Chapter 3
1937 Words
I head into work first thing Monday morning as always. I check my emails and voicemails and follow up accordingly. The only downside of being eleven weeks pregnant is the urgency to pee all the time. Coming back from one of my bathroom trips, a teller, Louise, comes over to me. “What’s up?” I ask since she has never really sought me out in the two months she’s worked here, but she always has a smile for everyone.
“There is someone here looking to alter an account and open a new one as well,” Louise explains.
“Okay, send them into my office. I’ll be right there.” I reply as I quickly fill my water bottle. I headed into my office, closing the door behind me. “Good morning, my name is Mia Gunner. I’m the assistant branch manager. Louise told me you are looking to change an existing account as well as open a second account.” I spout off as I make my way to my chair. That’s when I see who’s sitting in the chair across from me. No other than Ryan Miller, my two oldest children’s biological father.
“I… I didn’t come here to cause trouble, Mia. I had no idea until I saw your nameplate on the desk.” Ryan muttered, shifting in his seat. “I can leave if you want.”
“I can be professional, Ryan. What can I help you with?”
“I need to remove both my mother’s name and Tessa’s name from my trust fund. I want to get a divorce but can’t until I have complete and full control over my money. I… I also want to open a separate account for my daughter, Kira. She’s a little younger than our… your son.” Ryan replied.
“Do you have the account number for your trust?” I ask.
“Right here.” He replied, opening a folder and handing me a piece of paper. I type the account number in, but it comes up as locked.
“That’s odd,” I mumble. “I’ve never been locked out of an account since I became assistance branch manager.”
“So... You can’t help me?”
“I’m sorry. I will schedule a meeting with the bank manager, William, later this week if that works for you.”
“Would he be available next week? I can’t come in here too often without my mother getting suspicious.” He grumbled.
“Yes, he just has Mondays and Tuesdays off, and Wednesday he’s got a meeting that’s going to take the majority of the day,” I explained as I looked at William’s schedule for the week. “How about next Wednesday?”
“Perfect.”
“Same time?”
“I can make that work. Thank you.”
“I can definitely help set something up for Kira while we’re here. If you want.”
“Please, since I fear Tessa is going to leave the kid with nothing.” He sighed.
“It’s my job, Ryan,” I comment as I begin the application for a new account. “Are you thinking just a savings or a trust?”
“A little of both. I want one that she won’t touch until she’s eighteen but will continue to grow with interest over that time.” He explained.
“You want a Certificate of Deposit account then,” I reply. “You can add money to it like a savings account while having it receive a high-interest build-up.”
“I trust you.” He replied.
“I’ll need her social security number since it’s going to be solely in her name, correct?”
“Yes, I have that right here.” He responded, pulling out a card.
“Okay, and how much are you looking to open it with?”
“$1,000.” He muttered. “I have a check from my trust to move.”
“Okay.” I nod as I continue the process of opening this account for his daughter. “All set, I will go get those papers from the printer for you to sign,” I reply, standing up and walking out of my office. I know I’m remaining professional, but it’s killing me that he can be a good dad to Tessa’s daughter, but my daughter and, ultimately, Eli were abandoned by him. I return to my office with the papers and sit back down. “Okay, I need you to initial here and then sign here,” I instructed, pointing to the spots on the pages.
“I want to set something up for Mackenzie and your son as well. I know you and James want nothing for me, but I want to do this.” He stated, looking up from the paper from me. “You know everything I would need, so it works out.”
“No,” I state. “My children need nothing from you.”
“Mia, please hear me out. I know I took so much from you, and I deserve everything I have gotten in return from you because of my own foolishness. I also know you and James are doing amazing things, but I want to at least pay for some of their college or first house. They don’t need to know the money came from me.”
“I’ve told you before, Ryan. I don’t need your handouts. My husband and I are doing just fine with our children. Please, just leave now. I’ll see you next Wednesday for our appointment with William since I want to know why I can’t access the account myself.” I reply.
“Okay, think about it. Talk to James; maybe he’ll reason with you about it.” Ryan mumbled as he rose to his feet. “Take care, Mia.” He turned and left my office as I let out a sigh of relief. I quickly stood back up, closed my office door, and called James.
“What do I owe this surprise to?” James laughed as he answered the phone.
“You don’t want to know,” I grumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ryan was just here. Bank issues brought him in, but he asked if I would help him open an CD account for Mackenzie and Elias before he left. To invest in their future in some form.” I explained. “I told him no. I’m not giving him anything when it comes to those kids.”
“You made the right call, babe.”
“He thinks you’ll reason with me otherwise.”
“Because he doesn’t think we’ve already started that years ago like your parents did for you,” James replied. “You know I will always back you on your decisions when it comes to our children. Especially when Ryan Miller is involved.”
“Thank you.” I sigh. “I just needed to hear your voice after that encounter. I remained calm and indifferent throughout the entire meeting, but I was screaming on the inside for obvious reasons.”
“Because you still have a lot of anger and resentment towards him.”
“Exactly. Just when I thought Ryan Miller was out of our lives, he comes back in his usual fashion.”
“Your not the same person that you were years ago, babe. Plus, you have me to keep him away if needed.”
“No fighting with him. We talked about that.”
“Don’t worry, I know how to handle Miller without touching him,” James muttered. Retiring from the Navy was one of the best things for James, but he still holds a grudge against Ryan. After all these years, I still don’t understand exactly what went down on the ship the day they had their first fight long before James and I met. “Go back to work; I’ll see you when you come home, my love.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He said before I hung up the phone. I always call him when I’m overwhelmed or feeling stressed about something because he’s always been there and able to calm me down with just his voice.
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Later on, I head home, preparing myself for what I plan on making for dinner. I pull into the driveway and head into the house. I’m greeted by our two dogs, Huxley and Pepper, which is a bit odd since they are usually out in the backyard at this time of day. I pat each of them as I take my shoes and coat off before heading into the kitchen only to see James at the stove cooking dinner.
“Hey.” I smile as I walk over and greet him with a kiss.
“Hey yourself.” He murmured. “How was the rest of your day?”
“Fine, nothing out of the ordinary.” I shrug.
“Great.”
“Where are our children?” I laughed at how quiet the house was.
“Well, the two hyper ones met you at the door. The other ones are down in the playroom since they both completed their homework as soon as we got home to ensure you have an easy night.” James answered.
“I’m going to say hi to them,” I replied, turning to head downstairs. That’s when I see the bouquet of flowers in the vase on the kitchen island. “What is this?”
“Just making my wife smile after a long grueling day at the office,” James replied. He does this any time I call him in the middle of the day. I always seem to come home to a small gift of some sort from him.
“Dinner would have been enough for tonight,” I comment.
“I don’t think so,” James stated.
“Either way, thank you, babe.” I smile before walking away. I walk down the stairs to our finished basement, where we set up a playroom. I hear them talking before I see them playing a video game together. I was against the idea of video games, but the system that they have to share is better than the individual ones for now, in my opinion, but I know it’s not going to last long. “Hello,” I call out.
“Hi, momma.” They both say without looking at me.
“Is it time for dinner?” Eli asked.
“Not yet. Daddy is still cooking.” I answer.
“Come on, we still have time to finish this level,” Eli tells Kenzie excitedly. I sit and watch them work together and talk the other through the challenges until they complete the level. They both celebrate with hi-fives and begin the next level.
“Dinners on!” James calls out from the open door at the top of the stairs. With a groan from both of them, they shut the game system and television off before heading up the stairs. I’m so lucky to have kids that listen so well, but I’m worried about how they will be as teens since they are so well-behaved now. I’ve heard if they are rebellious as kids, they are calm as teens, and vice versa, but I’m not sure how true that is. No two kids are completely alike, which means I could have one rebellious teen and one rule follower, or two of the same. Only time will truly tell for us.
- Writer
