Chapter 3 SHE IS OKAY

Jace Darlington just walked out of the Airport Arrivals. His friend Leonard Gilbert, who had practically turned brother to him, was walking right beside him. They were both pulling their luggage behind them as they walked.

"Wow! It has been five years!" Leonard exclaimed, halting momentarily to heave in a long and deep breath.

"Indeed... It has been five long years," Jace agreed.

They resumed walking, towards the road ahead.

"Are you sure you don't want to hitch a ride with me. My driver is already here," Leonard said.

Jace shook his head in negation. "My mom is already on her way here. She was held up by something but will be here soon," he replied.

"Okay... I can at least wait for you until she comes," Leonard muttered.

"No... No it is fine Leonard. The Gilbert are already expecting their golden son. Far be it for me to make them wait. I am pretty sure there is a surprise party waiting for you," Jace replied, half teasing. He even winked at his friend.

Both men had already stopped by a pavement and were just standing there, chatting.

Just then Leonard's eyes caught a large digital billboard just across where they were standing. He quickly pointed at it. One of Davina Swift' music video was playing on it.

"Wow... She is amazing," Leonard muttered and nudged at his friend who glared at him.

"I mean look at her. So young yet so successful. Maybe I should talk to my father about a business collaboration with her family's company and who knows I might get closer to her and there may be sparks..."

Jace shook his head hopelessly at his friend. "You need help," was all he said.

"But come on dude, look at her, how is she?" Leonard turned to the billboard again.

That was when Jace observed the girl in the video more closely. He had heard about her, a lot. Her name was sang on the streets of the country he had been returning from but Jace had never really cared about celebrities. They had nothing to do with him and he had nothing to do with them. She was beautiful no doubt but was there anything special about being beautiful... Jace looked away from the billboard.

"She is amazing right?" Leonard pressed.

"She is okay," Jace replied.

"She is okay?" Leonard shook his head at his friend in disbelief. Jace didn't say anything else.

Leonard finally turned towards where his driver had been standing at for a while, waiting for them. He was just across them, on the road ahead, which linked to the main expressway. He was standing by the car he had brought to pick Leonard up in. The driver waved at the two young men when he noticed their gaze on him.

Leonard turned to Jace after giving a light nod to his driver.

"I will be fine. It will be fine dude, just go," Jace assured .

Leonard drew a sharp breath, and then nodded. After patting Jace roughly on his shoulder, he moved with his luggage and started to cross the road.

When he got to the other side and his driver collected his luggage, he turned to Jace and waved at him, before getting into the car.

Jace watched the car slowly disappear, and then let out a soft sigh. His eyes searched for somewhere to sit. He didn't want to go back into the Airport Arrivals reception.

At the end, he resorted to sitting on his luggage right there on the pavement as he waited.

"Son! Jace!" his mother's voice made his hardened expression soften.

He stood up from his luggage and traced his mother's voice to a car parked in front of him. He wondered how come he hadn't seen her drive and park there. She was just right in front of him! He concluded that it was most probably because he had a lot on his mind. After all, he had practically been staring blankly into space as he had sat there waiting for her to arrive.

Pulling his luggage behind him as he approached his mom's car, Jace had a rather wide smile on his face.

His mom had already stepped out of the car and was waiting for him by it, with her arms wide open. Jace chuckled as he reached her, and then he let go of his luggage and walked into her tight yet warm embrace. Oh how much he had missed her scent!

"Thanks for agreeing to come stay with momma. You have no idea how much I missed you," Mrs Darlington muttered.

She had broken the embrace but she leaned in again and pulled Jace into her embrace as she spoke. Jace chuckled in her embrace. He was finally home! After such a long time.

"Come on now, let us go," Mrs Darlington finally broke the embrace and stepped back.

Jace finally noticed the car she had driven. It was an Audi brand car, one of their latest releases. It was grey in color.

"Mom you own an Audi? Are you sure you work as a housekeeper?" Jace mumbled as his mother started to lead the way for them to get into the car.

First he put his luggage in the boot, and then made his way to the front passenger's seat, beside his mom who was already positioned in the driver's seat.

"I work as a housekeeper son, but I am not just any housekeeper. I work for one of the richest family in the country. You know it is a live in job just like I told you but I have my own house, it is a separate building beside the main building... You will see," Mrs Darlington said and ignited the engine.

"Wow... So my mother is a rich woman..." Jace teased with a smirk. His mother chuckled.

"Technically... I am richer than most people who do professional jobs so yeah... Your momma is a rich woman!," Mrs Darlington replied with a smile as the car sped off.