The Wildflower (Completed) (Southern Nights)

Chapter 19

“The Heart of a Wildflower”

2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved

Chapter 19

For both Zeb and Elizabeth, the world seemed to stop for the next several moments in that small Southern Diner.  All time ceased to exist.

Zeb was transfixed by the little boy that looked so much like himself when he was that age.  He had no doubt that this was his son.

Elizabeth pressed her hand to her mouth, and for the first time she glanced between father and son, noticing the same similarities.  Since Brandon’s visit to the hospital she knew that they shared the same eyes, the same hair color … but this- seeing them together now… it was undeniable.

The little boy was the spitting image of his father.  

Nicole’s burning gaze was filled with so much hatred as she stared at Elizabeth.  She had her man.  He hadn’t even been back in town for a full week and she had already sunk her claws into him.

Not for long though. She didn’t raise the tramps brat for nothing.  As soon as Zeb figured out that she was the one who had his son, Nicole knew that she would have him eating out of her hands.  She just had to play her cards right.

She didn’t say a word, just let her glare do the talking.

“That’s him, isn’t it?  That’s our son?”  Zeb finally asked unable to hide the awe in his voice.  He stood up from the table and took a step so that he was standing beside of Elizabeth.

She closed her eyes and sighed.  She couldn’t lie to him; no she wouldn’t lie to him.  He deserved better than that. 

He deserved to know the truth.  “Yes,” she replied in a pain filled whisper, “that’s him. That’s our… your son, I mean.  His name is Brandon.” She forced herself to correct her verbal mistake.  She refused to let herself believe that he was her son because in all truth, he wasn’t.  She gave up her right to be his mother a long time ago.  Nicole was his mother now.  No matter how much she may regret it today, she was the one that signed away her rights all those years ago.

“This is incredible,” Zeb remarked, unable to pull his gaze away from Brandon.   “The resemblance, I mean.  He looks just like I did when I was his age.”

Elizabeth watched Zeb rub his eyes and blink several times as if he couldn’t believe what he was truly seeing in front of him.  Despite her own inner turmoil, she couldn’t stop the small smile at the light that lit up his face.   It was obvious that with just one look that Zeb had already fallen head over heels in love with his son.

The picture that Zeb made was too much for her to handle.  Elizabeth swallowed hard and wrenched her gaze away.  This was killing her.  He would have made a wonderful father.  But by signing away her rights, she took that chance away from him.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder and jumped.  Zeb stood tall beside her and was frowning.

“What exactly do you mean by your son, Elizabeth?  You gave birth to him, you are his mother.”

She started to shake her head.  She didn’t want to get into this right now.  She was not his mother, not anymore. 

Tears burned behind her eyes yet again and she forced them not to fall.  She had certainly reached her emotional quota for the month when it came down to breakdowns and tears.

She picked up a napkin off the table and started to tear it apart into little pieces.  It kept her mind off the tears and helped her focus more on her words. “It means exactly what I said, Zeb.  He is your son.  I signed my rights away years ago.”  Her voice trailed off in a softer tone, a tone that bared all of her insecurities.  “ I won’t let myself forget that.”