"Thirty-one years old." I answered simply without looking at her, all my attention was focused on my son playing with his toy dinosaur.
"And then you say you don't remember him."
I shot daggers at her with my eyes for whatever she was trying to say with that. It wasn't hard to remember his age; he was one year older than me.
"But well, I won't talk about Alexander Lancaster anymore, just mentioning his name disgusts me."
"It shows." I said sarcastically, and she ignored me to turn her attention back to Tristan.
"Tristan, what's your favorite aunt's name?" She asked with an extremely high"pitched voice, and I didn't want to miss the show.
"Aunt By."
I laughed seeing my friend's defeated expression upon hearing Tristan's mispronunciation, but she wouldn't give up so easily.
"My name is not that difficult, for heaven's sake. A-bby. Repeat after me, Tristan."
My son looked at her attentively, observing the movements of her mouth. I couldn't remember how long Abby had been teaching him to pronounce her name, and he always ended up saying it wrong. However, I was sure that at any moment, he would say it clearly like the first time he said "mama."
"A." She elongated it for Tristan to repeat.
"A."
"Bby."
"Bby."
"Abby."
"Baby. "
I chuckled at how he had called my friend.
"Hey, I like it, we're making progress, at least he doesn't call me By anymore. Say it again. " Abby was excited about Tristan's progress, it showed in her ear-to-ear smile.
"Auntie By."
And her smile vanished when he called her as he always had, I couldn't help but laugh even harder.
"It had to be Lancaster."
...
Today's meeting was so important that we had to wait for my parents to arrive before starting, however, I didn't just sit around. While Tristan played with his toys in the space I set up in my office for him, I focused on getting ahead with the next collection Doinel was going to launch.
I had Patrick's designs and the fabric order I would need for each design, but I couldn't do much as a knock on the door interrupted me, and seconds later Jack entered with a floral arrangement so big that it covered him completely. I dropped the pen on the desk and let out a tired sigh.
"You don't say, Paul sent it." Jack placed the arrangement on my desk and looked at me apologetically but with a smile.
"Yes, lilies brought from Sweden. That man doesn't give up, he should..."
I interrupted him before he gave me another speech about accepting the man who never gave up, even when he was in another country taking care of the Doinel franchise.
"No, he shouldn't. Thanks, Jack." I said with a smile that didn't reach my eyes, and Jack left the office, leaving me alone with my son and an arrangement of lilies bigger than my head.
I didn't even bother reading the note he left. The door to the office opened again and a smiling Abby entered with a strawberry yogurt in hand.
"That's my brother! They're beautiful! Just say yes already, he would be a great father to Tristan, you know he adores him."
I looked at her with a raised eyebrow, showing my disagreement. From the beginning, I warned him that nothing would happen between us.
I couldn't think of anything other than my son, I didn't have time to think about starting a relationship, nor was I looking for a father for my son. I knew Paul adored him, but I didn't want to risk hurting him, getting hurt myself, or even getting my son's hopes up.
"I won't say yes, you know I appreciate him a lot, but I don't want anyone to get hurt or burden him with a responsibility that doesn't belong to him. He has decided to keep insisting even though I told him no from the beginning." I replied without any expression, while I focused again on the papers I had in my hand.
"You've become so cold, really. Not all men are like your ex-husband. Paul is not to blame for Alexander cheating on you, and he doesn't have to pay for it when all he has done is show his interest and how much he wants to be with you and Tristan. Anyway, do what you want, as always."
I looked at her with a raised eyebrow as she made her complaint, and when she was about to leave the office, she stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing my son.
"Aunt Abby." Tristan raised his arms towards her, asking for her help to get out of his playpen-style enclosure, and she looked at him incredulously, overflowing with tenderness in her eyes.
"Oh, I can't believe it. He said it, he said it right."
She came running to Tristan and took him out of his space by carrying him in her arms.
"Let's go, Tristan, it's too cold in this office." She said referring to me, and left my office without even telling me where she was going with my son.
Well, she would get over it. I was not obligated to be with Paul or anyone else. She should respect my decision. I took a deep breath, and just as I was finally getting back to my work, the door opened again and I hit my desk with my hand, feeling frustrated by the constant interruptions.
"And now what?" I asked reluctantly and swallowed the bad words that were about to come out of my mouth when I saw my parents entering the office.
"Mom, dad!"
I stood up from my comfortable chair and rushed towards them to hug them. I hadn't seen them in two months, since my father organized a vacation with my mother for their wedding anniversary, and today they were finally back.
"Is that the way to welcome your parents?" My mother asked, pretending to be offended by how I spoke to them before knowing it was them, and I kissed her cheek.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know... I missed you so much." I said as I breathed in their scent. I had missed them so much, the house felt empty without them. Although with Brandy's playfulness and my little Tristan, there was more noise than usual.
"My Sari, we missed you and Tristan too. Where is my grandson?" My father asked as he peeked into the area where my son was, and he looked at me when he saw it was empty.
"Abby took him, didn't you see her in the hallway? Anyway, she shouldn't take long to come back." I said, avoiding talking about the little argument we just had before she took Tristan, who finally said his name right.
"Dear, I think we should take advantage of Tristan not being here to give the news in the meeting." My mother said, embracing my father by the waist, and my brow furrowed immediately.
News? Why didn't I know about the news? The last time they gave a surprise news, I ended up being the vice president of Doinel.
"Sari, tell Jack that we want the board meeting in five minutes in the conference room. We'll wait for you there." My father said before leaving the office with my mother, and I obeyed immediately.
The conference room filled up in less than five minutes, except for Paul who was on a business trip. Vincent, who had been busy in the production plant, took a seat beside me and shook my hand.
My father started the meeting, greeting everyone after being absent for so long, as Vincent continued to occupy his place. He thanked them for doing a great job in the last three years and for cooperating with the vice president.
"Before moving on to the next topics of the company, I am pleased to inform you that Doinel has once again been invited to New York Fashion Week, which will take place in a few days, and this year we will attend as special guests. I have always gone representing Doinel, but this year things will change. Not only will I go representing, but Paul Dubois, Vincent Lefevbre, and Sarah Petit as well. We will travel to New York!"
WHAT?!
Go back to New York?!