Thanks for reading and staying with this story, especially those who started when I first uploaded. I realized I started this story more than a year ago and it should be done before the summer ends. Thanks for the comments/reads/votes and my new readers and fans :). Now enjoy!
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“Yes, today.” Danny responds.
“Okay, son. I’ll call her.”
“Do you want her to come here or do you want to meet somewhere else?”
“Can we go for ice cream?”
“Danny, you always want ice cream.” Seth says in a soft tone. “Well see because you’ve been eating too many sweets lately. My son has too much of a sweet tooth.”
“Danny, do you want to spend some time with her alone?” Karla asks.
“You can, it doesn’t make us feel bad if you do want to get to know her better.” Seth adds.
Danny turns to look at both at them before answering yes. He also gives them a hug.
Scarlett is at the door, she takes a breath before ringing the doorbell. Seth told her not to be nervous that Danny wants to meet her as his biological mother and that he wants to spend some alone time with her.
“Dad, no, I want to answer the door.” Danny says getting up.
“Okay, Danny, but don’t walk out without shoes.”
“Yes, dad.”
She hears the “yes, dad” and tries to smile. She tells herself that there shouldn’t be any difference between her and Danny. They have enjoyed their time together.
“Hi, Scarlett!” Danny greets her.
“Hi, Danny.”
“Come inside. I have to put my shoes on.”
She walks into the living room to wait for him while Danny goes to his room for his shoes. Seth and Karla greet her.
“So where are you taking him, Scarlett?” Seth asks.
“What are his favorite places? I know he loves going to the park.”
“Hmm, you can take him to the movies and dinner and of course ice cream. He loves it.” Karla suggests.
“Yes, that would be a good idea.” Seth adds.
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
“I’m ready Scarlett.” Danny announces as he comes into the living room.
“Danny, do you want to go to the movies, then dinner, and of course ice cream for dessert?”
“Yes!”
“Let’s go then.”
“See you later dad and aunt Karla.”
“Take care.” Seth says.
“Have fun.” Karla adds.
Danny holds her hand as they walk to the theater, which surprises Scarlett. They have a few minutes before the movie starts.
“Danny, so you know I’m your biological mother. How do you feel about that?”
“Yes, my dad told me. I think you’re a nice person. My dad said that you’re not taking me away from him and that you care for me.”
“Yes, I’m not going to and I do love you. I want you to be happy. I do want to be there when you need me.”
“I am happy, Scarlett and okay, so are you going to visit me a lot?”
“Yes, as much as I can. We can also talk over the phone.”
“Okay and Scarlett?”
“Yes?”
“What do you think of my dad and Nate?”
Scarlett smiles, “I think they love each other. Do you like them together?”
“Yes, my dad is happier with him.”
I wonder what he would think of Nate living with them instead of just visiting.“Danny, would you like if Nate lived with you both?”
“Yes, that would be cool.”
“Yes, I think that would be cool too. The movie is about to start, so after the movie, where do you want to go eat?”
“Hmm, what’s your favorite place? I want to go there.”
“I love french friends, do you want to go to Cane’s?”
“Yes, I like going there.”
“Okay, that’s where we’ll go.”
They go to dinner and spend the time getting to know each other. Scarlett learns that they share some of their dislikes. They don’t like cauliflower, but do like broccoli and carrots. They both of course love sweets. Danny also likes spicy food and candy while she doesn’t. She remembers his father likes spicy food and was always trying to get her to eat it.
“Scarlett, who is my father?”
The question takes Scarlett by surprise. She’s not sure if she should or how much information she should tell him.
“Hmm, he is a bit older than I am. He is intelligent, funny, and caring.” She’s conscious she didn’t really answer his question.
She hopes to distract him from actually giving him his father’s name.
“Do you talk to him?”
“Not really. Why are you asking?”
“I’m wondering if I’m going to meet him.”
“Do you want to meet him?”
“Only if he wants to.”
“Okay, we’ll see. I’ll talk to your dad and see if we can get in contact with biological dad and then well see, okay?”
“Yes.”
They enjoy the rest of the evening and Scarlett is happy that Danny didn’t change his behavior towards her now with the knowledge that she is his biological mother. She wonders if he’ll eventually ask why she gave him up, but for now she won’t worry about it. She knows one day she will tell him the whole truth and hopes that he’ll understand.
“How do you think Danny and Scarlett are doing?” Seth asks.
“They will be fine.” Karla reassures.
“Besides we’re supposed to be having fun. Stop worrying.” Nate states. “Let’s go, put your shoes on. We’re going for a ride. Karla do you want to come?”
“No, I’m meeting with our friends.”
“Okay.”
Nate takes them to the treehouse. He thinks being away will take Seth’s mind off his worries.
“The treehouse.” Seth states with a smile.
“Yes, let’s go love. I’ll race you.”
“Really?” Seth shakes his head.
“Yes!” Nate yells over his shoulder as he takes off in a jog.
Seth almost catches him. They both climb up and Seth sees a picnic basket in the middle of the house.
“When did you bring the basket?”
“I didn’t. I asked the family if they could bring it up, and fortunately, they said yes.”
“Lucky you. They are really nice for letting you use the treehouse whenever you want.”
“Yes, they are kind people. They have little kids, so sometimes I just come to play with them too.”
“You do enjoy kids.”
Nate smiles. “Come sit over here and let’s see what they packed for us.” He says while taking out the contents.
“So what else are we going to do to pass our time here?” Seth asks.
“Well, we’ll think of something.” Nate winks.
***
“Seth, I called Danny’s biological father and he agreed to a meeting. The meeting is set for this weekend. I didn’t know if you wanted to meet in person. I didn’t want to tell him this kind of information on the phone either.” Scarlett says.
“Yes, I want to meet him in person.”
“Also, I have to tell you that Danny asked about him and he said he would like to meet him in if he wants to.”
“Yes, I had a feeling he would ask. Do you think it will be too overwhelming for all of us to show up?”
“It might, but it’s best if we all do.” Nate says. “It’s best to just lay it all out at once than piece by piece.”
“Scarlett can you tell us how Kaiden used to be?” Seth asks.
“Yes...we’ll first of all I was surprised that he agreed to meet because I went to the his house and told his parents about what had happened. It looked like a business party, so I don’t know how he’ll behave.”
They nod.
“How old was he, Scarlett?” Nate asks. She’s never wanted to tell me maybe she will now.
“He should now be twenty-four years old.”
So that made him eighteen years old. Nate concludes. “You were underage Scarlett! It could have turned legal…” Nate says. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Nate calm down.” Seth grabs Nate’s hand.
“I didn’t think of it…I knew what I was doing.”
“Nate, it’s in the past. We can’t do anything about it anymore.” Karla intervenes.
Nate takes a deep breath before responding. “I know. I’m sorry, Scarlett. Go on.”
“Well, he was a senior while I was a sophomore like you all know. When he took an interest in me I already liked him. It didn’t take long for him to ask me out and I said yes. He was a good student academically, funny, and social, so I never thought he would react the way he did. He would always help anyone who needed help, but I guess when it came to anyone ruining his perfect plan after high school, he didn’t. He told me he wasn’t going to take care of the baby or me; needless to say he broke up with me. After that I didn’t talk to him until I went to his house that day and ruined their party. He didn’t know I had the baby.”
“Scarlett are you going to be fine facing him?” Nate asks.
“Yes, besides I have to.”
“Okay, so we’ll meet him this weekend.” Seth states.
When Saturday arrives, they arrived at the coffee shop with time to spare. The wanted to make they would be there before Kaiden showed up. They all sit waiting for Kaiden to show up. They chose to sit in a conner table. Seth and Nate sit next to each other followed by Karla and Scarlett. They have ordered their drinks. Scarlett is playing with the sugar packets, Seth is taking sips of his coffee, Karla is scrolling through her phone to pass the time, and Nate has placed his hand on Seth’s knee. There are five minutes left now to the hour.
“Was he punctual, Scarlett?” Seth asks.
“Yes, he tended to be, so he should be here any minute now. And I’ll make the introductions.”
“Okay.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know what he does now?”
“No.”
“Seth, take a deep breath and maybe put the coffee down for a bit.” Nate suggests.
Seth follows his suggestion. It helps him calm himself a little bit.
Here he comes. Scarlett thinks as he sees him walk through the door. He hasn’t changed much. She waves her hand to grab his attention.
Seeing her, he heads to the table. Who are these people? She didn’t say anything about having an audience!
“Hello Scarlett.” Kaiden greets her.
“Hello Kaiden. Do you first want to grab a coffee and then come join us?”
“Yes, I’ll be right back.”
Well, at least he didn’t run out the door. Seth thinks.
What should I expect? How are those people related to whatever she wants to talk about, well, I know what she wants to talk about or more like who. Kaiden thinks.
He walks back to the table and takes a seat. He turns to look around the table. When he sees Nate he wonders if he is related to Scarlett, but the other people he concludes must be friends.
“Kaiden, let me tell you who everyone is, Seth, Nate, he’s my brother--”
Her brother.
“--and she is Karla, a friend. Seth, Nate, and Karla meet Kaiden.”
He nods to each of them.
“How are you?”
“I’m well.” He replies hesitantly.
“What have you been doing all this time?”
“I graduated college and now I work at my father’s company.”
“So what you always planned.” Scarlett tries to say in a neutral tone.
“Yes.” He answers barely above a whisper.
“Well, I have to say that I am surprised that you accepted to meet.”
“Yes, I’m surprised you called and belief it or not I do care about you.”
“Sure, well, the news I have are not light; the reason why I wanted to meet in person.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure you’re also wondering why they are here.”
“Yes.”
“They all are important in the news I want to share.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“I don’t want you interrupting until I’m done.”
“Okay.”
“Everything I’m about to tell you is concerning our son, who I gave up as a newborn. Recently, I learned who he is. It was a twist of life. My brother met Seth when Seth enrolled his son in soccer, which my brother coaches. Well, they later began dating and when at last Seth visited Nate’s house he saw my photo and asked about me. He then shared with Nate how he came to adopt his son; they came to the same conclusion that I am his mother. This they told me when I came home from college. He is unselfish because he asked me if I wanted to take a DNA test, so that if it turned out positive then I could have the opportunity to be in his son’s life as his biological mother. I said yes. In the meantime, I got to know him a bit as I spent time with them as Nate’s sister. He’s a great kid. He was adopted as a newborn by Seth and he’s grown up with him and Karla as his aunt, who is like his mother. His name is Danny. If you remember, he’s six years old now.”
How can I forget? I’ve never forgotten. He looks young to be raising a child that age. Kaiden nods his head in acknowledgement.
“They’ve done a great job raising him. I couldn’t have asked for a better family. He’s mature for his age, he’s caring, athletic, and intelligent.
Those are good qualities; some from his mother.
“The DNA test came out positive. He knows who I am.”
He does. “He does?” Kaiden asks.
Scarlett gives him a look that has him closing his mouth.
“Yes like I said Seth wants me in Danny’s life as his biological mother if it happened to come out positive. He’s unselfish for giving me the opportunity after I gave him up even if I have been searching for my son. He talked to Danny--he never lied to him. Danny has known all his life that he had been adopted.”
Seeing the question on Kaiden’s face, Seth says, “yes, he has known. We’ve also shown him how family doesn’t always have to be blood related, but what binds people together is love.”
Kaiden turns to Seth and he can see the fierceness of his belief. He has to give him credit for raising his child after he abandoned him and Scarlett. He had never taken the time to find out what had happened.
“When I officially introduced myself as his mother, he asked if I kept in contact with you. I told him that I hadn’t really. When I asked him why, he said that he would like to meet you if you want to.” Scarlett says.
He wants to meet me? No, I can’t.
“If you want me to meet him and be part of his life I have no objection to it.” Seth says. “I do have to say that I don’t want you hurting him. Like Scarlett said he understands more than what normally six year olds do. He will accept you, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Why would he want Danny’s biological parents in his child’s life at his age?Most wouldn’t want them.
“You are wondering why he would want Danny’s biological parents in Danny’s life.” Scarlett states.
Kaiden nods.
Scarlett looks at Seth.
“I too was adopted. I was fortunate to have loving parents, but it took me so long to want to contact my biological parents. I should have contacted them earlier. I knew that they wanted to form a relationship with me because they left their contact information at the orphanage, but I had always been afraid to do so for a reason or another. I don’t want Danny going through the same wondering why his parents gave him for adoption or waiting so many years to form a relationship when it can happen now if they are willing to form a relationship with him.”
“Seth told Danny that we gave him up for adoption because we were too young and we wanted the best for him. I haven’t told him otherwise because it’s partially true on my part. It’s just the way that I gave him up wasn’t the best.”
Kaiden gives her a questioning look.
“I won’t tell you about that today. The question today is do you want to meet him?”
Kaiden nods his head as he answers, “no,” maintaining a blank expression.
Scarlett angrily and disappointed questions, “why not?”
“I just don’t.” I can’t face him when I abandoned him. I didn’t even know if he really existed until a few days ago.
“After all I thought--” Scarlett starts to say.
Kaiden interrupts, “I’m happy that he has a loving family and that you now know who your child is--”
My child! Scarlett thinks. He’s our child even when I say ‘my child.’
“--and what kind of family he has, but I just can’t be part of his life.” He grabs his cup and stands up to go. I have no right to be in his life.
“Kaiden, why can’t you be unselfish for once?” Scarlett snaps.
“I just don’t want to. Why can’t you just accept it?” He replies as he tries to keep a blank expression: he walks off. I have no right. I don’t want to disappoint him.
Kaiden expression wavers and Seth is able to catch a glimpse before it goes back to a blank expression. He stands up to follow him.
“Hey, where are you going?” Nate questions.
“To talk to him.”
He leaves them there while he goes after Kaiden. He just barely catches a glimpse of Kaiden getting into his car. Fortunately, Kaiden doesn’t start the car, he just gets in and seats there processing everything he just learned.
So she did have the baby. I never knew because I made every attempt to avoid her and she never attended any social events after she told me she was pregnant and I told her I wasn’t taking care of them. I even called the child an it when I should have said baby. How did she go through the pregnancy? How did she give him up for adoption? Something happened, but what?
Seth walks up to the car and finds him with his head on the steering wheel. He doesn’t know exactly why he followed him when he said that he doesn’t want to be in Danny’s life, but he saw his expression waver. He knocks on the window.
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Thanks for reading :)!