"Can someone remind me why we're here?" Lee said, looking around the table.
The man didn't understand why his ex-wife and her wife constantly forced happening events involving Sana and him.
"We haven't seen each other since Christmas and Sana has moved to London. I thought we could catch up," Camile said.
The explanation still didn't make sense to Lee, but then againㅡSana looked at him. Some would say Lee should think himself lucky; few people had great relationships with their Ex and new beau.
Lee had to deal with Camille's belle, which wasn't evident.
Janet represented rival and parasite for a long time. It was still tricky to see the woman as an eventual friend.
Lee wished Sana could be plain bitchy and refuse the invitation sometimes.
Why was Sana so polite anyway?
Wasn't she on his side?
Sana smiled as though she heard and squeezed his hand under the table.
They were at the Harp bar at Covent garden to celebrate Sana's move. They ordered beers and sat at a table for four. The bar was one of Londons' must-drink-in pubs.
Lee sighed; all Sana wanted was for peace and harmony to reign.
"Camille will always be Dylans' mother, Lee. I know and respect that. I can't take her place, nor can I be the instigator of more tension," Sana said before they left for the bar.
"You could. I wouldn't blame you."
"But I won't do anything for Dylan and you. Neither of you needs more drama. Wasn't the last three years enough for you?"
Sana was right. There was no need.
It took Lee a while to assimilate the situation, which worked in phases:
- Betrayal
- Murderous intent.
- Hatred and wish to hurt.
- Self-loathing and want to torch the universe.
- Resolve never to love again.
- Content in spitefulness.
- Selfishness
And then Sana came along.
- Torturing the stress outlet.
- Making the stress outlet the only focus.
- Want to see the stress outlet.
- Falling for the stress outlet.
- Messing things up again.
- Recognizing being in love. The stress outlet has a name.
- Accepting defeat and getting over the Ex-wife.
- Healing.
Yes, Lee went through it, and new challenges appeared on his list as the next piece proved.
"How's work, Sana?" Janet asked.
"I was a bit lost at first, but Olaf reassured me. I've still got a whole bunch of stuff to learn. It's so fast-paced. I feel some are frustrated by my slow rhythm."
Challenge 1: A Lover surrounded by youthful men at work. Lee had to control his jealousy. He decided only to ask if Sana had a good day and hoped she would reply by a simple yes or no. When she did that, Lee found himself following up with another question, then Sana supplied a hefty dose of Olaf-did-or-said.
"Do you like it, though?" Janet asked as the waiter posed their drinks. She knew how thrilled Olaf was to have Sana on his team, and she also had an idea of his motives.
"Yes, but I think I might change if there's another opportunity," Sana glanced at Lee as she replied, "I took the job because I didn't have many options. I wanted to move in with Lee as quickly as possible."
Sana loved Lee and did things in accordance. The man knew it and shone himself for his constant jealousy trip.
But, the Leo's feelings scorched. The man was incapable of controlling his emotions when love was involved. The trauma of being cheated on remained anchored.
"How are two since the New Year?" Sana asked to change the subject.
Camille glanced at her wife before saying, "ㅡwell, we want to have a baby?"
Lee widened his eyes as he gulped his lager while Sana expressed all her enthusiasm.
Of course, Sana didn't think of all it implied.
To everyone's surprise, Lee remained silent. The man knew better than to bring his bollocks theories on the table.
Camille sought a reaction within his expression and saw none.
"Have you told Dylan?" Was the first thing Lee said after a few minutes.
"He knows we want children," Camile replied.
"Is he okay with it?" Lee asked.
"Heㅡ," Janet began but got cut off.
"What am I saying? You'll probably go ahead with it no matter what. It's all about you first, anyway."
"Lee," Sana exclaimed and gave Camille an apologetic stare.
"What, Sana? Look at them. They don't care. They're selfish as fuck."
"Here we go," Janet said and leaned back on her seat, ready to take Lee's wave of words.
Lee leaned forward, "what? Can't I express my concern for my son? Don't you think we've done enough damage already to his psyché?"
"Lee, please tell me in what our decision to have a child is traumatizing?" Janet asked.
Lee sighed. He knew no one would side with him or try to see things from his perspective, "so you're going to adopt?"
The women exchanged glances. "ㅡeh no, we want to do it in vitro," Camille replied.
Lee threw his hands in the air, "even better. You won't let a dick you know inside you, but you're willing to pay sperm cells from a stranger's bollocks."
Lee's words didn't shock anyone. None expected the man to welcome the idea with open arms.
"The donor won't be a stranger. We're asking men we know," Janet said.
"Yeah, who?" Lee asked.
Sana didn't like the conversation's turn, but she didn't know how to stop it.
"They were all at the Christmas dinner," Janet answered.
"Bloody hell, you want one of those pricks to be your child's father." Lee chuckled; none of the men present were worthy of such a task. He hated the whole thing, but the women deserved better than the men he saw that night.
"They won't be the child's father. They'll just donate, Lee."
Lee scratched his forehead. The women lacked clarity in his opinion, "Oh come on, you know them. They'll obviously be part of the kid's life."
"Lee, why are you so mad?"
The man turned to look at Sana. He had almost forgotten she was there.
"Sana, these two banshees don't give a damn about anything and anyone other than their fanny licking shelves. Do you really think they told Dylan their plan? My lad is going to find himself with one of the idiots we saw snooping around their house for the next eighteen years minimum."
"Lee, it's their choice and business," Sana leaned to whisper, "all that matters is Dylan. It has nothing to do with you or us."
Sana was right. The choice was there's what should he care, but Lee cared.
He recalled how Camille refused to have another child with him.
"Do you see me being pregnant again at forty? Gosh, diapers, chickenpox, toothaches, oh my never again."
Yet there Camille was ready to do it again, and what enraged Lee wasn't the idea, but why she wanted a child.
Janet.
One gaze at the woman who looked in her wife's direction was enough to know Camille did it for Janet. She loved her that much, and Lee couldn't tame the unwarranted sentiment of jealousy he experienced.
At the time, Camille felt uneasy. A second child with the man meant having a lot of sex with Lee. The concept didn't sit well with the woman. Again, she didn't know why it disgusted her, or she pretended not to know.
The Asian woman didn't want to admit and accept this part of herself rejected by many members of her family.
Lee's reaction was legit to a certain extent. Janet also acknowledged it. Thus she and Camile let the man express himself.
"Tell Dylan the truth. Tell him how you plan to conceive this child."
The evening that started well ended on a bitter note.
"I'm sorry about this, Sana. I didn't want the outing to end like this," Janet said as they walked to the bar's entrance.
"It's okay. Lee will calm down."
Camille walked behind and beside the man, "Lee, Iㅡ."
"Just shut your trap, will you."