WHAT IF

61

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Normally it's not necessary to force things or hold onto them because you're the one who ends up hurting even more. Hayden had the same when it came to him and his wife Claire, to maybe let this marriage go and his wife free with her new lover seemed to be best choice. Since he last met with Valerie, her words got stuck in his head, replaying over and over.
Today, he left work early cause he was so in his head wondering what role he played in ruining his marriage. He reached home, got welcomed by the head house helper...
"Welcome back Mr. Williams" She said.
"Thank you." He said.
"Can I get you anything while you're in your office?" She asked.
"Is that what I normally do?" He asked very curiously.
"Pardon !!!" The helper was so shocked on hearing such a question.
"Please help me understand what I do when I come back home from work." He said.
She kept quiet for some minutes looking at him, does he have a problem on the head not to remember his routine.
"On the days you come back early, you normally go to your office and finish up with your work but those days are really few, you normally come back late in the night so you go straight to your bedroom, and some days you're on business trips." She fully gave him his routine.
Hayden remained silent looking at her, this making him realise he became a stranger in his own home.
"Then when do I get the time for my wife and family?" He asked.
"You're normally busy with work, business calls, home meetings and maybe lunch with your family every Sunday." She said.
"Mr. Williams are you okay?" She asked.
"Yes, thank you." He said.
Maybe Valerie was right, he has also played a big role in breaking the family, that's all he had figured out but just what if there is even more he had done without realising.
"Please take these to my office." He said handing over his coat and office bag.
He rolled up his shirt sleeves exposing half of his hand. He walked to the kitchen washing his hands, Claire and him got the necessary people to help around the home in and out except the kitchen, they preferred cooking for themselves, if it was not Claire, then it would be Hayden and now that the twins are grown they also cook unlike Amanda who moved out but Ammon does it just fine and where they have failed, they used to go out or order for food. Yet right now. Hayden doesn't remember the last time he cooked a meal for his family. He got out a couple of different types of food, ingredients and seasonings and began doing the cooking.

The house door was opened Claire coming through, she was on phone talking about business, just from the tone she was using and the frowning, it didn't seem like a pleasant call.
As she climbed the first two steps going up, she had noise coming from the kitchen, it was the blender. It grabbed her attention but she ignored it going up as she passed the corridor going to Ammon's side of the house, she noticed that the lights were off.
"Failure to do this right and messing it up like last time, I am going to fire you." She said angrily then hanged up the phone.
She walked through the corridor to Ammon's side but it didn't seem like he was home yet.
Claire moved back downstairs really not happy about this, she had ignored the sounds in the kitchen thinking that it's Ammon in there but if it's not him then it must be the head maid.
"Beth, how many times do I ha..." She stood frozen on entering in the kitchen.
"Welcome back." Hayden said calmly with a smile.
"And yes, it's not Beth, it's Hayden. My name." He smiled.
Claire had not yet processed this properly.
"What are you doing?" She finally asked him.
"Playing basketball." Hayden said turning around going back to his cooking. Claire looked at him wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

"Pass me the gloves, this is ready." He said to Claire.
She still looked at him mesmerised.
"Claire." He called.
"Yes." She said.
She put down her hand bag, then grabbed the pair of gloves giving it to him.
"Your kitchen skills have rusted you're even so slow." He said removing the chicken from the oven.
"Hayden don't even start with me." She said.
"What are you seriously doing?" She asked.
"I know you're cooking but why?" She added.
Hayden turned looking at her quietly without saying a word.
"I am trying to win the love of my life back." He said.
She raised her eyes looking at him.
"I am so scared that I might lose her forever, because right now she is slipping through my fingers every day." He said.
Hayden was never the kind to hide what he was feeling, not when she asked, at least he always told her what was on his mind, she looked at him not knowing what to say but she knows that he is saying the truth.
"That's why I am trying to cook her favourite food and juice hoping and praying that she can start looking at me again as I plan for what I can do next to make her mine again." Hayden said painfully.
"Hayden!" She called.
"Don't say a thing please, don't." He said pleading.
"I didn't prepare myself for what you are going to say, I was only hoping that you eat and like the food." He sadly said.
Truth be told, there is nothing that Hayden could do without his wife, and he was scared of waking up and she is out of his life.
Claire walked close to him, looking into his eyes.
"What if she was waiting for you to look at her Hayden?" She softy said.
"I don't want to lose you, I don't know what I can do without you, I have been working so hard just to make sure that we are always financially stable because I know nothing scares you more than being financially unstable." He said.
"I am sorry I have been neglecting you for work." He added.
"I love a working man, it always made you sexy, I also love financial stability but by now you would have noticed that there is nothing in this world I love more than you." She sadly said.
Hayden teared up making her tear up as well.

"Because with you I'm fin, safe and I don't care where we are as long as it's with you." Claire sobbed.
Hayden bowed down his head crying hardly. Claire moved in a bit more close embracing him as she cried too. Hayden gently passed his hands around her waist pulling her in even more close. He buried his head between her shoulder crying.
"I was so scared, so scared to have you out of my life." He cried.
"I was even more scared." She cried.
"I missed you love." He said sobbing and holding her tightly.
"I missed you more." She cried .
"Can you skip the love part and focus more on cooking." Ammon loudly said hurriedly entering the kitchen.
He rushed to the stoves carrying off the pan of food putting it aside and turning off the gas. Claire and Hayden cleaned each others tears giggling then turned to him.
"What?, are you like 16 to cry while hugging like you have never hugged before." Ammon added looking at them in disbelief. The two giggled.
"Have you ever been in true love before Ammon?" Hayden asked.
"Yes." He said.
Hayden and Claire looked at each other in shock then turned back looking to him.
"How come we have never met the person, who is it?" Claire asked in excitement.
"who is it?" Ammon said.
"Yes." Hayden said.
"The both of you." He smiled.
"I wonder how many times you have to meet." He added giggling.
They all laughed, Hayden tried grabbing him but was already running behind his mom.
"But I love you the most Mom." He smiled soothing Claire's shoulders.
"I love you too son." Claire said.
"How is that fair?" Hayden said going back to his cooking.
"Mom loves you the most then I love her the most." Ammon said.
They both laughed hard.