Berlin, Germany

~Aiden~

I watched her in as she took out her phone and started wheeling the suitcase that was almost half her size. Ronbie cleared his throat and attempted to wave her over but she wasn't looking. From the other side of the airport, our assistants, along with the few chosen staff... mostly males... followed them.

Why didn't she come with them?

“Mr. Corleone. Mr. Martin” the ladies greeted.

Ronbie smiled at them.

“Looks like everyone's here” Cynthia said.

“Where's Breanna?” Megan noticed, looking around.

I glanced at her direction and she was smiling at something on her phone.

“Oh there” Cynthia whispered and nudged Megan.

“Bee! Over here!” she called out and waved.

She spotted our group and made her way over. She greeted everyone, avoiding my eyes in particular.

“How's Roman? Did you find a sitter for him?” Cynthia whispered.

“It was short notice so no. Zachary's going to watch him” she said softly.

I watched Megan make a face.

“Zach? You know there's a reason Mrs. Hart and Dove's parents always let you watch Sean and Carmen, right?” she asked Breanna.

“I didn't exactly have any other choice, Meg” Breanna shrugged. “And, my parents said it's fine for him to come stay with them on the weekends and Iris...” she trailed off and glanced at me.

I tried to smile but she didn't look like she was in the mood to return it so I looked away.

“Iris said she'd check in with him when she could. So I guess it'll have to do for two weeks” she finished.

Cynthia smiled at her.

“What about you Meg? Who's watching Lulu?” Breanna asked.

“Her mother” Megan replied.

Breanna furrowed her brows.

“You got Gabriella to come back?”

The name made my heart skip and I turned to them to listen in.

“Yes. She's her mother.”

“And Lulu? How's she taking it?” Breanna asked. “You've been the only stable person in her life since she was born six years ago. Gabriella has never been in the picture.”

“Like you, I had no other choice either. But Gabriella is her mother, and uncomfortable or not, it'll do them some good. Gabriella will finally get to know her daughter and Lulu will spend time with her mother. It's just two weeks. They'll both probably drive each other insane but it'll be worth it” Megan said.

Six years? It can't be her then. Or is it?

“Does your sister have any other children?” Cynthia asked.

“No, just Louisa” Breanna answered for her friend.

I exhaled. It wasn't my Gabriella then.

“Okay. Does anyone have any questions before our rides get here?” Ronbie asked.

“I have a question” a young man spoke up.

“Yes, Julio. What is it?” I asked, checking my watch.

“Since it's still Sunday here, Mr. Corleone, wouldn't it be a waste of the rest of the day if we only stay at the hotel?”

Chuckles waved through the group. Breanna wasn't laughing. I cleared my throat.

“Well, Julio. I'm afraid that's true” I said. “However, it's also true that no matter how often and how far you travel, you should not exert yourself on the day you're traveling. Therefore, we shall only stay at the hotel and explore the restaurants nearby for our meals. Do you understand? Everyone needs get adequate rest for tomorrow's conference.”

“Yes, Mr. Corleone,” he nodded.

“Any other questions?” I asked.

No one spoke up.

I watched Breanna. Two entire weeks with her? I needed to keep her at a distance. She was the type of person that once you got attached to, it would be difficult to live without. And those people were the kind everyone should be careful of because before you realize, you've gotten infatuated with them to tell right from wrong.

And Herve... although his methods were immature, proved it to me. Letting people in, letting her get too close was never a good idea and it'd only leave me troubled with the short end of the stick. I had more important things to be occupied with.

I nodded.

“Alright then.”

“Where's Miles?” Ronbie whispered to me. “He was supposed to be waiting for us here.”

“Aiden, Ron!”

“There he is,” I mumbled, both of us turning to find the source of the voice.

“What took you so long?” Ron asked with a light frown.

“Relax. I was making sure everything was ready” he smiled.

His eyes scanned the group and he chuckled when he spotted Breanna.

“Ms. Nolan. Surprised you made it.”

She didn't say a word to him and he chuckled before turning around and waving someone over. I blinked in confusion before Ronbie and I exchanged lost glances.

Who is that?

“Guys, this is Glenn Torres. She's a new photographer and she's going to join us starting from this trip.”

Glenn stuck her hand out on cue.

“Hi, it's so nice to meet you all.”

Everyone took turns shaking her hand.

“Where are you from?” Julio asked when he shook her hand.

“Actually, I'm from New York. Mr. Herve was so kind to offer me a job and accommodation to work at Jewel Interactive so I'll be moving to Virginia,” she smiled.

“From New York?” Megan asked when she shook her hand.

“Breanna's from there” Cynthia added.

Glenn blinked and held her hand out to Breanna.

“I take it you're Breanna?” she asked.

Breanna nodded and lightly shook her hand. Glenn smiled.

“What part of New York City?” she asked Breanna.

“Manhattan” she replied curtly.

Glenn's smile grew wider.

“I totally envy you. I jog past there everyday.”

Breanna furrowed her brows.

“Who goes on a run in New York City?” she asked.

Glenn chuckled.

“I do” she replied in what sounded like a 'duh' tone.

“To do what?” Breanna asked. “Listen to traffic?”

Chuckles weaved through the group and I turned to Herve with a frown. I gestured with my head to have a word with him and he stepped aside.

“A job and accommodation?” I asked.

“It's nothing odd, Aiden.”

“Since when did you have the right to employ people, Herve?”

“I'm helping your little favorite over there by pairing her with a much more qualified photographer. Now before you order me to get rid of her, you should know I run it by the board and they support my decision. So Glenn stays” he warned and walked away from me.

I clenched my fists.

What is wrong with him?

Ronbie gave me a look and shook him head. I returned to the group.

“Well, welcome to the company. I'm glad there's another girl on the trip” Cynthia smiled at Glenn.

“Glenn, Ms. Nolan” Herve called out. “Generally, you two wouldn't be with us for the whole trip, but this time it will be different. Photographers have their own job here so you ladies will explore the city on your own but also make sure you are where we are, that way you can take more pictures of the city and of the conference for the media. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Mr. Herve” Glenn smiled.

He looked at Breanna.

“Ms. Nolan.”

“Okay” she said.

He nodded.

“All right,” Ronbie cleared his throat. “Shall we?”

Herve nodded and lead the way to the bus that would be taking the employees to the hotel. Ronbie and I got into an executive car and I exhaled.

“You brought this upon yourself” he reminded and motioned for the chauffeur to drive.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

~Brie~

The alarm on my phone startled me awake. I bolted upright and blinked, trying to focus and look around, to place where I was.

A hotel room. What hotel?

I glanced to my right, groped around the nightstand for my phone. I squinted at it and turned off the alarm. Tossing it onto the bed, I sank back into the thick goose feather pillows. I stretched my arm across the bed and felt the cool emptiness of it.

Roman.

I missed the weight of my son's body beside me in bed. Me constantly waking up to check whether he had a fever or was breathing properly. I yawned and blinked up at the ceiling.

I need a good cup of coffee.

I hadn't had one in what, three days? Four? I pressed a hand to my stomach, trying to surpress the growl.

“And food” I muttered.

I groaned and pushed myself up. I was still fully clothed, and papers and photos were spread out across my bed. I'd fallen asleep reviewing them. I shoved the papers aside, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and pressed my fingers to my eyes, trying to wake up.

We'd been so busy since we arrived in Berlin earlier this week that I never really caught up on my sleep. I pushed my hand through my hair. Something smelled.

I looked up, my gaze landing on the tray that held what was left of my dinner on the table.

“God” I stood up, stretched my back, and wandered over to have a closer look.

The grease in the meat loaf had congealed. The beets or cabbage-whatever it was, was limp on the plate. I picked up a cold fry.

“Don't hurt me” I whispered to it and shoved it in my mouth.

Then I covered the tray and carried it to the door, depositing it outside my room. I returned to the bed and picked up my phone. Yawning, I glanced at the small, travel-sized dual picture frame I carried with me on all my trips.

On one side was a picture of my son. He was grinning in the picture, his smile full of the baby teeth that had started to come out now when he was five. He had a smattering of freckles across his nose, and his curly hair was a hot mess. On the other side was a recent picture of Roman. He was staring calmly into the camera, that 'I'm too old for pictures' look in his eyes.

Beside the picture frame was a smooth rock, polished and buffed by the waters of Lake Del Lago. Roman had found it on one of our visits there and given it to me as a good luck charm to protect me from evil ninjas.

I chuckled at the memory and dialed the number. It was one am here meaning it'd be seven pm in Virginia.

“Hi, Mommy!” Roman chirped into the phone after the first ring. "Guess what we're doing?”

“Hey, baby boy,” I said, already smiling.

Nothing could infuse the slog of this trip, and Glenn all over Aiden, with sunshine like the sound of my son's voice.

“Nothing dangerous I hope?”

He chuckled.

“We're making cookies. Juanita said we could decorate them.”

“Juanita?” I asked, squinting at the drab drapery of my hotel room. “You're still with Juanita?”

“Uh-huh” he hummed.

“Where is Cilla?” I asked, referring to the night nanny I'd been able to hire two days ago.

“I think she quit.”

My belly knotted.

“So what did you do today?” I asked, shaking off the feeling.

“I don't know,” he said.

“Didn't you go to school?”

“I did. And it was fun. But a kid in my class had to go to time-out because he hit another kid with a brick. It was sad... but funny” he giggled.

“Hitting is not funny, Manny, you know that” I smiled. “What else did you do?”

“Finished my homework and watched SpongeBob. Juanita said I could. When are you coming home, Mommy?”

That question always slayed me.

“As soon as I this is over, baby. Okay?”

“Okay Mommy. The cookies are ready.”

“Save some for me okay?” I smiled.

“You bet!”

“Manny, listen,” I said, catching him before he ran off. “You know I love you, right? I love you all the way to the moon and back.”

“I know, Mommy!”

“Listen, I'll call you same time tomorrow, okay? Let me talk to Juanita, please?”

“Miss Juanita!” Roman shouted, dropping the phone.

I stood up and walked to the window. Pushing aside the drapes, I stared out at lights blinking sleepily against a dark Berlin night.

“Hello, Breanna sweetheart” she said into the phone a moment later.

“Juanita, how are you?”

“Oh, pretty good. I just got off the phone with Aiden. He was asking for Iris but she's not back from work.”

“Right, yes” I said. “Do you have any idea what happened to Cilla?”

“I don't really know, dear” she said. “According to Roman, she just quit. She gathered up all her stuff and left, just like that. I'll tell you what, Breanna, in my day, people were thankful for jobs. You'd think she'd be pretty thankful, too, given this economy.”

“I don't what to think” I said absently. “I'll call my cousin and see if she can come and—”

“What, tonight? No, that's all right, Breanna” she stopped me. “I love having Roman around. He's such a good boy. Don't worry about it. And your mother said she'd come get him tomorrow. So don't worry at all.”

I smiled and let the drapes drop.

“I am really sorry, Juanita.”

“It's no trouble” she assured me.

“Thank you.”

“It's no problem.”

“Is Roman still around?” I asked.

“Ah... yes, there he is, lurking in the door. Just a moment.”

“Hi again mommy,” he said a moment later.

“You miss me don't you?” I chuckled softly.

“A little.”

“A little?” I gasped.

He giggled.

“I just wish you'd come home already. Long distance is hard.”

I laughed.

“Manny.”

“Oh, I saw this great book in the library, Mommy. It's about a wishing well in Spain. People go there and throw some money in, and then whatever they have is cured.”

“That's exciting” I smiled.

“Can we go to Spain for Christmas?” he asked.

“Mm... I'll think about it” I hummed.

“Okay.”

“What else did you do at the library?”

“I checked out another Star Wars book.”

I glanced at the pile of papers on my bed.

“Why do you always get Star Wars books, Manny?”

“Because I only read the classics” he answered.

“Then you keep asking Dash for his origin story. It's disturbing, Manny.”

He laughed. The sound of his laugh ran down my spine and warmed me.

“Okay, Mommy. I've gotta go. Will you call tomorrow?” he asked.

“Of course I will.”

"Okay".

“Be good for Juanita okay?”

“Yes Mommy.”

“I love you and I miss you, Manny.”

“I know, I know, all the way to the moon,” he giggled. “I love you, more Mommy. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Say hi to Mr. Corleone for me.”

I smiled and said good night. Then waited until the line went dead.

All the way to the moon.

I tossed the phone onto the bed and opened the mini-bar. I fished out a can of soda and picked up my phone again and dialed Zach.

He answered on the second ring.

“Hey Breezy Bee!" he said brightly. "How's Germany?”

“I wouldn't know, I haven't seen the outside of an office or a hotel room in days,” I said.

And I'm supposed to be photographing the city.

“Cilla quit. I texted you” he said.

I hadn't received the texts because I'd fallen asleep with my wifi off.

“So what happened, Zach?”

“Don't ask me,” he said defensively. “I think her boyfriend didn't like her spending the night out here with a hottie like moi.”

“You're sure you didn't say anything to her?” I asked carefully.

“No, I didn't say anything. She had a meltdown all on her own.”

“And Manny? Did he say anything?”

“Only that she smelled weird. And it's true.”

I groaned.

“Anyway, you don't have to worry, because I'm on my way to get him from your boss's house. And your mother is coming to get him tomorrow.”

“Yeah I just spoke to him. Is Iris there with you?”

“No. She's driving ahead.”

“Okay. I'll call her later.”

“He misses you, you know? He had a nightmare last night and he was crying in his sleep and saying your name.”

I rubbed my chest.

“I know. He didn't mention the nightmare it though” I sighed. “How's Dash?”

“Getting old” he chuckled.

“Hey!” I scolded playfully.

“Hurry home okay? This is hard for all of us.”

I nodded and pushed the papers aside to sit.

“I'll be on the first flight back as soon as this is over. I promise.”

“Mm” he hummed. “I gotta go. There's a police check up ahead.”

“Okay. Thank you Zach. I love you.”

“Love you too Bee.”

The line went dead and I sighed and laid back.

“Roman” I murmured and closed my eyes, drifting off to bed.

Thank you for reading! ✨