38
A fter a night of heavy drinking and intense soul-searching, a distraught Gabriel reached a painful conclusion: everyone would be better off without him. Resolute in his decision, he left the house with unwavering determination, a man on a mission, believing there was no other way out.
His first stop was the bank, where he entered the vault, retrieved his safe deposit box, and placed it on the table. He watched and waited for the bank employee to leave the vault, then with a heavy heart, he pulled several envelopes from the inside pocket of his jacket—one for Emily and one for each of his children, including the newest addition, who was still unnamed. Carefully, he placed the envelopes into the box, feeling the weight of his actions settle upon him. He knew they deserved so much more—an honest explanation from him face-to-face—but the thought of confronting them was unbearable.
He whispered, “Please forgive me,” before closing the lid, locking the box, and carefully sliding it back into its designated slot. Then he exited the vault and nodded to the bank employee, signaling he was finished. She joined him and securely locked the vault behind them.
After leaving the bank, he drove to CVS and parked the car. In the parking lot, he quickly scribbled a prescription for Ambien on his prescription pad. With the prescription in hand, he then went inside to have it filled. After leaving the pharmacy with the prescription, he realized it was still a bit early for his appointment with the social worker. However, there was another task he needed to take care of at the hospital.
Gabriel approached Roman’s hospital room but halted at the door upon seeing Emily seated on the bed, engaged in conversation with him. With her back to the door, neither noticed his presence. Realizing he couldn’t speak to Roman with Emily there, he quickly turned and walked away, resolving to try again later.
With time to kill, he found his feet leading him toward the nursery to visit the baby. As he cradled the baby in his arms, he silently prayed that his son would have a wonderful life with his grandparents and sincerely hoped that the child would not grow up to hate him. With a glance at his watch and a sigh, Gabriel realized it was time to go. He leaned in with a tender smile, pressing his lips gently against the baby’s forehead. Holding the infant close for a moment longer, he finally walked over to the cradle and carefully laid him down.
He reached the social services office precisely at 10:00 and knocked on the door. Kathy opened the door and greeted him with a warm smile, “Right on time,” she said, welcoming him in with an inviting gesture. “How are you doing today?”
“Fine,” Gabriel said, following Kathy to her office.
“Please, have a seat,” Kathy said, motioning to the chair opposite her as she settled into her own. She folded her hands together, resting her elbows on the desk. “I must tell you; Lily’s parents were relieved to hear that you wouldn’t be contesting them for custody. They are good people, Gabriel. The baby will be greatly loved. If they are granted custody, they wanted me to let you know that they would agree to give you visitation rights,” Kathy added.
Gabriel exhaled deeply. “I’m glad to hear they’re good people, but visitation won’t be necessary.”
Kathy studied him for a moment before saying, “You don’t have to decide right now. You might change your mind later on.”
Gabriel gave a brief nod and mustered a small smile. “Okay,” he said, avoiding further explanation.
Returning his smile, Kathy said, “Alright, the first thing we need to tackle is the paperwork.” She slid a consent form across the desk. “This is a consent form agreeing to a DNA collection to perform a paternity test on baby boy Rossi. While you fill that out, I’ll need to make a copy of your driver’s license.”
Gabriel reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed Kathy his license. While Kathy left the room to make a copy of the license, Gabriel read over the form and signed it. When she returned, Kathy handed Gabriel his identification back and took her seat.
Putting the license back into his wallet, Gabriel said, “I’m all finished.”
“Okay, let’s take a look.” Kathy looked the paperwork over and then signed it as well.
Next, she opened the bottom drawer of her desk and took out a DNA test kit. She donned a pair of gloves and carefully tore open the packaging on a long buccal swab. Moving around the desk beside Gabriel, she said, “I’m going to collect a sample of your DNA from your cheek. Open wide, please.”
Gabriel opened his mouth, and Kathy ran the swab across his inner cheek, then placed the swab into a collection tub. “That’s it. I’ll obtain a sample of the baby’s DNA later today and then send it to the lab for processing.”
“How long will it take to get the results?” Gabriel inquired.
“Approximately three to five business days.”
“That long? I was hoping to get the results sooner,” Gabriel said, his gaze shifting away. “I’m going out of town for the next several weeks starting today. “Who will be granted custody until the paternity is established?”
“I see no reason why Lily’s parents can’t be given temporary custody in the interim.”
“Great. Would it be possible for me to sign the adoption papers in advance? That way, once the paternity results come in, everything will already be in order.”
Kathy frowned. “I’m sorry, but we have to wait for the results before we can proceed with that.”
“Oh, alright,” Gabriel replied, his voice tinged with disappointment. “Is there anything else you need from me?” Gabriel asked.
“No, that’s all for now. I’ll reach out as soon as the results are in,” Kathy assured him.
Gabriel stood up and extended his hand. “Okay, thank you.”
Kathy shook his hand and responded, “You’re welcome.”
Gabriel left the social services office, determined to try again to catch Roman alone. Finding Roman alone, he lightly tapped his open door before entering the room.
Roman, who had been resting, opened his eyes and smiled. “That was quick,” he remarked. But when he saw it was Gabriel, the smile faded. “Emily’s not here,” he said. “She went to get some lunch.”
Stepping closer to the bed, Gabriel said, “Actually, I’m here to see you.”
Roman sat up straighter in his bed. “I don’t see what we could possibly have to discuss,” he said.
“I understand if you don’t want to talk to me. But I need to say a few things, and I’d appreciate it if you would hear me out.” Gabriel exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. First, thank you for caring for Emily and Ava when they were in trouble. I shudder to think what could have happened if you hadn’t been there for them.”
“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t need to thank me if you hadn’t gotten them mixed up in all of this in the first place,” Roman retorted.
Gabriel dropped his head. “You’re right. I’ve made a mess of everything. I’m not asking for forgiveness; I take full responsibility for my actions. So many people have been hurt because of me. Everyone would be better off without me, which brings me to the second thing I wanted to say. I’m going away for a while, and I wanted to ask if you could look after Emily and Ava in my absence.”
“So that’s your plan? You create this giant mess and then run away, leaving Emily to clean it all up?”
Not wanting to be talked out of his plan, Gabriel grew annoyed. “Are you going to look after them or not?” he snapped.
“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll be the man you couldn’t be,” Roman retorted.
“Thank you. One more thing—please don’t tell Emily about our conversation.”
Roman shook his head in disbelief. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
“Yeah, I know,” Gabriel muttered as he left the room.
Gabriel left the hospital, drove straight to the liquor store, and bought their largest bottle of Jack Daniels. Then, he checked himself into the Holiday Ann. Gabriel was assigned room 217, and he couldn’t help but find it fitting. Room 217 was where it all began—the first time he slept with Lily. It was where the turmoil had started, and now, it seemed, it would be where it all would end.