“Laura I need you to promise me that you will keep my girls far away from their father. He rejected them the moment they were conceived so he has no right know about their existence. Please Laura, this is my dying wish and I need you to honor it”

Laura’s best friend’s words kept replaying on her mind as she walked down the upscale neighborhood, shivering from the winter cold with a basket in her hand. That was her friend’s dying wish and she was willing to honor it. Outside was extremely cold and since it was night, everywhere was dark and foggy, nothing was invisible. Laura had just one thing on her mind despite the cold beating her exposed face and hands and feet, to dispose of that basket at a certain destination and disappear.

She had made a promise to her friend that she was going to keep the girls away from their father, she didn’t mention that she was going to keep both of them, besides she was poor and couldn’t afford to keep two newborns so she decided to take one of the girls to an old acquaintance of hers. The person in question was a rival to her late best friend Camille but she was rich and would be able to look after the twin that was severely ill.

When Laura spotted her house number, she carefully walked past the lawn of well cut grass to the door where she placed the basket.

“You will be fine sweetheart” She whispered as to the ocean blue-eyed baby as she turned on her heels and walked away, never to return.

EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER

“Ladies and gentleman, now we are approaching Kansas where the local time is now nine o’clock. At this stage you should be in your seat with your seatbelt firmly fastened. Personal T.V screens, footrests and Seat tables must be stowed away and all hand luggage stored either in the overhead lockers or under the seat, in front. Please ensure all electronic devices, including laptop computers and computer games are turned off” The flight attendant’s voice buzzed from the intercom, waking Blair up from her nap. She immediately pulled off her headsets and shoved into her backpack and strapped on her seatbelt as she got ready for her ordeal to start.

The landing process. It scared her to death.

That was the third time she was flying and she still hadn’t gotten used to the turbulence that came with landing. The first time she flew was with her father and she could recall how she had clung to his arm through out the landing.

After gathering and claiming all her baggage, Blair decided to give her father a call. He had instructed her to call him the moment she landed and she knew he would get mad at her if she didn’t do just that. She walked to the airport lounge where she sat on a chair and took out the brand new iPhone seven her stepmother had gifted her when her scholarship letter came in. She dialed her father’s number and he picked on the third ring.

“Hello dad”

“Hello princess, did you arrive already?”

“Yes dada, I’m actually seated in the airport lounge right now”

“How was your flight?”

“The landing was a little bumpy, but other than that, it was fine”

“Still got the landing phobia?” He asked with a light chuckle.

“It’s not going anytime soon”

“I figured, I’m glad you called honey”

“How’s mum and Kay?”

“They are doing just fine, your mother went work and Kay, to school”

“I already miss you all, I wish I didn’t have to be this far” She said pouting.

“Sweetheart, I know it’s going to be tough but I need you to be strong. It has always been your dream to study at East End University. You have gotten your scholarship, now it’s time for you to live that dream of yours and always remember that I am just a phone call away and if ever things get too rough you can always fly back home for a break honey.” Her father encouraged and she could feel tears well up in her eyes. He had always been her source of strength and inspiration and now that she was going to be living so far from him, she wondered how life was going to treat her.

Nevertheless, she was ready for the bricks life had ready to throw at her, she was raised by struggling parents and had learned how to survive with little or nothing at all. She believed that her life and that of her parents’ and younger brother will be improved once she was done with medical studies so she wasn’t going to back down. She owed it to her parents to succeed and change the financial situation of their family. She was willing to do just that .

“I know dad, thank you very much. I promise to make you proud”

“I know that baby girl, I know you will make me proud”

“Dad I have to go now, I will give you a call when I get home”

“Take care sweetheart, I love you”

“I love you too dad” She said as she hung up and brushed off the lone tear that had managed to escape her eyes. “You are going to be fine Blair, you are strong, you are resilient and you are going to get through this” She whispered to herself and smiled even though her heart was heavy with pain. She decided it was time for her to leave the airport because no one was there to pick her up. She had to take a cab to her hostel.

She arose from the chair and swung her back pack behind her as she grabbed the handle of her backpack and started walking out of the lounge while looking at a picture of her and her younger brother one her phone screen.

“Be a good boy Kay…” She suddenly felt her body crash into a hard surface. She lost her balance and tripped backwards, landing with her butt on the floor with the screen of her brand new iPhone seven falling face flat on the glittery tiled floor. She didn’t realize this as her gaze was focused on the iPhone twelve pro max that was flying in the air and without warning, it came crashing on the floor, shattering beyond repair.

“Ahh…” She quickly covered her mouth with her palm before the scream could escape her lips. That phone was worth a fortune!

What had she just done?

Her eyes traveled to the figure standing tall before her and she held her breath when her eyes locked with the most charming brown eyes she had ever seen in her entire life. The owner of the brown eyes looked at the shattered IPhone and then turned to her again, locking their eyes together with an eternal frown masked in his face. His perfectly sculptured face was hardened and Blair could feel the anger boiling him.

“Oh my God, I’m … I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you” she said in panic as she sat up from the floor, still not noticing the state of her phone. The guy standing before her still had not moved or uttered a single word, he just kept staring at her so intensely that Blair thought he would bore a hole in her face with his stare. She couldn’t help but feel very nervous. She had just destroyed someone’s iPhone twelve pro max, that was no ordinary phone. The price of the phone was more than what her father earned for an entire year. It would take her a life time to do odd jobs before she would succeed in paying back the phone. She silently hoped in her heart that that very handsome guy standing before her would spare her else she would be doomed for life.

She rushed over to the phone, picked it up and went to stand before its owner who still had not uttered a single word to her.

“ I am very Sorry for…” She started to trail of but he cut her off.

“Can you replace the phone?” He asked very coldly, quietly as he took the phone from her hand.

“No” Blair whispered as she bowed down her head and played with her fingers. This is not how she had imagined her day to start in Kansas.

“Then shut up and step aside” The strange guy whom she presumed was about her age spat out coldly and she quietly stepped aside to let him pass.

Blair just stood there dumbfounded. She has mixed feelings at that instant. She hated the fact that he had been so rude to her, but was also grateful that he didn’t ask her to pay the phone.

She bent down to pick up her backpack and that’s when she noticed the condition of her own phone.

“No!” She cried as she picked up the phone and a soft whimper escaped her lips when she saw the numerous cracks on the screen. Luckily for her, the phone was still working. She sadly put the phone in her backpack, grabbed the handle of her box and made her way out of the airport making sure not to bump into anyone again.