His Wife's Heartbreak

Finality

I stood there shocked. I couldn't speak no words came out of my mouth and my breath escaped from my lungs.

"What's wrong?" Joshua asked from the living room.

I looked at him and felt tears escape my eyes.

He immediately came toward me and looked out the door at my mother.

"Ms. Matrix"

"Hi Joshua" she smiled at him. I put my hands on my head and walked towards Kenny.

"Come here" I picked him up.

"Um... why don't you come in" Joshua said unsure.

I don't want her to come in but I know I have to talk to her, there's no escaping it now.

"Watch tv for a little bit okay" I carried Kenny to the bedroom and set him on the bed.

"But I want to play with my toys" he whined as I put him in the bed and turned on a kids show.

I wiped my face quickly. "You can just... stay here for a little bit okay? I'll come back to get you"

"Okay mama"

I closed the door behind me and walking to the living room where she was sitting on the couch.

I crossed my arms and looked at her. "What are you doing here?"

She sighed and wiped underneath her eyes. "It's getting worse" she said slowly.

"What is?"

"The cancer"

"So you need money?" I sniffed.

"No I'm done fighting this, it's been... a long time" she spoke unbearably slow.

"So what do you want?"

"I want to apologize and I want to introduce you to someone"

"Apologize for what?" I asked assertively.

"For taking your money and leaving you all alone. I got your letters and-" she started crying. "You told how much you needed me, and you didn't care that I took the money you just wanted me to come back. I'm so sorry that I didn't"

She got my letters. She read them and thought nothing of them.

"That is my deepest regret, not being here during all the complications from your pregnancy the- you... almost died and I made it seem like I didn't care... but I did care, I love you"

I looked away from her eyes. They were the saddest things I'd ever seen in my life and I can't see her like that.

"Why did you do it?" My voice cracked.

She shook her head. "I don't know! I was an idiot, I was stupid and I didn't want you to know-"

"Know what?" I cut her off.

She bit her lip and directed her attention to the little boy sitting next to her. "This is Vincent. He is turning six January 1st. Just like you" she gazed at me.

"I don't who this child is" I snapped. "I want to know how you found me and why you are back"

"I'm dying" she said bluntly. "I've probably got less than a year. I'm back because Vincent needs someone to look up too when I'm gone"

"And you want that to be me?"

"Yes"

"Who is this even is this boy?"

"He's your brother"

I felt my heart fall to the pit of my stomach as soon as she said that. My brother? I don't understand.

"How?" I asked not wanting it to be true.

"He came out of me" she said smartly.

"No I know how!" I yelled, frustrated with her. "I mean how, how could he be my brother? Who is his father?"

"Gregory"

"Who is Gregory?" I asked.

"The doctor" I heard Joshua's voice from behind me. I looked at him then at her.

"You had a kid with the doctor?"

"Yes, I didn't want you to know I was pregnant so I took your money and left"

"Where is he?"

"He's just really busy with work and everything, he's not around much"

"You have no one else to turn to and now you need me"

"I do need you"

"Just like how I needed you"

"Yes" she whispered.

"I should leave you the way you left me. Afraid and alone, leaving me to figure out how I was going to make money, and live and eat enough for my baby to live"

She didn't say anything this time.

"This is your finality and dying is your fate" More tears escaped her eyes as I said that.

"So what do you want me to do?" I sighed and wiped the tears from my eyes. "What- you want me to raise him?"

"No, he'll live with his father but I want you to be in his life. I told him so much about you and how great you are"

"How great I am" I scoffed. "I need to think about it"

"When can I see you again?"

"I'll have Joshua call you" I walked out of the living room and into the bathroom. Blowing my nose and rinsing my face off with cold water.

I dried my face and sat on the toilet seat.

How could she expect me to be happy about her coming back and having a child I knew nothing about? Why does she always want me to finish cleaning up her mess?

"Valentina" Joshua knocked on the door and came in.

I focused on staring at the floor, my mind is so flooded with thoughts, doing this helps me stay calm.

He got on his knees and look up at me. "I know this is a lot but I'm here for you"

I smiled at him sadly but then started to cry. He stood up and pulled me with him to hug me tight. I accepted him embrace and hugged him back feeling protected in his muscular arms.

"She always needs something from me, it's not fair" I mumbled.

He didn't say anything he just listened. "And that poor little boy, I can't believe she had a baby"

He rubbed my back and continued to listen.

"I have always been good to her, always. Then she steals from me and leaves me with nothing, I was as good as dead before I started working with Micheal"

He hugged me tighter and wiped my tears. "It's okay, we'll handle this. You're not on your own anymore" he said.