RETAKE

Part 15

Brent winced at Marie's loud voice that feels like it had damaged some of his ears' hair cells as the sound encompass the inside of his car.

"What is the big deal on it that she sounds so surprised? Granted, he had told her earlier that he will pick up Matt in the afternoon, but after signing the papers that his PA urgently needs, he is free already, "What better to do but to come and be with his son, and so he told her."

He sighs before turning off his car, picks up his key, and then went out of the vehicle. He deliberately left his phone in his car, for today is his time to be with Matt.

He walked towards the back of his car, passed the driveway, and then walked past another three vehicles parked near the laundry shop. He was already outside of it when Marie stepped out of the door with Matt in tow.

Matt runs to him as soon as he saw him, shouting boisterously, "Daddy." He then removed his hand from the clasp of Marie to run towards him.

Anne looked at Matt as he runs toward Brent, looking like he was in a marathon in the speed he does it. Brent also looks so happy to see his son in a hurry to be with him.

Looking at them so happy to be in each other's company, added to the feeling of remorse she had felt. Sometimes she did remember what might have been if she had chosen a different decision. "Anyway, it is in the past. What she had decided at that time was what she thought the best. Besides, this time she is trying her best to make up for their lost time."

"Daddy said he would eat lunch with us here, Mommy, "Matt told her while pulling her hand.

"What?" was all she uttered at the unexpectedness of what she heard. Then it hit her; Daniel is still inside. In a panic, She didn't say anything but hurriedly left them outside to go inside. In her mind, these words occupied it, "She should let Daniel go out in the back so he will not meet Brent or there will be hell to pay."

Earlier, when Brent told her that he was outside already, she immediately told Daniel after turning off the phone. It never occurred to her that Brent would ever come early, let alone spend lunch with them in the shop. She thought that he would only pick Matt and so she left Daniel inside while she and Matt went out. Daniel and Brent should not meet now, maybe later on, when everything had been clear about her son's custody.

Once she enters the room, no Daniel is inside; only then can she calm herself. She walked towards the reception area and walked to the door near it, which led to the laundry area to ask one of their two workers if they had seen Daniel walking out.

She is sure both of them would have if he did use the back door.

Once she goes inside the laundry area before asking, Mrs. Jones or Rita told her that Daniel passed them by to use the back door and left a message.

"What did he said?" She asked Rita, who is removing clothes from the folding machine.

"He said to tell you that he has to leave and call him after an hour. He was such in a hurry in leaving, Cassandra was even surprised at how he looked." Mrs. Jones told her while looking at the former who is busy loading the washing machine with the sorted clothes.

"I told her, with Matt around, what else can Daniel do but hide from him or else he cannot leave," she added while she walks to the cabinet carrying the clothes.

Cassandra joined them a month ago, so she is not familiar with Matt's behavior, unlike Mrs. Jones, who had been with them since the shop's opening.

"By the way, Rita, did you already called John's Diner?" She asked as soon as her eyes drifted on the watch on the wall.

Every Saturday or on weekdays that her grandma could not prepare lunch, they call the Diner to order some sandwiches. As Brent will eat with them here, she has to get another place to order their lunch.