Chapter Sixteen

“Mommy! Someone’s at the door!”. Miesa called for the third time.

She got no response but didn’t bother getting up to check what her mother was doing. She was watching her favorite cartoon; The Princess and the Frog and she hated interruptions.

The doorbell continued ringing incessantly which annoyed Miesa to no end so she got up and went to answer the door herself.

“Who is it?!”. She snapped as she unlocked the front door and opened it ready to lambast whoever it was but no words came out when she saw Cesar.

“Cesar! Hi!”. She hugged him. "Come in!". She pulled him inside.

“Hey princess.” He greeted her with a faint smile on his face.

“What’s wrong?”. She asked, concerned. He wasn't looking as happy as he usually was whenever he saw her.

“Where’s your mom?”. He looked around.

“In her room.” She answered.

“Ellie!”. Cesar yelled as he brushed past a surprised Miesa and stalked into the living room. "Elyon!”.

Elyon walked into the living room wondering if she had conjured him up at her house but he was really there in the flesh...still very pissed off.

At least he’d given her a few hours to gather her thoughts but with the look on his face...there was no way she was going to get out of this without spilling the truth.

“Then spill it!”. Her subconcious growled at her.

“Mimi…go to your room please.” Cesar said.

“Um...okay.” Mimi nodded and left.

She could feel the tension in the room and it was so thick, she could cut it with a knife.

“I’m here and I’m not leaving until you tell me the truth.” Cesar informed her belligerently.

“I told you...I have nothing to tell you!”. Ellie tried not to raise her voice but failed. "You’re getting on my last nerve Cesari.”

“You told me yourself that you’d never known any man and I was your first. You ended up pregnant a few months after we met. How about that?”. He demanded. 

Elyon laughed humorlessly. “Don’t flatter yourself Cesar. I wouldn’t have remained a virgin forever you know that and besides..I could’ve slept with someone else the very next day.” She sneered.

Cesar rubbed his hands over his face frustrated. He placed his hands on his hips and stared at Ellie. He didn't know how else to make her talk but he knew one thing though; he was going to get the truth out of her by hook or crook.

“You’re scared.” He stated.

“What?”. She was confused.

“I said that you’re scared. That’s why you don’t want to spill the truth.” He thought that goading her would make her talk but he should know her better than that.

“What’s it to you anyway?". Ellie spat. "You don’t like Children.. remember?!.”

“Yeah but it doesn’t mean I will abandon my child.” He shot back aggravated. "Tell me the damn truth Ellie...please!”.

“I know the truth.” Miesa said from behind her mother.

The two adults turned to stare at her in surprise. They’d not heard her come downstairs.

“What are you talking about Mimi?”. Ellie asked. Her heart raced in her chest as her eyes zeroed in on the envelope in Mimi’s hand.

She hoped it was not what she was thinking. Miesa couldn't have done what she was thinking. She was just a little girl.

“Tell me whatever you know Mimi.” Cesar encouraged her.

Miesa walked forward and held out the envelope to him but Ellie snatched it from her before Cesar could take it.

“Give that back to me Ellie.” He ordered.

“There’s no way you’ll find out the truth now.” She tore up the envelope into tiny pieces and threw it up in the air.

Miesa sighed and shook her head. Her mother sometimes acted like a five year old.

“Cesar..Mom..I had a DNA test done”. Miesa informed them in a flat voice.

“How come?”. Ellie was flummoxed. "You’re just five!”.

Miesa rolled her eyes. “Mother.. this is the twenty first century.” She drawled.

“Yeah so?”. She frowned.

“Remember that Saturday Cesar came over for breakfast?”. She asked them.

“Yeah.” Both adults nodded.

“Well..I didn’t dispose of those bloody wipes. I kept them in a plastic bag and I gave it to doctor Mirabelle in school. When we had..um our blood taken for tests. What’s that word?”. She snapped her fingers, trying to remember but coming up short.

“ABO typing?”. Ellie asked.

“Ah yes. She also took a separate one for the DNA test. I got the results this week.” Miesa said.

“What did it say princess?the doctor must have read it to you right?”. Cesar asked.

“Yes.”

“And?”. He questioned anxiously.

“And…" She paused for dramatic effects, rocked on her heels and then squealed excitedly. “You’re my dad!”. She exclaimed.

Even though Cesar had expected that answer,he still stumbled back from the shock of it.

He had a daughter. A five year old cute as a button little girl. An exact carbon copy except for her nose and her eyes.

“Now that you know man…what you gonna do bout it?”. His subconcious drawled.

Miesa’s smile faded as Cesar showed no emotion other than shock on his face. She’d expected him to scoop her up in his arms and twirl her around looking very happy but...not that slightly wounded expression on his face.

"Does he not want her?why doesn’t he look happy that he has a daughter?." She wondered.

“Daddy?”. She dared to call him that.

Cesar looked at her precious face, her brown eyes that were filling up with tears but he only shook his head, turned and walked out.

It was too much for him to process now that he knew the truth. The truth he’d been clamoring for and had even threatened to unleash hell on Ellie was now a bitter pill for him to swallow.

He didn’t know how to be a dad. He’d never been raised by his parents and his foster parents had been Coke heads.

Maybe he’d have ended up like them if his foster father’s cousin hadn’t saved him. He was forever indebted to that man. His savior and mentor.

Cesar walked woodenly back to his car, unlocked it and got into the car. He slammed the door shut, rested his head on the wheel and cried.

He had a daughter whom he just walked out on. Ellie would never forgive him for that.

“Mommy..daddy doesn’t want me.” Miesa sobbed. "He hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you sweetie." Ellie assured her for the fifth time in ten minutes. "He’s just in shock.” She knew Cesar adored Miesa and he'd rather die than to hurt her by abandoning her. She hoped he'd get over his shock soon and come back to them. It was wishful thinking considering the kind of man he was but for Miesa's sake, she hoped for the best.

“I’m sorry for going behind your back mommy but I had to know.” Miesa told her.

“I’m sorry too sweetie. Forgive me?”. She smiled through her tears.

“If you’ll promise to tell me everything from now on?”. Miesa asked.

“I promise.”

Miesa sniffled. “I forgive you.”

Ellie pulled her close, hugging her tight. “I love you Miesa..so so much.”

“I love you too momma and daddy too.” Miesa smiled.

Ellie kissed her hair and prayed that Cesar would accept Miesa as his child. He had to or Miesa would be heart broken.

She didn’t think there was anything worse than breaking a child’s heart.