Eclipsed Hearts

Chapter 4

Unravelling Surprises

The chill in the air was biting, but inside the car, the warmth and excitement were palpable. Frankie sat in his car seat, bundled up in layers of fleece and fur, kicking his legs enthusiastically as we drove up north to my parents’ place. His little hands grasped his favourite toy—a tiny plush version of Olaf from Frozen. Ever since he’d seen the movie, he’d been obsessed with snowmen, and I had promised him that once we visited Grandma and Grandpa, we’d build the biggest snowman he’d ever seen.

Now, six hours into the drive, his energy showed no signs of waning. We’d sung along to nearly every Disney soundtrack I could think of, and I’d made up silly games to keep him entertained. “I spy with my little eye… something white,” he giggled from the backseat, kicking his feet against the seat.

“Hmmm… something white…” I drew the moment out, tapping my chin dramatically. “Could it be… snow?”

“No!” Frankie laughed harder. “It’s the clouds, Mommy! The clouds!”

“Of course!” I chuckled, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. “The clouds. How could I have missed that?”

His bright smile was infectious, and I couldn’t help but marvel at how much he had grown. At just four years old, he was already forming full sentences and could articulate himself so well that sometimes I forgot I was talking to a child. I was starting to think he had a photographic memory, but I wasn’t ready to put him through any tests. He had the rest of his life for that sort of thing. For now, I just wanted him to be a kid—to enjoy these moments, the innocence of childhood, before the world became more complicated.

We finally pulled into my parents’ driveway a little after noon. Their retirement home looked beautiful in the winter, blanketed in snow and nestled between tall pines. The house itself was warm and welcoming, a place of comfort and memories. Frankie practically bounced in his seat as I unbuckled him, and the moment I opened the door, he darted out, running toward my mom with his arms wide open.

“Grandma!” he yelled, his voice echoing in the cold air.

My mom, Jane Hughes, smiled as she bent down to scoop him up, her silver hair shimmering under her knitted hat. Despite her age, she still had the energy and spirit of a much younger woman, and she doted on Frankie like he was her whole world. My dad, Jeff Hughes, stood beside her with a proud smile. His silver hair was just as full as hers, and even in his corduroy sweater and boots, he still had that authoritative air about him—a businessman to his core - but with a heart of gold.

“Hey, kiddo,” my dad greeted as I hugged him. “Good to see you, Mattie.”

“You too, Dad,” I said, squeezing him tightly. Being home always brought a sense of peace that I couldn’t find anywhere else. It was like stepping into a warm hug that never let go.

We gathered our luggage from the car, and Frankie was already chattering away about building his snowman. “Can we go now, Mommy? Can we? Please, Grandma, Grandpa, let’s go!”

“Slow down, buddy,” I laughed. “We just got here! Let’s get inside, have some lunch, and maybe take a little nap first. Then we’ll go outside and build the biggest snowman you’ve ever seen. Sound good?”

He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. “But I’m not tired.”

My mom chuckled softly. “How about we make a deal, Frankie? You eat a big lunch, take a short nap, and when you wake up, we’ll all go outside and build that snowman. Deal?”

Frankie thought about it for a moment, his little face scrunched up in deep concentration. Finally, he sighed dramatically and nodded. “Okay, Grandma. Deal.”

We all shared a laugh as we made our way inside, the warmth of the house enveloping us. After a hearty lunch, Frankie begrudgingly went down for his nap, and we let him sleep through the night. I spent the evening catching up with my parents, the conversations flowing easily as we sat by the fire, reminiscing about old times and talking about the future.

The next morning, as promised, we bundled up after breakfast and headed outside. Frankie could barely contain his excitement, bouncing up and down in his snow boots. He was practically vibrating with joy as he helped us roll the snow into large balls to form the body of the snowman. Hours passed in the cold, and by the time we were done, the snowman looked more like the abominable snowman than the cheerful Olaf he had imagined, but that didn’t matter. Frankie was grinning from ear to ear, his cheeks flushed pink from the cold, and his eyes sparkling with happiness.

“Look, Mommy!” he exclaimed, pointing proudly at our creation. “We did it! We made a snowman!”

I snapped pictures of him standing beside it, his tiny hand resting on the snowman’s lopsided arm. “You sure did, sweetheart,” I said, smiling down at him. “You did an amazing job.”

After a few more minutes of playing in the snow, we finally headed back inside, our noses red, and our fingers numb from the cold. Frankie was so exhausted from all the excitement that he barely made it through his snack before he curled up on the couch and fell asleep again. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him, his little body curled up in a blanket, completely at peace.

Later that evening, we all piled into the car and headed to the local steakhouse for dinner. Frankie sat next to my mom, who patiently helped him cut his steak into bite-sized pieces while my dad and I caught up.

“So,” he began, his voice casual as he sipped his wine. “Are you ready for Monday?”

I took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Yeah, I think so. I’ve been preparing for this for a while now. I found a good school for Frankie, so that’s all set, and everything’s running smoothly so far.”

He smiled proudly. “Good. I knew you’d do great. Your introduction to the company is at nine, but don’t worry too much about it. You’ll be a natural.”

I smiled back, feeling a little more at ease. My dad had always believed in me, even when I doubted myself. Taking over his company was a huge responsibility, but I knew it was the right move for both me and Frankie. It was our future.

Everything seemed perfect, the evening going smoothly, until my dad decided to drop a bombshell I wasn’t expecting.

“By the way,” he said casually, as if he were mentioning the weather, “Mark works at the company too.”

My fork clattered against my plate, my grip slipping as I tried to process what he had just said. “Mark… works there?” I repeated slowly, my mind racing. “Mark Brown? That Mark?”

“Yes,” my dad replied, still calm as ever. “He’s been working in one of the lower divisions for a few years now. I wasn’t sure if you knew.”

I blinked, completely thrown off guard. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and for a moment, I couldn’t find the words to respond. Mark. The same Mark who had shattered my heart into a million pieces. The same Mark who had humiliated me in front of the whole school, reducing me to nothing more than a joke. And now, he worked at my father’s company—the company I was supposed to take over.

“Are you okay?” my mom asked gently, sensing my discomfort.

I forced myself to take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. “I… I didn’t know,” I finally said. “I haven’t seen him since…”

Since he’d destroyed me, I wanted to say, but the words caught in my throat. The last thing I wanted was to dredge up the past, especially not in front of Frankie. He didn’t need to know about the pain Mark had caused me, the scars that still lingered just beneath the surface.

My dad cleared his throat, looking a bit apologetic. “I didn’t think it would be an issue,” he said carefully. “Mark’s just an employee now. He won’t have any say in what you do. But I thought you should know, in case you run into him.”

I nodded slowly, trying to wrap my mind around the idea of seeing Mark again—of possibly working with him. The thought made my stomach churn, but I couldn’t let it show. I had to stay strong, for Frankie’s sake. For my own sake.

“Thanks for telling me,” I said quietly, forcing a smile. “I’ll handle it.”

But deep down, I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle it. Seeing Mark again was the last thing I wanted, especially now that I had started to rebuild my life. I had come so far, and the thought of him bringing everything crashing down again terrified me.

But as I sat there, watching my son happily eat his dinner, I reminded myself of how strong I had become. I had survived before. I had rebuilt my life once, and I could do it again if I had to. No matter what happened on Monday—no matter what ghosts from my past came back to haunt me—I knew one thing for sure.

I wasn’t that broken girl anymore.

I was a mother. I was a leader. And I was ready for whatever life threw my way.

Even if it came in the form of Mark Brown.