My Son(8)

He looked around the rest of the room. Not big, it like the others in the flat was bright, clean and homey, as his eyes had came to rest on a large photo frame in which two people were laughing into each others eyes. One was Kelly and the other a handsome young man with laughter lines wrinkling his eyes, his blonde hair lying in thick curls on his head. He recognised the face from his detectives report and felt a tug of sympathy for the woman before him. They looked so much in love he had thought, a strange feeling catching at his throat.

“Now for breakies young man” he could hear her saying in that voice meant for babies.

“Would you mind” she had asked before placing his son in his lap while she disappeared into the kitchen. For several minutes he sat happily tickling the boy’s stomach laughing back at the resulting heehaws.

This was the sight that met her as she returned with a bottle and a small bowl and spoon. Kelly had stopped momentarily to take in the scene. Despite the fact that he was so obviously a power to be reckoned with, in and out of the boardroom she suspected, he looked every bit the happy father, as he had looked down on his son with such adoring eyes that she struggled to keep her voice sounding upbeat.

“Here we are” she breezed placing the contents of her hands onto the wooden floor before taking Max from Marc's arms and placing him in his feeding chair. After he was happily settled using mainly his hands to smear the food around his face Kelly had nothing else to do but confront the man who sat so silently watching their morning routine.

“Would you like another coffee” she had asked nervously

He had smiled and shaken his head his eyes still taking in the antics of the small boy opposite him. He seemed to be deep in thought, a small frown appearing on his brow before he had turned to look at her.

“Miss Brown” he began “Please call me Kelly Mr De Santo” she interrupted causing him to reward her with a small smile “only if you call me Marc” he continued

“There will have to be tests… you know that”

He waited while she slowly nodded her head

“But he looks so like me” he had added smiling once more

Kelly had bit her lip, her heart dropping in her stomach once more. She didn’t need any tests to see that Max was Marc’s son, and the thought that he might not be had been the only positive thing keeping her going.

She had cleared her throat nervously looking at him

“I know, but I want you to know that even if the tests come back positive, I don’t want anything from you” she rushed on aware that his eyes seemed darker “You can of course come and visit Max as often as you like…. And nobody need ever know…” she trailed off as he sat forward anger on his face

“You think I want to keep my son some dirty little secret” he said his tone once more icy

“Damn it, I only just find out that I have an 11 month old son. Can you imagine what that feels like? Do you have any idea what it is like to find out that you have a son that you knew nothing about.” His eyes glaring at her

“I can never get back that time with Max, but I have no intention of missing any more with him. My son will live with me from now on”

Kelly had wrapped her arms around herself to stop herself from trembling. Her worst nightmare was coming true, and her whole world was falling apart.

“Trudy told me you knew” she had replied in a shaky voice

“Well she lied” he stated flatly

Marc watched Kelly, seeing the fear in her eyes and felt ashamed at the way he had rounded on her. He could see the pain this was causing her and in a softer voice continued

“I want to get to know my son Kelly; I want to give him everything”

She had lifted her eyes to his, eyes full of such despair and grief.

“Please Mr De Santo” she started “Marc” he interrupted

“Marc...” she continued

“Trudy left guardianship of Max to me in her will. I’m the only mother he has ever known. He’s already lost Trudy; don’t make him lose me too”

He had sighed

“Kelly, I’m his father. He needs a father”

“I’m begging you Marc; please don’t do this to us”

He could see the battle she was having to stop the tears which were welling up in her eyes from falling, and something in him had fluttered at the vulnerability of her. His plan had been simple, to get his son away from this woman as quickly as possible; however, watching their reaction to each other, it was clear that Kelly Brown was indeed the woman who had raised him. She really was the only mother he had known. To separate them now would hurt Max he had told himself, and he wanted desperately not to hurt the small child contentedly drinking from a bottle his face and hands covered with food.