Nathan walked into the house with Jamie and Gracie. The Ravens had just won their first game and Claudia missed the whole thing because she was stuck in the library.

"Ravens win! Mommy." Jamie shouted as he ran into the house.

"Ravens win!" Grace cheered in the cheerleading outfit Brooke had made her. She looked a lot like Claudia.

"Claudia..." Nathan shouted but he got no response. "That's weird. I thought mommy would have beat us home by now." Nathan explained just as his phone rang. He picked it up and it was Claudia. 

"Nathan, hi. I'm so sorry. You got Jamie and Gracie, right?" Claudia asked as she drove in the car home.

"Yeah. Um, what happened? Where are you?" Nathan asked confused and Claudia sighed.

"I just got locked in the library with Lindsey and Peyton. I missed the whole game. I'll fill you in on all the gory details as soon as I get home. I'm on my way, okay?" Claudia asked and Nathan nodded his head.

"All right, well, I'm just about to put Jamie and Gracie to bed, and then I'm gonna take a quick shower." Nathan explained and Claudia smiled to herself. "Oh, and, Claudia, I love you." Nathan added, it still gave Claudia butterflies.

"I love you, too baby." Claudia grinned before she hung up the phone. Nathan turned around so he was facing his kids in the kitchen.

"Do I really have to go to bed, daddy?" Grace asked and Nathan laughed a little.

"PJ's, brush teeth, bed. Five minutes. Come on. Chop-chop." Nathan explained and Grace sighed.

"Do I have to wear PJ's? Can't I sleep in this?" Jamie asked as he was dressed in a Raven's uniform.

"Daddy, can I wear this?" Grace asked begging.

"Okay. But just for tonight, all right?" Nathan asked sighing and his kids grinned at him. "Now, come on. Let's go." Nathan said.

"Awesome!" Jamie exclaimed as him and Grace run up the stairs. Nathan just laughed at his adorable kids.

___

"Missed you tonight." Nathan sighed as he stood in the shower, he thought that Claudia had gotten into the shower with him.

"Oh, I missed you, too." Carrie grinned as she wrapped her hands around Nathan. Nathan realised it was Carrie and turned around. 

"Carrie, Carrie! What are you doing? This is not okay! You have to get out of here!"Nathan shouted and he took Carrie out of the shower.

"It's okay, Nathan. I love you, too." Carrie smiled but Nathan looked at her confused and shocked.

"What are you talking about? You think I love you?" Nathan asked shocked as he grabbed two towels. "Carrie, you have to get out of here. Here, take this. Go. Get out of the shower. Carrie, get out of this bathroom right now!" Nathan shouted as Carrie wrapped the towel around her. Claudia walked in smiling and then her smile fell. 

"Claudia, this... oh, my god. This... this isn't this, okay? I swear to you, I didn't -- look, I haven't..." Nathan stuttered and Claudia looked at them both disbelievingly. "Carrie, tell her!" Nathan shouted needing help.

"Nathan loves me, and I love him back." Carrie explained and bless her cotton socks because she actually believed it.

"I want you to get the hell out of my house right now!" Claudia screamed as she grabbed onto Carrie's hair and threw her out. She turned around glared Nathan.

"Claudia, look, I know this looks like..." Nathan tried to explained but Claudia cut in. 

"You get out, too!" Claudia screamed, she was so pissed off and hurt.

"Look, I didn't..." Nathan tried to defend himself but Claudia interrupted again.

"Nathan, I swear to god you better get out of this house before I kill someone, probably you." Claudia warned glaring at Nathan.

"Claudia listen to me, she is crazy." Nathan explained but Claudia just rolled her eyes..

"Nathan get out of this house. Here I will help." Claudia shouted as she walked into the bedroom and took out a suitcase. Nathan wrapped the towel around his waist and chased after her.

"Claudia stop please." Nathan begged as he stood beside her, Claudia started to cry more and more. She grabbed some clothes and threw them on the floor.

"Just get out." Claudia stated bluntly before she walked out of the room and slammed the door. She slid down the wall and started to cry. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.

___

Lucas was flipping through his mail. Lucas received a card from his mother which read "Lily wants to knows if you need a flower girl? So happy for you. Love. Mom" and a letter from North Carolina Department of Corrections Parole Board which said that Dan is eligible for parole. There was a knock on his door and it was revealed that Nathan was standing at the other side. Nathan looked terrible. He looked so depressed and upset.

"So, you've heard?" Lucas asked as he looked at the distraught Nathan.

"Claudia kicked me out. I need a place to stay." Nathan explained and Lucas looked at him sympathetically. "What is that?" Nathan asked looking at the mail Lucas was holding.

"It's Dan. He's up for parole." Lucas stated bluntly and Nathan sighed annoyed.

___

"Where's nanny Carrie? She knows how I like them." Jamie explained as Claudia apparently did Jamie's breakfast wrong. Nathan was still kicked out, Claudia couldn't stop thinking about it. She just felt so hurt and upset. 

"Nanny Carrie is not home right now, and it's probably gonna be a little while before she comes back." Claudia explained as she made her kids lunch.

"How long?" Grace asked as she ate her breakfast.

"I'm not sure yet, sweetheart." Claudia replied smiling.

"Who's going to take me to school?" Jamie asked.

"I am. In fact, I got everything ready. I made your lunch, and I packed your backpack. Yummy." Claudia explained as she showed her children their lunches.

"You cut my pb&j sideways. Carrie cuts it in half. I like it cut in half." Jamie stated bluntly, he really missed Nannie Carrie.

"Well, it tastes the same both ways, I promise." Claudia grinned as she slipped them into their packed lunches.

"Chuck's mom cuts his sandwiches sideways, and he's always trying to kiss me." Grace explained just as Nathan walked in. 

"What boy is trying to kiss my little angel?" Nathan asked and Claudia turned around so she wasn't facing him.

"Daddy!" Gracie shouted as she ran over to Nathan with her twin brother. Nathan bent down so he was eye level with his children.

"Jamie, Gracie can you go upstairs for a few minutes, sweethearts?" Claudia asked as she turned to face them.

"Why?" Jamie asked confused, Claudia was already trying to hold back the tears. 

"Hey, why don't you go upstairs and fire up the playstation. Mommy's gonna let you both play for 10 minutes before you go to school." Nathan said to both of his children. They grinned at one another. Jamie ran off and Grace hugged her dad.

"Bye daddy." She whispered before she ran after her brother. Nathan bent back up and turned to face his wife.

"Look, I have to go to Dan's parole hearing, but before I do, I need you to hear me out." Nathan explained and Claudia gaped at him. 

"Dan's up for parole?" Claudia asked shocked. She hated that monster and wanted him to locked up till the day he dies, despite the face that he gave Claudia one of the two best things that ever happened to her- Lucas and Nathan.

"Yeah, he pled guilty to second-degree murder, he served good time, and it's been about five years, so, yeah." Nathan explained and Claudia sighed. Nathan was like the bearer of bad news. "But that's not why I'm here." Nathan added and Claudia nodded her head.

"All right. I'm listening." She muttered as she folded her arms over.

"There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Carrie." Nathan stated.

"Didn't look like nothing." Claudia scoffed disbelievingly.

"Claudia, she's got some kind of weird crush, and she thinks the feeling's mutual, but it's not. There was some flirting." Nathan confessed and Claudia gaped at him.

"Flirting?!" She exclaimed confused.

 "I let it go, and I shouldn't have, but I swear to you that's all there was." Nathan admitted honestly but Claudia wasn't buying it.

"What else, Nathan?" Claudia asked sternly.

"Nothing. I just... I mean, I guess I-I knew that she was getting attached. I was gonna say something to you, okay? I was. But I just need you to know there is nothing going on between us." Nathan explained but Claudia sighed.

"Damn it, Nathan. I really thought we were, like, rounding this corner of everything, you know?" Claudia asked annoyed. "I-I don't... I don't know how to... I just... I need some time to think and just be alone." Claudia admitted.

"Claudia, please, just..." Nathan began to say but Claudia interrupted him.

"Can you just... can you just go to Dan's hearing, and then we can find a time to deal with this later? Please?" Claudia begged, she wasn't in the mood for any of this. Nathan started to leave the room. "Nathan." Claudia called and Nathan turned to face her. "There better not be more. Or we will have problems." Claudia stated bluntly, Nathan sighed before he walked off.

___

"Hey, babies. How was your day at school?" Claudia asked as she opened up the car door for her children who were exiting their school. Grace got in first then Jamie.

"It was great mama. I made a bracelet for you and a drawing for daddy." Gracie explained as she handed Claudia the bracelet.

"Thank you Gracie." Claudia grinned as she slipped on the bracelet. She looked down at her wrist to see the bracelet Nathan had given her at the first tutoring session. Claudia has not took it off since Nathan found it for her after the car accident. Claudia could tell their was something wrong with Jamie.

"What's wrong, James?" Claudia asked looking at her eldest child. Jamie sighed.

"Why did nanny Carrie have to go away?" Jamie asked as Claudia fastened his seat belt.

"Little man, you know, with grownups, sometimes they just need to move on with their own lives, and nanny Carrie decided that it was time to move on with her life." Claudia explained but Jamie shook his head.

"That's not what she said. She said you sent her away 'cause you hated her. She didn't want to go." Jamie explained hurt. Claudia furrowed her brows.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. When did she tell you this?" Claudia asked confused. She couldn't believe the bitch had the nerve to show up at the school.

"Today, at school." Jamie replied and Claudia sighed before she shut the door. She was so annoyed. No. She was fuming. No, in fact she was so pissed off that nothing could calm her down.

___

Claudia was in the kitchen doing some work when Carrie walked in. Claudia stood up and marched right over to her, angrily.

"I need to get my stuff." Carrie stated and Claudia stood in front of the home wrecker.

"It's in the garage. Boxes are marked "whore". I'll have the keys now." Claudia explained as she held her hand out for Carrie to put the keys in them.

"I'm sorry, Claudia. I never meant for it to turn out this way." Carrie admitted truthfully. She felt bad, however, Nathan loved Claudia. Always and Forever.

"Did you go by Jamie and Grace's school today?" Claudia asked as she folded her arms over.

"Jamie and Grace look at me as family. I was just saying goodbye." Carrie explained and Claudia was disgusted.

"No, you are not family. I invited you into this home, and I trusted you with the three most important things in my life... my husband and my children... and you betrayed that trust." Claudia explained angrily.

"I know you're upset. Just know that I never meant for Nathan to fall in love with me." Carrie replied and Claudia laughed.

"Oh, honey. He's not in love with you. I can promise you that." Claudia replied as she walked closer to Carrie. She wanted the bitch out of her house.

"Did he tell you he kissed me?" Carrie asked and Claudia stood their quietly. She didn't know who to believe at this point. "He didn't tell you, did he?" Carrie asked and Claudia stayed silent. "God, that is so Nathan." Carrie laughed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Well, he did kiss me. And he watched me swim naked, and he liked it. You see, he wanted me in that shower. I'm sorry that it's hard for you to face, but it's the truth." Carrie explained and  Claudia was pissed off. Like hell was she going to let this home wrecker  speak to her like that. 

"I have told you once, and I am not gonna tell you again... stay the hell away from my family!" Claudia shouted as she pushed Carrie out of the house. She turned around to see her kids watching. Claudia sighed, she was annoyed at herself.

"I hate you!" Jamie shouted before he ran off.

"Jamie!" Claudia called after her son but it was no use. Claudia turned to Grace who was smiling weakly.

"I love you mommy." Grace smiled before she walked off. Claudia just stood there and cried. It was like her life was falling apart and she was losing all the pieces. 

___

Nathan and Lucas were sitting in the car driving to Dan's parole Hearing. All Nathan could think about was Claudia, how much he missed her and loved her. 

"So, how'd it go with Claudia?" Lucas asked and Nathan turned to face him.

"She's gonna need more time." Nathan sighed and Lucas nodded his head.

"Well, give it to her. You owe her that." Lucas admitted honestly.

"I just wish he would have helped us more, you know? It would have been really nice to have a father today... someone I could actually turn to for advice." Nathan confessed and Lucas nodded his head in agreement- however, he wanted Keith there. 

"Yeah. You know, for the past four years, I pretended that Dan didn't exist. Then I get this letter, and it hit's me... that one day, we may have to face having him in our lives again." Lucas explained and Nathan nodded his head. "Let's not let that be today." Lucas added. 

___

Claudia walked into the twins bedroom. All she wanted to do was see her kids because their faces lit up her world. If she lost them it would destroy her. 

"Hey, jim-jam. Time for bed, Gracie-May." Claudia smiled as she sat in the arm chair between their bed's. "Here we go. Want me to, uh, read you a story? How about, "go, dog, go! You like that one, right?" Claudia asked as she took the book from the shelf.

"Where's daddy?" Jamie asked glum. Claudia sighed.

"Mommy and daddy are just having a little... Bit of a tough time right now. He's staying with uncle Lucas." Claudia explained as she thought about her husband.

"Is daddy gonna be sad again, like last time?" Grace asked getting worried. They all hated seeing Nathan the way he was.

"I don't think so. I hope not." Claudia admitted honestly.

"Daddy stopped being sad when nanny Carrie came to live with us. He liked nanny Carrie." Jamie explained. Claudia hated hearing that but Jamie was only young and he did not know any different. 

"I know this is probably really hard for you to understand 'cause you're... So little. Nanny Carrie wasn't a very nice lady, and she needed to go away." Claudia explained but Jamie wasn't having it. He believed that Carrie was better than his mom. 

"I wish nanny Carrie was my mama." Jamie sighed before he turned the opposite direction. Claudia looked at him sad, Grace held onto Claudia's hand.

"I want you as my mama." Grace smiled and Claudia grinned at her tearfully. That felt so good to hear. 

___

Nathan walked into the kitchen and Claudia saw him, she was feeling terrible and wanted to be in Nathan's arms. She didn't think that Nathan kissed Carrie. She walked up to Nathan and hugged him. 

"Claudia, I'm sorry, okay?" Nathan admitted and Claudia just buried her head into his chest. She felt safe. "And I'm sorry for the way this looks, but before you say anything, just know that it's my fault. I should have done something earlier. I should have... I should have said something to you from the start." Nathan explained and Claudia looked up at him.

"She said that you kissed her." Claudia explained and Nathan stood still. Claudia took a step out of his arms."Did you?" Claudia asked folding her arms over. Saved by the kids, Grace and Jamie ran into the kitchen. 

"Daddy's home!" Jamie grinned as him and Grace hugged their dead.

"Buddy, what's up? Mommy and I need to talk right now, okay? So why don't you go out back and shoot around?" Nathan asked and their children nodded their heads smiling. "You know what? Try to make five free throws in a row. And I'll be out there in a sec, okay?" Nathan asked and his son and daughter ran right outside.

Claudia looked at her children and just couldn't believe that Nathan could have betrayed them all like that. She was praying that Nathan had not kissed Carrie. She had faith in him.

"It's a simple question, Nathan. Did you kiss her?" Claudia asked looking into her husband's brown eyes. Nathan sighed.

"No..." Nathan sighed and a weight had been lifted off of Claudia's shoulder. "But... She kissed me." Nathan admitted and Claudia looked down at the ground shocked and hurt. It was like her whole world had collapsed, then and there.

"You looked me in the eye and you said that there's nothing else. And I have been through a lot with you, Nathan. I've been through better and worse, in sickness and health, but I will not do infidelity." Claudia explained as a tear cascaded down her cheek. It glided down in like an ice skater zooming across the ice.

"It wasn't like that, okay? I wasn't into her." Nathan replied honestly, he loved Claudia and only Claudia.

"You call kissing Carrie and watching her swim naked not being into her?" Claudia asked with a hand on her hip.

"I didn't kiss her! How many times do I have to tell you that? It wasn't me. It was Carrie." Nathan defended and it was true. 

"No, it's you! It's always you! When are you gonna learn? When are you gonna stop making bad choices that threaten everything that we've built?" Claudia asked frantically.

"Everything I have ever done was for this family, Claudia!" Nathan exclaimed and Claudia took a step back.

"Well, excuse us for being such a weight around your neck." Claudia stated hurt and offended. Nathan shook his head. 

"I didn't say that, okay? And you know I didn't mean that. Don't put words in my mouth." Nathan shouted, Claudia didn't know what to think.

"Well, somebody needs to, because you have a really nasty habit of neglecting to mention important details." Claudia explained.

"Claudia, you know what? I'm really trying hard to be honest about all this right now, but sometimes for you, it's just never enough, okay? And I can't take it anymore!" Nathan shouted and Claudia shook her head.

"No it's my fault because I put so much pressure on you. And the best part is, you screw the nanny, and Jamie ends up hating me!" Claudia exclaimed angrily. "'I wish Nannie Carrie was my momma, I hate you.'" Claudia mocked and Nathan felt so bad for her.

"I did not screw her!" Nathan shouted just as Grace ran into the kitchen and up to her parents. Claudia was in tears and Grace could tell she was upset.

"Momma, Daddy, Jamie is gone." Grace stated sadly and Claudia freaked out. She looked out of the kitchen windows.

"Where is he? Jamie!" Claudia shouted and Nathan looked outside. Whilst they were arguing Jamie had fallen into the pool, Nathan saw first and he ran. Claudia followed after him, then it was Grace. Nathan jumped into the pool.

"Jamie." Nathan shouted as he grabbed him.

"Jamie! Oh, god! Please! Jamie! He's breathing, right?" Claudia asked crying as she took Jamie from Nathan. She held him in her arms at the side of the pool.

"I don't know!" Nathan cried out worried. Grace stood at the stairs really upset. 

"Come here! Jamie! Jamie, open your eyes! Honey, wake up. Jamie, wake up." Claudia cried and Jamie coughed the water out. Claudia sighed with relief and she hugged onto Jamie.  

"I'm so sorry." Nathan apologised as he looked at his son who nearly died. Claudia took Jamie closer to her and further away from Nathan.

"No, you stay away from us! This marriage is over!" Claudia shouted angrily, and at that point she meant every word. Probably at that point only.

"Claudia!" Nathan argued, he didn't want that. He wanted them all to be one happy family again. 

"I w... I want a divorce." Claudia cried as she looked at her sons beautiful face, Grace ran up and hugged Jamie. Nathan looked like he was away to cry.

___

Heidi Lewis: Leona Lewis.

Heidi was Claudia's best friend back home in England. When Claudia would visit she would practically spend the entire time with Heidi and her family. Heidi and Claudia kept in touch and have been best friends for about fifteen years. She is aspiring to be a singer and actress that is why she is going to live with Claudia.

Hope you all are liking my book so far, don't forget to vote and comment. Your support is amazing and you're all great and make this book series alive. So thank you.

Mrs N O'Brien Xx