CATHEDRAL'S POV

I was in a tight daze of confusion and shock. Words died at the base of my tongue.

I looked at her in shock as she came and pulled me into a warm embrace, too shocking again! She pulled off when I didn't respond to her hug which had caught me totally off guard. Her eyes glassy with tears and a weak smile craned upto her lips.

" Vanessa?" That was all I could manage to say. I looked at her closely, she had bags under her eyes and her face had lost the radiance it held.

" Forgive me Cathedral, I am sorry." She cried and tears ran down.

" I am sorry for every single thing I have said to you, about Alex, Jason and yourself. I am so ashamed of myself." She wailed and hugged me again. This time I had opened my arms to her.

" I have forgiven you Vanessa, you all are family to me." I tried to calm her down.

" You forgive me, after everything I have said?" She looked rather surprised by my words.

" Yes Vanessa, I know you never meant what you said." I smiled. She took both of my hands in hers.

" I can't thank you enough for taking care of Samantha. You have proven to be a bett-" I knew what she was going to say and it was very false.

" Vanessa, I love Samantha like my own daughter." I took a pause and inhaled sharply.

" But I can never replace you. There is a special bond between a mother and a child, only between them which none can come between." My own words were dragging me into the puddle of emotions.

She sobbed even harder. Jared came to her side and hugged her.

" Thank you Cathedral for taking care of Samantha." He said firmly, holding onto Vanessa.

" Believe me, I loved it here with her." And it was breaking my soul to let her go.

" Enough with wailing everyone and sister darling, your tears are spoiling my expensive carpet." Jason said and kissed me on the cheek, I smiled at him in response.

" Yeah I am berry hungwy!" Samantha complained and pulled us all towards the dining area.

Juliana served the lunch while I and Jason helped her. Jason had also pulled out a bottle of wine while I prepared my special milk one last time for Samantha on her demand. Samantha was blooming with happiness on hearing the news that she would be going back with her parents. I was happy seeing her smiling.

I turned off the gas and poured the milk into a glass and proceeded towards the dining table where everyone was seated.

Juliana had already served us and we dug in.

" So honey, did you enjoy staying here?" Jared asked to Samantha who was seated in Jason's lap.

" Yes daddy, aunty Cathy is so good like angels are. Can we take her with us?" She pleaded looking at Jared and Vanessa while we all laughed so hard, nearly knocking ourselves down the chairs.

" No you can't aunty Cathy belongs to your uncle Jason like I belong to your dad." Vanessa explained to her.

" Yes flower, I can't let you take her from me." Jason said, acting like a five-year-old child. I amused at his gesture.

The strands of various conversations from business to family knitted together and the food was devoured by everyone.

" Before we leave, Cathedral can I talk to you for a second?" Vanessa asked me while shifting from the love seat she and Jared were sitting on in the living room. I had been distracted by the sound of cutlery when Vanessa spoke my name. The noises cames as Juliana was clearing the table and doing dishes as we had finished our lunch.

" Yeah." I replied.

" Boys and spoilt brats, out" She commanded.

" Oh and Samantha, I may have brought a couple of things for you, I left them by the entrance." I yelled as Jason, Jared and Samantha were ordered to get the hell out.

I turned to Vanessa as they had left. She sighed.

" Cathedral, we got off the wrong foot. I wanted to tell you about Alex. We met in high school, we were in the same year and things had, you know escalated." She paused and then continued.

" I fell for him. But I got to know that he was cheating on me with someone and only using me for my money." She was saddened remembering all those things.

" Vanessa, I was not in love with Alex. He was like a brother to me until, you know, things went a little murderous." I explained to her.

There was deep silence and only distant echoes of Samantha's excited voice were heard.

" Marry him." What?

" Pardon m-" I was cut off.

" Marry Jason, you are best one for him." Her words made no sense to me. I had of course forgiven her, but it wasn't months ago she had called me a whore and told me she would never even like me as a person let alone to be his brother's girlfriend. And now she was asking me to marry him.

" I know I have said some very inappropriate things to you, but Cathedral, not as his sister but as yours I am telling you to never let him go." There was a certain surety and spark of hope in her eyes while she said this to me.

" I will never let him go" There was not a single thought needed for me to say that and mean it too.

" Thank you for everything Cathedral." She smiled at me, a real one and I returned the favour as the noisy gang had returned to the living room.

" Mommy look! Look at what aunty and uncle Jay have got me, a flower." She pointed to the pendant chain I had brought her while Jared carried all the gifts we had brought her.

" Oh honey, it's beautiful. Did you thank aunty and uncle?" Vanessa beamed at her. She came running to me and tugged at my jeans to bend down. As I bent to her level she placed a soft kiss on my cheeks and whispered a quiet 'thank you'.

" I think we should really go or we would miss our flight." Jared said.

Tears surfaced in my eyes as I saw them leave but I still smiled for my little angel. Jason had promised her that he would bring me to visit her in Chicago. And with that, they had left and I sulked into cleaning the kitchen. I was keeping the clean plates in the shelves while thinking of Samantha. It would be so awfully silent in here.

My hand was pulled by Jason when I was closing the shelf. I looked at him and asked a wordless question.

" We have somewhere to be right now." He said and my mood lit up. I don't know where he would take me but being with him would distract me from sulking in pain.

" Where?" I asked him while he pulled me towards the exit.

" You will see." He curtly replied and took the car keys in his hands.

" Wait, do I need to change?" I asked him.

" No, Cathedral, don't tempt me with such questions. You known it well how much I suppress my desire to rip them off." He said with a straight face while I turned red.

We drove through the NYC and stopped in front of a boutique. It was rather a large shop with double storey.

" Why are we here?" I asked him as he opened the door for me.

" Well, my date needs to look ravishing in the fundraising party." He smirked while I engulfed him into a hug.

How much I wanted to go to the event!

We entered the boutique and immediately a lady- in her mid-forties, who was pulling off an off-shoulder and body hugging dress perfectly.

" Good evening Mr and Mrs Blake, how lovely to see you here!" Her accent had a glimpse of french.

Wait...Mrs Blake? No I am no-

" We would like to see some of your finest works for my lovely wife." Jason said who was enjoying it too much for my liking.

I had choose three gowns which I liked the most and went in the trial room. Much to Jason's dismay, I had closed the door before he could keep a step in.

I wore the black figure hugging gown which kissed every curve of my body and had lace around the neck and the chest area. I adjusted the dress a little bit before going out. I saw Jason sitting and tapping impatiently. His reaction was worth a million dollars, the smile, darkened eyes which were laced with lust as he looked at me.

" This one." He said and came closer to me.

" Let me try the other on-"

" This one is perfect, I love it on you, but it would look even better on the floor." He said and his hands travelled slipping from my neck to my shoulders and then my back. I was enjoying the heat of the moment when I came out of it.

" Jason we are out." I said and tried to push him away but failed miserably.

" Like I care." He whispered pulling out my hair from the hair tie and then kissing my neck.

" Jason" I moaned as he backed me up against the wall and his hands pulling my frame closer to his.

" Jason, home, now." I whispered and pushed him away. I changed back into the jeans and the sweater while he paid and we drove home.