Chapter 12
CLARISSA
This whole blood transfusion situation with Moretti had me worried sick. Moretti Senior was a big threat. I had met him once, back in the day, and he was a total asshole. He wouldn’t help me convince Cole if something happened to his son.
My only option was Moretti. I needed him to help me convince Cole to sell one of his clubs to help me with my treatment.
My original plan to get Ralph on the will and try to get fifty thousand dollars as a goodwill gesture to make up for lost time with his newfound son had gone to pieces.
Cole was broke; he barely had enough money to run the clubs as it is. But he would never agree to sell the clubs. His father made him promise that on his deathbed. He could not sell off the family legacy.
I heard two finger snaps in front of me, which brought me back from my deep thoughts.
“You look preoccupied,” Cole pointed out. “Is it the tumor?”
“Yes, of course. What else could it be? I mean, I’m doing better thanks to the treatments, and I’m not dying anytime soon, but I can’t tell the future.”
“Sure, I understand. I didn’t mean to be insensitive,” Cole said. “When do you have to have treatment again?”
I let out a heavy sigh.
“As soon as I have the money.”
Cole looked confused. He got up from the chair next to me and sat right in front of me. The boys were still eating out in the hallway.
“I thought the insurance was helping you with that,” he said.
“Yes and no.”
“What does that mean?” Cole asked.
“It means I need fifty thousand dollars to continue with the treatment. It’ll be down in Mexico.”
I don’t know what happened. I just blurted it all out. Stupid me.
“Look, Clarissa. I still love you. You are the mother of my child, but honey, I don’t have that kind of money.
I don’t want you to die or nothing, but I really don’t have that kind of cash lying around,” Cole said with tears in his eyes.
“I’m glad you’re doing better; you hadn’t told me that before, or maybe I just didn’t understand.
But fifty thousand dollars is just a lot of money. ”
What am I going to do now? My worst fears are confirmed.
“I understand. We’ll figure something out.”
I started to sob.
“Hey, hey. Don’t cry. Don’t do that. You know I hate when you do that. I’ll figure something out. You know that.”
“Thanks, Cole. I knew I could count on you,” I said sadly, drying my tears with the handkerchief Ralph had given us.
“Okay, you relax here. I’ll have Ralph drive you back to the hotel. In the meantime, I’ll get you something to eat and drink from the vending machine.”
I nodded.
Cole walked off and disappeared when he made a turn toward the vending machine. I made eye contact with Ralph and signaled for him to come over. He gestured for me to wait.
I then saw Cole give Ralph a sandwich and a drink. He motioned for him to take it to me. He stayed talking to Rocco. Then he took out his phone and dialed someone.
Who is he calling?
Ralph walked over to me and gave me the sandwich and a Diet Dr. Spencer, my favorite.
Cole knows me so well, I thought.
Ralph sat in front of me.
“So what’s happening, Mom?”
“I told you not to call me that. Stay in character, dammit,” I said. I was very aggravated. This rookie could ruin everything with his big mouth.
“Sorry, Mrs. Bennett.”
“That’s more like it,” I said.
There was a pause.
“Listen, Cole bought the whole story of my tumor. I think he may consider helping us out with the fifty thousand dollars.”
“Mom,” he whispered. “What the hell? I thought you were going to get him to put me on his will and then give me fifty thousand dollars for child support or whatever. I told you that wasn’t going to work.”
“Stop calling me Mom. And I didn’t know what else to do. That was the only idea I had at the time. I don’t see you coming up with any brilliant ideas.”
“Well, I’m tired of it, Mrs. Bennett. This whole thing stinks. What is Dad going to say?”
“Well, I’m doing the best I can. It’s not my fault he doesn’t have insurance, and he got a brain tumor.”
It broke my heart when he broke the news to me.
John has always been the love of my life. I didn’t believe him at first, but the brain scans and MRIs that were done in front of me didn’t lie.
“I told him to stop drinking and to cheer up when I dropped him off at the bus station. I assured him everything was going to be alright,” Ralph said.
I let out a big sigh.
“Mom, we really don’t know how long he has. And we need that money for his operation down in Mexico and everything,” Ralph said as he shook his head. He really looked sad.
“Well, I need you to cheer up and look alert. You’re going to raise suspicion looking and acting like this. So man up,” I said sternly.
“Fine, Mrs. Bennett.”
He straightened up.
I started to wolf down the sandwich; it was delicious.
Before I could tell him to get the car, my phone rang. It was Michael.
“Hi, Mom. I’m on my way to the hospital; I’ll be there shortly. My dad called me and told me everything that was going on.”
“When did he call you?” I asked.
“A little while ago. I was a couple of blocks away at the gas station, but I decided to stop by the hospital and see you guys.”
“We’re in the emergency room for now.”
“That’s fine. I’m pulling into the parking lot outside now.”
“Okay, honey. See you here.”
Ralph and I got up and went toward the boys. Michael walked through the double doors, and we were all there.
Shortly after, the doctor came out.
“I have good news, everyone. We found a donor. Mr. Moretti is very happy. As a matter of fact, the blood is already here, and Mr. Moretti is receiving it as we speak. He will make a full recovery.”
We were all happy.
“That’s great,” Cole called out.
“Yeah, that’s great,” I said.
Michael looked relieved, and so did Rocco.
“Don’t keep us in the dark. Who was the match?” I asked. “Who matched the AB negative blood type?”
“I’m sure I was,” Rocco chimed in. “I’m his son, after all.”
“Actually, Michael was the match. Michael was a perfect match!”
My heart dropped.
All those years ago, sleeping with Moretti and Cole during the same time frame had caught up to me. I swore it was Cole’s baby. The dates seemed to match. But I was totally wrong.
Michael always looked more like me than either of them. I guess that’s why he couldn’t tell the kid wasn’t his. Michael looked like me.
What is Cole going to do now?