Xavier~
"Let me help you." I opened the car's door to help her get down. Alan was sleeping on her lap, which made it challenging for her to get out of her position.
"It's all right, Mr. Thompson; I will manage." She asked the security guard to help her. I managed my anger throughout the entire drive, but I'm finding it increasingly challenging to deal with her peculiar behavior. One moment, she was very friendly with me, and the other moment, she treated me as if she were talking to a stranger.
Her behavior abruptly changed after that phone call. During the call, I overheard her discussing DNA reports. Was she talking about Alan? Why did she appear so terrified after speaking with her husband?
"Open the gate; I will take him inside the house." I saw the old watchman and asked him to open the gate. Alan was suffering from blisters on his feet, so I didn't want to disturb him further. She opened her mouth to argue with me, but when she saw my frustrated gaze, she immediately closed it. Her expression made it quite evident that she didn't want me in her home, but my deep love for Alan pushed me to go inside without asking.
I took him in my arms and went up the stairs since I already knew where his room was. Silently, she trailed behind me. While he was sleeping, Alan reached out and clasped my hand, asking me to stay the night. I sat next to him, unable to control my emotions upon witnessing his profound longing for his father. Even though he was completely asleep, he gripped my hand hard and kept me from moving.
I shot Bella a request-filled look, and she responded with a disappointed sigh before slamming the door shut and leaving me in his chamber. I don't know why his dad broke his promise and left him alone on his very special day, but I felt bad seeing tears in his eyes today because he missed his dad at the school function. I couldn't resist urging him to view me as his father.
I felt a strange connection with him; it felt like we were experiencing the same emotions as I gazed into his deep blue eyes. The sight of blisters on his tender feet sparked a burning sensation within me. How could Bella be so cruel that she would inflict pain on her child just to rid herself of me? As soon as I felt the release of his hold on my hand, I stood up to exit his room.
I don't feel comfortable staying at her place at this late hour, especially without her husband around. It is now 10 p.m. I carefully closed the door behind me to ensure he wouldn't awaken.
"Mr. Thompson, you could have dinner with me if you like." Bella's words stopped my steps as I was approaching the hall door. I turned to gaze at her face, startled by her abrupt request for dinner. In her cozy pajama set, she resembles a vibrant, fresh flower.
Her no makeup face made her even more beautiful, but the best part of her beauty was her messy hair bun. Upon seeing her for a moment, I completely forgot my anger and approached the dining table. The aroma of the delicious food filled my nostrils, tempting me to taste it, but then I suddenly remembered my boundaries and controlled my desires.
"It's too late now, Miss Luis; I believe I must go." I mumbled softly and made my way towards the hallway.
"Where are you going, uncle? You told me you would live with me and play with me till my dad came back." Alan rubs his tired eyes and comes downstairs.
Oh no, what have I done? I unknowingly created a huge mess. I complied with all his demands, oblivious to the potential repercussions, in an attempt to get him to perform his dance.
"Alan, I promise you I will see you tomorrow. It's time for you to go to bed, Alan." To convince him, I kneeled before him.
"No, you can't break your promise. Why do you elders break your promises all the time? First, my mama broke her promise; then, my dad didn't come to my school function, and now you are also breaking your promise." He began to sob loudly and struck the ground with his feet.
His innocent words pierced my chest. His father's absence today has deeply wounded him.
"Alan, come have dinner; Uncle will see you tomorrow." Bella seems unaffected by his crying.
What happened to her? Why is she behaving so cold all of a sudden? I gave her a perplexed look.
"Mama, I will only eat when my uncle agrees to stay with me tonight." He pounded his feet on the ground angrily once more, and this time, his blister burst, causing his feet to bleed.
"Oh no, Alan, please take care." I'm not sure why, but seeing him hurt makes my stomach churn. Bella saw Alan's bloodied feet and hurried up to him as well.
"Why did you behave so stubbornly now? See what you did with your leg." She scolded him and then applied bandages to his feet.
"Uncle, please stay with me tonight." He clasped my hand and pleaded with me once more.
"Bella, he has a high fever." I felt the heat radiating from his palm and touched his forehead.
"He has not recovered fully yet." She gestured to me to take him to the bed. She fed him medicine and made him sleep, but in his sleep, he pleaded with me to stay with him. Seeing him in such horrible shape broke my heart, and I turned to Bella to ask if I could spend the night with her child.
"Okay, you can spend the night with him. I'll take your dinner to his room." She mumbled in a defeatist manner, her low voice revealing her irritation at Alan's insistence.
As soon as she placed the pajamas and dinner on the table in Alan's room, she shut the door behind her. Once again, her complex behavior confused me. I changed my clothes and then finished my delicious food.
I tried to go for a walk in the garden to clear my head of all the questions, keeping me up at night, but I turned around when I saw the light on in the room. I moved in that direction since I was curious to see what she was doing at such a late hour.