Last Desire

Chapter Twenty One

I'd finished making breakfast and Alar was helping me set up the table. At this point, my braids has loosened and a few of my baby hairs were sticking out. Pancakes, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, Nutella bread, and maple syrup on the kitchen table. Looking at Luna, I gestured for her to come to the table and eat; Vik followed behind her along with a jumping Aleera behind him. 

"Mommy I brush my teeth!" She exclaimed throwing her hands in the air and smiling proudly. I giggled softly, "Good job, Aleera!" I gave her a high five and helped her up onto the cushion white and black chairs.  

Breakfast was mostly silent, no one spoke to each other unless it was to ask for the maple syrup to be passed over. I could've sworn I saw Alar and Vik giving each other these weird looks from across the table, but, I didn't see it clearly happening; I was too busy feeding Aleera and trying to eat at the same time. 

Luna cleared her throat as she ate the last strawberry on her plate. " I was thinking that because it's not too sunny and not too cold, that I could take Aleera to the park. What do you say, Aleera? Are you up for it?" I smiled at the kind thought and gesture. Aleera seemed overwhelmed with happiness, "Yay Aunty Luna! Let's go!" Aleera plopped off of her seat and ran towards Luna who grabbed her phone from beside her plate. 

I heard a man's voice speak up, "The park sounds nice right about now. I'll tag along." Aleera was practically jumping with excitement at this point, "Uncle Alar!!" Her head only reached up to a little higher than his knees as she hugged him around his legs. Getting up from the table, I stacked the empty plates on top of each other, placed them in the sink and washed my hands. Luna and Alar had just left; leaving me and Vik alone. 

"Juliet," A deep and raspy voice spoke. It was obviously Vik, but, I was too afraid to look at him; I couldn't bring myself to. He muttered a quick God-give-me-strength under his breath before speaking again. "I've been in a conflict with myself lately, and I really needed you to confirm something for me." I froze. 

"U-uh, yeah of course, what'd you need to confirm?" I asked, trying my best to hide the fact that my voice was shaking and my hands were trembling. I looked at the ground in silence, waiting for Vik to say something. 

"Last night.. You said that Aleera was my child. Is it true?" 

My eyes shot up in shock and they widened as I tried to fix my gaze onto Vik. 

"I don't understand why I've begun to find my peace and solace with you. It's like, all this time, all I've needed is you. You're medication and I'm the illness. From the time I saw you and Aleera, I've always thought that I know you from somewhere and that Aleera looks too much like me to be true. Is she our  child?"

 I was frightened. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to say anything. I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again. "Sh- She is. Aleera is our child." Vik's face seemed to go into shock. His lips parted and his eyes began to become glossy and wet. He clenched his fists and his voice came out harsher, "Why the fuck didn't you tell me?" 

I looked at him in awe until his gaze met my gaze again. "If she's my kid, I should know, don't you think?! I missed out on three full years of Aleera's growing up! How the hell did you think it was okay to hide all this shit from me?!" I was annoyed. Who the hell did he think he was. Taking a deep breath, I cut him off before he could start saying anything else. 

"Vik I don't think you get it. I went to that same Starbucks for months once I found out. I printed posters and published articles in the damn newspapers but, no! You didn't show up even then. I gave birth without any damn support! Did you really think that you could show up and try to declare your so-called rights on Aleera now?! News-fucking-flash, you can't!" That was the breaking point of my patience. He sneered as he looked at me. "Do you think this is a game, Vik?! It's not! It's reality!"