Chapter 5 Vincent’S Mistakes

• Vincent’s POV
• I was about to leave the parking lot when I noticed the boy who mistook me as his father a while ago is standing outside of the mall. He was with his nanny and a woman that must be his mother.
• I stopped the car in front of them and rolled down my windshield. I look at the woman and studied her face. She looks familiar… When the woman shifted her gaze at me; she gasped.
• “Vincent?” she asked. “Is that you?”
• “Get in,” I said with a smile. “It’s hard to wait for a taxi in this area. They usually parked in the hotel next to the mall.” I looked at the boy, but he didn’t see me because his attention was on the phone he’s playing.
• “No, thank you, Vincent—”
• “Come on, Donna,” I said and looked at the kid. “And, besides, I’ve met Gabriel earlier.”
• Donna looked at me as if she couldn’t believe what I have just said. Since they’re been standing there for almost ten minutes, she prefers to accept my offer. “Okay, thank you,” she said and opened the car door. She put the child at the back with the nanny and occupied the front seat. “Thank you so much,” she said. “I didn’t know that it’s difficult to hail a taxi on this area.”
• “Don’t mention it,” I said. “It’s really difficult to take a taxi here. By the way, it’s been years since we last met, right? Where have you been?” I glanced at her when the streetlights turned red. “I remember it was your birthday the last time we met. After that, there is no news from you.”
• “Yes, two months after my birthday. I went abroad,” she said.
• “Who is that boy with you?” I look at the boy sitting on the backseat. He’s still playing on the phone.
• “He’s my son,” she answered.
• “Really?” I asked with a smile, “How old is he?”
• “Four,” she answered casually.
• “She is just the same age as Angela,” I said.
• “Who is angela?” She turned to me. Her brows were furrowed as if surprise with what I said.
• “She is my daughter,” I replied. “And Lily is her mother.”
• “Really…” she trailed off.
• “Yes, we got married two months after your birthday,” I said in a low casual tone. “We called you to invite on our wedding but we could not reach your number.”
• “Yes, when I left the country, I changed my number into an overseas number.” She clutched on her skirt as if uncomfortable. “By the way! Do you know what happened that night? On my birthday party?”
• “What happened?” I asked with a knotted forehead and glanced at her.
• “Someone did a prank. They put drugs in five glasses of cocktail drinks.”
• “Really?” I asked. Lily came into my mind.
• She nodded. “You heard it.”
• “But, how did you know?”
• “Three couples checked into the hotel that night, because they accidentally drank the wine,” she said. “Didn’t you look for Lily that night? Did you find her?”
• “Yes, I found her!” I replied. You also checked in that hotel, right?
• “Yes, I do I left you when you were looking for Lily, I took some of my friends outside the hotel, I never came back because I was already dizzy, maybe because of the amount I drank.”
• And I suddenly remembered that night when a woman pulled me inside the room and asked for help because her body was heating like she’s having a convulsion. That night I felt like I am a man. And there’s something happened between me and the woman.
• But after everything had happened, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, the woman was gone already. I regret falling asleep after we shared a passionate sex over again. That was the very first time I had a sex with a woman. I didn’t see the woman’s face because the room was dark. I don’t have time to look for her too because I have to find Lily.
• “Mommy, are we still far from home? I’m already hungry,” Donna’s son asked, interrupting their conversation.
• “what do you want to eat?” she looked back and smiled at her son.
• “I want a burger.” The boy pouted. “And, fries.”
• “Alright,” Donna replied. “Give me my phone, I will call a food delivery once we get home.”
• As we drove the road, I saw a food chain where Gabriel could get the food that he wanted to eat. I immediately turned the car to the parking lot of the food chain.
• “Where are we going?” Donna asked in a knotted forehead when she noticed what I’m doing.
• “Looking for parking space,” I answered. “No need to call for delivery, we can dine in first. Your son’s hungry.”
• When I finally parked and stop the car engine, I looked at Gabriel. “Hey, buddy.”
• “Daddy!” The boy shouted. I heard Donna gasped at what her son called me.
• “Gabriel, he is not your father,” she told her son.
• “where is my father?” The boy answered back.
• “Didn’t I tell you that your father is already dead since you are still in my tummy,” she told the kid. I can see that she’s just lying to her son.
• The child frowned. “I don’t believe you.”
• “I’m sorry, Vincent,” Donna apologized. “Gabriel was always like that.”
• “That’s ok,” I smiled. “Let’s go, I’m starving too,” I said and got off the car first to open the door for them.
• I ordered a kiddie meal for Gabriel and chicken on a bucket for us. When I saw the happiness in the child’s face, I felt happiness inside my chest. I also felt something when Donna’s son called me Daddy. It sounds perfect in my ears.
• “Daddy, when will we have dinner with you again?” Gabriel suddenly asked me.
• I was surprised with his question. When I look at Donna, the same expression was all over his face.
• “Gabriel, he is your Uncle Vincent,” Donna introduced me to his son. “He’s my friend, he is not your father.” She’s trying to correct the impression of her son towards Vincent.
• “But I want him to be my daddy.” He pouted his lips and kicked his feet in the air.
• “Gabriel, do you want to go to my house and play with my daughter? I asked Gabriel. Donna protested, but I continue.
• Gabriel’s face brightened up. “I’d love to! When?”
• “This weekend, if possible,” I said. “If it’s fine with your mommy…”
• “Please, mom?” Gabriel begged his mom.
• Donna looked at me as if asking if I am serious. When I nodded, a sad smile showed on her face, and I don’t know why.
• ***