FOUR

                Max hadn't noticed he was following her until he stopped outside the kitchen. The little display of affection had really gotten to him. It was clear as day that Zander was his son. Aside from being his carbon copy, the boy also loved chocolate chip cookies. They were his weakness, and he'd told Emilia that before marrying her. He remembered how she'd laughed, saying that it wasn't manly and that he shouldn't mention it to anyone else.

Was that it? Had she told her son to say the cookies were his favorite? Had it all been a show? No. Zander looked exactly like him. He was his son. More than anything, Max wanted him to be his son. When Emilia had told him she was pregnant, he'd been over the moon. Finally, he was going to be a father, something he'd longed for since his own father passed away.

He'd looked after his siblings as if they were his children, but deep down, he'd always wanted to have his own kids. The day his wife had left him, he'd been abroad on business. Gwen had called him crying hysterically while trying to tell him that his wife had run away after pushing their mother down the stairs. At first, he hadn’t believed it. He’d packed his things and flown home immediately and even after he arrived, he had been in denial for so long, refusing to accept that his wife could do something like that.

For days he'd stayed at the hospital praying she would come back and explain what had happened. But then a mail had arrived with an ultrasound sound and medical bills. For abortion. As if that wasn't enough, the doctor had told him his mother could never walk again. That had been the darkest moment of his life. He would have done something stupid were it not for Darren. He had lived for his family, knowing without them, he'd be nothing. But now Emilia was back, telling him no, presenting him with a son he thought he'd lost.

How was he supposed to feel? Angry that she'd kept him away for so long? Relieved that she hadn't had an abortion? Happy to see her again? Over the years, he had refused to believe that Emilia had gotten an abortion. No matter how wrong he was about her, he didn’t think she would get rid of their baby without talking to him. The reason he hadn’t gone looking for her was because he’d been afraid of what he would find. But now that he knew she hadn’t done it, he felt lost. It was all too much at once. All of it was just... he couldn't handle it. That is why he'd stopped when he heard them laughing in the kitchen. His little boy already knew how to take responsibility. He'd promised to look after Mel while his mother took a shower, and all he could think about was how much he'd missed.

The day he was born, his first cry, laugh, the day he learned to walk, and talk. He'd missed so much, and it was all his fault. He shouldn't have stopped looking for her. Even after he'd received those medical bills, he should have kept searching. Maybe then, he wouldn't have missed the first eight years of his son's life. But Emilia had left him. She'd left him and made sure to take her revenge before she left.

He knew his mother didn't like her, but she shouldn't have pushed her down the stairs. At the end of the day, she was still his mother. Granted, they'd fought nonstop. Genevieve had wanted him to marry Lisandra, claiming that she was the right woman for him. Coming home with Emilia, a simple girl from a small town, had sparked her anger. He wasn't blind to how they treated her.

Some nights he came home to his wife locked in their bedroom, crying her eyes out. He'd talk to his mother and tell her to treat Emilia like her daughter-in-law, but then Genevieve would start ranting about how disappointed his father would be because he married a nobody and he'd end up leaving her alone. He thought that with time, they'd learn to accept her. Maybe even see what a kind person she was.

That had been his first mistake. Not insisting that his mother and sister try to get along with his wife. He should have moved out. Bought a house for his wife where she would have been happy. Maybe then he wouldn't have been away from his son for so long. Fuck! Even after everything she'd done, he was defending her. His mother was in a wheelchair and Max was defending Emilia. The woman who'd put his mother in that same wheelchair. What was wrong with him?

"Max, don't just stand there. Come on in," Mel called out from behind the aisle. He walked in awkwardly, not knowing what to say. "We put a dent in your cookie jar. I hope you don't mind"

"No, it's alright Mel"

"Good. Because Zander here is worse than you. I had to wrestle the jar from him"

"I would never wrestle with a girl, Nana. Now, where is my cookie?"

Mel laughed. "Not happening, young man. You've had enough"

"But you said I could get a treat every time I called you Nana. "

"I didn't say it would always be cookies. It could be an apple or a banana"

"That's not fair. And I don’t like fruits"

"She tricked me the same way when I was young. You have to be careful when it comes to Mel or you'll find your lunch box stuffed with vegetables," he said, leaning on the smooth surface.

"You had it coming Max."

"I had to stay hungry that day since Darren refused to share his lunch with me."

"But you learned your lesson. Didn't you?"

"Yeah. Want to know what I did to get broccoli for lunch?" Max asked Zander, who was busy nibbling on his last cookie. When it looked like he wouldn’t get an answer, he looked up at Mel, pleading with his eyes for her help.

"Your father is talking to you, Zander," Mel said. "Zander?"

"Mom says that if I have nothing nice to say, I should shut up, but then I should never be afraid to speak my mind."

"Okay," he said, glancing at Mel. She shrugged, then asked,

"What's on your mind, Zander?"

The boy placed the half-eaten cookie on the plate, squared his shoulders, then looked him straight in the eyes. Max had never been so nervous about anything in his life, but at that moment, he wanted to run and hide. His son was about to talk to him for the first time, and he knew without a doubt that whatever Zander was about to say wouldn't be nice. After all, he'd seen him try to strangle his mother.

"I love my mother. She told me it's not okay to hurt girls even when you're mad at them. I was really excited to meet you but when I saw you hurt mom, I decided I didn't like you. I'm eight years old and I respect my elders, but the next time you try to hurt my mother I’ll have Thea arrest you"

"Zander..."

"Leave me and my mom alone." Turning to Mel, he said, "Can you show me my room?"

She looked at him. Max nodded, knowing Zander wasn't ready to listen to him. And even if he was, what could he say? "Forgive me for trying to kill your mother?" how would Zander understand something like that? Christ, what was he thinking? He'd let his anger blind him, and now his son wanted nothing to do with him. Sighing, he watched as he left with Mel and felt a pang of jealousy when Zander slipped his hand through Mel's.

A few minutes after they left, Emilia strutted in looking all fresh and at home. She'd changed into shorts and a T-shirt. Her legs were smooth, just as he remembered them, but shapelier. Her hips were wider and he couldn’t help noticing her breasts were bigger, too. Fuck, everything about her had changed, but for the better. It was as if she was mocking him by saying that she had been better off without him. He'd married a sweet girl from a small town who didn't care how she looked. The woman in front of him was nothing like the Emilia he'd married. Where had she been hiding all those years?

"You should try to keep your anger in check, Max."

"You're one to talk," he retorted, not able to stop himself. Every time she opened her mouth, he wanted to wring her neck.

"I'm just saying, if you keep letting your anger get the better of you, you'll never have a relationship with your son."

"Is that a threat?"

"Take it however way you want. Just know that between me and Zander, there are no secrets. I tell him everything"

"Who are you? I mean, what have you turned into Emilia? Using our son to threaten me is just low. Even for you"

She moved to the fridge and opened it. "You're the one taking it as a threat." Opening the can of soda she'd taken out, Max watched as she threw her head back and guzzled the fuzzy drink. Some of it spilled down her chin, to her neck and disappeared in the valley between her breasts. He licked his lips, wondering how she'd react if he followed the path the liquid had taken with his tongue. When he felt his cock jerk to life, he cursed. It had been too long since he'd lusted after a woman that way. Normally it would take months before he went in search of Lisandra, and after he was done, he felt guilty for touching her. But she’d been there.

Licking her lips, Emilia said, "I don't mean to threaten you, Max. I brought Zander here so he could spend time with his family and get to know them"

"Why now? Why, after all these years, did you decide to come back?"

"Because I thought the time was right." She shrugged nonchalantly, reminding him how cruel she really was. She'd kept his son from him for eight years because she thought it wasn't the right time for them to meet? Who the hell did she think she was to make that decision? He was Zander's father. He had rights too, dammit.

"You're a bitch," he snarled, kicking the chair beside him.

"But you still married me"

"I was wrong. I realize now that my mother had been right about you."

"Fuck you Max" She bit out, her eyes flashing “Fuck you and everyone who thinks that I'm not..."

"Well, well. Am I invited to this reunion?" Lisandra asked, strolling in. She still hadn't changed from the dress she'd worn to Gwen's engagement party. He'd thought she looked provocative in it, but now he couldn't help comparing her to Emilia. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair, legs that went on forever, and a lean figure. Once upon a time, his wife couldn't come close to her looks. Now? He wondered why he'd ever thought Lisandra was beautiful. Everything about her was fake. Long fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake breasts. Even her smile was fake. But at least he knew what to expect from her. Emilia, on the other hand, was full of surprises.

"Well, if it isn't the mistress," Emilia taunted.

Lisandra's eyes flashed, "Don't call me that. I am no one's mistress"

"What do you call sleeping with my husband, then?"

"Girlfriend. I'm his girlfriend until he divorces his wife"

"Building castles in the air. You haven't changed Lisa."

"On the contrary, I've changed a lot. I've been there for Max through his good and bad times. I was there when you abandoned him and I won't let you come here and ruin what we've built together"

"Thank you for warming my husband's bed while I was away, Lisandra, but now that I'm back, I'm going to need you to move out of my bedroom"

"She's not going anywhere," Max snarled, hoping to hurt Emilia, but she just smiled.

"Oh yes, she is. It's either that or I drag her out myself. I don't think you'll like that, Lisa, will you? And can I call you Lisa? Seeing as we've shared so much, I think we're closer than co-wives. Wouldn't you say so?"

"You have no right to kick her or anyone out"

"See, that’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. This is my house and you are still my husband, Max. Mine," she said the last word through gritted teeth in case they had all forgotten who she was. Crushing the empty can she was holding, she hurled it across the room, then walked out, without caring where it landed.

Max found himself smiling for no reason. Actually, that was a lie. He knew why he was smiling. His wife still considered him hers. It was juvenile to feel proud when Emilia called him hers, but he couldn't help it. It meant she hadn't forgotten she was married. Which could only mean that she hadn't been with another man while she was away. He was still her husband. Hers. Mine. That's what she'd said.

"Why are you smiling?" Lisandra asked, startling him.

"Nothing," he replied, leaving the kitchen. Maybe there was still hope for them. They could still be a family.

He had fantasized for so many years about how his life would have been if she hadn't left. They would have had three or maybe four children. Zander would have a brother and two sisters to play with. He would have been close to his sons and adored his daughters. He'd even pictured how they would look. If Zander looked like him, then his daughters would take after their mother. With black hair and brown eyes, they would have been beautiful.

Of course, he had lost hope of ever having that when Emilia hadn't come back, but she was there now. And he could make everything right. He would even forgive her for pushing his mother down the stairs. He would forgive her for leaving, for keeping Zander away because he knew that she hadn't stopped loving him. All of a sudden, his future looked brighter. He was a man who wanted a family of his own and his wish had come true.

Max walked with a spring in his step. It would take a bit of time to convince his wife that they could still have the family they always wanted, but he'd do it. God, he'd do anything to have her and their son back. He just had to come up with a plan. They would be just fine as long as they still loved each other. He really believed that.

Until he saw her kissing another man the next day.

Then he realized how foolish he’d been. Only a fool like him would think about getting back together after nine years.

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