Keep Left

“I heard Chloe drop her phone as she made her way to us. I saw the small boy run out to ask what was taking so long with the food, he was hungry. He looked up at me and it was then I realized he favored me. He was my SON!”

“Machen! W-what are you doing here?”

“Hey Chloe, is he-”

“Yanis Wright, yes he is your son.”

“I-I”

“He’s my dada mommy?”

“Come on Yanis, let’s give mommy and daddy a moment to talk okay? Chloe if you need me, I’ll be in the next room. I will feed Yanis”

“Grammy, I wanna talk to dada”

“You will, but first he needs to talk to mommy.”

“Chloe, I work for Mr DeSantis he sent over this food. I promise I’m not trying to interfere in your life. I didn’t know you were pregnant. I know your dad mentioned it, but I told him you hadn’t been pregnant before.”

“I didn’t know until you were already gone. I was just a few months. I tried to call but your phone was disconnected”

“I’m sorry. Your father told me he’d make life hard not just for mom and I, but Pixie and Ava too. I promise if I had known I would’ve stayed. He’s beautiful like his mother.”

“Machen-”

“I want to do my part. I can send you my earnings. I have Ava full time. We live here in Paris. Can I stay just a little longer to get to know him.”

“Um sure. Have you eaten?”

“No-”

“You can join us. Jacob sent plenty.”

“I don’t want to come between you and Mr DeSantis it is probably inappropriate of me to eat the food he sent for you all. I just want the opportunity to know Yanis.”

She led me to the room where Yanis was eating with her Grandma. I watched him eat, declining the food he offered me. Chloe allowed me to stay through his bed time and once he was asleep, I took my leave.

“I will be back tomorrow after work. Do you mind if I bring Ava?”

“No, it’s no problem at all bring her to meet her brother.”

I hadn’t counted on pixie showing up to collect Ava. She had a new lover and was eager to show Ava off to him. I tried to convince her to let her stay, but she declined. I sighed in frustration as I explained to mom seeing Chloe and having a kid with her. Mom has been withdrawn, but the mention of Chloe and us having a son perked her right up. She listened attentively.

“She’s here Machen?”

“She is mom. He’s so beautiful. He had to be around three or a little older.”

“That’s wonderful. I guess Phix didn’t get rid of your child after all.”

“Mom what are you talking about?”

“He was going to risk killing his own daughter to rid her of your child. I heard him say he’d burn in hell before he let her birth your child. Guess he’s burning!”

I could barely sleep, excited to see Chloe again and Yanis. I fell asleep around 3 in the morning. When my alarm went off at 7:30 I got up and showered. I didn’t have to be at Mr DeSantis until 9 today. Mom was still sleeping when I got dressed. I made us breakfast and left her plate on the warmer. I wrote her a note and left for work.

I arrived to Mr DeSantis’ home and waited for him to come out. On the dot, he exited his home at 9 and I was waiting with the door open. He entered the vehicle and told me to take him to a Headquarters. This is the name of his main office. I spent all day guarding him at the office and making minute runs for him.

Around 5 he left the office. He had given me orders to deliver food to Chloe again. He had phoned her before leaving the office. They were on the phone when he came down to leave. He told her he would send food over. She told him he didn’t have to but he was able to convince her somehow. Thus, I was given instructions to get it to her.

I ordered food I thought she would like and brought it to her hotel when I was done dropping Mr DeSantis off at home. He paid me for working overtime on the spot. I thanked him and made my way to Chloe’s. She opened the door to find me holding food. Yanis came running, jumping up and down to see me. This warmed my heart and made Chloe blush.

“Buddy, be a little quiet Grammy is sleeping remember.”

“Ok mommy. Hi daddy. I’ve been waiting all day to see you. I thought you weren’t coming.”

“No way I’d miss out on seeing you again. May I come in Chloe?”

“Oh I’m sorry, where’s my manners. Come on in Max, I mean Machen.”

“You can call me Max as you did before.”

“Max? You know daddy before mommy?”

“Yes buddy, daddy and mommy use to be a couple.”

“Why not no more?”

“I made mommy very sad Yanis and I don’t deserve to be here right now-”

“You can apologize and it we’ll be all better. Right mommy?”

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way Yanis”

“Why not mommy?”

“Let’s get you some food before you question your father and I to sleep”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind Chloe. He’s inquisitive I see.”

“What does that mean daddy?”

“It means you like to ask questions”

“Actually, it means you like to know about something, but Max is right you do like to ask questions.”

She fixed him a plate of food and I noticed she gave him small portions and no dessert. She didn’t even take it out of its packaging. I sat down at the table with them and she natural fixed my plate. I looked at her with awe before she looked up and blushed at me.

“Oh I’m sorry, it’s a habit to fix all of us a plate. I didn’t ask if you had eaten or not”

“It’s fine, I’m famished. I’ve been working since early this morning. I just got off when I brought you the food as Mr DeSantis requested.”

“I told him no, but he insisted. I was going to taking Grandma and Yanis out tonight. I’ve been busy revising his blueprints again.”

“He working you hard I see. You know you can refuse him.”

“This is a really high paying job and I won’t have to work the rest of the year once it is done.”

“I can send you money for him”

“That’s not why I brought up my pay, Max”

“It doesn’t have to be a reason. I’m responsible for him too”

“Well you’re three and a half years behind”

“I’ll pay for them all! Is your account still the same? I’ll send it now.”

“You don’t have to do that. We’re fine on money.”

“I sent it anyways. He’s my son too and if I had known I would’ve been there and taken the repercussions from your dad.”

“I sent it back to you. I don’t need your money. You being here to see him is enough repayment. I don’t want to argue in front of him. We can continue this conversation later.”

“Mommy are you angry?”

“No sweetheart, mommy is just flustered. That means I’m trying to think about a lot of things at once and it’s too much for me”

“I’m sorry Chloe, Yanis. Daddy didn’t mean to fluster mommy”

“It’s fine Max.”

“Mommy, I ate my food may I have dessert?”

“What would you like tonight for dessert?”

“I would like a popsicle please”

“Good choice Yanis”

She got up to give him a popsicle and he consumed it slowly. Afterwards she cleared the table and put away the utensils. I watched her as she wouldn’t let me help. Yanis came to play with his trucks with me. We build with the legos and fought imaginary dragons in the living room. Olla came and joined us at some point, but she remained quiet the entire time. Whenever I would look up and meet her gaze, she would smile at me. The time went quickly and Yanis was yawning. I asked if I could get him ready for bed tonight. Chloe agreed and her and Olla were having whispered conversation when I returned.

“What are you two whispering about? Me?”

“Of course, how you do expect to live and work here and see my great grandson in the states on a regular schedule Mr Wright? It’s one thing for you to break my granddaughter’s heart, but I won’t allow you to hurt them both!”

“Grandma! Please, I don’t want confrontation. Him being here now is enough. Yanis and I can visit and he can spend time with him.”

“Look at you covering for him. You still love him? After all this time! Almost losing your life to bring his son into this world and you-”

“Grandma, stop it! Please! We’ve never argued! I don’t see why you’re so irate all of a sudden. Was your rest bad? Did I anger you? Just tell me what I did and I’ll fix it. I’ll apologize”

“It isn’t you Chloe, it’s me. I haven’t thought that far ahead Miss Olla, but I assure you I’m not trying to hurt Yanis or his mother. I know my disappearance crushed her and if I could’ve had my daughter and her both, I promise you on my own life, I would’ve stayed. I didn’t know she was pregnant. I never would’ve left her. I love her more than you think and I’ll always live with regret for hurting her. I’m glad Miles gave you my letter”

“He did. I keep in contact with him. He’s 15 now. He was so happy when I made him an uncle. Grandma, is Max being here upsetting you?”

“Yes! I listened to you cry yourself to sleep every night. You begged a busy signal to ring for months before you gave up. You- I watched my confident, I fear nothing granddaughter lose her fire, your will to keep going. When Yanis was born, you got a little of it back, but you haven’t been the same. You’ve banked on completing this one job, when before, you made several ways to stream revenues.”

“Chloe, I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry you had to see it Miss Olla. I just want to try to make it up-”

“You can’t! Time is something you don’t get back. You asked her to be your wife. She told me how happy she was and in the next breath you ripped her heart out of her chest!”

“I-I-”

“I won’t watch you do it again! I can’t bare it! Yanis and I are leaving in the morning. You can stay to finish your work. I should’ve listened to you and stayed home. I wanted to see you work, look at your work.”

“Grandma, no! If you want to go, fine. Yanis would be devastated if he couldn’t see his father he just met. You can punish me all you want and I’ll accept it. You will not punish my son!”

“You foolish girl! Just like your mother when I told her about your father. What did it cost her, Chloe Denise? Her life? I never saw my daughter again. She and I had argued and she was on her way home when it happened. The next time I saw her, I was identifying her body at the morgue.”

“You never talked about what happened to mom and I can only presume that I have started those emotions from that day and I do apologize grandma. However, Max, in my situation is not the same. He is YANIS father, and I won’t deny him visitation.”

“Then, so be it! I won’t be around when he breaks your heart again. I will leave tonight.”

“Grandma, you don’t have to leave, but I wont let you control my choices either. Daddy tried that and look what he got him. Do you want me to exile you too?”

“You’re threatening me? Hymph! I’ve lived longer than you both and I know he’s no good for you, so I’m going to tell you as much. He’ll break your heart again. The only difference is, Yanis will be hurt too. I’m still departing in the morning. I won’t tell you what to do with your life, but don’t end up like my daughter, your mother, dead, trying to love a man who doesn’t love you the same. Because if he did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Good night Chloe, don’t stay up too late. You know you have to get up early to meet with Mr DeSantis.”

“Grandma..”

She walked away, ignoring Chloe calling out to her. I felt pained I caused them to fight. Chloe wiped her eyes and gathered herself. She turned to look at me, but for the first time ever, I had nothing to say. I wanted to comfort her, but I was the cause of all of this.

“Max, my grandma is upset with me, not you. Maybe she doesn’t recall how hard it is to feel yourself after heartbreak, but I won’t deny that I felt dazed. Working on my designs and seeing Yanis wow face when he knows mommy made that building, it gives me boost. I was devastated when I couldn’t contact you. I was even expecting the letter to have some sort of clue as to where I could find you, but just like the calls, I got nothing. When Olla told me I was pregnant a couple months and few weeks, I was in denial. We had been careful. Yet, somehow I was pregnant. Daddy was going to abort Yanis while I was out but she prevented it. She saved our son, Max. She told me when I finally came to that she had and she was my grandma. Daddy never visited my mom’s parents so he didn’t know he had hired my grandma. I took her away from the mansion when I left. I know he needed the money mom left me to fund his transactions in the political world. His broken promises too many! I still left despite his threats. I would’ve fought for you, but you didn’t even give me a second look. Grandma is right, but she’s also wrong. I care about Yanis emotions. You’re his father, but make no mistake, that’s all your visits are for, him!”