Just One Kiss Before Divorcing Me (Martin and Calvin) novel Chapter 132

CH 132

Marilyn

She watched Calvin move about the kitchen, setting himself up and then making the pancake mixture. He

didn’t even need a recipe, and she knew it was correct. A part of her wondered when he’d learned to cook. He’d never once cooked anything in this kitchen the entire three years that they were married.

She’d made him breakfast maybe a handful of times. Usually he wasn’t even there, or just had coffee and read the paper before leaving for the office. He smiled right at her curious look. “I took cooking classes in the

last few years. It gave me something to do.”

She raised an eyebrow at him but then nodded. “Fair enough.” She stated simply, that explained it. She was curious as to what he could cook but wasn’t about to start that conversation. Today was about him and the boys spending Christmas together. “I thought that since I brought the boys here, you and your family could have them for a few hours on your own. It was the original plan for you to have them for a three–hour period. So, I’ll stick to that agreement,” she told him.

She heard him kind of huff and then take a breath in, and knew he was counting to ten, and she wondered what he was thinking. “And where will you be during those three hours?” he finally asked. After that ten seconds passed.

“I can take the walk down to the beach from here. There is a trail from the cliff down. I saw it yesterday and

recall I’ve walked it before.”

“What? That’s dangerous Marilyn. I’d prefer you didn’t do that. What if something happens to you?” he was

staring at her now.

“I’m certain I will be fine. I have hiked many trails with the boys over the years and my backyard is not some level thing. Even has a waterfall that can be climbed up from, and jumped off.” She stated and saw his eyes go wide. “It’s only two meters high.” She shook her head.

What he didn’t realised was that trail down to the beach from the cliff, was something she’d used all the time in summer. That beach was completely secluded and the only way to get to it was to take the trail down there. She’d swam in that beach all the time.

“Marilyn, I know we had an agreement, but seeing as you’re here with the boys, and you have no family other than mine.” He held up a hand to stop her words, ‘of they weren’t hers‘ and she held her tongue. “I know you don’t recall them, but you should spend the entire day with them, with the boys. You don’t need to go away and leave them with me. I originally did want to spend the day with you and them, if you recall. We can just

do that here.”

She was frowning at him, and he sighed and turned to face her. “I understand there is no trust from you to me. But it also won’t just be me here, it’s my entire family, so it’s not like we’ll be alone, and you need to concern yourself with my actions towards you.

“I’m not about to hurt you. I have apologised for my actions back in June. I am sorry for what happened. know you’ll never forget what happened, but it won’t happen again. If it does, I’ll not fight the charges, and accept you taking me to court and being sentenced to whatever the judge sees fit. Because if I ever do that again, I’m clearly not fit to be even the boy’s father.” He told her.

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She stood staring at him, “It was the deal we struck, to show you I trust you with them, three hours of just you and them.” She stated simply, “You’re going to burn that.” she indicated to the pan, and watched him flip

the pancake.

“I think you bringing them here to this place, and surprising me shows me that you trust me with the boys. You also allowed them to watch a movie with just me, the day you got here,” he stated.

“I made a deal with you for today,” she stated. “I will keep my word.”

“I understand, and I thank you for wanting to still do that, but I think, no, I know my family would be upset if you just left for three hours.” He sighed. “I would also prefer that you were here the whole time. As you stated, you’ve got no family. No one should be alone on Christmas Day if there isn’t a reason for it. Please, Marilyn, just spend the day with us, everyone here would love that.”

She turned back to the last of her pancakes in the pan and removed them from the pan and plated them up. Alright, but if I feel or any of you feel at all uncomfortable, I’ll retire to the guesthouse.”

“Alright.” He nodded. “Thank you, I think this will also make the boys happy. To have you with them all day.” She nodded it was what they were used to, but she did know that they wanted to spend the day with their dad today, and she could give them that. She wasn’t so selfish as to want to keep them with her all day long. Now that they had a full family, it was only right that they got to spend their time with them.

“I’ll take these to the living room and everyone can eat in there.” She stated.

“It’s not really a room for that. That’s what the dining table is for,” he commented.

Marilyn turned and looked at him. “It’s Christmas… Calvin, I think eating all together informally is okay, I’ll pay for cleaning if food gets on the furniture.” What he didn’t know was half the meals she ate in this house had not been in the dining room. Only when he was there, or she couldn’t be bothered to walk to the living room. He smiled at her, and she knew it was the use of his name, not what she’d said that had his attention. Then he nodded. “Alright,” he answered her. “I’ll only be a few minutes behind you,” he told her.

She walked those plates of pancakes into the living area and, though she’d been able to hear that there was indistinct chatter coming from the room, she’d not known who was actually up; it was everyone. They were all just sitting around talking, “Merry Christmas Marilyn.” Kay smiled up at her.

“Merry Christmas, Kay.” She smiled in return.

“Where is my son? I hope he wasn’t bothering you.” Kay asked, as Marilyn put those plates down on the coffee table for everyone to take what they wanted.

“No, he’s cooking more pancakes.” She shook her head a little.

Kay smiled, “He’s been making Christmas breakfast for all of us for the past three years now. I did see the two of you in the kitchen, and thought I’d leave you alone. You seemed to be getting along.”

She did note there were more presents here under the tree, for the others in the room. “How about you give your grandparents their gift first, and then you can go crazy. Just make sure your name is oh something

She smiled as the boys dug through the presents with their cousins. She could see someone had been down here mixing it all up, so they had to hunt through them. Calvin sat and watched them from the floor next to the seat she was sitting in. He had made himself comfortable, it seemed. It was where he’d always sat when they were married, right next to her, or he would stand behind her or next to her.

She smiled as she watched Kay open that present for her and Malcom and then, just look at her. “It perfect.” She stated and then flipped through it.

“No,” she shook her head at him. “They can’t have a puppy, unless they’re willing to pick up its poop,” she

He nodded with a smile. “Fair enough,” was all he said as he watched the two boys go back to unwrapping

their gifts.

She tapped him on the shoulder a few minutes later, “They won’t open a gift from you unless you give it to them yourself. I told them they had to wait on that, because it is your first gift to them.”

He smiled at her and nodded “thank you,” and then he got up, and called the boys over to the big boxes and hunkered down to them. “Now boys, I didn’t exactly know what to get you, because we’ve only just met, but I tried my best to get you something I thought you might like.” he told them.

“We’ll love it, whatever it is.” Vincent smiled up at him.

She had her phone in her hand and snapped a few pictures of him and the boys talking and then of them opening the gift he got them. They were yelling about it being the best present ever the moment they wrapping paper was off, and were on him a second later hugging him, and she watched as Calvin hugged them back, a more than happy smile on his face, because they liked the gift he’d gotten them. She managed to capture that moment for hi

“Mum always says no, we’ll crash and get injured.” Callum grinned up at him. “We love it.”

“Oh, that I didn’t know.” His eyes moved to hers.

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“It’s fine,” she stated, but she had avoided it. They were too boisterous sometimes, and she did worry about that very thing, why they only had regular kick scooters.

“Dad, you’ll put them together and charge them up?” Vincent asked him.

“Of course I will.” Calvin nodded, and she smiled when the boys let him help open the boxes, and they hovered as he, she thought, insisted on reading the instructions really slowly, and it saw them tugging at him and pointed out that they just needed the handlebars to be put in and then be plugged in. He was tormenting them, the way she’d seen him do with his niece and nephew all those years ago. It was really nice to see.

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