"Hello Jason." Lauren said with a nervous twitch. She looked as if she was on the verge of tears.
Jason then noticed the woman with her. A scowling woman who looked as if she wanted to tear him limb from limb. He felt uncomfortable under her heavy gaze but tried to ignore it as he said "Let's sit down." He then sat down and the two women joined him.
"This is my friend Tina." Lauren said introducing the angry woman.
"I'm here to make sure that Lauren is not taken advantage of." Tina said with a snarl.
"I see." Jason said. "I also have a friend who is very concerned with my rights as well and me not being taken advantage of." He then looked at Lauren. "You remember Turner Kirk right."
"Yes." She said managing a smile. "Yes I do." A look of fondness for their old friend filled her eyes. "How is Turner?"
"He's fine." Jason said. "He's a lawyer." The smile that was adorning her face quickly vanished and was replaced with a frown. Fear welled up inside of her as Jason said "He specializes in family law."
Tina was quick to jump in. "Are you threatening her?" She shot invisible daggers at him.
"I am not threatening anyone." Jason said. "I'm just saying that I have a friend who is looking out for my interests as you are looking out Lauren's." He then looked at Lauren. "And I hope that we can come to some arrangement without having to bring lawyers into it."
Lauren gulped as she said "What do you want?" John she thought. He want John. He wants to take my baby from me. Her body began to shake and a deluge of tears were about to break forth only Tina to grab her hand. She could feel her old friend's strength transfer to her, filling her, steeling her.
"First off I want to know what is going on with John?" Jason said. "One moment he is talking to my nephews, talking to me, excited about speaking with John and the next he is not answering phone calls or texts."
"Perhaps you should take a hint." Tina said. "Obviously he wants nothing to do with you and your family."
Jason shot her a skeptical look. "And his social media has gone silent which is very odd according to my nephews. They said that John posts regularly on Facebook and Instagram but hasn't posted anything since before I spoke with him."
"As I said take the hint." Tina said.
"I grounded him." Lauren said. Jason had a look across his face that said that is what I thought. "He went behind my back so I took his phone and computer."
"You grounded him." Jason said with ire in his voice. "For contacting me."
"Yes." She replied and he could see shame ripple across her face.
"How could you do something like that." Jason said in dismay. "How could you punish him for talking to his father."
"She does not have to explain herself to you." Tina looked as if she was about to vault over the table and scratch his eyes out. "John is her son and if she wants to ground to him for disobeying her that her business and not yours."
"He is my son too." Jason said forcefully.
"Yeah but she has been the one has been raising him for the past fifteen year not you." Tina said.
"Not by my choice." Jason said with hurt in his voice, hurt that came from deep within his soul. "If I had known." His voice trembled. Lauren could see that he too was fighting back tears. But unfortunately for him he did not have a friend to borrow strength from. He was alone, alone in this battle for his son. "If I had know he existed I would have been there for him these past fifteen years."
Tina did not seemed moved by his speech. She just looked at him with cold indifference. He was certain a cruel smirk would erupt from her face at any moment.
Jason began to wonder if this Tina was related to Cynyhia.
"But now that I know about him." Jason said maintaining his composure. "I intend to be there for him."
"That's the thing Jason." Lauren struggled to say. "I think it would be best for everyone concerned if you did not see John."
"Really now."
"Yes really." Tina said.
"Not going to happen." Jason said firmly. "I did not drive all the way out to Virginia to be told I can't see my son and then to go home with my tail between my legs." He said becoming flustered.
Lauren seemed to shrink before him as her resolve quickly drained from.
"Is there a problem here?" A burly man with thick beard asked. He shot Jason an evil look.
"Yes." Tina said. "This man is harassing us...."
"No he's not." Lauren spoke up.
"Yes he...."
"No he is not." Lauren said cutting her off again. She then looked at brown eyed man wearing a silver tag that read manager. "Its okay."
"If you say so." He said giving Jason a wary look.
"I say so."
"I'll be over there if you need me." He motioned towards the counter area.
"Thank you." Tina said.
He then gave Jason a warning look and then returned to the counter.
"Try to control yourself." Tina said.
She's trying to provoke a response he thought don't give her the satisfaction.
He ignored her and looked at Lauren. "As I was saying John is my son and I want to have a relationship with him."
"And we are saying no." Tina said.
"Are you saying no Lauren?" He asked. Come on Lauren don't do this he thought. Don't let this obviously angry person control. You are better than this, I know deep down you are better than this.
"I'm sorry Jason." Lauren said.
"Don't be sorry." Tina said. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
Lauren put her hand up and said "Please stop." Tina closed her mouth and Lauren lowered her hand. "As I was saying I'm sorry Jason but it is for the best if you and John have nothing to do with each other."
"I have a feeling our son would disagree."
"Yes, yes he would." Lauren said. "But he is a child and he does not know what is best for him. But as his mother I do."
"As his father I disagree." Jason said.
"Well you don't get a say." Tina said. "She carried him, she gave birth to him, she raised him for fifteen years and you didn't."
Jason was really getting tired of this woman. "Is that your final answer."
"I'm afraid so." Lauren said. "I'm sorry Jason, I really am."
"I'm sorry too." Jason then pulled his phone out and brought up his contact list.
"What are you doing?" Tina asked. Jason said nothing he just scrolled down until he came to a name and selected it. "I said what are you doing!" Tina yelled again.
This time it brought the manager over with two employees in tow. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave now." He said to Jason.
"Don't worry I am going." Jason then stood up. "Hello Turner." He said and Lauren's face went ashen. "Unfortunately my meeting with Lauren did not go well so it looks like we will have to go court."
"Jason please don't."
"Yes I will be suing for full custody." Jason said.
"You son of a bitch." Tina snapped.
"Jason don't do this." Lauren said as tears leaked from eyes.
"You left me no choice." Jason said.
"You better get out of here." The enraged manager said.
"I'll see you in court." Jason then turned to walk out.
"No please don't go." Lauren said jumped to her feet. She then rushed from the dinner with Tina behind her calling his name. "I'll let you see him!" She exclaimed. Jason then turned back around and looked at her.
"What!" Tina said in shock causing heads to turn towards them once again. "Are you crazy!" She said louder. Patrons in the shopping center were now looking at her.
"Please keep your voice down." Lauren said embarrassed.
"Yes Tina control yourself." Her eyes pleased with her calm down.
She scowled once again and then said to Lauren in a much softer tone. "Are you sure"
"Yes." No she thought. No I am not. "I can see how much Jason wants to be a part of his life. Almost as much John wants to be a part of his" Tina rolled her eyes. "And I can't in good conscience stand in their any longer.
And I can't let this go court Lauren thought. If this went to court he may learn the truth about what I did. And again I can let that happen.
"Sterling was right." Lauren said. "This is not a battle that I can win."
Jason wanted to ask who Sterling was but decided that was not important. But he was grateful to him whoever he was.
"Sterling is an idiot."
"No he isn't." Lauren said. "And he was right."
Tina looked as if she was going to argue with her but then relented. "Fine you can see him."
"Thank you for giving me permission to see my own son." Jason sarcastically said.
"If I had my way you would never see him." Tina told him.
"Fortunately you don't get a say." Jason shot at her.
Tina blinked at her words being thrown back at her. She quickly recovered and said "But you only see him one weekend a month here in Virginia and none of your other family members can have contact with him."
"I am not doing do that." Jason then said to Lauren. "Lauren can we talk privately." He emphasized the word privately.
"No." Tina said.
"Yes." Lauren said to her astonishment.
"Lauren I am not going to leave you with this man." Tina said.
"Yes you are." Lauren said. "I appreciate you trying to help but this really between Jason and I. "She should have never been here in the first place Jason. "Please go wait in the car."
"Fine." Tina said. "But don't come crying to me when he has taken advantage of her."
"The only one trying to take advantage of people is you." Jason said.
"No I was trying to protect my friend." Tina said. "Protect her from an evil man who wants to rip her child from arms." She then stormed off in the direction of the car.
"She is a real piece of work." Jason shook his head.
"She means well." Laruen said.
"If you say so." Jason watched as she got in her car and once again he feel at her eyes boring into him. "Can we sit down and talk?" Jason asked. "Really talk now?"
"Yes." Lauren's face turned a slight red.
Jason looked at the diner and saw the manager's scowling form standing at the door. His eyes challenging him to try to the diner. "Okay let's not go in there." He then eyed a coffee shop a couple of stores down. "Let's go there."
A few minutes later they were sat down in the coffee shop and the bastista placed two coffees in front of the. They had sat silent while they waited for their just awkwardly looking at each and then not at each other. Jason then broke the silence as he said "I have so many questions."
"Ask away." Lauren said as her body tensed.
"Okay." He took a sip of his coffee. "Why didn't you tell me about him?"
" A lot of reasons I guess." She said with guilt etched in her voice.
"Tell me them." Jason said.
"Cynthia for one." Lauren said.
"Cynthia." He said with disdain in his voice. "What does she have to do with?"
"Everything." Lauren said. "I had caused her enough pain by sleeping with her husband and the last thing I wanted to do was cause her more pain but showing up with your affair baby."
"So you choose to cause me pain instead by keeping him from me all these years." Jason said with anger in his voice. "Cause our son pain by not allowing him to see his father, his grandparents, his siblings."
"You were never suppose to know about him." Lauren said. "My plan was for you to be blissfully ignorant of his existence."
"Then why pray tell did you tell John about me." Jason said. "Why didn't you make up some other guy and tell him that he was his father."
"I didn't." Lauren said. "My mother did."
"Your mother did?"
"She told him when he was ten." Lauren said. "She said that he had a right to know."
"I always liked your mother." Jason said.
"And she always liked you." Lauren told him. "She wanted me to tell you." She then sniffed. "My father wanted me to tell you."
"But you didn't."
"No I didn't."
"And why not." Jason said forcefully. "And don't say you were worried about Cynthia." He gave her a skeptical look. "If you had truly been worried about her feelings you would not have slept with her husband."
"And if you cared about her feelings you would not have slept with me."
"Touche." He said a bit embarrassed. "We were both at fault for that."
"Yes we were."
"But that was no reason to keep my son from me."
"No it wasn't." She as the guilt continued to eat away at her. "But I guess I did it because I wanted him in my life. I did not want to be sending him to Maryland to stay with you for weeks or months at a time, to have him alternating holidays. I wanted him all to myself."
"Well that is not your decision anymore." Jason said.
"I know." Lauren began to tear up again. "Please don't take him away from me."
"I don't want to take him away from you." Jason said. "But I want him to be a part of my life."
"I know."
"And I want to see me my son."
An odd look then crossed her face. "You can see him right now."
"Okay let's go see him."
"No I mean right now." She then motioned behind him. Jason turned to see John standing at the door. Jason rose to his feet as the boy hurried towards him. He then wrapped his arms him around and hugged him tightly.
Tears continued to flow down her cheeks as she watched her world crumble around her.