Forgotten Romance: Take Me Back To You

"Jade?" Curiosity with excitement was painted all over his face. 

"M-marcus?" Jade could only utter his name; she was surprised as him. 

"What are you doing here?" The man quickly walked towards the woman who suddenly staggered backwards. 

Jade, on the other hand, almost forgot that she was holding a child in her arms. She almost lost the strength of her arms. Good thing Marcus was quick to hold both the mother and the child when she unknowingly staggered backwards. 

It was not a simple move, she almost dropped her child!

"Hey careful… I won't hurt you." The man was holding the woman on the waist with his left hand while the other supported the child she was holding. As soon as the woman stood up straight, he guided her to an empty seat. "I never thought I would be seeing you here. I bet you are among the volunteers." He stated. 

Jade did not answer his question directly. She only smiled as if to acknowledge his statement. He doesn't need to know the truth. 

"How about you, w-what are you doing here?" She asked while wrapping the sleeping baby with his cloak. Marcus' eyes also landed on the child in her arms. 

"He's too adorable to be abandoned, so sad." There was sadness in his voice. 

As for Jade, she didn't expect to hear his words. All she thought was for Marcus to asked who the child is. She even expects the worst and her mind has been busy thinking of a lie she could tell him once he asked about the child. 

How did he even come up with that idea? She hid her curiosity.

"Eh? W-what do you mean?"

"I was told that all the children here were abandoned by their parents even as babies."

"The owner of this place have a heart of gold… She reminds me of grandma." He continued but there was a hint of sadness in his tone.

Ah, how she misses her too. Jade heaved a heavy sigh at the thought of her. 

"Do you two know each other?" The two suddenly jerked upon hearing the old woman's voice. 

"M-mother Tess!" She yelped nervously, she stared directly at the old woman's eyes hoping that she could communicate with her through her eyes. 

She's afraid that the old woman might divulge her secrets. Hope she won't address Elijah as her son in front of Marcus. 

"Glad your back, the children have been asking for you." The old woman informed her and took the sleeping child from her. "I'll put him in the bed. You should go and visit the kids before they go to sleep." The old woman excused herself from them and headed back to the small house where she came from. 

"Looks like you two have known each other for quite some time." Marcus voiced his observation. 

"I'm a frequent visitor here." She replied as she takes a few steps inside the house. Marcus followed. He was behind her but his curiosity suddenly spikes up. Something is off but he couldn't tell what it is. 

Then as soon as Jade entered the children's room, all of them stood up and run towards the woman to greet and give her a tight hug. They are all wearing wide smiles as they greet the woman who is obviously touched by their innocence. 

She made sure to hug them back one by one. That's her way of showing how she loves them all. No favoritism… no one should be left out in the family. 

"Mommy Jade, mommy Jade…!" A tiny voice was heard heading towards her after everyone was done. 

"Sam!" She exclaimed and open her arms to carry her. "How are your sweetie?" She kissed her cheeks before tickling her tummy with her mouth. 

Sam's sweet giggles could be heard outside and Marcus can't help but smile at the scene before him. No doubt, she'll be a great mother!

"Mommy, mommy… please finish the story now…. Pleashhh." The little girl cups the woman's cheeks with her small hands. "hmmmm…?" She pouted, pleading! The other children were all in one accord persuading the woman. Sam was supposed to say something when she noticed the man leaning at the doorpost, smiling.

"Mommy, who ish he?" She pointed her little finger at the handsome man behind her. Only then did the other kids notice him as well. Their attention suddenly shifted to him, their faces paints the same question as the little girl being carried by Jade.

"Uhm, him? H-he's a friend of mine." She then introduced the kids to Marcus, vice-versa. 

Although Jade reverted back to the topic about the bedtime story they didn't finish before, the little girl's full attention is still on Marcus. Her gaze never left the man's face.

Marcus caught the little kid intently staring at him--- or should he say, staring at the scar on his face down to his neck. Is he curious about it or scared of it? Marcus couldn't decipher what's welling up inside the little girl's brain.

Now she heard Jade instructing everyone to sit down. She also put the girl down and motioned her to sit with the others while she gets the book at the shelve. 

"Alright!" She exclaimed as soon as she found the unfinished story book. Then she sat on the wooden floor facing the children. Their eyes were filled with eagerness and excitements. "Who's ready to hear about the adventure of Wendy and peter pan?"

The kids shouted and raised their hands in unison, "Me! Me me me!" 

"Once upon a time…..." Jade started reading the book while the kids along with Marcus listened and watch how she tells the story with quite a few acting.

As for Marcus, he was delighted as he continued to watch the woman entertain the kids. To be honest, he couldn't help but be amazed seeing his woman pours out her heart towards them. He knew because he could see it. If she becomes a mother, then her kids will be the luckiest!

Marcus' heart skips a beat. Ah, he's falling in love with her even more! She is definitely worthy of all respect and adoration.

*** The once silent and dull place has now become lively with the presence of many people. Now they are not using candles any longer but now they have bright lights! It looks even more brighter and livelier than Christmas!

The children are happy; The guests are busy preparing for the first day of their mission tomorrow, the other staffs secure the things needed for tomorrow, the food, the technical… and even the additional men who monitors the safety of the area are all doing their best to deliver a good service.

However, little did they know that a dangerous fella had infiltrated the area. Now he became one of them and is now waiting for the right time, the right chance and the right opportunity to kill someone.

"Gotcha!" He grinned playfully as soon as he spotted the person he was tasked to kill. She looks too innocent so he was wondering how the woman have possibly offended his client. 

If beauty is a sin, then that could be the woman's greatest crime!