Chapter 14 Steven
STEVEN
My heart hurts as I watch Becca tear up. Even more so with what Damian asked Santa for Christmas. Her reaction to his wanting to meet his father is concerning. Maybe something bad did really happen.
Letting go of her hand, I pull her into a tight hug as Damian runs up to us with the picture taken by the elf.
“You okay, Mommy?” he asks, handing me the photo. She faces away from him and quickly wipes her tears.
“I sure am,” she replies, forcing a smile. “Let’s go see some more of the Wonderland.”
I know she’s trying to be brave for his sake, but a person can only do this for so long before they break. Staying close to her, we venture further into the chaos of kids running wild and parents trying to keep up with them.
Damian points excitedly at one of the stands. “Ooh, cotton candy snowballs. Can I get some?”
She laughs and tells him to knock himself out. As he runs under the tent, one of the vendors helps him bag his own colors as I stand back with Becca.
“I don’t mean to pry,” I say as she keeps a close eye on Damian, “but why did you react that way when you heard what Damian said to Santa?”
She sighs, and her eyes drop slightly. “His father’s parents didn’t approve of me. There were some threats made, and I didn’t want to raise Damian in that environment. Doing it alone seemed better at the time.”
Damian runs up to us, holding a bag of blue and white cotton candy, and she stops speaking. As he pulls us toward the face painting stand, I replay what she told me in my head. How could people be so cruel?
A child is a blessing. If I were to have a kid, I’d be ecstatic. I’d never speak to my parents again if I ever found out they did such a terrible thing to me, resulting in me not being able to be a father.
It’s a shame how terrible people can be …
“I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time,” she reveals as he sits down to get his face painted. “Thanks again for showing up. He really likes you and talks about you nonstop at home.”
This warms me to hear. I think the world of Damian and to know he feels the same way is indescribable.
“It’s my pleasure. He’s a spectacular kid, Becca. You did a great job doing it on your own.”
She smiles as she puts her arm through mine and rests her head on my shoulder. “That means more than you’ll ever know.”
I place a quick kiss on her forehead, just in time for Damian to return to us with his face painted like a snowman. The sight causes me to chuckle.
“Looks great, little dude,” I comment. “But I think we should take a break and get some lunch. How’s that sound?”
Damian nods vigorously, and he takes my hand. Smirking, I look over at Becca, who is smiling back at me. We find a vacant picnic table, and they sit while I grab a small pizza to share.
“Pizza! I love pizza.” Damian takes no time digging into the slice that Becca sets on his paper plate. We join him, and as I take my first bite, the warm cheese expands. As it breaks, it splatters red sauce all over my face, and they both laugh at me.
With a smile, I begin wiping it off. “Yes, very funny. So is this.” I dip my finger into the sauce and flick some at Becca. It lands on her forehead, and Damian cracks up again, his face turning red from laughter.
“Okay, okay.” Becca takes the napkin I offer and cleans her skin. “I need to call my grandmother quickly. Can you watch him for a second?”
Nodding, she steps away to a quiet area. “So,” I start, setting the crust of my pizza down on my plate. “Did you have fun meeting Santa?”
“Mm-hmm,” he responds only with a noise as he shoves another bite in his mouth. With a laugh, I pass him one of the bottles of water I bought along with lunch.
“I’m glad. And I really hope he’s able to get you everything you asked for.”
I know that the comment on his father is a stretch, but maybe, if she’ll let me in, I can help them both work out whatever mess the father’s parents put her through.
Does this guy even know he has a kid walking around? If not, I feel bad for him. Knowing Damian the small time I have, I already love him.
I can’t imagine how this must feel for any of them.
Becca soon returns, wearing an irritated look on her soft features. Her brows are drooping and her cheeks are red, and not just from the breezy weather.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
She scoffs. “I’m screwed. I left the key under the mat on the porch so my grandma could get in and grab a few things for her little overnight trip to the casino. Well, she accidentally took the key with her, and she’s already left. She won’t be home until tomorrow.”
Becca rubs the back of her neck as she looks over at Damian, who is oblivious to what’s going on as he eats another bite of lunch.
“I don’t know what to do. Maybe I can break in through one of the windows …”
“Nonsense.” I cut her off. “You guys can just come stay with me tonight.”
Becca’s stance straightens, and she looks at me hesitantly. “Listen. I know it’s sudden, but it’s only for tonight. Tell him it’s a sleepover or something. I have the extra room, and I can’t even picture you trying to break into that house.”
She softens with a subtle laugh, and she looks down at Damian. “Hey, bud. Want to have a fun sleepover at Steven’s?”
His eyes suddenly widen. “Yes! We can build a fort and we can make popcorn, and …”
“Whoa,” she says, interrupting his spiraling words. “I guess that’s a yes from him. Thank you so much. For everything today.”
I shake my head. “It’s no trouble at all. I wanted to come see you guys. It’s just a bonus that I get to see you for longer.”
Once Damian finishes his slice of cheese pizza, we load up into our cars, and Becca follows me to my house. Surprisingly, Damian didn’t throw a fit like a few of the other children did in the parking lot after learning they had to leave.
He’s definitely more mature than others his age, and it shows even when he’s speaking.
By the time we reach my house, it’s already late afternoon, nearing dinnertime. The moment the door opens, Damian rushes past us both and begins scanning through each room. Becca tries to call after him, but I assure her that he’s fine.
“Wow, Mom!” Damian exclaims as he enters the living room again. “This place is huge. But he doesn’t have any toys.”
Her face grows red, and she shoots me an apologetic look. “That’s because he doesn’t have any kids living here. I brought your tablet, remember?”
She pulls it out of her bag, and he finds a comfortable spot at the end of the couch as he starts up one of his games.
“I’m sorry,” she says lowly as we walk to the kitchen.
“Don’t worry about it. Don’t be sorry.” Looking out to see if Damian is occupied, I kiss her soft lips. It’s a reminder that even though there’s been hardship between us, I’m lucky that she’s back in my life. It’s just a bonus that she now has Damian.
“I do have a closet full of extra pillows and blankets from when my brother and his friends show up drunk periodically and need a place to crash.” Walking over, I open the door, and Damian rushes over, admiring the amount.
“We can make a big fort out of all these.”
Laughing, I begin grabbing them all, tossing a few onto Damian, causing him to laugh. “Alright, then I guess we should get started.”
Using various table chairs and even a broom, we finally have one of the most impressive forts I’ve ever seen directly in front of the television. The house fills with the smell of butter as Becca pops a few bags of popcorn, adding them all into a large, metal mixing bowl I have in my cupboard.
I turn on the fireplace to get things warm as Damian flips through the streaming apps I have and picks out a movie.
Once everything is finished, we all find our spots inside the fort with Damian in between the two of us, holding the popcorn.
The theme music begins to Frosty the Snowman, and he covers himself up with one of the extra blankets. Fitting movie since it matches his partially faded face paint.
Having the two of them here feels … right. It’s as if it was always supposed to be this way. My house hasn’t truly felt like a home until tonight, and I have them both to thank for that.
“I’m really impressed,” Becca chimes in as the movie starts to play. “You two killed it.”
It doesn’t take long for Damian to fall asleep between us as we talk about anything and everything under the sun. I avoid any touchy subjects, due to not wanting the moment to be ruined, and having little listening ears.
I’ve missed how well Becca and I genuinely get along, how easy it all feels with her. She’s becoming my best friend again.
After checking to make sure he’s really asleep, I turn to face Becca as she does the same. “Hey, you don’t have to say anything, and I really don’t want this to ruin such a great day, but I can’t keep it inside anymore.”
Her face shifts, expecting me to lay a bombshell down. “Becca, I love you. Honestly, I haven’t stopped loving you since the day you left five years ago. And now that you’re back … I don’t know.”
My eyes drop as I suddenly lose my courage mid-sentence. I can’t hide it from her any longer. I am madly in love with this woman, and at this point in my life, I don’t care who knows it.
Becca remains quiet for a moment, and I can’t get a read on her. Suddenly, her eyes soften and she smiles at me, allowing the knots in my stomach to loosen.
“I love you too, Steven.”