Hello there guys!
Advance Merry Christmas!
XOXO!
-Camilla Eldridge
Chapter 11
I walked out of my dormitory in Harvard, my guards were at my back but they did let me walk a little bit far from them.
I brought with me a small bag and three math books, just supplementary books in case we needed to look for some discussions. Ugh. Thank God Math is just for three terms, if it will be more I think I'll die.
When I entered the cafe,Scott was already there. He smiled as I walk towards him, he was wearing a black fitted shirt and shorts.
"Hi" he greeted, his eyes smiled at me too.
"Paris is on her way, but I bet that'll be an hour from now." I chuckled.
Paris is always late, when you said seven that would mean eight. If Scott wasn't with us I'll tell her that we should meet by six so she'll be on time.
"Can we take some appetizers first as we wait?" He gently asked.
I smiled and nodded. "We can chitchat a little too as we wait, Paris will be here for about an hour, sorry for the delay. I just wanted her to hear the basics too, that's important right?"
"Right. Plus the principles. It'll be a great help."
We both ordered brewed coffee and doughnut. "You love coffees?" He asked.
I nodded at him, "I do. Plus I love coffeeshops too, it's like a library, with allowed food." I giggled. Then, out of nowhere, I thought about my conversation with my parents, but then, a suspicion also came out of my mind.
"How did you mom and dad meet again?" I asked.
"They've been together in missions. Mom and dad are a little well off than others, they both love traveling and serving people, so they had that common interest of going out on medical mission." He stated.
"But they weren't really friends, acquaintances maybe, but dad told me mom really liked him way back in Harvard." He smirked. "He's a little arrogant isn't he?"
I smiled at him in answer, maybe that was his common trait with dad?
"Then they fell in love?" I asked. I was a little confuse with it. Based on dad's story, Mark, Scott's dad, was nurturing me when he still did not know mom was pregnant, those were the days he wished he was with mom, but then, Scott and I has almost the same age. How did that happen?
He chuckled a little, his arms over the table, holding each other, coffee and doughnut in front of him. His posture is straight, but not stiff. "Mom and dad's story is not a typical one." He started.
"Mom admitted on having crush on dad, but then, she did not pursue flirting with him. Mom's not attractive as she say, but I don't believe in it."
"She's getting more beautiful the more you stare at her." He said, fascinated with his mom's beauty.
"They had a night together that lead to me."
"It was an unplanned pregnancy, she had always wanted to tell my dad, but when she tries to, she backs out..."
"Because usually, she's seeing my father fascinated to another girl, which was, by the way, dad's crush wayback on Harvard days."
"When she knew she was pregnant, she was not yet showing, she was two months pregnant, and she do not know how to tell dad." He sighed and looked at me who is interestingly listening at him.
He had no idea it was my mom whom he is talking about.
"Then, in a few months, she told dad, not because she wanted to, but because she was forced by her parents to. She will be disowned if she did not tell them who is my father, and she will be disowned if my father will not marry her."
He sighed, and I felt a squeeze on my heart. "So she did what she had to do, she did not want me not to have food to eat, she was about to tell dad about it, but then, she saw him, at his house here in America, he was helping the woman he loves to move in with her..."
Wait. What? "They move in together?" I asked, my eyes were wide. What? I never knew that!
"Almost." He answered.
"Mom needed to tell dad, so even though she knew it'll cause him harm, she still told him she's pregnant with his baby." His eyes turned sad, no anger but pure sadness.
"My father said he will be willing to support her, but then, he became honest with mom, that she does not feel the same."
"Mom did not told me, but I knew she got hurt, but then, she accepted that arrangement, since she was disowned by her parents, for being stubborn, for not telling them who was the father of the baby."
"Daddy gave her shelter, food, money, all material things she needed...but dad waited for the girl he loves."
My hand turned into balls, was I ready to hear his part of the story? Was I ready to reveal him that my mom caused his mom's heartaches? He will hate me right?
I did not knew this side of my parents, and I think, mom too never knew she hated another woman this much. She always told me that she never intentionally tried to hurt anyone, and if she did, she will ask for forgiveness.
No money and power will stop her, she will not be "too proud" and "too high".
"But the woman was already married, and I think that is a great thing, because dad maned up and lived with us."
"But they did not marry immediately. Mom never forced dad to love her. Granny said, she gave him his freedom, she would not ask if he comes home late, even if deep inside she's thinking maybe he is dating another girl..."
"She will always prepare his food, whether he have eaten it or not, mom will continue leaving food on the table..."
"But then, granny said, mom had her limitations too."
"It's been five years and dad did nothing but be civil with her. He loves me, but then, mom cannot conquer his heart..."
He smiled and looked at me, but I had a hard time looking at him, feeling guilty about it.
It was because of me wasn't it? Why he did not had a complete family. I was in fault there right?
"Mom started going out, going on a date, she thought of her happy ending too, she wanted to marry too, although she was being restrained by herself, she was thinking of me, she thinks it will be impossible for another guy to love a child who wasn't theirs."
"But then she gave it a shot, she dated, she found out that she should not be hard on herself, that she can still find another man, that she can be happy and fall in love to a man who will love him the same way."
I held on my tears. I cannot contain it, this story of his life, how his family was incomplete, I cannot contain it. Was his dad still in love with my mom? Did his dad really need to date other girls?
"I remembered one time, maybe I was four or five back then, dad and I was looking over the window to see who was the guy mom dated that night. I saw the man opening mom's door and gave her a kiss on the cheek." He dreamily said.
"Then, mom dated her maybe five, six times? He was the one I can only remember, because we saw him on the grocery store, mom dad and I are together." He shook his head and smiled.
"And I think the man pulled the trigger, that feelings dad have in him, that he needed to take possession of what is his, and so he impregnated mom the second time around, then married her."
My eyes grew wide in shock. Wait... What?
"Now they are happy together, happy with us and my siblings, it's been a tough start but it ended good." He proudly said.
My mouth fell, his parent's did not go apart? They are still together?
"Are you saying that your a happy family now?"
He smiled and nodded. "One big happy family."
Oh no. I thought... "Any problem?" He asked, maybe he read my expression.
"I-I have something to tell you." I breathed hard.
I do not know if he hates mom, but if that's the case, maybe we should not be friends? Maybe, he needed to space out.
Too bad. I've been seeing Scott as a great friend.
"What is it Valerie?" He worriedly asked.
"The w-woman in your story." I stuttered, bye Scott, it was a great friendship.
"S-she's my mom."
His eyes grew wide in shock, he did not say anything, and that was enough for me to presume he did not like it.
"Sor--"
"Wow!" He exclaimed, with a smile on his face. "It's a small world!" He said.
There was a pasted grin on his face, amazed by the fact I just revealed.
"A-are you not angry?" I asked.
He frowned. "Why would I? Do you know that you mom helped my dad realized what he has been missing?"
I frowned. What is he saying?
He was smiling from ear to ear, "The man my mom dated is a distant relative of your mom, she asked him to date her, make dad jealous. She was guilty after she knew that dad would not marry mom even if he can."
"So she played tricks and it worked! Dad realized he is in love with mom. He had no worries with the other guys since mom would see them once then never again." He smiled.
I smiled too and felt relieved. I thought he had an unhappy life, but then, it only had a twist at the beginning before their happily ever after.
"You're mom is an angel, just like you." I blushed and looked away.
I never really know how to deal with compliments.
"That explained why you're uneasy while I was telling my story wasn't I?"
I smiled and nodded. No sense in lying. "I thought we ruined your family. That's not nice."
"Never. Your mom, which I was asking them who was, that was apparently the wife of the uncrowned prince of France, had been nothing but a great help to build our family. Thanks to her."
I smiled proudly, it was what my dad said too, that mom build him, that mom made her a better man.
"Oh sorry I'm late!" Paris came out of nowhere.
We both smiled and chuckled.
"Do I have something on my face?" She asked.
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Team Scott? :D