Etching Our Way (Broken Tracks 1)

All I want is to focus on the kids, making sure they have a happy home life. That’s my main goal, to be sure that they have the childhood that I never did. Which also means letting them go to the art class that they love.

I don’t know if Harmony and I can be friends again, but I’d like to try. That’s what we were first and foremost, really good friends, in fact, she was my best friend. I miss her; I have every day since I last saw her.

I told her everything and anything: the good, the bad, and the ugly. She never judged me, never told me what I should and shouldn’t do. She was there to listen to me as I talked everything through with her, not pushing or pulling me in directions I didn’t want to go.

She was the only person who did that. Everyone always wanted something from me, either because of who my father was, my family name, or what they knew I would be after college, who I would be.

There’s been so many times over the last ten years that I wanted to call Harmony up and catch her up on all the goings on in my life. Like when Clay was born: she was the first person who came to mind that I wanted to tell, or when my dad had to hand over the company to me and I was freaking out, it was her I wanted to call. So many times I would pick my cell up, my mind working on automatic.

And now that she’s back in my life, in all of our lives, I haven’t got a clue what to do or how to act.

Edward pulls up outside the office building and I pocket my cell, clearing my throat before telling him that I’ll see him later.

I head inside, Catiya meeting me in the lobby and riding the elevator up to my office with me as she reels off what’s on the

agenda for today.

I nod at the right times and grunt in response, but my mind is elsewhere. Lately I haven’t been able to concentrate at work properly and it’s driving me insane because this is where I’m at my best. Running this company and coming up with innovative ideas on how we can grow. I need to get my head back in the game because I know that at the first sign of trouble, the board would vote me out. They’re waiting for the opportunity to do it after what happened with Pete last week, there’s no doubt about it.

“Sir?”

I whip my head toward Catiya, frowning at her raised brows and then turning when she tilts her head to the open elevator doors.

I speed walk through them, past all of the people who immediately look down at seeing me enter my space, and into my office, Catiya following behind me and shutting the door.

She starts reeling off anything that I need to know, ending with, “Clayton’s school has confirmed your appointment to meet with the dean.”

I nod my head as I walk over to the wall of windows. It’s taken them weeks to get back to me, and now that I finally have an appointment, I’m determined to make sure Clay is receiving the education that he should be getting.

I rest the palms of my hands on the windows, leaning my forehead on the cool glass and looking down at all of the people rushing along the sidewalks, going about their day-to-day lives.

I need to get myself together, I need my brain to stop spinning with unwanted thoughts, I need to concentrate on my job and my kids.

Finding out that it’s Harmony who has been teaching my kids for the last six—no, seven weeks now, and seeing her again after a decade completely threw me. I’ll admit, there’s still a small part of me that feels like she already knew, but seeing the looks on Clay’s and Izzie’s faces when I told them they could still go to art class was enough to tell me that I’m making the right decision.

I need to put all of my feelings aside and do what’s best for the kids.

I never thought that she’d move back here, not after all of the history that this place holds, yet here she is, and it looks like she’s staying for good.

When she offered for me to come and watch the kids this week because I missed watching week, I knew I had to think about whether I was even going to allow them to come back, but ultimately, I wanted to see what they did that made them so happy about being there. The thought of getting to see Clay and Izzie as they have fun and make art has a warmth flowing through my chest.

They don’t get to do things like this at school; their school is all about the academic side of things. Although, I do get to see what they’ve been learning a couple of nights a year when we get to talk to their teachers, but it’s not the same.

“There you go,” I say, stepping back and admiring the two pigtails that I’ve managed to do in Izzie’s hair. Amelia is the one that normally does her hair because I have no idea how to do it, but as Amelia is out, I had no choice but to try.

Izzie’s gaze turns toward the mirror behind the vanity and her smiling face soon turns into a shocked one. “What have you done?” she gasps.

I tilt my head, frowning. “Your hair?”

“It’s all bumpy!” She stomps her foot, turning her head this way and that.

I’ll admit, they’re not the best pigtails. One is quite low down and the other is high on her head; and okay, the parting is nonexistent too, but I tried.

“Sorry, pumpkin, but we have to go.” I step toward the door, ready to leave but she swivels her head toward me, her eyes wide.

“I’m not going out with my hair like this.” She points to her head before shaking it.

“You have no choice, Izzie.”