Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father
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Chapter 6: Dada to Daddy
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“Who the hell is that?”
“That’s Arabella.” Gael rushed to say, glaring back at the woman herself, who had raised her head to glare balefully at Gael.
“Your wife?! YOU’RE WITH YOUR wife?!” Louis shrieked.
“No!” Arabella stood up, grabbing the phone, and spoke very fast into the receiver. “No. Look. I’m Bella. My son got into trouble today. The school called Gael because my son had written his name down as his emergency contact. Gael, being a major fucking asshole,”
“Major fucking superhero,” Gael grumbled, before withering under Arabella’s burning gaze at being interrupted.
“Decided to come around and pose like Hudson’s dad. And then, when we went out of the office to talk about what just happened, the paparazzi snapped pictures of us. And now, I’m being mobbed, and my son is scared. So FIX IT, MANAGER SIR. Er.. sorry. I’m usually not that tense. It’s been a long day.” Arabella looked a bit remorseful at shouting at someone she didn’t know, setting the phone back down on the table.
There was silence from Louis for a moment, before the manager spoke up. “Damn, Gael. Your wife can spit bars.”
Irritation swelled up in Gael. “She’s not--”
“Your wife, I know.” Louis acquiesced. “But I think he might have to be.”
Arabella and Gael shared a look over the phone. The mother looked confused, lips pursed, eyes widening.
“Louis, I’m going to need you to run that by me again.” Gael spoke, measured, his heart racing in his chest.
“I think the only way out of this is for the public to think that you two are genuinely married. And that you have a perfect marriage, raising your darling son Hudson.”
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“I think the only way out of this is for the public to think that you two are genuinely married. And you have a perfect marriage raising your darling son Hudson.”
“Are you kidding me, manager sir? It’s not even my mistake, why do I have to go along with this?” Arabella shrieked, making Gael wince.
“Hear me out. Look, Miss Arabella. If Gael denies it right now, you’re going to be under fire either way. People are going to follow you, they’ll paint you as a mistress. That’s how they twist the narrative to make it juicy.” Louis continued, undeterred by the strangled noise that slipped from Arabella’s lips. “If you and Gael accept the allegations, then you two can request for privacy, and because Gael is scary, they’ll have no choice but to accept.”
Arabella looked troubled, the color draining from her face. Gael thought that was a bit of an overreaction, but then again, the woman had to uproot her entire life.
But it was temporary, right?
Just until things died down, until the paparazzi caught wind of another story and lost interest in them.
“I need to talk to my best friend and run it by her.” The woman mumbled, before pushing away and heading into the kitchen, dialing frantically on her phone.
Gael waited until the other had gone to the other room before he picked up the phone from the table and pulled it off speaker, pressing the device to his ear. “Is this the only way, Louis-ah?”
“Yes, Gael. There’s no other way. I’ve looked at it. It either does immense damage to you, or to her. This wouldn’t. This would actually boost your image now, any remnants of that past scandal you had would be cleared away. This is good for you, Gael. This is our option. I already have one of the interns drafting out what you need to do to keep this good streak, I’ll have that document sent to you by tomorrow.”
Gael paused. This was...good for him. This would finally get rid of that bad press. “Okay, Mister Avian. I’ll call in a bit with our answer.”
Hudson toddled in, glancing over to where his daddy was talking on the phone in the kitchen, before pressing forward and heading to the small dining table. “Dada, Dada! This is Benny.” He held the stuffed toy in his hands, before raising his arms to be picked up.
Gael obliged, setting the little boy and his bear on his knee, a steadying hand on his back.
“Benny the bear, huh? Is this your favorite toy?”
Hudson nodded solemnly. The bear itself was nothing special, Gael could tell that it was one of those standard toys that were sold in grocery stores and simple convenience stores, and the regular brown stitching had long since worn out.
There were a few places where the original color remained, but the bear in other places (his arms, his stomach) were stitched up with other thread, as though Arabella was doing an operation to keep the bear together. Despite the rattyness of the bear, Benny was obviously well loved, sitting slumped over in the safe grasp of Hudson’s arms.
“Can you tell me a little bit more about him?” Gael asked, gently stroking a hand through the unruly mat of curls that sat atop Hudson’s head.
The little boy was more than happy to talk about how his momma had brought it home one night for Hudson to cuddle, and since then, without fail, Benny had slept, tucked in his arms.
As Hudson spoke, Gael allowed his eyes to wander around the apartment. There were no other toys, but also, the space was small and void of much. The couch looked to be a twin size mattress with some sheets folded hastily at one end. There was only one room, one bathroom. No photos, little to nothing in the house.
What kind of environment was this for Hudson? Sure, Gael wasn’t necessarily a parent, but he knew that kids should have engaging, motivating environments, with toys and lots of space to run around and play with.
Hudson was a growing boy, this small apartment wasn’t going to do much in the long run.
Maybe…maybe it was an added bonus that he would be able to shift Arabella and Hudson into a bigger space.
“Hudson,” Gael began quietly, watching carefully as the boy turned to him. A smile cracked at his lips as he saw the little boy move the stuffed bear so that Benny was facing him too, ready to pay attention.
“How would you feel if you and momma could move in with me?”
Hudson paused, his little head tilting. “Momma and I can move in with Daddy now?”
Gael fought the urge to coo. He went from Dada to Daddy? For some reason that was more personal, more sweeter.
“Yes, little one. I have lots of space in my house, you can have your own room! And I have a backyard and a pool.” Gael murmured. Maybe this was a good thing.
His staff was getting paid for just taking care of the house, seeing how Gael was barely home. Maybe if there were two other guests in the reason, they’d have more of a job to do.
“I don’t like change,” Hudson grumbled, pulling Benny close to his chest.
Gael was quick to soothe. Regardless of what Arabella’s best friend would say or advise, Gael could tell by the short amount of time that they had spent together that Hudson was very much the end-all for the older man.
If Hudson said no, then Arabella would not budge.
“I know, Hudson. I don’t like change either. I like my cozy little routine. But, think about it this way. Sometimes, change can be good. You and your momma can come stay with me, and you can have more space and a nice bed, but nothing really has to change. Your momma will still be with you, you’ll still go to the same school.”
Hudson pondered that wording a bit more carefully. “And I’ll get to see Daddy!”
Gael laughed, wrapping his arms around the little boy, tucking the little frame to his chest. “Absolutely, my little tiger.”
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TBC
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 7: a little slip . “Your momma will still be with you, you’ll still go to the same school.” Hudson pondered that wording a bit more carefully. “And I’ll get to see Daddy!”Gael laughed, wrapping his arms around the little boy, tucking the little frame to his chest. “Absolutely, little tiger.” Hudson shook his head. “Bear! Tae’s a bear.” Gael pinched the end of the little one’s nose lightly, not enough to hurt. “Mmm, maybe you’re your momma’s bear. But you can be my little tiger. You even look like a tiger.”Hudson seemed pleased with that explanation. “Rowr.” He growled, a small squeaky imitation of a tiger. Gael couldn’t resist grinning, planting a kiss on his curly hair. “There you go, my tiger cub.” The two delved into growling at each other, practicing their roars, before pausing as Arabella came to stand in front of him. The sight of her son growling at her pulled a weak smile to the woman’s face, before she set her phone do
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 8: congrats, Laurent family . “Okay, Mr Laurent. We’ll move in with you. Can you please, please, make sure my two conditions are acknowledged? I promise we’ll be good houseguests, the second this entire thing dies down we’ll leave you alone and let you be. But I’m unwilling to part with any of my conditions. I can’t.” Arabella tentatively broached the subject, and Gael could see how tired the woman got just by talking about their situation. “Okay.” Gael acquiesced. “Okay. We’ll figure out a way around it. I’ll accept the two conditions.”[to Louis Avian MANAGER: Louis. We have an answer.Arabella is willing to pose as my spouse, but she has two conditions.She’s using another name, and she’s not doing any publicity with me.She doesn’t want her face to be seen.][from Louis Avian MANAGER: That’s not looking good at all.][from Louis Avian MANAGER: It won’t look believable.][to Louis Avian MANAGER: I know, but I don’t know what
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 9: memories bring back memories. Lines had been drawn. The house, after the first day the two others had moved in, had grown quiet, save for when Hudson was home. Arabella and Gael retreated to opposite ends of the home, an imaginary line sliced through the middle of the house, neither party to ever cross. Arabella sank back onto the bed, her back thankful now that her endless nights of sleeping on the floor had somewhat come to an end. But still, for how long would she be able to enjoy this luxury?Her gaze drew to the bag in the corner, the very single duffle bag that had held all of hers and Hudson’s possessions, save for Hudson’s school backpack that was filled with loose sheets, remarks from his teacher, and odd rocks that the child liked to grab. Arabella had been living out of that bag for years. She rotated the same clothes, didn’t unpack, because there was no confirmation that she’d ever be able to stay. When she had her ap
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 10: miscommunication at worst . She stepped out, intending to make her way to where she could see Hudson’s teacher, collecting all the children, but a hand in her path stopped her. Arabella glanced down--it was Gael’s, but the producer wasn’t paying attention to her, instead staring off at one of the bushes. It wasn’t extended to stop her, but--what was it for?“Well, do you want to carry Hudson?” She asked, tilting her head in confusion. Gael didn’t answer, instead taking Arabella’s free hand and lacing it with his own. Their fingers tangled, and Arabella tried hard to not think about when the last time her hand had been held like this, aside from all the times she held hands with her own son. “Let’s go, we’ve got a few more minutes before school begins.” Gael hummed, as though his hand wasn’t the warmest and his thumb most definitely wasn’t resting so comfortably on top of Arabella’s hand. The elder trailed after him, making the
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 11: fight fight fight! . “I never thought you’d go so low, Arabella.” Gael drawled as he approached the other. The elder whirled around, hands on her hips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“Exaclty what I said. Breaking our agreement, using your son to get me home, forcing us to have dinner, trying to appeal by cooking my foods, immediately answering that I’d make it to his play. You’re overstepping.” Gael huffed. Arabella seemed to recoil for a moment, before firing right back. “I can’t believe you! You think I’m doing this to get on your fucking good side or to be a model husband? Hudson was asking for you. I felt terrible, so I asked. You could have said no, at any time, by the way. And I made your favorite foods as a fucking apology, Gael! As an apology for disturbing your work time! And I answered for you because it’s the second thing I’m asking of you. It’s for Hudson. It would mean the world if you could make it, Gael.” The ot
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 12: a colossally screw up. Speaking of--there was a firm knock at the door, and Gael rose to let her in. Chanty Starr, or Chanty as the industry and fans knew her, was a sweet faced woman, known for her clever songs and a personality that drew people in. Gael himself had talked to her during a few awards shows, and he found that he definitely did not hate her presence. She was polite and private, and she had a similar drive and enthusiasm that he enjoyed working with. She grinned at him, and god bless, knew about his aversion to hugs, instead reaching out for a shoulder pat instead. “Hello Gael! Let me tell you how excited I am for this collaboration. I’ve been talking about it all day. I’m sure my managers are tired of hearing me talk about it. But it’s true. The track is there, the lyrics are just how I envisioned it to be. Now it should be easy for us!” She cheered, her enthusiasm immediately picking his own up as she gifted him
. Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 13: do you see right through me? . Gael had initially anticipated a house that was upturned, his pictures on the floor and glass shattered everywhere, but surprisingly, he came back to an intact and quiet house. Too quiet of a house. The house was dark, seeing that it was late in the night by the time Gael got home, but there were no signs of life. A cough -- Arabella -- was the only indication that there was someone else living inside of the home. It was too late to talk now, so Gael decided to leave it for now. Besides, it was Saturday the next day--the weekend. He’d talk to them then. Plans did not work out to his convenience. In the morning, after Gael had tossed and turned on his bed for hours and hours, he crept out, padding into the studio. Neither mother nor son turned around to greet him as they usually did. Rather, Arabella gently took the empty bowl from her son’s grasp and set it in the sink, before hoisting the to
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 14: the standard . “You do that a lot. Clench your hands when I’m driving.” Gael noted, quiet enough for Hudson to not hear him. Arabella made a noise of surprise, before answering him. “‘I’m just uncomfortable with driving.” She said. There was definitely a story there, but Gael didn’t pry. He just slowed, switching to the slow lane with sharp clicks of his indicator, and reached across the console to slip his hand under Arabella’s, warmth filling his palm as he gently pulled the sharp fingernails away from attempting to tear into her fabric. “Your dress needed saving.” Gael said cheekily as Arabella looked and stared at him, neither of them quite talking about how she squeezed his hand in a show of thanks. Arabella didn’t respond to the joke, instead quietly murmuring, “You’re putting a lot of effort into this, aren’t you?”Gael sobered up, staring straight ahead as he replied. “You deserve more. Both of you do. You called me o