MR SAM

"God is good."

"All the time."

"All the time."

"God is good."

It is yet another day to spend with my beautiful congregation. A surprise indeed in a human form this morning. Or maybe I should say an unexpected in a human form. Elena joining us at today's service. The morning service has just ended and I am holding a meeting with the youth. I watch Elena as she looks back before she hops in her car and drives away. By the way, my mind is not there. It should not be there. The youth. That is what i was talking about. I advice them and help them be open to me so I can see which scripture they need to really hear currently in their lives.

"Mr Sam, you always tell us to forgive so that we may be forgiven but rumours spread that you are not talking to Elena because she fell pregnant before her wedding. This is why we no longer see her much around here." One of the youth says, leading me to be out of words for a while.

"What did I say about rumours?" I ask.

"Mr Sam, it is honestly really hard to avoid these rumours when they are specially talking about our priest." Another one from the youth speaks up. I feel my wrath build up, and that anytime I might do something that I might regret.

"Dismissed. The meeting is dismissed!" I yell the last part, and the innocent kids with no fault quickly stand up as they leave.

I turn my back on the door as I look at the cross hanging on the wall. Elena doesn't deserve a father like me. I have actually never been a father to her whole heartedly. She has always deserved a dad that will love her with his own heart and not use her, something I did and I shouldn't have done. I loved or maybe still love Elena's mother so much that I thought hanging on to Elena would bring her back to me. I thought raising Elena to be a good disciplined child would make her realize that she was wrong by leaving me for Fatim Cross. Here we are now. Everything has blew up in my face and the work has went in vain. Rebecca is never coming back to me. Don't judge me. I love Elena, but I love her because I want her mom to see that I can do this. I can raise her kids with her and still love them like mine.

"Mr Sam, the youth meeting surely was short today." Mrs Will who is one of the best church attendants utters as she walks through the door of the church and I don't even bother to turn to look at her. She's been my righthand woman in church things that I know her voice too much, plus we have some history.

"She doesn't deserve a father like me." I only say, tears forming in my eyes.

"Excuse me?" Mrs Will asks, and I slowly turn to her.

"Elena doesn't deserve a father like me." I continue.

It is at this moment that I realized the conclusion I have always been wanting to reach. I am tired of pretending. I was not hurt by the fact that Elena hid her pregnancy. It's how she was close with her real family and how she seemed soo comforted in Fatim's hands. It showed me that no matter how hard I have been trying, in their eyes I am just a man who denied them an opportunity to watch Elena grow. Which is why I have decided that Elena doesn't deserve a man like me in her life that can't be her father. I vow to cut ties with her and move on with my own life, for her own sake and for the sake of my happiness. As much as I feel like I am losing to Fatim, but the sooner I realize that this is not a battle the better.

"But you have done such a great job with raising her by yourself. She has turned into a young disciplined woman." Mrs Will states, and I look at her dearly as I flesh her a tiny smile. "You loved her with all your soul and devoured yourself to her. What more is there to be lacking?" Mrs Will continues.

This time I chuckle.

"See, that's the problem. I never actually loved Elena the way she deserved to be loved as a child growing up. I loved her mom so it was easy because she reminded me of her mom." My unbelievable chuckling continues as I say. "You know...all my life I have been in a competition with Fatim. Get Elena the best everything hoping Rebecca's eyes would be opened and she would come back to me. But we have reached this end and i have lost it all. Rebecca, Elena and myself." I continue. Mrs Will gasps.

"Mr Sam, are you trying to tell me that you used Elena, raised her just because you wanted to prove a point to her mother?" Mrs Will inquires shook of course. "You are an old selfish man, and you should be told that." She turns her back on me leaving as she says. I run to pull her by her wrist and she ends up in my arms.

The gone in years Mrs Will who still looks as young as the youth in my eyes. Her brown eyes and beautiful brunette hair straightened. She was once Rebecca's friend in college. That was until I cheated on Rebecca with her. She disappeared and then showed up after a lot of years have passed. I was still starting my journey as the priest. I invited her to my church and she stayed after church. The next thing we were chatting and catching up and it just happened. This was when Rebecca was still with Fatim after the birth and 6 years of their first born child and son. The next morning when I woke up, Anne was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly she had become Mrs Will. I did my own research, and turned out I had a real biological daughter of mine.

"I want to do what is right by my real daughter, Anne. As you can see, we are not getting any younger." I whisper loud enough for her to hear. She snatches her wrist out of my hand.

"Over my dead body. You have no biological child, not with me and not with Rebecca." Mrs Will says as she leaves.

When she met Mike who is her current husband, she was already three weeks pregnant. I remember her birth was called premature. She bought the doctor to convince her husband. Money is one of the biggest temptations in this world. So, not only did I fail to do what is right by Elena but I also failed to fight for my own blood. I head home after some tough thinking. To my surprise, just as I drive through I notice Elena's car driving away at a high speed. Is she even supposed to be driving? Especially with that speed?

I head towards the door after parking and locking my car, and I find an envelope by the door wrapped with a thin ribbon. It is written at the back. "I may not share your blood but I know I've once shared my life with you and I am forever grateful. I hope we can continue to be in each other's lives someday. Christmas is in four days. Merry Christmas grandpa."

I open the envelope as quick as I can as I let my emotions take over after what I have just read. It breaks me to think that I had my other intentions whilst raising Elena. She doesn't deserve it. I open the envelope and find a scan. Wow! This is so...beautiful and amazing to gaze at. The woman I have grown myself is going to be a mother of twins. A blessing indeed. I look at the direction her car took and I smile as I lay a kiss on the scan and unlock the door to head in.

"Trust me, Elena. What I do from now on is for your own good. I will always love you. You're the only one who has never betrayed my love." I sigh.

JUSTIN

What am I going to do? How am I going to break this to Elena? Bringing Bridget back into the house will only bring suspicions upon her that something is really going on. I have been thinking really hard about this. I can't stress Elena. Not now. I will just buy Bridget a house and she can live there and far from us to expose our secret. I stand up already to leave to go and run the errands.

"Where are you going?" I nearly forget that I don't live alone. I turn back smiling brightly as my eyes fill the entire room. Elena is looking at me and expecting an answer.

"I'm going to meet up with the client." I reply. What client? I don't know either. I suddenly receive a call from Mr Fatim and I quickly pick it up. "Mr Fatim!" I exclaim. Can't believe all this time he has been my father-in-law.

"Where are you? We're waiting for you only right now. The meeting started 10 minutes ago." Mr Fatim utters through the phone, and I nod rapidly to every word like he can see me.

"I'll be there in five minutes, Mr Fatim." I end the call. "Um... Mr Fatim is already with the big client I've once told you about and they're only waiting on me. So, let me just quickly make my way there. Love you." I kiss her on the cheek as I say.

"I thought the meeting was yesterday." Elena says as she walks behind me towards the exit door. I chuckle unbelievably as I roughly turn to have my hands in my pockets.

"You left and you just got back. No one asked you where are you from. So, can you please mind your own business." I say. "I don't need to report to you." I continue yelling as I head out to the meeting.

Soon enough I am sitting at the fancy glass table with Mr Fatim and Mrs Ondreo who is our well most known client that is faithful enough to the both of us. I took the whole yelling at Elena thing slightly. For a matter of fact, it was more than easier for me to still have the audacity to turn my back on her and leave. Now that I am thinking about it, I regret ever raising my voice at her. The way she shrinked when my voice suddenly went up. I swear I left her in that position.

I become zoned out of the meeting entirely...

"Thank you very much for hosting me today. Its a pleasure to always be a part of this." I blink to find Mr Fatim shaking hands with Mrs Ondreo, and I quickly stand up. Of course I am ashamed. I don't remember anything about this meeting.

"Thank you." I manage to say as Mrs Ondreo passes by me.

Mrs Ondreo fleshes me a tiny smile before she leaves. I sigh out loudly as I rub my hands off on my trousers that were starting to sweat. I look at Mr Fatim to find him looking at me with suspicion and he takes his car keys from the table as he looks like he is leaving. I am looking at him expecting him to say something because it is obvious that he does really have something to say.

"Justin you know that i have always taken you as a dear son to me even before I knew you're marrying my daughter, which I hope is still going on right?" Mr Fatim inquires, and I quickly nod.

"Yes, sir." I quickly reply.

"Well, Justin just know that if you have no interest in marrying my daughter anymore and staying loyal to her, don't think twice before calling me. Because I would be more than glad to protect her from anything or anyone that would hurt her, including you." He says sternly as he inserts his smartphone in the chest pocket of his jacket. "Have a good day will you, Justin. And remember that I am just a phone call away." He continues as he leaves.

I breath out heavily as I grab a seat. I decide to call my lawyer, and luckily he is around the corner. So, him and I have a little talk and I settle out of my budget buying Bridget a house. Later on, i decide to call Bridget. It is now past 3pm. I can't imagine what has been going on in Elena's ming all day.

"I bought you the house. I'll send you the location and some guys to help you move. Be ready in 10." I affirm towards the phone and drop it right after without waiting for Bridget's comment. "Johny, take me to the gift store." I direct my chauffer after I've settled in the car.

I buy Elena a bouquet of white roses, a love shaped box filled with different chocolates and a necklace box that consists of nothing but a gold necklace that has a butterfly and a promise ring hanged on one of its wings. I kiss the necklace before I put it back in the box. I have to find a way to deal with all of this calmly. I can't let my dad keep on getting in my head like this. I am soon to be a father. I've got to act like one.

"Timber, hi." I utter of relief as I arrive at home and the door is opened by Timber. I'm grateful because I am sure that she knows exactly about Elena's whereabouts. She bows.

"Mr Harris. Good day, sir." Timber says. "She's in the living room, sir. This way." Timber continues as she leads the way like I don't know the way around my own house. But this is no time for that.

She takes me to the sitting room and only to see the most emotional thing I have never seen before. Better off, its heart touching. Elena is sleeping on the ground inside her sleeping sponge that she sleeps so peacefully in. She looks so cute with one of her hands on her bump. I smile as I come across this. She looks too cute. It's amazing how she can turn into this little cute thing and also be a sassy girl when she wants.

"Can you please help me carry this to our bedroom." I direct Timber as I carry Elena and take her to the bedroom.

She does not even move an inch. All she does is let out a little snore. Since when? I guess I have been paying that much less attention to the mother of my kids that I have not noticed. I put her on the bed, still on her other sleeping sponge and she scatters herself all over the bed instead. I giggle at this. I sit beside her on the bed as I look at her. I curl her hair behind her ear.

"Where did I ever go wrong? All I wanted was to marry you and continue the rest of my life with you." I whisper as I caress her face softly with my thumb. "I will fight for you till my grave if I gave have to. Trust me." I continue.

After this I stand up as after placing her gifts by her, and I dial the numbers of a person who can only help me reach out of this misery. Vincent. Him and I decide to meet by the bar. I know I need a really cold drink tonight. Something strong that will make me forget about all of this current situation I am in that I can't even share with Elena. I know if I do it might break us. Lead us to the edge maybe and I don't think I am ready for that.

"So, what are we drinking off tonight?" Vincent asks. "I thought you were in 'love lives here', since I couldn't even be called frequently anymore." He continues.

"We're drinking to the b*tch my dad has turned himself into." I yell as I raise up my glass of whiskey in the air.

"Hey, man. Saw your wife one day by the restaurant. Man, she still has her figure. How much for a one night stand with her." This guy just decided to piss me off on a day I am just not myself.

So, it is a fight. Myself and this guy that I know nothing about get violent as we lay hands on each other. I am literally drunk since I drank from the moment I sat in my car and headed here. I don't know where the sharp object came from but the next thing I was being stabbed with it on my arm and sprinkled my hand like it literally got broken. I yelled of pain as I punched the guy as hard as I can and as soon as he fell to the ground I threw myself on the ground of exhaustion.

ELENA

I wake up to a beautiful surprise beside me. I smile as I notice a heart shaped box, a jewelry box and a bouquet beside me.It's obvious whom it's from. I smile as I open the box to find chocolates of different kinds and my heart literally melts at this. I take out the necklace from the box and it's the prettiest. I don't even notice that Timber is standing by the door until she loudly clears her throat intentionally.

"He came back with those." Timber says.

Just after this as I am busy smiling and I have just inhaled the sweet scent from the bouquet, my phone beeps of a lot of messages that seem like they were sent altogether. I reach out for it finding this strange, and it's Vincent. It's him plus a number from the hospital and Doctor Anthony. My eyes shoot open as I sit up straight and I decide to call Vincent.

"Elena! Thank God you finally answered. Um... Justin got into a fight." Vincent says through the phone, and I cut him off before he can go any further as I call doctor Anthony next.

"Please, tell me he is okay." I affirm towards doctor Anthony who sighs.

"Don't worry. He is okay. I'll just need you to come by to have him discharged." Doctor Anthony replies.

"I'm on my way." I say as I quickly stand up, not even bothering to change but I just pull a jersey from my closet and put it on top. "Timber, tell Johny to get the car ready." I continue as I head downstairs and Timber is yet running to Johny's cottage.

I arrive at the garage before them and I don't think I have even the bit of a patience to wait for Johny. So, I just head back and take my car keys and I decide to drive myself there. I know Justin is not going to like this, especially since it's at night but I have got to do this.

"Mam!" I throw myself in the hospital after the ten minutes drive  and the receptionist yells towards me, but my mind is just not here. "Mam, how can I help you?" The receptionist continues.

Just as I am about to run towards the empty open passage, Justin shows up with Vincent carrying his jacket for him and he has his arm bandaged. I sigh of relief as I walk closer to him and the first thing I do is hug him. I am going to ignore the fact that he looks like a mess, and he is half naked but what I am sensing here is some fight. He has marks on his face and those small blasters. I'll just deal with that when I arrive at home. I sigh as I look at Vincent.

"Thank you, Vincent." I affirm towards him, and he nods.

"Anytime, Elena. Um... I'll be on my way now. Please call me if anything about his state changes. Or atleast call doctor Anthony. We're not sure if the wound got infected or not." Vincent states and this time I nod and he gives me a friendly hug before he leaves. "I'll call you later." He continues towards Justin who has his head bent and he does not bother to even respond.

Vincent makes his way out and I am left looking at Justin with my teary eyes. This is not the Justin that I know. This is surely not the Justin that I fell inlove with and decided to keep his babies. I decide to hold myself together as i turn my back on him and make my way out as he follows. We get to my car and Justin strikes when he is supposed to get in. He looks around like he is looking for someone and he scoffs.

"Justin, we don't have all night." In case he has not noticed, I make him aware. Instead, he kicks the wall of the garage with his foot leading me to be startled.

"Elena, are you trying to tell me that you f*ckin drove here at night by yourself?" He shouts, literally seeming furious about the fact. I chuckle unbelievable.

"What did you expect me to do, Justin? Sit back and wait? I wake up from a nap Justin and a caller says to me you're at the hospital! I'm sorry that I am not sorry." I shout back. I watch Justin as he dives his face in the palm of his hands, and he turns his back on me as he keeps on breathing heavily. Why does it suddenly look like he has anger issues? "I wanted to wait for Johny to drive me here, but that's what would have killed me. Waiting." I continue with a calm voice this time. I hear Justin sniff and I become shook. Is he...

"I just can't lose you, Elena. I don't want to lose you, our babies. Neither of you. But mostly, I'd kill myself if I lost you, and you're here taking risks by driving alone at night. You just... you just put me in a very difficult state." Justin says with a low voice, and I swear I just felt my heart warm up with this heat I know nothing about. I approach him as I hug him, and he puts his head on my chest.

"I'm here, and I am going nowhere." I whisper. "I'll always be here. We will all be." I continue as I pat his head and I lay a kiss on his head.

We head home silently as I drive. I keep on looking at Justin at every red light I stop. How messed up he looks and absent minded. Why is he suddenly acting like this? Does it have something to do with his father asking him to take Brigdet as his second wife? Does he still want to marry me? Is