Mrs Oliver Jarvis Anderson [Wattys 2015]

Parenting Timetable

"Nat, you have been rambling about Oliver and Skyler all night and now you are starting to do that again.Take a chill pill,please" Isabella complained as my door bell rang.

Isabella came to my house early morning after hearing me "blabber things" about Oliver and Skyler,last night. She doesnt seem to understand the agony Im going through.

"Come in." I heard her say as I dropped the empty milk packet into the bin.

I went out of my kitchen to see Oliver and Skyler standing there.

"Mummy!!" Skyler waved his hand at me.

"Give mum a kiss." Oliver encouraged him as Skyler immediately heeded his words.

I hugged him back and gave him a peck on his soft cheeks.
"Mummy had missed you so much,darling."
"I missed you too. Daddy told me he misses you too." Skyler looked at Oliver and back at me.
I rolled my eyes at Oliver and picked up Skyler to dress him up for playschool.

"So you are the husband/father?" Isabella started her interrogation.

"So you are the nosy woman?" I heard Noah's voice behind. Never failing to defend his best friend.

"What did you call me? I cant stand you. I think I hate you,Mr Blonde" Isabella shrugged and walked behind me.

I stifled a laugh at their mini bickering.

"Natalie,I was actually wanting to hook you up with the guy with the blue eyes and he turns out to be your husband!! Good choice. Thank god you didnt pick that blonde guy." She put her hand over my shoulder.

"Thats Noah. My best friend. Trust me, he is nice. You will have to get to know him." I tucked in Skyler's shirt into his pants.

"Mummy, can daddy drop me at school?" Skyler asked as I carried his school bag.
"Fine but no ice creams on the way." I replied sending him to Noah who was standing beside Oliver.

I made sure I had 0% contact with Oliver.

"Natalie, we need to talk. Hear me out once." Oliver told walking right beside me as Noah carried Skyler.

I could smell his Fahrenheit aftershave sooo strongly.

There goes my resistance.

I almost wanted to rest on him for awhile,live back those blissful days.

"No. I dont want to."
I ignored him and walked off,mentally slapping myself for almost giving in to my temptations.

Only to be stopped by his strong grip on my wrist.

Isabella excused herself to my room trying to give us our personal space as Noah took Skyler out.

Oliver's hand released from mine and both his hands travelled to my face,cupping it.

"Have you really forgotten the good times we had? I know I have been the biggest asshole on earth but now, Im asking you for a chance. Skyler is my son. Our son. I shouldnt have been so impulsive that night when I accused you of cheating on me. Trust me, Natalie, Im terribly sorry." He confessed.

His blue eyes were showing honesty in its purest form. I remained silent,shifting my glance from the lighting above to the scenery outside.

"Dont you think 3 years of punishing me isnt enough? I died everyday without you. Noah enlightened me to the truth but it was too late, you have had slipped away from my hands." Oliver voice broke as he tried to contain his despair.

This time I looked at Oliver realising he was on the brink of breaking down.

"Nat,please say something." He pleaded.

I couldnt.

I knew,if I were to speak,I will break down and tell how much I have missed him, how much this life without him had killed me.

I took a deep breath before bracing myself for what I was going to tell him.

"Oliver, Skyler needs us. His mum and dad. I dont think I can accept you." I answered looking down, avoiding any form of eye contact with him.

"You are lying,Nat. I know. Thats eyes of yours are yearning to live the life we had. But your ego and anger are stopping you. " He concluded.

Wow. Oliver just nailed it.
Oliver was sharp. He noticed everything.

"But I agree Skyler needs us. So I have a plan." He sat down on the couch.
I mirrored his actions,waiting for him to continue.

"On Monday,Wednesday and Friday, Skyler gets to be with you. On Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday, he will be with me. On Sundays, we both will be spending time with him. Either in your house or mine." He looked straight into my eyes.

I nodded shifting my gaze away from him.

Parenting timetable? I guess its fine.

Skyler needs his father too. This should have happened 3 years ago,to be honest.

"And Natalie, we are not divorced. We are still husband and wife. Get your last name changed to mine. You are an Anderson." Oliver said firmly before he got off the couch and exited the house.

"Oliver." I called before he could enter his house.

"How is Harry?"

Oliver looked shocked for a moment but soon his eyes displayed a huge amount of sorrow. I immediately understood what happened.

"He left us the moment he realised that you left me. He died out of shock rather than his disease." Oliver pressed his lips together.

"Oliver,Im sorry.I sh-"

"Its okay,Nat. It was my fault. No one talks to me now, not even Sarah. They are all furious at me for what I had done. Its reasonable. I made the biggest mistake." Oliver stopped my sentence midway and walked into his house.

Harry had died because of us.

I couldnt digest it.

How much pain would that old man have gone through at the moment? If only, I wasnt so impulsive and stayed enough to explain everything to Oliver.

"I dont want to make another mistake by depriving Sklyer the love of his father. " I told myself.

And you wouldnt want to make another terrible mistake of depriving Oliver the love of a wife when he is remorseful for what he had done and also deprieve yourself of the love you deserve, my heart whispered.

Maybe I wouldnt want to make that mistake as well...