Mikey's New Friend Leo

“Mommy?”

Kris shot Amelia a deadly glare. “I thought you said you didn't have any kids?” With a confused look on his face, Kris stepped into the apartment, waiting for an explanation.

“I can explain, you see…” Amelia's brain struggled to come up with a reasonable excuse.

“Guess what I got!” Mel, Amelia’s friend, burst into the apartment, holding up a shopping bag. “Uh… am I interrupting something?” Even she could feel the tension hanging thick in the air. “I’ll just... go…”

Amelia grabbed Mel by the arm and yanked her close, whispering urgently, “Play along!”

“Kris meet my best friend and roommate, Mel.” Amelia gestured towards Mel. “Oh hey, dude,” Mel said calmly, clearly not knowing who Kris was.

“Hey Mel, isn't it time to give Mikey, YOUR son, a bath?” Amelia gave Mel signals and winked uncontrollably, hoping Mel would catch on.

“My son?” Mel blinked in confusion but caught on quickly. “Oh! Yes, MY son. Come on, Mikey, let's go get cleaned up,” she said, awkwardly picking up the confused boy and rushing him to the bathroom.

Kris still stood there with a puzzled expression on his face.

“Sorry about that” Amelia let out a nervous chuckle. “Mikey loves calling me mom. Mel's always busy, plus I pick him up from school, so he's kinda grown on me.” She hoped he would buy it.

Kris raised an eyebrow. “So your best friend’s son calls you ‘Mom’? Are you sure you’re not a lesbian, Amelia?”

“What? No! I’m definitely straight,” she sputtered.

Kris’s gaze narrowed, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips. “If you say so.” He stepped closer, towering over her, his hand lifting her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Time’s almost up, Amelia,” he murmured. “What’s it gonna be? Still, think you can become an executive manager?” His grin was dark, filled with wicked amusement.

“Ahhhhh!” Screams from the bathroom echoed all over the house, Amelia dashed to see what had happened. “What is it?” She looked and saw Mel on the floor, soap in her eyes.

“Amelia!”

“Mel, I'm so sorry,” she tried to hold back her laugh. “Mikey say sorry to Auntie Mel!” Amelia turned to Mikey who had a sad expression on his face. “Mikey?”

“I'll be in my room,” Mel finally said, washing the soap off her eyes; she left.

“Mikey, what's wrong?” Amelia asked as she gently wiped his hair with a towel.

“Mom? Was that man… my dad?” Amelia froze at the question. Why would Mikey even ask such a thing?

“Oh honey, you know we don't speak about your dad.” Poor Mikey wanted answers and Amelia just wasn't ready to give them to him.

“Well is he your boyfriend? He seems to really like you” Boyfriend? What had Mikey been learning in school?

“What makes you think he's my boyfriend honey?”

“Well, he brought home your ID card, didn't he?” Amelia could only smile at her son's shabby detective work. “Mom, I want you to be happy; I can't always protect you. I'm fine with you dating mom. I just want you to be happy” Amelia's heart broke as she heard these words from her son.

“Mikey…” Amelia kissed her son's forehead and carried him up to his room. She couldn't help but think, what if I agreed to Kris's offer? What if I let him into Mikey's life? She had taken Mikey to his room and put him to sleep. “Goodnight Mikey”

“I love you, Mom,” Mikey whispered under his breath as he dozed off to sleep.

*********************

“Okay, Mr Fox,” Amelia said as she made her way back into the living room, where Kris was seated on a couch. “I accept.”

Kris couldn't help but plaster a smirk on his face. “Here.” Kris placed a document on the counter table.

“What is it this time?” Amelia was stunned as she held the document in her hand. A contract?

“Just in case you decide to back out. Don't worry…” he relaxed back on the couch, “it's only for insurance.” A wicked smile lingering on his face.

Amelia was hesitant. Nevertheless, she signed it. Not because of the debts, or because of the Daily Gossip, or even because of the promotion. She did it for Mikey.

“Great!” Kris stood up, “just one more thing left” he reached into his pocket.

“And what would that be…” Amelia froze as he pulled out the ring, the same ring he’d shown earlier.

“Miss Amelia,” Kris said smoothly, his voice dropping to a low murmur, “would you do me the greatest honor and be my wife?” Amelia felt her heart pounding in her chest. She knew it was an act but a part of her still dreamed that it was the start of something real.

“Goodnight Amelia.” Kris moved closer to her and whispered in her ear “I told you I always get what I want.”

With that, he left the apartment and made his way to his car.

“Am I imagining things or did that boy look an awful lot like me when I was younger”

**********************

The next day, at Mikey's school, Amelia had gone to pick him up as usual. She was surprised to see her son Walking with another kid, Mikey was never kin of having friends. “Oh, this must be the new friend he talked about yesterday,” she thought to herself.

“Mom!” Mikey was happy to see his mom. “This is my new friend Leo. Leo meet my mom.” he pushed his friend Leo a bit closer to Amelia. Amelia took a moment to analyze his features.

He had bright ember eyes, the same as Amelia. His hair brown with a wavy feel, quite similar to Amelia's. Amelia couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance between them and neither did her son, Mikey.

“You know, Leo, you kinda look like my mom.” He looked back and forth between the two.

Mikey wasn't wrong. When Amelia was pregnant, she always had the feeling that she was having twins, even though the scanners and doctors said otherwise, she knew what she felt. If she had given birth to another son, he'd probably be exactly like Leo.

“Who's coming to pick you up, Leo?”

“Well, my dad usually just sends someone. He's always busy with work” Leo replied with a sour face. It was obvious he didn't like the idea of his dad not coming to pick him up.

Just then, a sleek black car pulled up; the screens were thick black, and there was no seeing inside. A man dressed like a bodyguard came down from the driver seat and walked over towards Leo. “Hello, Leonardo. Your father sent me to get you”

Amelia felt something was off. She was getting a totally wrong vibe from the man.

“Leo, is this the guy who's picking you up?” Amelia stood in front of Leo, arms widened.

“No, I've never seen him in my life” Leo, with a frightened voice, hid behind Amelia.

“Mikey, I need you to slowly back away with Leo okay? On my count” Amelia had moved towards the man. “Who sent you?”

“That doesn't concern you, lady” his voice was sharp; it reeked of deceit. “Now step aside” he brought out a gun and aimed it at Amelia “Hand over the kid and no one gets hurt”

A gun? Amelia kept calm; she had watched too many action movies to know you never act naive in a gunfight.

“Mikey now!” Amelia gave the signal, and in a split second, Mikey had run off with Leo back into the school. “Oh no, you don't.” Amelia jumped on top of the Huge man as he turned to chase the kids.

The teachers in the school had called the authorities, and Amelia had to buy them some time before they could get there.

“Ahhhhh!” Amelia screamed out. She had been shot!

“Mom!”

**************************

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Amelia lay motionless on the hospital bed, the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor the only sound in the quiet room. Her face was pale, and an IV drip was attached to her arm, slowly feeding fluids into her weakened body.

“It's my fault she got hurt. I'm sorry.” Leo wouldn't stop crying ever since Amelia was rushed to the hospital; he had a sense of guilt. After all, she got hurt trying to save him.

“Young master, please stop crying,” his butler, Tony, tried to comfort him.

“Dad!” Leo leaped on his father as he entered the room.

“It's okay now. I'm here” he brushed through his son's hair, keeping him calm.

“Doctor how's the lady who saved my son”

“She's still unconscious. We can only hope for the best. That bullet did a number on her” the doctor said, opening the curtains to let in more light.

Amelia layed there, not being able to move, she was hardly aware of what was going on in her outside surroundings.

“Amelia?”

Even in her unconsciousness, Amelia could never forget that voice.

“Oh no, her heart is failing; page me, Doctor Rose now!” The doctor screamed at the nurse as he dragged Amelia's stroller to the ER.

Amelia could feel the commotion happening around her but all she only had one thought.

Leo is Kris's son? He has a child?

I can't die now... Not like this!