Opening my eyes to the sound of my alarm clock beeping and sighed tiredly. To say last night was a rough night would be an understatement. When I got home, I found my mother curled on the sofa with her head in a bucket, and not long after that Remi was the same way.

So, after telling my mom to go home and rest for a few days, I spent the whole night with Remi taking care of her. The worst thing for a mother is seeing their child sick, and not be able to make it better for them.

That's why today I'm working from home, and the only clients I am seeing are Amanda and her fiancé because I really can't afford to push that meeting back.

But after that, it's a Disney+ movie day on the couch with my daughter. I've emailed Amanda this morning explaining that I had to work from home, and I gave her my address.

Normally I wouldn't do that or let clients come to my house especially with Remi here. I just don't have a choice in this case, my kid is sick, and I want to be here with her.

But this Michaels account is also a big deal, and there's not a lot of time to get everything done, on top of all the other events that I have going on in the upcoming months.

Pulling myself out of bed and started to get ready, and slowly getting lost in my own thoughts. I think it's times like this when being a single mom is the hardest. Because your trying to juggle everything that you have going on in your life alone.

And not having someone there to lean on when you're having an overwhelming day. Sometimes it's really hard doing this all by myself, I will admit that because I'm not a perfect mom I don't think anyone is.

But I'm a good mom, who loves her child so much, that it physically hurts me to see her ill and upset. I guess at times like this I really wish Remi also had her father here with her too.

Snapping out of my thoughts and made my way into Remi's bedroom to check on her. Pushing open the door, to see her sat up slightly cuddling her teddy bear.

"Morning baby girl, how are you feeling?" I ask her while taking a seat at the end of her bed, Remi looks at me sadly for a second.

"My tummy still hurts mommy" She cried softly to me, feeling my heart break a little as hear my daughter's sad voice say to me.

"It's Okay, I promise it will get better soon honey. Listen mommy is going to work from home today, while you get some rest in bed for a little bit and then when you're feeling better, we will watch a Disney film together" I say to her,

"Can we watch the little mermaid again?" Remi asked me in a small whisper but with a smile.

"Of course, we can, I'm going to get you some water and make you some dry toast. I need you to try and eat something for me" I replied and then begin making my way out of her room, just as I hear Remi say from behind me,

"I love you mommy" stopping in my tracks and turned around to look at her with a sweet smile on my face. "And I love you, to the moon and back and the stars above"

Closing Remi's bedroom door softly, after she had a little bit of food and water she fell right back to sleep. I hate seeing my child like this, so much I just want her, to be her happy bubbly four-year-old self again.

Pulling out of my thoughts as I hear the doorbell ring, walking over to the door and opened it with a professional smile, just as my eyes land on Amanda.

"Hello Ella, sorry we're a little early I hope it's okay? Oliver is just taking a phone call, he's almost done" Amanda says to me, shaking her head smiling in my doorway.

"It's perfectly fine, I am really sorry that we had to meet at my home. I promise you normally this is not the case for me" I said reassuring her. That I don't always see my clients at my house like this at all.

"Honestly, it's fine, I mean we don't mind at all;" She was cut off by footsteps, letting my smile drop just as I hear the familiar voice say,

"I'm sorry about that-;" looking up to the sound of the voice a little taken back and in shock as my eyes lock on a person from my past. A person I once knew and care for like family.

"Ella.....Hey, how have you been?" Oliver Vaughan asked me, the older brother of the man I once loved and who once broke my heart. The same Oliver who also happens to be the uncle of my child.

How could I have not known this before taking on this event, let alone invite them over to my home with Remi here.

"Oliver, I've been good thank you for asking," I say in a firm tone, with a forced smile now. Amanda looks at us both, with a look of confusion and uncertainty.

"You two know each other?" She asked us, still sounding so confused. Nodding my head and turned away from him and smiled at her.

"Yeah, I dated his brother for a few years, awhile back," I answered, Oliver stays quiet and Amanda nods her head and smiles. I think she's a little relieved that Oliver isn't a person I used to date.

"Right, huh please come in," I say and holding the door open for them and then closed it as soon as they were in my house.

Come to think of it I don't have to hide the fact that I have a child, I mean it's been near enough five years since my split with Scott, as far as I am concerned as long as I don't mention Remi's age there's no reason for Oliver to think that she's Scott's and it's not information that I will be offering up either.

"You have such a lovely home," Amanda says to me, breaking the awkward silence around us, throwing her a smile.

I've always taken pride in this house, it's the first house I've ever brought with the money I earned myself, and I've always tried to make sure it's a happy home for Remi to grow up in.

"Thank you, would you guys like some coffee? Or tea? Before we start" I asked them, Oliver stops looking around and turns his head back to me.

"Coffee would be great thanks" He replies to me, nodding my head, and walked into the open floor kitchen, at least I can still see them, and they can see me.

"So, my approach normally would be to get to know you both as a couple but then also on your own. So basically, how you guys met, how you are as a couple. And then who you are as your own person, likes dislikes favorite things. That sort of stuff" I explain to them as I make the coffee quickly, before making my way back over to the living room. And placed the cups down on my coffee table.

"Thank you," they both said at the same time, throwing them a smile at how cute they are and how in love they both are with one another, which I can see very much.

"So, let's start with how you two met" I begin asking and picked up my pen and notepad, Amanda was the first to look at me and smile.

"Well it was about two years ago at this charity masquerade ball, and after a run-in, with an ex-boyfriend, I basically ran straight into Oliver, spilling champagne all down him" Amanda starts to tell their love story to me,

"And after she said sorry and ran back off, I spent the rest of the night trying to find her again. When I did, we ended up talking all night long, and we've been together ever since" Oliver said finishing the story off.

"Sounds romantic, and I can work with that-" I broke off and wrote a few ideas down, for their party even though every part of my body is telling me not to take on this event.

That it's too much of a risk, I can't imagine what would happen if the Vaughan's ever found out about Remi, because if they did, everything would change for us.

"So, are we thinking indoor venues or outdoor?" Amanda and Oliver both look at one another and shrugged, before looking back at me.

"Honestly, we haven't really thought about it that much" Oliver admitted,

"It's okay, what I will do is call a few places that I think you might like and see if they have a free spot for the 8th and take it from there," I say in a professional tone of voice.

"Thank you, Ella, I'm honestly so excited for you to do this for us. I've been to some of the events you've planned in the past, and they have been amazing, I just knew you were the woman for the job" Amanda says to me, with a smile.

Throwing my eyes at her and return her smile, it's always nice to hear that I'm actually good at what I'm doing, I mean I started my small company from nothing and built it into something that Remi can be proud of me for one day.

"It's my pleasure and thank you-;" I started replying just as I hear tiny footsteps coming from behind me, and then I hear my daughter's voice.

"Mommy, can we watch the little mermaid now?" Looking over to Remi as the whole room around me goes silent, just as Remi walks over to me and sits on my lap.

Throwing my eyes back up to Amanda and Oliver, Amanda she looks fine smiling at the sight of my daughter, but Oliver he looks shocked and why wouldn't he? Remi is the spitting image of his brother.

"Soon honey, I'm just finishing up some work okay. Why don't you go and play with your toys for ten minutes first" I said to her, Remi looks at me and smiles, I think she's feeling better. Smiling back at her just as she runs of my lap and into her room.

Taking a moment to breathe and collect my own thoughts, before turning back to face them and my gaze reaches Oliver's.

"I'm sorry about that, she hasn't been very well and that's why I had to work from home" I explain to them breaking the cold silence in the room.

"No worries Ella, she's beautiful. What's her name?" Amanda asks me, shaking my head and looked from Oliver to her.

"Remi.... her name is Remi" I answered,

"I didn't know you had a daughter, how old is she?"

Now it was Oliver who was asking, shaking my head and turned my eyes back to him.

I cannot let him know that Scott is her father because he will tell him that. Oliver and Scott have always been close, never keeping anything from one another and he won't keep the secret of my daughter from him.

And I just can't let that happen, as much as I loved Scott and I don't regret loving him, because something good came out of our relationship and that was Remi. But their parents, they poison everything good about you, I've seen that first-hand. And I won't put my daughter through that.

"Yeah, I do, I tend to keep her away from all this-;" I say and then sighed before carrying on,

"And she's almost three" I lied the last part. Oliver's eyes snap to mine and his eyebrows raise, before shaking his head at me.

"No no she's not, she's older, isn't she?" He snaps at me, clearing my throat, and shook my own head.

"I'm sorry but I think we're done for today" I replied and begin getting up and grabbed the coffee cups. Oliver jumps up right in front of me.

"Ella, come on it's me. Is she Scott's daughter?" He asks me, I heard Amanda gasp a little as she looked at us.

"No, she's not, now please let it go and leave" I lied, Oliver looks even more unconvinced now but nodded his head.

Just as he and Amanda begin walking towards my front door. Taking a moment to breathe and then put the cups back on the table and took a step towards them.

"I would really appreciate it if you didn't mention to any of your family, that you saw me today or about Remi at least for now" I announce and looked right at Oliver, he takes a moment to just look at me before nodding his head and walked out my front door without looking back towards me.

Leaving only Amanda and me standing alone, she turns around and looks at me.

"I'm not going to even pretend I know what is going on here, but you have my word that we won't say anything," She says to me, throwing her a small appreciated smile.

"Thank you, Amanda," I replied to her, she smiles softly at me one more time, before walking out of my house.

Closing the door and just stared into space for a moment, Oliver he's not stupid and I think deep down he knew I was lying through my teeth when I said Scott wasn't Remi's father. But what I am supposed to do? Scott is not exactly father material, with his many girlfriends, public fights, and partying all night long.

I can't escape Scott Vaughan as it is, and if he knows about Remi, he's always going to be in our lives along with his family and I'm not sure that's a good thing for either one of us.

I want to do what's right for my daughter and I'm not sure if that's having Scott in her life or not. Or maybe I'm wrong and Scott deserves to know about his daughter. Honestly, I'm not sure about any of it, and until I figure that out. I'm not sure I can take on this event.

I think I should take a step back from people with the last name Vaughan, for everyone's sake.