My Son

by Kelly, Marie

  Kelly had thought back to the day he had been born, remembering how she had fallen in love with the small vulnerable baby the minute Trudy had delivered him with Kelly there to hold her hand. She had cursed Marc De Santo for the way he had thrown her dear friend and cousin aside and ignored the fact that she was carrying his child.

  At least that was what she had thought. From his reaction only moments ago a flicker of doubt had dented that long held anger towards him. Surely he wouldn’t bother to pretend to her that he had not known about Max. Men like Marc De Santo didn’t care what people like her thought. They were too rich and powerful to have to live like the rest of the mere mortals, as what he wanted he got. She had felt the vice like fear grip her heart realising that right now he wanted Max, and with that the tears once more had began to fall

  Kelly had spent the rest of the day in a blind panic. Having safely ensured that Max stayed with her friend that evening on the pretext that she was not well, she had first talked on the phone with her lawyer and then met with him in person to talk about Max and Marc.

  “But Trudy’s will clearly said that she wanted me to bring him up” she had cried as her lawyer had kindly sat her down pushing a warm cup of tea into her trembling fingers

  Mr Grace, who although appeared so outwardly gently, was a formidable man in the courts, and was not one who believed in sugar coating the truth, and with a deep sigh he had faced her

  “Kelly....I don’t know what to tell you. If Marc De Santo is Max’s biological father then he has more rights to his son that you do”

  Kelly’s look of shock and fear driving him to add in a more kindly voice

  “But he has to prove he is the biological father first”

  Kelly had grabbed onto this small glimmer of hope

  “Yes. yes….maybe he isn’t Max's father after all” she had said hopefully. However, in her mind she had once more seen the picture of Marc standing beside Max’s picture and in her heart of hearts she knew that he was.

  Placing the untouched tea back on the desk she had put her head into her hands and whispered tremulously “Please Mr Grace, Max is all I have. There must be something I can do. He hasn’t supported Max - he didn’t even care about him until Trudy died”

  Mr Grace had spoken gently

  “Are you so sure that he knew Kelly” he had asked softly

  Kelly had remained silent. Trudy had told her that Marc didn’t want to know, but in just that one meeting with the man she had had this belief shaken. Had he known she felt sure that he would have demanded that he kept his son, not allowing him to grow up in such a place as they were living. Kelly had once more grown angry at the way he had put down her home, the house that she and Danny had so lovingly restored, before…. She had pushed the memories to the side with a bitter twist of her mouth. How dare he insult her lovely home, not everybody could afford to live in penthouse suites or designer villas, her mouth setting angrily. If there was one thing that Max had always known then it was love. Her home was full of love and Max had never known anything else, something she doubted that Marc De Santo was capable of.

  On returning home she had walked around her flat wringing her hands and waiting for his return but he never had and when by tea time the next day he had still not returned Kelly had allowed her friend to bring Max home.

  As they were once more left alone Kelly had hugged the small child kissing him on his fat cheeks. She had looked into his gorgeous eyes and was momentarily reminded of another set of eyes that had looked at her with such scorn. Tickling the little boy much to his delight, she had said gently

  “You would never look at me like that, would you my darling” however, the small child had just looked back at her sweetly with laughing eyes.

  Realising that she had not seen or heard any more from him in 2 days, Kelly had begun to hope that Marc De Santo had changed his mind, perhaps he had only wanted to make sure that she was not trying to get money from him. Yes that was it she had thought to herself a sense of relief washing over her – he just didn’t want to have to pay her off, reminded of his words

  “If you are trying to get money...”

  This was enough to change Kelly’s mood, as she had reproached herself for her panic realising that Marc De Santo was not a man who wanted to be saddled with a baby, a child would never fit into his life style she had assured herself once more smiling.

  For the rest of the evening she had bathed and played with the small boy who had giggled and coo-d contentedly in her arms, before finally she had put him into his cot before collapsing onto her own bed. The previous night she had not slept with sheer fear of losing her beloved Max and now exhausted she had quickly fallen into a deep sleep.

  Coming around groggily Kelly had taken a moment to register what had awakened her before realising that the door bell was ringing. Still half asleep she had pulled herself out of bed standing at the door before she had really had time to wake up.

  Carefully she had opened it, her befuddled mind wondering what the post man was bringing her as she had peered out, her eyes still heavy with sleep. Seeing him standing there had woken her quickly, the surge of fear that crashed through her body freezing her to the spot as Mark De Santo had stood on the doorstep as darkly handsome as ever.

  “Is he in now” the man before her had said, before pushing the door open further, not waiting for an invite as he had marched purposefully into her flat

  As he had moved closer to the room the sleeping child laid, Kelly had regained the use of her legs and in panic ran ahead of him blocking the door to the child’s room with her body, her arms outstretched.

  “Please, please” she whispered “don’t”

  About to push past her Marc had looked down at her face and hesitated, shocked to see the panic in her eyes

  “He is my son” he had said more softly seeing as Kelly had looked imploringly at him “no….please…….you’ll frighten him”

  This had the effect of stopping him in his tracks as he had looked from the door of the room to the woman who stood using her small body as a barrier to try to keep him from entering, like a mother protecting her child from danger he thought to himself. He was once again hit with just how beautiful she was despite the fact that her hair which hung around her face and shoulders was mused up from sleep. She wore no make-up yet her skin seemed to radiate a natural warm glow and looking deeply into her eyes he had once again thought how a man could get lost in those large blue eyes, eyes which were now so full of fear and panic.

  He had stepped back, watching as her body had relax a little.

  “I don’t want to frighten him” he had said slowly “but I am not leaving here without seeing him”

  Kelly had nodded in submission and slowly he had turned and moved into the room he presumed correctly to be the kitchen, as Kelly had followed relieved that he had not entered Max’s room.

  For several seconds they had both stood silently in the kitchen, Kelly still trying to catch her breath from the emotional turmoil, while he had seemed cool and totally in control of his emotions as he had sat on one of the bar stools which had been pushed under the worktop.

  Kelly had flicked her eyes over him seeing that he was that day dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt sporting some designer logo which she had instantly recognised. The top seemed to accentuate the contours of his lean body and flatness of his stomach and despite the panic she felt Kelly had felt the prickle of awareness at his presence. Having him so close stirred something deep within her, and she could easily understand why women would fall at his feet, as he effortlessly exuded a raw sexual power which she had pushed to the back of her mind. Yes she could see how he could attract all those women, like moths to a candle she had thought sadly, only Trudy had been the one to be burnt

  To break the silence in which she had suddenly become aware of him watching her she had began to move around the kitchen filling the kettle and laying out 2 cups.

  “Would you like tea or coffee” she had
asked as politely as she could aware that her voice was still shaking

  With a lifting of his eyebrow he asked for coffee black with no sugar and she had busied herself preparing the two drinks

  After sliding the cup across to him Kelly had become aware of the fact that she was not dressed but was still wearing her silken pyjamas which left very little to the imagination. Colouring a little she had put down her cup and mumbled something about dressing. Marc had seemed uninterested, but she had stood savaging her lip for a few seconds before turning to him and worriedly looking at Max’s room asking for assurance that he would not wake up the small boy still sleeping peacefully inside. He had frowned “I said I would wait” was the irritated reply he had thrown at her and with a last worried look she had left to quickly dress.

  Marc had sighed looking around the small kitchen. The last time he had come here he had been critical and incredibly rude about her home. However, he had to admit that it was a warm bright and welcoming house, frowning thinking how it suited her so well. Everything seemed to be child orientated with small signs everywhere of the presence of a child – his child he had thought grimly to himself once more.

  He had rubbed his hand over his face wondering for the millionth time why Trudy had withheld the knowledge of his son from him. His mind going back to the last time he had seen her, and the first time he had seen Kelly.

  He couldn’t remember the particulars of the party. Yet another cocktail party with most of the same crowd, all laughing and boasting about their latest acquisitions. He had been bored and not even the attentions of the beautiful blonde, her name which had escaped him, had lifted his spirits. As he had looked around he had recognised many of the women on the arms of various competitors and colleagues. Many had fulfilled this same role with him he had thought as they clung to the arm of their latest amours.

  He had sighed aware that even now many cast their eye in his direction. Being head of the De Santo Corporation he was both powerful and wealthy, an enticing combination and, he had found women had fallen at his feet most of his adult life. It didn’t hurt either that at 33 he was tall, about 6”3 with a slim muscular build and devastatingly good looks which most women found irresistible. He in turn had enjoyed them, although none had held his attention for long before he bored of them. Even now as he had looked at his partner he had realised he was growing tired of her trivial chatter about nothing important. He had he knew already made a mental note to make this their last date.

  As he had turned to deposit his drink on a passing waiter’s tray, he had come face to face with Trudy and he had smiled warmly at her in welcome taking her hand and kissed it gallantly. She had in turn laughed and raised her eyebrow in the provocative manner which had first attracted him to her.

  “Trudy” he had said

  “You look as lovely as ever”

  She had laughed pleased, at the compliment.

  “I see that you are as smooth as ever Marc” she had responded, giving him a knowing smile

  “How long has it been” he had queried

  As she had had no need to think but responded quickly”over a year”

  “Ah yes” he had murmured

  At that point he had become aware of the woman standing just behind Trudy, as she had moved to the side and pulled the woman forward introducing her to him

  “Marc meet my friend Kelly” she had said as he had caught his breath. She was truly beautiful. While stunning to look at, she had something else, something he could not quite put his finger on, but which made her stand out from the crowd in an almost surreal manner.

  Smiling he had caught her hand in his and as he had done with Trudy, kissed the tips of her fingers. The touch of her causing a ripple to travel through him which had been so unexpected, however, only he had been so affected, as looking into her blue eyes he was shocked to see how coldly she had looked back at him.

  Trudy who had been closely watching had stepped forward quickly before he could say anything and grabbing her by the arm had moved on

  “Wonderful to see you again Marc” she had said hastily

  “Look Kelly we’re being called” and they were gone

  The whole incident had confused Marc at the time. It all made perfect sense now he thought wearily. Kelly Brown had thought he was some kind of monster who had abandoned his child – no wonder she had looked at him that way.

  He remembered the rest of the night watching her from the other side of the room. Notorious venues for beautiful women to meet new eligible men, she had blanked every man who had tried to attract her attention, and there had been many. She had been polite, but distant and even the most renowned playboys had been forced to give up.

  He had found himself admiring her eyes and the way her hair, which had hung freely below her shoulders, had shone like a golden waterfall swaying around her perfect body. Adding to the mystery nobody had known who she was he had discovered when he had surreptitiously sought to find out more about her.

  That night his love making had been more intense and passionate, much to his partners delight, but as they had lain spent in the dark, he did not tell her that it had been another pair of eyes that had spurred him on to such dizzy heights.

  The sound of her returning, now fully dressed pulled him from his thoughts.

  She still looked nervous and he could see that her hands had not fully stopped shaking.

  “I didn’t think I would see you again” she had finally said a tremor audible in her voice, as she had watched as he raised an eyebrow in surprise

  “I told you I would be back” he replied his voice toneless. God she despised the way he could sit their so in control while her insides felt like they were being pulled out inch by inch.

  She had nodded her head silently and was quiet. Watching as she looked at the floor he could see the myriad of emotions which seemed to run through her lovely expressive face, as distractedly he had wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through the curtain of hair which she was unsuccessfully trying to use to shield her face from him.

  After what seemed an age in which they both stood drinking their coffee neither willing to say anything, a sudden sound had broken the silence.

  Her eyes had closed slowly and then reopened showing a haunted look, similar to such a look he had once seen cross her face momentarily on the night of the party, as her body seemed to tighten in trepidation.

  “Th..that’s Max” she said a defeated tone in her voice.

  As she had moved to the room the small child was waking in, she didn’t even attempt to stop him as he had followed closely behind her.

  The child’s room was wonderful he thought upon entering it. Bright coloured pictures were painted on the walls depicting playful animal characters all smiling as they looked down on the young boy. He knew that she had done them having spent most of the previous two days finding out about her and who she was. Marc De Santo was a man who always won and got what he wanted, and achieving this was done by knowing his facts. Right now he wanted his son.

  He watched as she bent down into the cot and gently lifted a small boy holding him so that he clung to her neck, his little body moving against her to take in all that was around him. His heart had jumped on seeing the child who mirrored him so much, and he was swamped with the overpowering feelings of love which totally engulfed him.

  She was talking softly to Max while bouncing gently to comfort him as only a mother knew how, and he found himself confused with regard as to what had to be done for the first time ever.

  Turning to look at him Kelly had caught the emotional changes in his features.

  “Mr De Santo” she said gently

  “Meet Max”

  Then stepping forward and moving the child so that she could easily transfer him to the now anxious man before her. Her heart lay in her stomach as she knew beyond any doubt that any test would only prove that Marc De Santo was indeed Max’s father. She wanted to find a corner, curl up and cry the realisation that she w
as going to lose her precious boy fully hitting her, as her heart was slowly torn apart.

  As Marc held his son for the first time, she was once again witness to that incredible smile he had given her the first time they had met all those months ago, only this time not meant for her but for his child. It was a smile which could melt the heart of any woman and as she could see any small child too. Max was looking intently at the strange man holding him, his small features fascinated by this new face. As little hands reached up to grab his nose Marc had laughed gently. It was a wonderful sound and his dark eyes were sparkling with no hint of the steeliness which had always been present when directed at her. He had looked over at her, happiness stamped on his features

  “He’s a playful little thing” he chuckled

  Kelly had smiled back hiding the heartbreak she felt.

  “Yes” she replied before straightening up and putting her hands up to take him back

  “But it’s time for someone to be changed” she had said in a mock scolding tone meant for the small boy, who on hearing her voice was desperately looking around for her

  “Then something nice to eat” she continued taking him back into her arms.

  Moving back into the living room he had briefly seen on his first visit as he had following her, he sat down in one of the comfortable armchairs, watching as she had laid Max on a changing mat. He had watched in silence as she tickled his stomach and blew into his belly causing the boy to giggle hysterically. He had watched as she leant down to let him grab her face so that he could suck on her chin making small kissy sounds. He had also seen as her whole body had seemed to relaxed, her previously tense face laughing making her complexion glow with that inner beauty that had had his stomach flip-flopping watching her all those months ago.