07: Ex-Husband

WINTER: 

Three Years Later…

“Come here, Liam,” I ordered to my three-year-old son. We were done taking our breakfast and were now strolling through the children’s park in the neighborhood. His attention was caught when a bird landed on the floor, staring down at him. “You’re not going to catch him, alright? The bird is only looking at the children.”

“Why does the bird have small eyes, Mommy?” he asked, his brows forming a straight line. “Why do his eyes don’t look like mine?”

I chuckled while looking for some answers in my mind. I really did not know why.

“Ahm…God designed him that way. Come on, now.”

At three years old, Liam can talk now and can form sentences. He was chatty like her father and the resemblance between them was uncanny. Seeing him was like seeing my ex-husband. 

Calcifer and I had never met again and I believed that was for the best. I did not want him to approach me because the reason was our child. 

I sighed as I watched him continue staring at the bird, his curiosity never running down. 

Liam was one of the best blessings I had received from the heavens. I would trade anything in my life just to make him stay by my side. Forever. 

Dad was furious at first upon knowing about the divorce, but when he found out about my pregnancy, his hatred dissipated, and was helping me with the pregnancy.

Thanks also to my investment in our company, I was able to raise my child well and in comfort without my Daddy’s financial help even if he kept on insisting that he wanted to pamper his grandson. 

I appreciated Daddy, but I wanted to raise Liam as my own, without asking for anyone’s help.

He stepped forward, chasing the bird away.

He pouted. “He is scared of me, Mommy. Why is that?”

My heart fell for him. Such a cutie.

“The bird does not want to be held, Liam. He wanted to remain free.” Just like your Dad.

The only Dad that Liam knew was my own father and I was thankful he never asked about his biological father and was still a baby to inquire about such things. 

Instead of running towards me, he exclaimed,  “Mommy!” He pointed at the slide where a lot of children were playing. “I want to play!” he grumbled, both of his little fingers on his hip. 

“I know, sweetie. But it's getting hotter. Why don’t we rest for a moment?” I suggested. 

We had been here for half an hour already and my child had no plans of stopping any moment, yet. 

“No, Mommy,” she said, with a stubborn look in his eyes. He reminded me so much of my ex-husband. How could I forget him if there was Liam? “Play. I want. Play.”

My stomach churned. 

The fire in his eyes reminded me so much of Calcifer. No. Everything reminded him so much of him since he was an exact replica of him. He took her curly hair which she took from her Calcifer’s side. All of my family did not have curly hair, but Calcifer’s mother had. 

“Sweetie. Mommy is tired. Can we sit for a moment?”

Liam’s eyes shifted back to me and the slide and understanding flashed in her eyes. “You are tired, Mommy?” He ran towards me and engulfed my legs with a hug. “Liam chase away your tiredness, Mommy.”

I patted his back. I will not escape from the pain of my divorce without him by my side. 

He lifted his gaze and stared at me. “Play later, Mommy?”

“Yes, sweetie. We will play. Later. Hold Mommy’s hand.” I extended my hand, and he smiled widely. Grabbing her hand, we walked towards the benches beside the mango trees and stayed there for a moment while I lifted him and put him on my lap. 

“I like sitting on Mommy’s lap,” he commented, grinning from ear to ear.

“I like it too, Liam.”

In the parking lot, our bodyguard was waiting for us. I hired him when I was nearly kidnapped before. I noticed that after Calcifer’s disappearance in my life, there were a lot of strangers tailing me. I did not think it was my imagination. It was more than the truth. 

Someone was out there wanting to ask for ransom and now that I had a son, the chances of endangering my son’s life were getting higher.

“Mommy, look! That’s Uncle Hawk!” he exclaimed while pointing at Hawk, my bodyguard, putting a cigarette in his mouth, but not lighting it. It was forbidden to smoke in places like this. “Uncle Hawk is smoking. Bad Uncle Hawk.”

I forced a chuckle.

“He is only putting it in his mouth, Liam.”

Liam shook his head. “Smoking is bad. Papi said so.” He was referring to my Dad. “Uncle Hawk! Uncle Hawk!” he called while motioning him to approach us.

Hawk jogged towards us.

“Miss Winter. Liam.”

I smiled at him. Hawk had been my security guard for three years now. And aside from smoking, there was nothing undesirable about him.

Liam pointed at the cigarette in his mouth. “That’s bad!”

“Liam…”

As if reminded, Hawk hid his cigarette. “Sorry, Liam. Uncle Hawk forgot about it.”

Liam waved his hand in front of his chest. “That’s bad, Uncle Hawk.”

Hawk ruffled my son’s hair. “Uncle Hawk already asked for forgiveness, pretty boy.”

“I’m not pretty. I am handsome, Uncle Liam.”

“You sure are,” the man replied while looking at me. 

I smiled at him and his cheeks went red.  I chuckled mentally. Hawk was brave, but sometimes, he was such a shy boy. He saved me when someone wanted to kidnap me, found out he knew some self-defense, and asked to hire him himself. 

He was one of the best things that happened to me. Not romantically. 

“Mommy. Liam wants Uncle Hawk,” Liam announced about Hawk, my bodyguard. 

“You no longer want to play?”

Liam shook his head. “I want Uncle.” He jumped out of my lap and ran towards the man. Then, he grabbed Hawk’s hands, but when he did not budge, he left him, and was about to run toward the slide. 

“Hey! Liam. Wait for Mommy!”

I gasped when someone bumped into him, causing him to fall.

“Liam!” I exclaimed, my heart racing.

The poor child cried when his butt fell on the floor.

With my heart on my sleeve, I ran towards Liam and so did Hawk. In the corner of my eyes, Hawk was also rushing towards my son.

“I’m so sorry, little one. I did not see you there,” exclaimed the deep voice.

My heart skipped a bit upon seeing him holding my child—Calcifer.