Louise planned to relax for the weekend since Brent went to the mountain with the boys. She, now, could have some alone time all by herself. She sat on the chair in her study, resting her elbows on her desk and her head in her hands, looking aimlessly at the open windows.
The sun shone brightly in the blue sky, and white clouds were here and there. Trees were not that far away, all quivering with new spring life. The buds were bursting open to blossom, those purple lavenders, blue balloon flowers, golden poppies, and many more scattered around Wellington's yard.
Birds chirping and twittering faintly reached her eaves: sparrows, swallows, songbirds, robins, and many more that Louise didn't know about. They sang and danced among the trees like a symphony.
"Ding-dong!" The doorbell rang unexpectedly. Her moment of 'not doing anything' was interrupted.
'Who could that be?' Louise muttered as she ambled to the front door. 'Could it be the delivery guy? But this early? They usually come in the evening or later?'
Louise peered through the peephole in the solid oak door in the foyer. And she saw Richards standing on the front porch, all alone by himself.
Louise opened the door. Richards stood there looking tall and handsome as he always was. But his visit was unexpected for Louise. Josephine, her sister who now was carrying his baby in her womb, didn't mention anything about Richards' visit. Louise felt a bit uneasy seeing Richards alone. She had never been alone with him since they ended their situation-ship years ago. Especially after Richards married her sister Josephine years after they broke up.
"Are you going to invite me in?" Richards asked in his usual calm and charming voice after they gazed at each other for a minute or two. His sharp, piercing gaze made her stomach turn.
"C'mon in..." Louise took a long, calming breath before she motioned him into the house. "What brings you here? Josie knows that you're coming? She didn't mention anything to me last night on the phone."
"Josie doesn't know..." Richards said as he walked into the house; he closed the door behind him.
Louise frowned. She really didn't want to be alone with this man at all. Their perplexed relationship was making her feel uneasy. She couldn't deny she may still have some feelings for this man, more or less sexual proclivity. But Louise didn't want to ruin everything, including Josie's life.
"What do you want?" Louise said, but her tone shifted from warm and friendly to cold and distant. She gazed at the handsome man with her stern blue eyes, waiting for an answer.