by Roxy Wilson
Aron cherished hopes of becoming a father someday. Lately, he’d been thinking about it more and more, while all his thoughts of having a family centered on Dayna. He never imagined that while he dreamt about them being a family, she’d already made such a decision. They were a family, until she chose to give their baby away.
For that, he would never forgive her.
When he reached the airport and handed over his passport to the checkout clerk at the counter, his cell phone rang. Aron glanced at it. Dayna was calling. Her name flashed on the screen repeatedly. Aron switched off the phone. He didn’t want to take her call, talk to her, or discuss this anymore. Just like she once made the decision to give their child away without talking to him, he decided to cut her out of his life without any more deliberation.
This relationship was over.
He never wanted to see her again.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dayna sat slumped on her couch. It’d been four days since Aron left. She left countless messages and made phone calls, but his phone was switched off. He’d checked out of his hotel. She finally called Graham and learned that Aron left the country. The pain that shot thought her heart felt lethal and brutal. How could he cut her out of his life so easily? Had she meant so little that he could discard her with such ease? She’d thought he would be angry and upset, but it never occurred to her that he would make the decision to walk out of her life as soon as he discovered the truth she’d hidden from him.
Once, she’d given up her baby, whom she had loved. Then, she lost her father and now, Aron, whom she loved from the depths of her heart, had deserted her. Maybe it was a fitting end of this particular chapter of her life. Maybe she was destined to be alone and lonely all her life because of the decision she made so long ago? This was God’s will and she deserved to be left alone.
As she leaned back, her cell phone rang. Maybe it was Jay, the one rock in her life who would never leave her. Dayna picked it up. “Hello.”
“Hi, it’s Adam.”
It took her a few seconds to place him. Why is he calling? “What can I do for you, Adam?”
“Dayna, have you given some thought to what I said before? About us getting back together?”
She shook her head. Her relationship with Adam had only been over for three months, but those were the longest three months of her life. It felt as if she was with him ages ago. “That’s not happening, Adam.” How could she tell him that she’d moved so far beyond him? He’d been so far from her mind that she never spent a moment thinking about him.
“I’m flying down there, Dayna. And I think we should meet. I love you.”
She considered his words. Here’s a man who wanted to be with her. He wanted them to get back together. He loved her—but his words failed to move her. She should’ve jumped at this chance to grab him, but now that she’d experienced real love, she couldn’t settle for anything less. “I’m sorry, Adam. But I love someone else.”
“What? Wait. How?” he spluttered.
“It’s a long story. But I’ve found someone else.” She sat down. Determination coursed through her body. “You and I are over.”
After she explained some of it and soothed him, Dayna hung up. There would be no point pursuing something that was bound to end at some point. She didn’t see her future with Adam. Dayna just now learned something. She wasn’t about to give up on Aron, even if he’d given up on her. She also wasn’t about to give up on the child she’d abandoned so long ago.
Taking out her laptop, she started her investigation and soon, located the phone number of the adoption agency who’d placed her son. After talking to them for half an hour, she set the phone down. She’d set the ball rolling. It would take time to see any results. After making yet another futile attempt to call Aron, she began to do some research. For what she had in mind, it would take a lot of effort and planning.
….Three days later, she got the first inkling that she was on the right track. Dayna found herself in one of the wealthy suburbs of San Diego. She stared at the white brick house that boasted a huge, well-manicured garden before ringing the bell. A maid ushered her in.
Dayna waited in the living room, so tense that she could barely sit. When the couple strolled into the room, she stood. “Hi. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
The woman, Robin, older than Dayna by at least a decade, smiled as she shook hands. Her cinnamon-colored hair was pinned on one side, and she wore a bright smile on her face. “Truth be told, we’ve been expecting this call for the past ten years.”
“I was out of the country, and—well—I wasn’t sure…” She trailed off. How could she explain to the parents whom she’d only seen once at the time of the adoption, that she’d thought a million times about calling them, but had never known what to say?
“It’s all right. We’re glad that you’re here now. Ethan is very excited at the prospect of seeing his birth mother,” the husband, Jeremy said as he gestured for her to take a seat. He seemed a little pudgy around the middle, but he had a kind, friendly face.
“You’ve told him about me?’ Dayna hadn’t been sure if they would allow her to meet the child today. She felt so grateful that they contacted her. “He wants to meet me?”
“Of course,” Jeremy replied.
“We told Ethan about the adoption from the time he was old enough to understand. And we explained the circumstances under which you had to give him up. He’s a happy and well-adjusted child, as you’ll discover when you meet him.”
“Thank you for this opportunity.”
Robin, smiled. “We can never thank you enough for the gift you’ve given us. In comparison, this is nothing. Shall we call Ethan?”
Dayna resisted the urge to squirm. Fear and excitement both swelled in her heart in equal measure. She was about to see her son for the first time in ten years. Sweat beaded over her forehead. Nothing could help prepare her for this poignant encounter. “Yes—please.”
Robin waltzed out of the living room.
Not knowing what to do, Dayna exchanged a hesitant smile with Jeremy who looked just as rattled by this meeting as she was.
When Robin returned, a tall, lean boy with honey-colored skin and piercing dark eyes accompanied her.
For a moment, she felt too stunned to say anything. She remembered his cherubic face and those hauntingly beautiful eyes, so much like his father’s, but nothing could have prepared her for the intelligence and poise that marked his demeanor. Dayna cleared her throat, not trusting herself to speak. “…Hi, Ethan.”
“Hello.” He strode forward to shake hands with her. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Although his voice sounded formal and his manner more so, she couldn’t help but notice the hint of curiosity reflecting from his eyes. What’s more, she could tell he wore that easy authority his birth father always seemed to possess. “It’s nice to meet you too. Would you like to sit?” She patted the seat next to her. With effort, Dayna controlled the trembling in her hands. “I last saw you when you were two days old.”
“Mom told me.” He nodded towards his mother. “I’m nine now.”
“Yes, you are.” She could feel the tears prickling behind her eyes. “And you’re very handsome.”
“Thank you. You’re pretty too. Mom showed me some the pictures that you took. I also like to take pictures. I got a digital camera for my ninth birthday. Would you like to see some of the pictures?”
“Yes, definitely.”
Ethan stood and walked away. “I’ll bring them.”
When he left, Dayna stared at his parents. She’d never seen a more self-assured and confident child. So friendly and he looked happy. “He is—phenomenal.”
Jeremy chuckled. “He is, indeed. And for the past year, he has been snapping shots of everyone and everything he comes across. Don’t be surprised if he takes your picture too.”
“I would like that.” Dayna wrung her hands. “And what about—?”
“Ethan is a healthy and
happy child. There are no issues that you need to be concerned about,” said Robin with ease. “Other than the fact that he’s developing a rebellious streak when it comes to his bedtime.”
Ethan came back inside. As Robin served refreshments, he showed Dayna the hundreds of images he’d taken of landscapes, animals, his parents, friends and unsuspecting neighbors. They discussed camera angles and light spots. “I’ll buy a couple of useful books for you,” she promised. He had a natural talent for photography. “You could learn a lot from them.”
“That would be great. I’ll be going to a photography summer camp for two weeks in the summer.” He glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. “I’ve got to meet my friends outside. May I be excused, mom?”
“Yes, of course,” Robin replied as she glanced at Dayna. “They like to cycle in the neighborhood park.”
When Ethan stood, he wavered indecisively. Finally, he turned to her and she found herself pinned under his intense, intelligent gaze. “I’m glad that you came to see me. May I take a picture with you?”
Despite her resolve to keep calm, Dayna found a tear slipping from her eye. She could never in a hundred million years explain to anyone what it meant to her that he accepted her so easily and with such grace. “Yes, of course.”
Jeremy volunteered for the job and after receiving countless instructions from Ethan, he finally managed to take a photo that satisfied the child.
To her immense surprise and gratitude, Dayna found herself at the receiving end of a hug.
He gripped her tightly around the waist and smiled. “Thank you. I like you.”
“I like you, too.” When he left, she used a tissue to wipe her tears. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”
Robin came to sit with her. She patted Dayna on the hand. “It’s all right.”
She felt so lucky her child had gone to the right house. If there’d ever been a doubt in her mind, it was erased now. For Ethan, she’d made the best decision possible. It was obvious his parents adored him and they’d instilled in him the right values. “You’ve done a wonderful job. He’s very confident and charming.”
“Thank you. We’re actually glad that you contacted us. Ethan is an only child and we would like him to be in touch with his birth parents. It would be nice for him to be in touch with all these people who can be a positive influence in his life.”
Dayna felt amazed at their generosity. No wonder Ethan had imbibed all these good values from his parents. Seeing how helpful they were, she found it a little easier to bring up the topic she had in mind. Twenty minutes later, after bidding a goodbye to the couple, she stepped out of the house. As she sat in the cab, she picked up her phone and called the one person who’d always been there for her. “Jay. I need your help.”
She then set into motion the plan she’d concocted over the past few days. It would take time to tell if she would get the desired results, but Dayna knew she simply couldn’t sit around and mope for all that had gone wrong in her life. It was time to take the bull by the horns and do something.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Aron was hard at work in Paris in his regional office. He usually spent a few months of the year here, although his presence wasn’t always required. All of his offices were well-oiled machines and he could get his work done from anywhere in the world. He owned a discreet two-story building downtown with thirty permanent employees who looked after his various business interests in Europe. He owned a similar office in Asia and contemplated opening one in North America. Apart from import-export, he also owned several rental properties and interest in stock investments that showed a healthy return because of his sharp business acumen.
While he picked up the paperwork, Aron touched the intercom to call his secretary.
Just then, she knocked on the door and opened it before he could ring her. “Sir, this just came in for you.”
Aron took the rectangular envelope from her hand. He turned it around. The package bore no identifying sender’s address but his heart stopped when he saw that it’d been sent from San Diego. Had Dayna sent it? But how had she located him? He’d deliberately cut off all contact with her. She had no way of knowing where he was. Not wishing to open the anonymous packet in front of his secretary, he handed her the papers he’d readied a minute go. “Please send these out today. But make a copy first and file it for future references in Tiago Shipments folder.”
“Yes, sir.”
After she left and the door closed, Aron opened the envelope. It contained a brief note. “Watch Chanel 167, Program - Incredible Stories, on Sunday, 20th of June at 6 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.”
Surprised by the note’s brevity, he simply stared at it for a long time. Who sent it to him and why? Aron watched a number of episodes of the Incredible Stories. It was a weekly program in its second season and had gained international acclaim because of the emotional and sometimes, controversial content that it aired. The network that showed the program kept the content fresh and appealing and chose a different topic for every episode.
Despite his knowledge of the show, he was unable to figure out who would want him to see the new episode and what it was supposed to show. Could Dayna have sent it? Or Graham? Maybe, Jamie? These were the only people he knew well in San Diego. Or, of course, it could be Brett. Aron respected and like the uncomplicated man who seemed just as devoted to his work as he was to his wife and kids. Perhaps he’d sent the note, so he could show Aron something he thought the other man might find exciting. But then why not sign his name at the bottom of the note? It was cryptic and brief and despite his efforts, it piqued his curiosity.
Aron put a reminder on his phone to watch the show, due to air tomorrow. The letter from San Diego made his old feelings to resurface. Despite his best attempts, he’d been unable to forget Dayna. How could you forget the woman you loved, who managed to betray you in the most terrible way possible? If he’d caught her with another man, his devastation would have been just as acute.
Aron thought of her act to give up their child as selfish and self-pleasing. At the age of eighteen, she probably didn’t want to be saddled with a child. She wanted to travel and see the world and the baby would have prevented her from doing all that. If she’d tried to contact him, told him, he would have come back, raised their child with her, most likely married her. Aron had never been one to shirk his responsibilities. They might have struggled and not been what they were today, but surely, they would have made it work. But of course, she hadn’t wanted to curtail her freedom.
Her selfishness was a big blow to the image of the woman he thought her to be. An unforgivable sin, he could never forget or erase from his mind. Aron wished he could stop thinking about her and the child he’d never seen. He wanted to see his boy. Wanted to know what he looked like. If he’d been well fed and clothed. Yes, he knew the time would come when he would have to take steps to contact his boy’s adopted parents. Meet him. But right now, his wounds were still fresh. He wouldn’t want his son and his adopted parents to see the bitter man he was at the moment. All he needed to do was to shake off his anger, his guilt. But no matter what he did, his thoughts veered to the same wound and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Aron sighed, shook his head, and immersed himself in work like he’d been doing since his arrival.
The next day, he switched on the channel in his room. He’d deliberately not gone to the office, so he could watch the show uninterrupted. The host was a brunette in her mid-thirties. As always, she began with the punch line for the show. “And now it’s time to watch yet another incredible episode of Incredible Stories. Today, we’re in talk with Ethan Reece who is nine years old, his adoptive parents and birth mother.”
Much to Aron’s shock, the camera panned to Dayna’s face. The stab through his heart might not have been real but it felt just as painful as if someone had just put a knife in him.
She looked heartbreakingly beautiful. Next to her sat a boy, who without a doubt was a product of her genes, as well as his.
He wanted to switch off the TV and not compound his misery, but Aron couldn’t pull his gaze away from his son. Al diablo con ella! What the hell is she doing? Why do this? And why ask him to watch? What did she hope to expect from such an act?
The host of the show introduced all the parties and talked to Ethan who acted surprisingly confident and charming for his age. They appeared to be seated in the Reece family’s living room, and in the background, he could see pictures of Ethan as a child. A three year old, wielding a baseball bat. A six year old, on a bicycle. A nine year old, with his friends. Every picture was a reminder of all the things Aron had missed. He would never get this time back and nothing this conniving woman could do would ever convince him to forgive her.
Surely, she’d sent him the note in the hope he would see his son and discover how she was making an attempt to erase her mistake. Did she think it would be so easy to wipe away the past?
“So Dayna, tell us, what made you decide to give up your child?” the host of the show asked. “I know that it’s a hard decision for any mother who is faced with the choice of either raising the baby herself or giving it up.”
Dayna cleared her throat.
To Aron’s surprise, she was holding hands with Robin, Ethan’s mother.
“Yes, it was a hard decision. I did consider keeping Ethan, although I wasn’t in touch with his father. He didn’t know about the child because he’d already moved away and we were not in touch. I know in my heart that he would have come back and supported us if that is what I wanted—but…” Aron could see Robin squeezing Dayna’s hand. “But I was five months pregnant when I found out that our baby, Ethan, had a congenital heart defect. He had a hole in his heart.”
Aron felt his heart stop. What? Increíble! Why hadn’t she told him about this? Of course, he didn’t give her the time to, had he? When he discovered the truth, he wanted to get as far away from her as possible. He leaned forward, eager to hear the rest of it.
