"Fine, go hang out with your friends and totally ignore your girlfriend."
"I'm not ignoring you, dammit, I just want to hang out with the guys today."
"You hang out with the guys every day, when are you going to start putting me first?"
"What the hell do you mean every day? We haven't even been dating long enough for there to be an 'every day'. I just want to hang out with my friends for a bit. Stop being so over dramatic about it."
"Go ahead, I don't give a damn. Hang out with your dumbass friends and don't call me when they land you in jail."
"Listen, Kate, I don't care if we are dating, you do not insult my friends. They're like brothers to me and if you can't understand that then we probably shouldn't be dating."
"Are you breaking up with me?"
"I'm saying it's that or stop your bitching."
"Get the hell out my sight. I never want to see you again."
I had no qualms about obeying. She was too much. She was the definition of self-centered and egotistic. However, I do regret not giving in. Maybe, if I made it through that fight, we would have stayed together long enough for me to find out. Maybe. Probably not.
When I found out three months later that she was going to study abroad, I thought nothing of it. She didn't have anything to do with me and I didn't have anything to do with her so I didn't question the sudden trip. Part of me is blaming my own stupidity for not finding out sooner. For having to wait nine years later to find out. The other part just aches. There are so many 'if only's but only one reality. And the reality of the situation is he's here now and it's my job to protect him. No matter what, I planned to do just that.
Thirty minutes before I met him, I was walking into my apartment after a difficult day at work. I worked in marketing, an office grunt. I ran around, making sure that the clients were happy while I was miserable. Although I don't blame my job for my being miserable, it actually suited me well. It was just the loneliness I felt when I came home. I lived alone in a small apartment that had a beautiful black and white motif. At least that's what Chrissy, the wife of one of my best friends, said when she finished decorating it. All of my friends had found 'the one' in their late teens, whom they now lived with, and I was happy for them. However, I saw what they had and became envious. Their love was so perfect, I began to want that. Not just one night stands and relationships that might last a month if I was lucky.
I collapsed on my leather black couch and undid my tie, throwing it and my button up shirt on my recliner chair. I stretched my fully tattooed arms over my head then tucked them beneath my head and yawned. I knew I should have been making myself something to eat but I couldn't bring myself to care.
I didn't even know that I had fallen asleep until I was woken by my intercom buzzing. Dazed and irritated, I stumbled over to my intercom and barked, "What?"
"Hello, my name is Louis Mironav. I have come on official legal business regarding the will of Leslie Owens."
My sleep addled brain missed everything but 'Louis' and 'lawyer' and 'Leslie Owens.' The last part simply triggered something in my mind. I knew the name for sure but I couldn't place a face to the name. I stood by the door, contemplating the name until there was a knock at the door. I opened the door. A man about my age stood there stiffly, his deep gray eyes were sharp and scrutinizing as he stared right back at me. His pale brown hair were almost gray in the dim hallway light. He stood a couple inches over me with his hands in the pocket of his crisps navy blue suit.
"You are Franco Rodriguez?" he asked with a distinct Russian accent. I had definitely missed that when he spoke on the intercom.
I nodded then caught sight of the boy that seemed about eight standing behind him. The kid had pale skin but the same mess of curly dark brown hair that I had when I was his age and wide hazel eyes with a green halo surrounding his pupil and specks of gold flickering as he blinked at me. I decided to stop staring and stepped aside, "Why don't you come in?"
Louis nodded stiffly, "Yes, thank you. Come on, Michael."
I frowned as the kid hesitated, obviously terrified of coming in.
"Michael," the lawyer frowned at him too, "Come on."
Michael finally nodded and scurried inside, instantly attaching himself to the lawyer. They sat down on the couch, Michael obviously tried to use Louis as a wall between the two of us and sat on the farther end. I wondered for a second why this kid was so scared of me, then remembered I had a bunch tattoos and visited the gym regularly. Kids probably did find me intimidating.
"So what did you come here for?" I asked Louis.
"Do you remember a Katherine Owens?"
Realization dawned on me and the words, "Ol' Yeller," escaped my mouth before I could stop it. Their stares became quizzical so I explained, "She used to yell at me and my friends a lot but now I remember. Leslie Owens was her mom, wasn't she?"
"Yes she was," stated Louis, "You were in a relationship with Katherine."
It wasn't a question but I nodded anyway, "Just for a week at most. I don't see why this is being brought up now. We dated almost ten—Shit," I looked at Michael and realized exactly who I was seeing, "Shit, shit, shit, shit. Why didn't she tell me?"
"After giving birth, Katherine handed Michael over to her mother then ran off with her boyfriend a couple years later," Louis explained, "Evidently, even she didn't plan to take responsibility and much less expected you to. Mrs. Owens directed us to you in her will because she believed that her daughter still wouldn't want to take responsibility and believed that you are more likely to. Actually, before her death, she filled out many legal statements to prevent any of her family and even her daughter from having any authority to take Michael away from you. It is not bullet proof but it is a fine line of defense."
I swallowed the information while gazing at Michael. His huge hazel eyes were full of anxiety and he stared back, waiting for my reaction. I wasn't angry. No, that was the last emotion on my mind. I was just shocked. How was I going to explain this to anyone? My friends and family weren't judgmental but they would definitely give me a lesson on contraception. And my mom...
Holy shit, I'm a father.
"Michael," I mumbled, mostly to myself, "Oh God, mama is going to kill me." (A/N Sentences in italics are spoken in Spanish).
"So you accept him?" Louis asked, sounding more surprised than I would have liked.
"Of course," I snapped, perhaps unfairly, "He's my son." I suddenly felt dizzy and sat down beside Louis, "This is going to change everything. We'll have to move somewhere bigger, of course, and then there's school. I'll have to ask Troy about the enrolling process. I guess expenses won't be too big of a deal since I earn a decent living." My gaze traveled over to my son who was looking back at me with a mixture of emotions but mostly relief. If this was tough on a grown ass man, I could only imagine how it was for a child. I reached across Louis and touched Michael's hands, watching his reaction tentatively. At first, he seemed frightened by the touch but turned his hand and over so I could take his tiny hand in mine. I urged him to stand up and he did obediently, then allowed me to guide him into my lap. I wrapped my arms around him and held him to my chest. He stiffened then relaxed into my arms.
I murmured into his hair, "I'm sorry, Mikey, if I had known, I would have been there for you."
"It's okay," his voice was quiet, I had to strain to hear him, "Just don't leave me."
I smiled into his hair, "I won't. I'll always be here for you."
A second later, I noticed that he was trembling and the sound of sobs reached my ears. I cradled my son in my arms and watched the tears and sobs pour out of him. I didn't bother worrying about the tears and snot soaking my t-shirt. I just had to make sure that my baby boy was alright. Through his tears, Michael cried out, "Daddy."
I froze for a second, letting the title sink in. Fear, anxiety and confusion flitted through me but happiness over took it all. My son just called me daddy. My heart swelled with pride.
Eventually, he fell asleep in my arms. When I saw the steady rising and falling of his chest, I stood and took him to my bed room then tucked him into my bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Louis had followed me.
"It's crazy," I said to him while gazing at my son, "Just an hour ago, I was thinking that I was going to be alone for the rest of my life."
"Why would you think that? You're handsome, young, and, although the initial impression you give off is coarse, quite gentle."
I chuckled, "Thanks but my relationship with Kate wasn't the first to end within a week."
"If you dated Katherine then I am lead to believe that you just date the wrong girls," it was starting to seem liked he was actually comforting me, even with his cutting tone, "I'm sure you will find someone that appreciates your good points. You are a very good man for treating Michael so well."
"He's my son," I argued, "Wouldn't you have done the same?"
"Absolutely not," he answered immediately, "If a man came to me with a nine year old child and said that he's my child from a woman I could barely stand, I would have called him an imbecile and told him to get the hell out of my house."
I stared at his unchanging expression and couldn't help laughing. "Thanks, then."
He showed me a shadow of a smile before turning to leave, "I've bothered you enough for one day. I'll come back tomorrow to talk about the assets Mrs. Owens left for you and Michael. Good night."
I barely called out, "Good night," before he was out of sight. I heard the door close behind him as he left the apartment.
"Louis is really nice," I looked down at Michael. His eyes was barely opened but he said drowsily, "I hope he finds a boyfriend soon."
I didn't respond. Instead, I crawled into bed with him and slept my thoughts away.