Your son

IVAN
~•~
I did not know when I opened my arms and pulled Tina into my body. I carried her and placed her against my chest, I noticed how firm her small hands wrapped themselves around my neck. She pressed her head into my right shoulder and I felt my shirt dampen with her tears. I could not stop mine from falling, no matter how hard I tried.
My tears welled up in my eyes and ran down my face freely. I was holding the one person I had dreamt of holding all my life. She was here now, with me.
"I missed you so much daddy." Her voice was muffled against my neck. I sniffed back my tears, but it did not stop them from stubbornly running down my cheeks. I missed her too, I missed her so much, too much, she had absolutely no idea.
"I always asked mummy when you would come see us. She always said you would come one day, but you never did. I was sad, I thought you didn't love me and mummy anymore. I thought that…" She sniffed and pulled her head up from my shoulder. She was looking at me now, I could see the golden brown eyes of her mother peering down at me.
"I thought that you never wanted to see mummy and I anymore. And when baby Tommy came and you did not come to see him, he was so sad, he cried all through the night."
Baby Tommy? Who the hell was baby…?
My eyes dropped to the small fingers she held in her left hand. A young boy, not more than two years old, stood beside her. Golden blonde curls of hair and sea blue eyes. When he looked at me, he flashed me an innocent smile and buried his head into his mother's waist. Sarah stepped into the house, and Ivan made way for her to approach me.
"Now, now, Tee. Don't speak like that. I always told you your daddy loved you…" Her gaze flickered to mine.
There she was again, with her brown eyes that never expressed any emotions, other than the one she wanted you to see. If Sarah was to be a con man, she would have been damn good at it. She could take the form of anybody she wanted to.
And now, she decided to wear the guise of a loving wife and a caring mother.
Words could not describe how badly I wanted to grip her neck and hit her head against the wall until she bled, just as profusely as my heart had been bleeding all these years, even more.
"So, why did he never come to see us?" Tina asked again. The concern was etched in her genuine gaze. I could see she was sad.
And it was all her mother's fault.
"Daddy and I just had small problems, but we're going to fix them now." Her eyes were on me again.
"Wouldn't we, Ivan darling?"
By God! Bile rose from my stomach to my throat, I forced myself to swallow the bitter taste, or I would end up vomiting all over her face.
I gave Tina my brightest smile.
"Of course."
When her eyes brightened in enthusiasm, my heart soared with joy.
"Promise?" She cupped my bearded jaw with her small palms. She was so small, but I was sure she had celebrated her seventh birthday already.
I lowered her to the ground when she insisted I do so. But, I was so scared of leaving her. It felt as though she would disappear the moment she walked out of my side. I had dreamt about this moment more times than I could count, now that it was here, I did not know what else to do.
"Tina, why don't you bring your brother along. I'll show you to your room. You'll like that, right?" Antonio spoke this time. Tina turned to him. I could tell she was only acknowledging his presence.
"Sure, uncle Antonio!"
She turned to her mother and took hold of the little boy.
"Mummy, daddy, Tommy and I would go play now."
With that, she chartered away, holding her brother in her arms. Antonio followed the children behind.
"Watch the steps Tee!" Sarah called out, in front of me.
"I will mummy!" Tina replied, from a distance.
Soon, it was just Sarah, myself, a lot of unspoken words and the giant elephant in the room.
The demon of a woman decided to speak first.
"Ivan, I…"
"What are you doing here, Sarah?" I found my ability to speak immediately when she opened her mouth. I wanted to know the reason she was here, before I heard any of the lies she had to say to me.
She narrowed her eyes on me, a slight frown formed on her face.
"Is this really what you say to me? After I have been gone for all this while?"
"You mean the three years you stole from me? The three years of memories? The three years of bliss? Then yes…that is exactly what I have to say to you. You have brought my daughter back to me. Now, you take that boy and leave my house this minute."
Of course, it annoyed me that I had to speak so much, just to drive my point into her thick skull.
She blinked twice, her eyes ladened with disbelief.
What had she expected me to do? Run to her with my arms wide open?
"You see, this is why I left. This is exactly why I left! It's always your side of the story, it's always your way, it's always your everything. You do not ever want to see anything from anyone's perspective. Not mine, and certainly not your daughter's!"
Was she really screaming at the top of her voice? Was she really yelling at me as though she did not deserve to be dead for what she had done?!
I scoffed, a bitter chuckle escaped my throat.
"Your point of view? Your side of the story? Very well, let me hear it. Let me know why you left me with nothing but a stupid note for three years Sarah, let me hear it!" I was losing my mind. I was never one to yell at a woman, but Sarah…Sarah had made herself quite an exemption.
"I was pregnant, Ivan! I know how much you wanted Tina to be an only child. You had always wanted just one baby, but there I was, with number two! I knew you would be so wrapped up with work. The elections were coming up, I knew that our family was in potential danger, having a baby to cater too would not have pleased you. I knew that if I told you, you would have asked me to get rid of it." I saw tears gather in her eyes. The act was so real, so pure, I almost believed I was the monster she saw me to be.
My jaw dropped, while I staggered back.
"You cannot be serious. You cannot possibly think me a murderer!"
"But that's what you are, Ivan. What happened the time I got pregnant after Tina, you asked me to get rid of it."
"You were advised by the doctors not to have a baby! It could put your health at risk!"
"But that was neither your choice nor the doctor's to make! It was mine! All mine!" She spat out. Her tears ran down her cheeks now.
I shook my head and looked away from her.
My eyes glanced at the stairs, where Tina and the boy had disappeared into.
"So, you're saying that the boy is mine."
I muttered, the calmness of my tone terrified me. It was too serene for the anger I was feeling.
"Who else's? His name is Thomas, Thomas Holloway."
I turned back to her, took one step closer and stood directly in front of her.
"I don't care who he is, what his name is. You are a liar and I can never believe any word that comes out of your mouth. You would take that child back to his father and you would leave my house."
I did not stay to hear what she had to say. I turned my back to her and walked briskly towards the stairs.
"He is your son, Ivan. And if I have to leave, I would leave with both of them." She fired back.
I paused in my tracks and turned back to her. I did nothing to stop the deep scowl that formed on my face.
"I do not have time for this."