To Set You Free

I dreaded getting out of bed Monday morning. When the alarm clock rang, I new my prefect weekend with Tommy and the kids was officially over. Our bubble popped and the outside world had free access to roam around us freely. The kids weren't excited either, somehow I think they knew what last weekend was about. Who Tommy was and what he meant to me.

I drop the kids off at school with a quick kiss on each of their cheeks then made the five minute drive to the clothing store. Another employee stares at me while I walk in, removing my sunglasses and smile quizzically at her.

"Is everything okay?" I ask as Celia comes bursting through the main doors with a magazine clutched in her hand.

"What is this?" She holds up the magazine and shoves it in my face.

I take a hold of it. There is a picture on the cover of the magazine of Tommy, the kids and myself smiling on the beach with the label "Van Pierce's secret family" scrolled on the bottom. "Oh god."

"You're damn right oh god. I told you to stay away from him yet here you are, playing family with him on the beach for everyone to see, including Quinn."

"Nothing happened. He doesn't know."

"Well it's going to be even harder now that the press is going to be hanging out everywhere you go. Get your story straight Elena, I'm not helping you this time. Go home, get your kids think about what you're going to tell them, and do not talk to Tommy."

I nod my head, still not able to fully wrap my head around this and leave through the doors I just came from with the magazine sitting heavy in my hands. Once I open the doors to the school, I get more looks. More judgmental stares.

"Why did you pick us up, Mama?" Wyatt asked.

"Well, I didn't have to work today, so I thought we could spend the day together," I put on my best mommy smile as I finished clipping him and Kinleigh into their booster seats.

The drive home, I am not there mentally. I can't get the picture of my kids being on a magazine out of my head. I didn't want this. I didn't want to open them up to this kind of world, the world where image is everything.

I allow Kinleigh and Wyatt to play in their room while I read the magazine.

Tommy Van Pierce, America's Heartthrob was spotted splashing around in the waters off of Miami Beach with what it appeared to be a significant other. Only it wasn't his new fiancée, Quinn O'hara, it was ex girlfriend, Elena Fraser, along with her two kids, Wyatt and Kinleigh.

I stop reading, how could they know my kids names? How did they know we dated.

I was taken out of my own thoughts by a loud crash followed by a cry. I rush into the back bedroom and Kinleigh is knelt down beside Wyatt who is holding his arm.

"What happened?" I asked bending down to him.

"He was jumping off his bed doing tricks, and he fell on his arm," Kinleigh said on the verge of tears.

"Let me look at it," Wyatt slowly removes his hands to show his wrist was starting to swell. "Lets go to the doctors okay?"

I call Tommy without thinking, "I figured you'd call sooner or later. We need to talk."

"Not now, Wyatt broke his wrist, I think. I need someone to watch Kinleigh, can you come over please? We can talk afterwards."

"Yeah, I'll be right over."

"Thanks."

Tommy is here in no time, thankfully. He gives me a concerned smile then shoots a goofy grin at Wyatt has tear stained cheeks and a bag of frozen peas resting on his wrist.

"It's broken all right," The doctor says holding up an x-ray for Wyatt to see.

"That's so cool. Right Mama?"

"If you say so, but no more tricks, got it?"

"But,"

"No buts, I don't want you breaking anymore bones."

The doctor laughs at the small frown Wyatt gives. "What color do you want your cast to be kid-o?"

Two and a half hours later I am entering my apartment with Wyatt and his new orange cast fit on my hip. I see Tommy standing with his arms crossed, waiting for me. I turn to find Kinleigh sitting on Annie's lap on the couch.

"Look who has a broken wrist," I try to lighten the tense mood, but it doesn't work.

Tommy smiles only at Wyatt. "Sweet dude. Annie is going to take you and Kinleigh out for ice cream."

I look at Annie, she doesn't look me in the eyes. She knows why he is so mad. I watch as Annie takes my kids and leads them down the hall before I shut the door and turn to face Tommy.

"We need to talk," He says with a dark tone.