ROSALIE

It has been almost a week since he left and I am glad that I am free of that man's disturbance.

"Look how scary she looks. Are there humans who have horns, mummy?" Amelia asks, coiling into the chair as she closes her eyes with her tiny hands. We are currently watching maleficent and my baby right here is scared of her horns.

"Mimi." I coo, shifting to her side of the chair and tickling her sides. A knock sounds on the door, that should be the person we have been waiting for.

"Ava." I give her a brief before dragging her in and shutting the door.

"You are so early." I say, sarcastically.

"I am so sorry. Someone had himself buried inside me and did not want me to leave." She says, sighing dreamily. I take a glance at her whole form and notice how discheveled her hair looks.

"Eww.. don't discuss the details of your sex life with me, please." I crease my nose in disgust, to which she laughs and turns to do some twerk moves with her ass, putting out her tongue and laughing hysterically.

"I brought popcorn and ice cream to make up." She hands them over to me, smiling sweetly.

"Please excuse me, I need to see a little angel." She pushes me aside and sashays into my living room to meet Amelia whose face brightens up the moment she notices Ava enter the sitting room.

"Mimi!! Your favorite Auntie is here." She squeals, matching the mood of my daughter who not so fortunately took after her bubbly attitude.

"Aunt Vavee." Wherever they came up with this nickname from, I don't even want to know. By the way, I thought this daughter of mine was scared earlier. I shake my head, watching them acting like kids as they exchange a handshake they both had formed. Technically, Amelia is a kid but Ava? I just chuckle at the sight in front of me.

"How are you, my darling?" I hear her ask Ava as I go into my kitchen to get cups and spoons for the ice cream.

We continue watching the movie and take scoops from the ice cream cups we held. As we approach the end of the movie, a knock sounds on the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" I ask Ava in surprise.

"Nope." She says. "This is not my house, duh." True that. So whoever is by the door must be here to see me.

Knock Knock

"Coming!!" I yell so the person could stop knocking. Whoever it is at the door better have a good reason why they are here at night, unannounced. I open the door and I am met with a delivery man.

"Ms. Rosalie Williams?" He asks.

"Yes?" I say, more like question, nodding my head.

"I have a delivery for you, ma'am." He hands over a box and a bouquet of flowers to me.

"Please sign here." I append my signature on the book he put forward. He smiles, closing his book and takes his leave. Strange.

"You sure took your time by the door. Who was that?" Ava asks, eyes still on the T.V. When I give her no feedback, she turns to look at me and when her eyes land on my hands, her eyes widen in surprise.

"Who was that?" She says, iterating ths words one at a time.

"Some delivery person." I shrug. The flowers were the same ones Mr. Galanis gave me last week but he would not know my address, right? Right?! At that thought, I hastily unwrap the box and the contents are a gown and a pair of sparkling shoes. A small message card also lay inside the box.

I hope you like your gift.
I told you that I will be back soon.
I am. Dinner with me by 6pm tomorrow?
----
NIKOLAS GALANIS

At the back of the card, his phone number was written. 'Call me', it reads.

"What the hell?" I curse.

"Mummy, what is hell?" She asks in her innocent voice, making Ava chuckle.

"Hell is where bad people go." Ava says.

"But mummy, there is no bad person in here." She says, slowly. Oh God, what will I do with you, Amelia?

"Do you want more ice cream?" I ask her, in a bid to divert the talk.

"Yay. Yes, mummy." Her face brightens up as she replies. I am glad it worked. Remind me never to curse in front of a child again.

We serve her more ice cream and Ava pulls me to a more private place, which happens to be my kitchen.

"Start talking." She gives me a stern look which I could not defy. Playful Ava is gone and when her serious side is on, just make sure not to mess with her.

"Remember the man from the event?" I ask her.

"Yes. The same one that showed up at the restaurant?" I nod my head, glad we are on the same page.

"He sent the package. Take a look." I toss the package to her and watch as she scans through the content.

"I hope you like your gift." She says aloud and finishes up the message in the card, laying emphasis on the words 'dinner', 'tomorrow' and '6pm'.

"Will you go?" She asks.

"Hell, no! I won't." If he wants to go out with me, he should ask and not give orders. Such nerves!

"Alright. The Mr. Galanis wants to go on a date with you. Girl, you are such a lucky being, you are like a man-boutique." She states. Man-boutique? Serious? Where did that word even originate from?

"I mean, the other day it was Victor. How is he, by the way. Now, it is Mr. Galanis. Heaven knows who is next." She shrugs her shoulders and wiggles her eyebrows in addition while speaking. So playful Ava is back.

We head back to the sitting room to join Amelia who was already fast asleep on the couch. The movie has already ended, just closing credits on display.

The next day, I go about my normal activities; take mimi to school, go to work, pick her from school at closing hours. We both head back home. The supposed date is meant to be today but I am not going anywhere with him. Hell will freeze over before I go for today's date with him.

NIKOLAS

This woman! I sigh as I watch her go into the restaurant. The plans I had made for yesterday's dinner turned out useless because this fireball stood me up. I lift up my phone and take a snapshot of her profile.

"So tell me, under normal circumstances, what would Amethyst have loved in a man?" I blurt out over the phone to Maya. I do really need help in that department.

"Huh?" She says as if caught unawares by my question.

"Yeah. Amethyst." I reply.

"Well, a guy who is a sweet, one that cares. Someone who takes his time to get to know her, appreciates her and loves her." She states.

"Alright. Thank you." I say in appreciation.

"Why did you ask this question?" I knew she would not let this slide, considering the fact that I have kept the reason for me being in Canada away from her.

"Because Amethyst might still be alive. I'll send you a picture now on whatsapp. Please try not to freak out." I scroll through the whatsapp app and send her the picture I earlier snapped of her getting off her vehicle into the restaurant.

"Seen. Ah! What the hell! What is this? Is this what you had to go take care of in Canada?" Her change in emotions within the minute was funny. However, the last question was filled with concern.

"Yes. The person in the picture goes by the name Rosalie. She has a daughter and claims she is not Amethyst." I sigh in frustration as I speak.

"What if she has Amnesia?" Maya points out. Why have I not thought about that since? Well, maybe I was just too self absorbed in my own bubble.

"That could also be a valid reason." I state, maybe if I had taken my time to read the report Lucas had drawn up about her, most of these questions would have been answered.

"She might also be someone else with coinciding events in their lives. Besides, Amethyst was not pregnant, so it might be another man's child. I bet she doesn't know anything about you apart from Galanis Foods." Maya says.

"Yeah." I reply.

"Well, that is about to change. Use these techniques from me. Trust me, if she truly is your Amethyst and not a look alike, it should melt her heart." She starts dishing out points on how to woo a lady. Shoot me, I didn't know all these. You know I got Amethyst on a platter of gold, so all these are alien to me.

"If all these don't work out or she does not agree to be with you, my love struck brother, you night have to try the harder way." She states.

"Which is?" I ask her, having no idea of what she meant.

"A DNA test on her daighter." She replies.