Chapter 54

After Steven's remark, an awkward situation occurred in the shop. The silence was broken when the door of the shop was opened and a few customers walked in. Cassie was shocked also didn’t know how to handle the situation. Elena smiled, completely avoiding Steven’s insensitive comment, and told her dad to deal with Cassie and Steven.

Raven finished with his ice cream and started calling his mom. While dealing with customers Elena was unable to respond so Cassie walked over to him and asked. “Can I help you with something, buddy?”

Raven shook his head. “I want my mommy.”

Cassie sat with him. “Yeah, I understand but mommy and grandad are busy,” she pointed at them “You can tell me, together we solved the problem in the mall. Remember?”

Raven nodded. “I want more ice cream with coconut sprinkle and this time more sprinkle.”

Cassie stood up. “How about we go out and buy you an ice cream?”

Raven’s face lit up. “Can you do that for me?”

Cassie tickled his tummy. “Of course, we just need to inform your mommy.”

Raven laughed and then both rushed to Elena. At first, Elena said no in courtesy but when she sensed Raven was not going to give up she nodded while dealing with customers.

Cassie showed her thumbs up and was about to step out with Raven her phone started to buzz. Daniel’s name was flashing on her screen and Raven gave her an annoyed expression and crossed his arm over his chest.

Cassie turned around. “Steven, can you please come here for a minute?”

Steven gave Ruth’s gift to Elena’s Dad and walked over to Cassie. “What happened?”

Cassie showed him Daniel’s name. “I can’t ignore this call maybe something related to Mom, can you please take Raven out and buy him an ice cream?”

Steven didn’t want to but when he looked at Raven and his innocent tantrum, he couldn’t stop himself to take him out and buy him whatever he wanted. Steven held out his hand to Raven, he smiled and held Steven’s hand.

Elena didn’t know Raven went with Steven and Cassie was talking on the phone in a shop. While walking to a shop Raven asked. “Cassie told me you play football.”

Steven smiled and nodded. “What do you do?”

Raven sighed. “I go to school but my daddy was a football man.”

Steven started to get suspicious but at the same time, he giggled. “A person who plays football is called a footballer or a football player.”

Raven repeated. “My daddy was a footballer.”

Steven and Raven high-fived. “How old are you Raven?”

Raven responded. “I am five.”

Steven’s suspicions grew stronger because Elena had ghosted him exactly five years ago but he was unable to process why she did this to him. Why did his dad tell him that the baby died during delivery? Steven didn’t want to jump the guns so he decided to make sure first. How he had no idea about it.

When they reached an ice cream truck, Steven asked Raven “What do you want to have?”

Raven responded. “I want a big strawberry ice cream with coconut sprinkled over it.”

Steven’s eyes widened as he didn’t listen when Cassie told him about it because he was lost in flashbacks. Raven pulled his hand down. “Are you listening to me?”

Steven jerked his head. “Yeah, I did.”

Steven was now sure to talk to Elena about it because the way Raven described his daddy clearly pointed at Steven except for the fact he is alive and according to Raven his daddy had died.
Steven asked Raven. “Hey buddy, have you seen your daddy’s picture?”

Raven shook his head while licking sprinkled coconut. Steven picked up Raven in his arms and speedily walked over to the shop. He asked Cassie to leave as they had an early morning flight.

When they reached the hotel Steven lied to Cassie and sent her to a room that coach asked everyone to meet in a foyer. After about half an hour he went into a room and told Cassie what he meticulously planned in that half hour. “I have to stay here for one more day, is it alright if you go back alone?”

Cassie squinted. “Is everything alright?”

Steven lied that before starting the big leagues coach wanted to have a few sessions with the whole team. Cassie kissed him. “Don’t worry about me I am a big girl.”

Cassie placed her head into Steven's arm, her breath smoothed out as she fell asleep peacefully. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest contrasted sharply with Steven's inner turmoil. He stared at the ceiling, his mind whirling with unsolved questions and terrible memories. Sleep escaped him; he was gripped by a desire to discover the truth that had been hidden for so long.

Steven's thoughts drifted back to when he was only seventeen. Elena was sixteen, and her pregnancy hit them like a freight train, sending them both reeling in fear and confusion. They were too young and inexperienced to understand the seriousness of the situation.

After telling his dad, Elena, and Steven lost contact because he wanted him to stay away until his dad would find a solution. One evening, his father told him that Elena had lost the baby. Steven's heart sank and his stomach churned.

He went looking for Elena, hoping to console her and share their grief. However, she was nowhere to be found. He looked everywhere—her house, their favorite hangouts, and even reached out to common friends. It was as if she had vanished without a trace, leaving an emptiness that had haunted him until he met Cassie. Steven’s dad told him, last his dad saw her in a hospital.

Steven witnessed the sunrise as he didn’t sleep even for a moment after dropping off Cassie he dialed Elena’s number which he got from her card, which Cassie gave him at dinner. “We need to talk and don’t you dare to cut my call.”

Elena responded. “We have nothing to talk about it.”

Steven sighed. “Listen if you don’t come to talk to me, so I will come to your shop and will have no problem creating a scene.”

Elena changed her tone. “Please Steven I am begging you don;t do this.”

Steven with his icy tone. “If you don’t come to my hotel in an hour I will come to your shop after one and a half hours.”

Elena was in the middle of saying something but Steven didn’t listen and ended the call.