Chapter 11 : Family


    Liza paced back and forth in her office. She could see Jonathan working on some files and was sure


    that if she left now, she won''t have to face Jonathan. Initially her office had been at the opposite end,


    however, on insistence of Leslie she had to shift her office in the room next to Jonathan. Their office


    was now divided only by a ss wall and some flimsy blinds. Liza had tried to avoid Jonathan everyday


    but somehow she always ended up talking to him at least once, whether it was due to some client or


    due to some other editorial work. She was getting tired of this game of cat and mouse. She had been


    worrying over Jonathan ever since he came to the office and had barely spent any time with Carson


    and Melissa. Hell, she had even forgotten that Alex would be returning tomorrow from Paris.


    She cursed herself silently as she saw Jonathan catching her in the act of watching him. Her cheeks


    blushed red as he smiled at her and got back to his work. Her body had yet to learn not to respond to


    Jonathan''s actions. However unlike before her heart didn''t skip a beat and her mind didn''t fumble on


    being caught. It wasn''t the shyness which triggered the blush but the embarrassment of being caught


    doing something which she shouldn''t have done. She had been unable to understand her resolve to


    avoid Jonathan instead of facing him. Hadn''t she sworn that she would never change or let her life


    revolve around Jonathan or any man again? Then why was she trying so hard to avoid him?


    Jonathan could see Liza pacing in her office. She had a frown on her face and he badly wanted to


    remove that frown. However he stayed put. He had thought that once he got her to shift in the office


    next to him, it wouldn''t be so difficult to talk to her, but he couldn''t have been more wrong. Somehow


    Liza had always managed to avoid him. Most of the paper work was now sent to his office via Liza''s


    assistant Francine. Francine was Liza''s second assistant and unfortunately was very different from


    Rachel, Liza''s personal secretary. While Rachel was professional, Francine had behaved anything but


    professionally with him. He was here to show Liza that he had changed and Francine was making it


    difficult by constantly trying to flirt with him. He was afraid that Liza might get the wrong Idea and he


    never wanted to do that. He remembered thest four years he had spent without Liza and shuddered


    at the memory. He thought back to the day he had met Liza at Krista''s wedding and how his world had


    instantly brightened up.


    Liza always had that effect on him. Even when they were in college and Alice had introduced her for


    the first time. He had been drawn in by her aura. He remembered how broken he had felt when he had


    finally realized that Liza was never going toe back. He had cried for hours, he had neglected his


    broken out from his shell. Initial reaction of Grace, his mother, was to p him. He knew that his


    parents adored Liza and he knew that they would be disappointed in him. Somehow Alice had gotten in


    contact with their parents and had informed them about the split. Grace and George had flown down


    from Mexico to New York in an instant. After the p Grace had realized the position Jonathan was in


    and had hugged him. Grace was aware that Jonathan loved Liza but she also knew that what Jonathan


    had done was wrong.


    Slowly Grace had brought her son back from his shell. Since that time Jonathan had thrown himself in


    his work. Barely thinking about anything else and barely feeling anything else. The only time he smiled


    or cried was when he read the letters written by Liza. He hated himself every single day. He was aware


    that Alice was still in contact with Liza but he restrained himself from asking anything about her. He


    knew that he had to let her go, that he had caused her enough pain so he sat quietly and endured the


    torture of not knowing anything about her. He had taken Liza for granted and it was only now when he


    had lost her did he realize what a luxury having her love had been.


    Jonathan snapped out from his reminiscence and looked at the clock. It was 9 pm already and almost


    everyone had left. He peered into Liza''s office and was disappointed to find her gone. It was Friday and


    he wondered if she had any ns tonight, maybe a date with a guy who didn''t cheat on her. He shook


    his head. He couldn''t afford to think that way, especially not if he hoped to win her love back.


    Liza knocked on the dark wooden door of Carson''s apartment and waited for him or Melissa to open


    the door. She knocked on the door again, this time a little louder. She was getting impatient and was


    about to knock again when the door was opened by a panting Melissa. "I am sorry" she panted "I was


    in the middle of something". Liza took in her disheveled state. Her hair were open and messy, her top


    was a bit askew, she could see sweat on her forehead. Liza rolled her eyes and entered in the


    apartment. "Has he been acting up again?" she asked. "Yeah" Melissa replied "He is getting worse by


    each day" Liza was about to say something when someone jumped and hugged her waist. She looked


    down to see Keith hugging her.


    "Hello Aunt Liza" he spoke in his small childish voice. Liza bent down and ruffled his blonde hair. "Hey


    Keith". Melissa and Carson had adopted Keith two years back. He had straight blond hair and greenest


    eyes. He was the most adorable kid Liza had ever seen. ''''Were you harassing mommy again, Keith?"


    Liza asked in a mock stern voice. "No auntie, I promise." Keith said with an adorable frown and Liza


    fought hard to contain her smile that was threatening to spill. "Are you sure about it Keith?" She asked


    again, picking up Keith and cing him on her hip. "Yes auntie, it was mommy who was harassing me"


    Keith replied innocently. Liza finally let go of herughter, while Melissa shook her head. "Come on


    now, eat up Keith" Melissa urged Keith. Keith got down from Liza''s hold and ran to Melissa, hoping to


    please his mommy. "Where is Carson?" Liza asked Melissa as she fed a spoonful of oat meal to Keith.


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    "Oh, he is still sleeping.


    Liza rolled her eyes and wen to wake him up, grumbling about him being man child. "Hey you oaf" Liza


    said shaking Carson. Carson opened his eyes and sat up. "Oye, I am a perfectly well formed human"


    he protested. "No you are half gori" Liza stuck out her tongue. Carson suddenly tackled Liza and


    began tickling her. "How is that for a half gori, huh?" he teased while tickling. While Liza started


    Screaming and Laughing at the top of her longs "No... No... Please stop. I will take it back, I will take it


    back" she panted in between herughs. At this Carson stopped tickling and caught his breath. They


    looked up to see Melissa and Keith standing in the doorway enjoying the show. Melissa was smiling at


    the siblings while Keith was cheering for Liza. Liza smiled at the sight and realized that this was how


    she wanted to live. Jonathan''s return had caused her to once again focus on him even though it was


    not in the way it had been back then. Maybe it was because she was afraid that he will try to win her


    back and she would give in. So she decided, to stop avoiding him and face him head on. To prove that


    she really had no ce in her heart and her life for him. To prove that she had grown stronger and had


    finally became the person she wanted to be.''