“Mummy, take a look at him” Jeremy implored eyes glued to the screen. Taylor didn’t know what to or not say to the triplet, as she looked at the screen in disgust where Justin was being featured in one of his friends music video. She cast an eye to Mandy but the treacherous woman seeing her stare looked away. She began to look for words she can use to explain to the children but Jerry beat her to it.

“Is he our father?” he asked hopefully, he stood there eyes glued to the television set, as he watched Justin perform. Taylor was appalled, she bent to his height thinking about how she was going to explain this to a three year old child.

“No, of course not, you cannot just call someone you are seeing on the TV your father there are lots of people who look alike, that does not make every one of them relatives” Taylor replied lamely.

“But he looks so much like us, and Mandy said that family members do look alike a lot” the boy cried putting his hands on her cheeks.

“Mummy see” Jeremy’s fat fingers gripped her arm, pointing at Justin on the television "he has our hair, his hair is blond like ours”

She again denied that, though she hated lying to her children but she could not take chances with her children, especially Elminna and Taylor knew the girl was listening, the problem with having smart children "Of course not, he dyed his hair, that’s not his real hair colour”.

The boys looked at her incredulously, both eyeing her suspiciously, “How do you know that mummy?"

“He is my colleague at work so I know him very well, darlings you know I am a singer right?”

Elminna spoke up this time, though she couldn’t see Justin, she didn’t see the reason why her mother was getting all fidgety and her voice was quivering “Mum, why are you explaining all that to them? If he is not our father, who is our father then? Mandy told us during study hours that a family consists of a father, mother and children, but ours is not a complete family, mum, where is our father?” She asked too logically for a three year old. Taylor felt her heart skipped a beat, She couldn’t lie to her own children yet telling them Justin is their father is an impossible task that she was not going to embark on anytime soon. She quickly hatched a plan “Alright, I will take you to your father on one condition" as she spoke Mandy who has been standing idly, gave her a skeptical look, but Taylor ignored her.

She took Elminna by the hand and hugged the girl closer to her "On the condition that Elminna recovers from her surgery and can see well, she will take all her drugs and eye drops without complaining, deal”. “awwwwn Mum that isn’t fair, those drugs are awfully bitter” Jerry complained for his sister, he had tasted it once out of curiosity and the taste had resided in his mouth throughout the day.

Taylor knew she could triumph over them, they were babies after all, they didn't have the tenacity for such. Elminna however surprised them both by saying "I will do the surgery Mum, you have to promise you will let us see our daddy? Promise Mum” she asked smiling as her icy blue eyes glowed despite the deadness in them, she held up her finger, “Pinky promise mum?”

Taylor felt cold sweat at her back, a chuckle came from behind her, she looked back at Mandy who was busy smiling mischievously. Mandy had obviously set her up, looks like she needed to review the tenets of their contract with Mandy again, she made a mental note to discuss it with the annoying woman.

“I promise sweet” Taylor answered, pinching her daughter’s cheeks, she plastered a smile on her face for her children, she could never say no their request no matter what.

“Really Mum?” Jeremy quipped in

“I pinky promise” was her reply, the children shouted and began jumping up and down. She dismissed Mandy and decided to spend the night in her children’s room.

“Mummy read me a poem”

“ No, she will read it for me” They began arguing dragging the storybook in between them

“No me” Elminna said quietly her voice rarely noticeable, The boys overshadowed her, Jerry successfully snatched the book from Jeremy and ran to Taylor

“read it for me”

“he took it from me” Jeremy countered his mouth puckered into a pout, his two hands on his waist, he looked so adorable Taylor dragged him to sleep on her. She dragged both Elminna and Jerry too with her, kissing their cheek too, she laid on the floor with them and they all laid beside her.

Slowly, she opened the pages of the book Cinderella and began reading to them, by the time she was halfway through, they were all asleep. She picked up Elminna first dropping her carefully on her fluffy pink princess bed; she kissed her forehead before proceeding to do the same to the boys.

The children’s room was a very large room just like their room at Red Valley; Elminna couldn’t be left alone in her room, because of her condition so she opted for them all to be in the same room. When she bought the house, she had restructured the house so they could all stay together and their room beside hers. Taylor heaved a sigh of relief when they were all on their beds.

Now was the time to talk to Mandy, Who does that woman think she is exactly? How could she have shown the children Justin Crew video; he was a part of her life she never want to bring up ever again. And she would and could keep his children away from him for as long as she liked.

She knew it was selfish of her, but what was she to do? He had made it perfectly clear he didn’t want anything to do with her. She had gone through labor pains alone, nursed the triplets all on her own even if her best friend and Manager Tracy Moore had helped, it wasn’t the same as when Justin use to care for her, and Mandy had messed it up today, the woman needed a good query to receive, she thought.

“Mandy?” Taylor bellowed, immediately she stepped outside her children’s door, she got no response from Mandy

She went quickly down the flight of stairs in search of Mandy; the kitchen was empty with no sign of her, and Taylor proceeded to her bedroom.

“Mandy” Taylor shouted again obviously pissed, she hated been stood up more than anything.

She decided to go to her bedroom, panting as she went. She hadn’t endured all this while to have Mandy blow it up for her. Taylor swore, she was almost made to look like a bad person in front of her children. Elminna wasn’t the type to forget things easily, since she couldn’t see things she tends to retain and hold on to what she hears more often and Taylor had no idea on how to tackle Elminna should in case she asked again.

“Mandy!”

A muffled voice answered her in reply, A startled Taylor turn her gaze in the direction of the voice, the door of room was slightly ajar so she went in.

Mandy was lying face down on the bed, holding her stomach tightly. Taylor went close tentatively

“Mandy” she said carefully as if her words would hurt the woman more, she gently placed her hands on her shoulder "Are you okay?” she asked

“I think i have indigestion” Mandy croaked out painfully, with one hand gripping her stomach.

“Oh my goodness! That’s so bad! I really wanted to talk to you, what a shame! It will have to wait” Taylor lamented feeling drained, the only think she didn’t know was that she was being fooled.

“Do I call the doctor?” She asked sympathetically, worry staining her pretty features, the least thing she needed on her plate right now was a sick employee.

“No need for that, I already took medication for it” Mandy said with a weak voice

“If you took medication then you should be recovering, the pain is supposed to subside isn’t? “

Mandy chided herself for her lapse, now Taylor might suspect her she smiled a little "The pain is almost gone now, I should be fine tomorrow, and what did you want to talk to me about?” As she said that she made sure to add a painful gasp after her question

“There is no need for that now, we can talk later” Taylor said.

Mandy smiled ruefully, there would be no later she would make sure that never happened. Mandy was exasperated, the girl needed to leave, she needed a goodnight sleep.

“Do you want anything? Because I would like to place a few calls to my children?”

“No... Just that I would be taking Elminna to the hospital tomorrow; I managed to procure a private session with the doctor”

“Alright, just text me the address later on, I would take her then, what time is the appointment?”

“I will take her to the doctor myself tomorrow, don't bother” Taylor said

“Really?” Mandy asked incredulously, her eyes twinkling mischievously

“I think I would be at peace more if I take her myself, I would kill myself with worry before you get here if you take her, and stop looking at me like that Mandy I do know what I am doing, Elminna is my daughter and I would never put her in danger, we will disguise ourselves before going out and the doctor has also signed a secrecy letter, besides she is just an elderly woman who wants to help me.”Mandy nodded disinterested.

Thee world does not rotate around you Taylor, you are supposed to know that by now, Justin leaving her really made no impact on her thinking faculty, the girl must think it’s no fault of hers, her boyfriend of many years left her to marry another, What a strange girl!

“Mandy!” Taylor called as Mandy closed her eyes, shutting Taylor out

“MANDY”

“Yes, Taylor”

“I really hate when you do that, don’t you dare zone off or whatever is it you do” Taylor said her face flushed from talking too much, she however quickly sobered up when Mandy made a painful gesture.

“I think I should leave you alone now”

Good idea, Mandy thought

“But you are taking care of the kids tomorrow, cancel any plan you might have tomorrow please, is that alright by you?”

Mandy nearly groaned out but she nodded instead, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice, she was the employer and Mandy was the employee.

"That sorted, I would leave you now, make sure you take proper care of yourself. I don’t want you infecting my children’’ she skidded to the door, she stepped out only to poke her head back in "You know what Mandy, for a middle age woman you are really strange” Taylor said.

“That makes two of us Taylor that makes two of us” Mandy said to herself after the close of her door. How could you keep a man away from his children, it is pure cruelty, he deserves to know he has children, he just deserves to know, she thought. An idea forming in her head.