Mommy, Where's Daddy? The Forsaken Daughter's Return novel Chapter 3

Putting a recognition plaque on her glass cabinet in the living room, Samantha smiled at the reward she received. Just the other day, the City's Mayor awarded her as one of Monroe's promising chefs!

She smiled and cherished her achievements, looking at everything from a single view.

Out of the blue, she said to herself, "Dad, one day... one day you'll realize how I have made it on my own... and you'll be proud of me."

Nearly five years had passed since Samantha gave birth to Kyle and Kenzie.

At twenty-six years old, Samantha was still the beautiful girl she once was. She maintained her godly figure, and her face remained striking.

She now worked as the head chef for The Emerald's famous restaurant, an establishment within the four-star hotel. It was where she was recognized for her remarkable culinary skills.

Instead of becoming part of the military, she always dreamed of becoming a chef. Now that she was free from her father's control, she realized her aspiration, exactly as her grandmother suggested.

In between taking care of her twins, she enrolled in a prestigious culinary school in the same city.

Samantha took baby steps. After all, studying while raising two kids was not that easy. Thankfully, her aunt Diana took an early retirement in order to aid Samantha. Her aunt was almost always available to take care of the twins when Samantha was out to go to school.

Samantha did not realize how long she was gawking at her accomplishments and looking back at the past few years in her life. Only then did she check the time. She wound up exclaiming, "Shoot! It's almost two in the afternoon!"

"Go! Go, Sam. You still need to prepare for your set menus tonight!" Her aunt reminded while walking into the living room.

As Samantha grabbed her belongings, Kyle and Kenzie did not miss calling out to her.

Kyle was working on her laptop when he announced, "Mommy, your windows are outdated. We need to upgrade it."

Samantha rolled her eyes at her boy genius. She never understood how Kyle was so good with gadgets for his age. She sighed, "Oh, well. I would not know. That came with the laptop when I bought it a year ago. Go ahead and... upgrade it."

"It costs one hundred twenty dollars," said Kyle, looking up at her.

"Wow!" Samantha exclaimed. "We can... do that later. I don't mind using the old version."

She leaned over to kiss Kyle and said, "I have to go, baby! I love you!"

"Mom? When will we see Daddy?" From the other side of the living room, her little girl probed.

The words of Kenzie made Samantha frown, and she stuttered in her next words, "Um! Daddy! Daddy is busy! Soon, Kenzie... Soon."

She gave Kenzie a kiss and pointed a finger at her little girl. "Don't forget to eat your dinner, guys! I'll see you tonight!"

Giving flying kisses to both of them, she bid goodbye, saying, "I love you! I love you!"

"Love you, Mom!" The twins said at the same time.

"And... we love Daddy too!" Added Kenzie, making Samantha freeze in her stance for a second.

Yes, Samantha Davis lied to her kids about their father.

When the twins turned three years old, they became more aware of what a family should comprise; a mother, a father, and children. Her kids noticed how they were clearly missing a father.

For a single and busy mother like Samantha, it was difficult to explain the absence of a father to her twins, especially when they knew very little about how a family was formed.

At first, she brushed it off, telling them that their Dad was away, knowing they would momentarily forget about it.

Sadly, when they first attended nursery, the words "father" and "Daddy" were repeatedly mentioned by their teachers and classmates. Their curiosity grew about their missing father, and when they turned four years old, Samantha told them that their daddy was working in Braeton City.

Braeton City was the place of her birth. The same place that had long forsaken her.

She wasn't planning on returning there. At least not now. So she determined it was safe to tell a lie and put the missing father there where he most likely lived!

One day, when her kids would have a full understanding of unwed mothers and children born out of wedlock, she swore she would tell them the truth.