the breath I was holding. Aiden rubbed circles at the back of my hand.

“It'll be good for him... and for you. You will get a lot of free time.”

Free time?

“To rest” he suddenly coughed, letting go of me. “You deserve it. You go through a lot so you should rest.”

I narrowed my eyes at him in confusion.

“Ai...”

“Excuse me. I'll get the agent on the phone and tell him you've settled with this house.”

He didn't wait for my response and turned out through the other door. I glanced behind me to check if there was anyone there but there wasn't. I shook my head.

He is bipolar.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

“Annnndddd we're done,” I said with a smile as I lowered the camera from my face.

Looking down at my laptop's screen, I flipped through the photos I had just taken while Tameka started to pack up the lighting equipment.

The coworker who posed on the stool a few moments ago retrieved her bag from the sofa in the corner of the room and then disappeared into the connecting bathrooms.

“Are you okay, Tam?” I asked.

She looked at me and smiled.

“Yes Ms. Nolan. I'm fine.”

“What happened to Breanna?”

“I don't want to mix business and pleasure, Ms. Nolan. You're my boss and I don't want to get into any more trouble with my boss's boss and have my boss cover for me.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Did Mr. Herve say something to you?”

“Nothing I didn't like” she smirked.

I gave her a look and she smiled genuinely this time.

“No, he didn't. I'm okay, Breanna. I promise.”

I nodded.

“Would you like me to do anything else before I leave?”

“No, no. Just put the equipment back and get outta here.”

She smiled.

“I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye.”

Riley stepped out of the bathroom just as Tameka walked out. She was now fully clothed. Not in the knee-length sundress that showed just the right amount of her long tan legs, she had used for the shoot. She ran a brush through her ruffled hair and proceeded to smile at me as she walked out of the room.

Wait, am I forgetting something?

Then it finally dawned on me.

“Riley wait! Don't you want to look at the pictures first?” I asked, rushing after her.

She stopped.

“I've seen your work, so I trust they look great. Just email them to me when you're done, Breanna.”

I nodded.

“Okay. I'll see you tomorrow.”

She smiled again and resumed her walking. I returned to the room and took a seat behind my laptop. I had to get these pictures edited ASAP. The front door clicked shut.

“Did you forget something Ril—” I stopped when I turned.

Oh geez.

“Mr. Herve,” I said curtly. “How may I help you?”

He looked around the room.

“I should be asking you that question Ms. Nolan,” he said. “What are you doing here after work hours?”

“My job” I replied.

He glanced at the backdrop Tameka had forgotten to roll up.

“With that?” he questioned.

I stood up.

“Can I help you with something, sir?” I asked.

“Why are using the company's premises for your personal work?”

That's why he came here?

“It's not completely personal work if the people I do shoots for are employees of this company. And besides, I have permission.”

He arched a brow.

“Permission? From who?”

“Your boss” I smiled.

He scowled at me and turned away. I rolled my eyes and moved to roll up the backdrop.

Tameka was whipped.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

~Aiden~

The door to my office opened and Miles stormed in.

“Don't you know how to knock, Herve?”

“Why is she entitled to a personal studio like she wasn't an employee here?”

I signed the files on my desk.

“Who?” I asked.

“Breanna Nolan.”

I stopped mid-signature and looked up at him. Then I closed the file and pushed the button of the pen.

“What is it, Herve?”

“She's using the company's premises for her personal work!”

“Because I gave her permission, Herve.”

“Why?” he asked. “Do you give all your employees permission to advertise their personal life here?”

“Herve it's fine. She has my permission.”

“Why the hell does she?”

I frowned.

What's his problem?

“I don't think I owe you any explanations, Herve.”

“Really? Because I don't think the investors will be happy to know that you've been playing favorites with your employees, Aiden.”

I balled my fist and stood up threateningly. Just as I was about to talk, a knock interrupted me. Herve leaned his head back.

“Come on in” he called out over his shoulder.

Breanna stepped in with a little smile that faded as quickly as it appeared. Herve chuckled and looked at me, shaking his head.

“What is it, Ms. Nolan?” I asked, glaring at Herve.

“Err I was hoping I could talk to you in private, sir?”

My eyes moved from Herve to her face.

“Just tell me what I can help you with, Ms. Nolan.”

She glanced at Herve and nodded.

“I wanted to know if I could use the conference room real quick”.

Herve glanced between us.

“Why's that?” I asked.

“Well, my son's interview was supposed to be tomorrow but something happened and so it got rescheduled for five pm today. It's already four forty-seven and I won't be able to pick him up and get home in time for that so I was wondering if it was okay for me to use the conference room.”

I tilted my head.

“I-It won't be long. It's virtual so.”

I exhaled.

“I didn't know. The call just came through and right now I have no other way to make this work for me so, please Mr. Corleone. My son can't afford to miss this interview.”

Herve crossed his arm and looked at me. I avoided his gaze.

“How long is it going to take, Ms. Nolan?”

She bit her lip and my heart skipped a little.

God, I could bite those.

“Give or take forty minutes.”

I glanced at my watch.

“Okay. You may use the conference room.”

She nodded professionally, holding back her smile.

“Thank you, Mr. Corleone. Excuse me.”

She turned and walked out of the door.

“I see how you struggled to say no, Aiden” Herve smiled.

I frowned at him.

“I don't appreciate you meddling, Herve.”

His smile grew wider.

“True. But I know the investors will be over the moon when I report back to them” he said. “Goodnight, Aiden.”

Thank you for reading! ✨