‹ Prequel: Pride
Sequel: Without You ›
Dark Paradise
one.
“Mommy, it’s time to wake up.”
“Wake up time, Mommy.”
“You has to wake up now, Mommy. We have school today.”
The brunette let out a soft groan as she rolled over in her bed, pulling the duvet over her face. Tiny footsteps echoed in the silent room growing more faint with each step. Emma let out a soft yawn and tried to fall back to sleep now that no one was trying to wake her up. Just as she felt herself drifting off to dreamland, Emma let out a shrilling scream as a 208 pound body flung itself on top of her.
Gasping for air, Emma sat up and put on her glasses. The light was flipped on from the light switch on the other side of the bedroom causing her to wince at the sudden brightness, “Jonathan Bryan Toews, that was absolutely unnecessary.” The sternness in her voice set a little boy into a fit of giggles. Emma raised her eyebrow and stared at the blonde mess of hair that was hiding beside her dresser, “You too, Luca Timothy! Get that butt in the kitchen and wait for me.”
The giggling stopped and the four year old darted out of the room. Jon sat beside Emma and tossed his arm over her shoulder which caused her to slouch slightly, “Turn that frown upside down.”
Emma shot her best friend the dirtiest look she could muster, “Go jump off a bridge.”
The hockey player raised his hands in defense and slowly backed out of the room. Emma shook her head and rubbed her eyes gently, still adjusting to the bright light. Before walking over to her attached bathroom, the brunette grabbed her cellphone off the bedside table and checked the time. 5:45. There was still a decent amount of time before Emma had to leave the apartment. She quickly popped in her contacts and washed her face before pulling on her bathrobe and heading into the kitchen.
Luca sat at the kitchen counter talking animatedly to Quinn who was standing on the other side with a frying pan on the stove. Emma pressed a kiss to her son’s head before helping herself to a cup of coffee. She took a set beside Luca and ran a hand through her hair. A glint of gold caught Quinn’s eyes. As she dished out scrambled eggs, the blonde noticed how her friend’s finger tips methodically rubbed the delicate bracelet as Emma chatted animatedly with her son about his first day of school.
Conversation was kept light, Quinn keeping in mind that she wanted to confront her friend sometime that week. As the brunette and her son finished breakfast, Emma collected their dishes and silverware, loading them into the dishwasher as Jonathan and Quinn went for an early morning jog. Emma checked her watch again to see that she had a half hour before she needed to leave for work.
After getting completely ready for work, For a moment, Emma stood before her full length mirror and studied her reflection for a moment. Four long, grueling years later, the brunette was finally able to call herself a high school english teacher. With the endless help and support of Jonathan and Quinn, the single mother was able to finish up her schooling in chicago and get a job at the same school she student taught at. The best part was that Luca’s school was just a block over- a highly recommended academy by Patrick Sharp and his wife.
“Alright buddy, round up. We’ve got to go!” Emma knocked twice on her son’s bedroom door before heading into the kitchen to grab his lunch box.
The walk from the Toews’s apartment to work was quick. It was early enough in the morning that crowds had yet to form. After a slightly heart wrenching good-bye with her son, Emma rushed off to the high school. Memories of her own high school experience came flooding back as she stepped through the front door. She checked in at the front office before slowly but surely finding her way to her classroom which was like a blank canvas waiting to be painted on. By the time the first bell rang, Emma was only able to set up her pictures on her desk and few posters hanging around the room.
As the final bell rang, Emma could not wait to pick up Luca and head back to the apartment to kick off her heels and throw on a pair of sweat pants. The day had been slightly stressful. After all, she was a young woman teaching a class full of high school seniors. Thankfully, none of the classes gave her too much of a hard time, there was the inappropriate comment here or there, but nothing too vulgar or defiling.
As she walked out of the building, her cell phone began buzzing in her pocket. Pulling out the device, she saw her screen light up with a photo of Quinn and herself from Quinn’s wedding day. “Hey, I’ll be back soon. I’m just heading to pick up Luca.”
“Oh, I just got him. We’re back at the apartment, that’s why I was calling actually.”
Emma maneuvered through the crowd and cut through a side street making a quick short cut now that she didn’t have to stop to pick her son up, “Okay, I’ll be back even sooner! What are we doing for dinner tonight I was thinking-”
Quinn diverted her eyes to the front door which had opened, several voices piling in to the apartment. Her stomach dropped and with a tinge of guilt and sadness in her voice, she cut her friend off, “TJ and his family are here.”
“Wake up time, Mommy.”
“You has to wake up now, Mommy. We have school today.”
The brunette let out a soft groan as she rolled over in her bed, pulling the duvet over her face. Tiny footsteps echoed in the silent room growing more faint with each step. Emma let out a soft yawn and tried to fall back to sleep now that no one was trying to wake her up. Just as she felt herself drifting off to dreamland, Emma let out a shrilling scream as a 208 pound body flung itself on top of her.
Gasping for air, Emma sat up and put on her glasses. The light was flipped on from the light switch on the other side of the bedroom causing her to wince at the sudden brightness, “Jonathan Bryan Toews, that was absolutely unnecessary.” The sternness in her voice set a little boy into a fit of giggles. Emma raised her eyebrow and stared at the blonde mess of hair that was hiding beside her dresser, “You too, Luca Timothy! Get that butt in the kitchen and wait for me.”
The giggling stopped and the four year old darted out of the room. Jon sat beside Emma and tossed his arm over her shoulder which caused her to slouch slightly, “Turn that frown upside down.”
Emma shot her best friend the dirtiest look she could muster, “Go jump off a bridge.”
The hockey player raised his hands in defense and slowly backed out of the room. Emma shook her head and rubbed her eyes gently, still adjusting to the bright light. Before walking over to her attached bathroom, the brunette grabbed her cellphone off the bedside table and checked the time. 5:45. There was still a decent amount of time before Emma had to leave the apartment. She quickly popped in her contacts and washed her face before pulling on her bathrobe and heading into the kitchen.
Luca sat at the kitchen counter talking animatedly to Quinn who was standing on the other side with a frying pan on the stove. Emma pressed a kiss to her son’s head before helping herself to a cup of coffee. She took a set beside Luca and ran a hand through her hair. A glint of gold caught Quinn’s eyes. As she dished out scrambled eggs, the blonde noticed how her friend’s finger tips methodically rubbed the delicate bracelet as Emma chatted animatedly with her son about his first day of school.
Conversation was kept light, Quinn keeping in mind that she wanted to confront her friend sometime that week. As the brunette and her son finished breakfast, Emma collected their dishes and silverware, loading them into the dishwasher as Jonathan and Quinn went for an early morning jog. Emma checked her watch again to see that she had a half hour before she needed to leave for work.
After getting completely ready for work, For a moment, Emma stood before her full length mirror and studied her reflection for a moment. Four long, grueling years later, the brunette was finally able to call herself a high school english teacher. With the endless help and support of Jonathan and Quinn, the single mother was able to finish up her schooling in chicago and get a job at the same school she student taught at. The best part was that Luca’s school was just a block over- a highly recommended academy by Patrick Sharp and his wife.
“Alright buddy, round up. We’ve got to go!” Emma knocked twice on her son’s bedroom door before heading into the kitchen to grab his lunch box.
The walk from the Toews’s apartment to work was quick. It was early enough in the morning that crowds had yet to form. After a slightly heart wrenching good-bye with her son, Emma rushed off to the high school. Memories of her own high school experience came flooding back as she stepped through the front door. She checked in at the front office before slowly but surely finding her way to her classroom which was like a blank canvas waiting to be painted on. By the time the first bell rang, Emma was only able to set up her pictures on her desk and few posters hanging around the room.
As the final bell rang, Emma could not wait to pick up Luca and head back to the apartment to kick off her heels and throw on a pair of sweat pants. The day had been slightly stressful. After all, she was a young woman teaching a class full of high school seniors. Thankfully, none of the classes gave her too much of a hard time, there was the inappropriate comment here or there, but nothing too vulgar or defiling.
As she walked out of the building, her cell phone began buzzing in her pocket. Pulling out the device, she saw her screen light up with a photo of Quinn and herself from Quinn’s wedding day. “Hey, I’ll be back soon. I’m just heading to pick up Luca.”
“Oh, I just got him. We’re back at the apartment, that’s why I was calling actually.”
Emma maneuvered through the crowd and cut through a side street making a quick short cut now that she didn’t have to stop to pick her son up, “Okay, I’ll be back even sooner! What are we doing for dinner tonight I was thinking-”
Quinn diverted her eyes to the front door which had opened, several voices piling in to the apartment. Her stomach dropped and with a tinge of guilt and sadness in her voice, she cut her friend off, “TJ and his family are here.”