True Love

Mia walked through her bare home.

A venti Starbucks cup clutched close to her chest.

The hallways were lined with cardboard boxes, which had been filled with every possession she and her girls had owned. All of it, their entire lives, would be packed into the back of a semi.

She hadn't paid much attention to the men scurrying through her home, carrying the boxes to the semis parked out front.

She walked into what had been their living room for the past seven years.

There was only one picture left on the mantle of the fireplace.

Reaching for it she scanned over it, a smile finding its way over her stressed face.

She was seventeen at the time that picture had been taken.

She was lying in a hospital bed, in a pink gown with her sweaty hair pasted to her face, a brand new baby in each arm.

She remembered that moment like it was yesterday. She had never been so scared in her entire life. She was seventeen years old and had just become a mother, a feat for anyone. But her struggle was particularly hard, because she had just had twins.

Mackenzie Ava and Emma Arin.

They were perfect. Both had dark brown hair that stuck in every which direction. They had big blue eyes with flecks of emerald engrained in them, a remnant of their father, of sorts.

Mia closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. Their father. He had been her high school boyfriend. Zack Baker. They had never met him because she fled California to live in New York with her father the very moment she found out she was pregnant and she hadn't given them his last name.

Why had she went to all this trouble?

Honestly, he didn't know the girls existed.

At the time he was eighteen and only wanted to be in a band. It was all he really cared about. And she knew because of that, he wouldn't have been a good father. He wasn't ready, she wasn't either...but she would make the adjustment much easier than he would.

But even after all these years...
she still missed him.

"You don't have to do this..." the deep voice pulled Mia from her thoughts. She turned around, tears welled in the corners of her blue eyes. He looked at her, examining her. He held a glass of whiskey, he was in a pair of dark jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

"Yes I do..." she mumbled as she bit at her bottom lip, "and its a little early for whiskey, don't you think?" she mumbled watching him glance at his Rolex, it was 4:37 a.m.

"No...you don't," he spoke firmly, "and pardon me for drinking, my girlfriend and my kids are leaving me..."

"Chance..." she mumbled, "please don't...don't do this..." he took a drink of the whiskey as he walked over to the window.

"You don't understand Mia..." Chance spoke, turning to face her, he blinked in an attempt to hide the tears, "I'm not just losing you...I'm losing my kids too..."

Mia closed her eyes, letting that statement sink in. His Kids. Sure, he had raised them, and that was what a father is...but she couldn't help but think of Zack.

In high school Mia had been that girl that everyone loved, she was exceptionally brilliant. Graduating an entire year early, ranked first in the class. She was beautiful, with a porcelain complexion, full lips and big blue eyes with dark brunette hair that cascaded into full curls, she could have easily been a model. She was head cheerleader, and she still remained friends with everyone. By all means, everyone had expected her to date a jock in high school, but she had surprised everyone when she began dating a misfit just a year ahead of her, Zack Baker. He was in a band, Mia had been assigned to help tutor him in chemistry one year when something happened.

She fell in love with Zack.

They dated for almost an entire year until one morning Zack went over to visit when her mother answered the door telling Zack Mia had left late in the night, and that was it. That was the last he had ever heard of her.

"Girls!" Mia yelled up the stairs, "Let’s go, cars here! We should have been out of here fifteen minutes ago!"

She heard begrudgingly loud footsteps.

"How do they do that?" Chance asked, pointing above him, "They're wearing UGG's, they're practically slippers..." Mia just shrugged as she sipped at her steaming hot coffee.

It wasn't long before the girls, both in bright colored boots, and black leggings walked down the stairs, the hoods on their Pink hoodies pulled up over their dark hair, which was knotted on top of their heads. Both had backpacks hanging from their shoulders and were carrying stuffed animals, Mackenzie was clutching her stuffed giraffe, while Emma held her purple dinosaur close. They were both presents from Chance.

"Come on," Mia groaned attempting to shoo the girls out the door. They both glared at her before breaking down into tears.

Chance took a deep breath, opening his arms taking them both in close before kissing them on their foreheads, "Hey now," he mumbled, making them both glance up at him, "we'll be back together before you know it...I promise."

"Dad, we don't want to go..." Emma mumbled.

"Daddy please...just come with us?" Kenzie pleaded.

"I told you, I have a few things I have to finish up here, I'll be in California before you know it."

"Promise?" the girls asked almost in unison. He just smiled, nodding.

"Cross my heart." he mumbled, "And besides," Chance said, grabbing at their hands, "remember, we all wear these." he pointed to their gold Cartier love rings, something they had all worn for the past two years, "We can call and text every day..."

Chance had been nothing short of an amazing father, he had always loved Mackenzie and Emma like they were his very own. And they had always planned that after they married, he would adopt them...a moment Chance and the girls anxiously awaited.

"Hey," Chance's voice pulled her from her thoughts, Mia looked at him, dazed, "the girls are in the car," he mumbled taking her purse out of her hands, sitting it down on the floor as he placed his hands on her waist, "I love you..." he mumbled, she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"more than the stars?" Mia asked Chance could only smile.

"More than every single star in the entire galaxy." she placed a soft kiss on his thin lips before mumbling.

"Me too." he gave her one last quick kiss before handing her her purse, he opened the door, letting her step into the black SUV.

"I love you guys, and I will see you before you know it..."

Mia closed her eyes, up until this very moment, she had been sure she was making the right decision, but now...well she wasn't so sure.



"Baby!" Matt's voice bellowed through the house as the doorbell chimed, "Can you get that?"

"Are your arms broken?!" Val screamed back, pushing the shelf of the dishwasher in, wiping her hands with a red dish towel.

"Baby Please!" Matt pleaded, "The games back on!" Val rolled her eyes, stomping through the house. She became even louder as she walked through the living room, parading past a room full of tattooed men who were stuffing their faces with Cheetos and beer watching as the Angel's played the Yankees.

"You're all pathetic," Val huffed as she rolled her eyes, practically yanking the door open.

But she didn't expect who was on the other side.

It was an older woman, probably in her early fifties. She was wearing black pinstriped dress slacks and a red silk blouse while her blonde hair was pulled back, her white Birkin bag hanging in the crook of her arm, she pulled her sunglasses off as she examined Val.

"Can I help you?" Val asked the woman as she smiled, extending her hand.

"My name is Kelly Vanderveld," her smile only became wider as Val shook her hand, "I am a realtor and I am preparing to sell the house next door, I just thought I'd stop in and get your thoughts on the neighborhood." Val smiled politely, stepping aside as the woman stepped in.

"Please come in," she said as the woman grinned widely offering her a 'thank you'.

"Take a seat," Val insisted, leading her into the living room as she grabbed the remote from Matt's hand, switching off the TV just as CC Sabathia released his pitch. She earned death glares from all the men, "Mrs. Vanderveld this is my husband Matt and our friends," she said, introducing all the men one by one, "Mrs. Vanderveld is selling the house next door," Val said to Matt as he rolled his eyes.

"Lovely young woman," Kelly said, examining their home, "moving here from New York with her twin daughters."

"Oh wow..." Val said.

"lovely home," Kelly mumbled.

"thank you," Val mumbled sweetly.

"Why is she moving from New York? That seems like a huge change," Matt asked before shoving a handful of Cheetos into his mouth.

"well," she began, "shes originally from here, she grew up just around the corner from here. Her parents still live here and she got an offer to run her own surgical team at UC medical center. She said she just couldn't refuse. Shes really quite something, actually," Kelly said proudly, "Thirty years old with degrees from NYU and Harvard, and she has managed all that with two children!"

Val thought for a moment, for some reason...this story sounded vaguely familiar.

"So tell me about the neighborhood!" Kelly said enthusiastically.

Val smiled as she enthusiastically began to sell the neighborhood, never once giving the story a second thought.