Chapter Two

Dreaded conversation. 

Lila

It was past eight at night, I had finally finished getting everything back in the office in order as per Jake's instructions. I had expected working for a billionaire to be hard, but I had not mentally prepared for how exhausting it would be. 

My whole body was weak, I didn't even have the time to take a lunch break, I was starving. I slowly made my way home, with the thought of seeing my son giving me strength. 

The familiar sight of my small cozy house just right down the street brought a sense of relief but also a little bit of anxiety as I remembered the conversation I had managed to avoid this morning. 

I had been so busy that I didn't have the time to process how I was going to answer Kyle's questions. 

I had known at some point he was going to ask this question, but I always thought I still had some time left. 

I opened my front door and was greeted by the warm, inviting scent of dinner cooking. My best friend Jada, who lived with us, was in the kitchen cooking while my son, Kyle, was watching cartoons on the TV. 

The moment he saw me, his face lit up as he got up and ran towards me. 

"Mommy." he called out before jumping into my open arms. 

"How was your day my love?" I asked, kissing him on the forehead as I hugged onto him so tight like I was trying to shield him from the cruel world we lived in. 

"It was good, aunt jade and I baked some cookies and drew something for you." he said excitedly as I placed him down and he ran to his room. 

I looked over at Jade who gave me a worried look and I immediately knew what that painting was going to be about. 

Kyle came back and handed me the painting. 

" This is me, you, aunt jade and this is my daddy." he said proudly. 

"It's a beautiful painting baby' I love it." I said genuinely as I hugged him again. But something was wrong, he was not as cheerful as he usually is. 

"Dinner is ready." Jade said saving me. 

"I haven't eaten anything all day, I am starving." I said as I headed over to our dining table. 

"Don't tell me that man is already overworking you on your first day." Jade said irritated. 

She never liked Jake and she never got what was so hot about him. She hated how arrogant he was and how he could never commit to a woman. 

The only reason she had not given me grief for working for him was because she knew I needed the money. And the perks of working for him is that the job came with a medical cover, which I really needed. 

"I can handle Jake, let's just eat." I said as I served a plate for Kyle. 

"I am not really hungry."he said in his little sweet voice. 

" Baby, you need to eat, even if it's just a little bit."

I knew what was bothering him, I had tried to hold off and let it ride but it seems like he was determined to know the truth. 

I really could not blame him, he was in school now and seeing other kids with their dad's he was curious about his. 

" Mommy, can I ask you something?" His voice was soft, but hesitant. 

Jada immediately got up and gave an excuse about needing a glass of water and left the dining table. 

"Ofcourse baby, you can ask me anything."

Kyle looked down at his plate, tracing the rim with his finger. 

"My friend Troy at school… He was talking about his dad, and um..he asked me where my dad is. I didn't know what to say." 

I felt like I had been stabbed in the chest. This moment I had been dreading since the night I found out I was pregnant. I took a deep breath trying to steady myself. 

I slowly reached out for his hand. 

" Kyle,"I began gently, "Your father loved you so much before you were even born, but he was sick," I lied. " He got sick and he died but you were the most important thing in his life." I said , trying to hold back the tears. 

"But why did he leave us, why did he leave me?" Kyle asked in tears. 

"No no baby, no don't cry." I said as I got up and went over to the other side of the table and knelt in front of him, "He did not leave you, he still looks and watches over you. He loves you very very much." I said in tears as I hugged him. "He wanted to stay with you, he wanted to but the doctors could not make him better, he didn't have a choice."

"When I grow up, I am going to be a doctor so that I can make all the daddies better so they don't have to leave." Kyle said, hugging me back. 

I hated that I had lied to him. I wish I could tell him the truth, but what truth. I didn’t even know the truth. 

How do you tell a five year old that you had a drunken one night stand with a stranger and ended up pregnant. 

This was much better than the truth. 

"I wish he was here to help you." Kyle finally said letting go of my embrace. I wish you did not have to work so much."

" I know baby and I wish he was here too, but I have to work hard so that I can take care of us now that he is gone."

"I know mommy." he said, hugging me back as tears filled up my eyes. 

My heart ached for him, and I wish there was something I could do to help him. But there was nothing I could do. 

"Okay, time for bed now. Mommy needs to get some rest." jade said from the door and Kyle ran up to her and I watched them disappear into Kyle's room in tears.