章 3: Stranger
Sunday
I shielded my eyes when I felt someone remove my blanket. I squinted at my mom and grimaced, "What time is it?"
"It's seven in the morning," mom answered me with wide eyes.
I scowled at her, "Mom it's Sunday," I commented and closed my eyes again.
"Paul is downstairs," I heard mom say. My eyes opened wide and I quickly sat up.
"What? Why?" I asked mom. My heart was beating so fast.
"I have no idea," mom responded, "You better get down, he's playing with Tim."
I felt faint for a moment but I hurriedly put on my bra and went down with just my shirt and pajamas. Paul and Timothy looked up when they heard my footsteps. My son took his toy dinosaur from Paul and walked towards me. He reached up to me and I carried him up to my arms. Then we both turned to Paul.
Paul was wearing a white round neck shirt which emphasized his broad shoulders. His brown eyes were looking at my black ones. His eyes were full of questions. His face was slightly red and then he swallowed. The sunlight brightened his already handsome features. Symmetrical nose, bushy brows, fair skin. Paul's Spanish-American-Filipino descent made him look this good. Timothy called my attention and I kissed his forehead.
I glanced at Paul again and he adjusted his black cap. He was wearing khaki colored shorts and trainers. Then he gazed at me, this time his expression softened.
"Tim, let's go to the kitchen for your breakfast?" My mom said as she broke the silence.
I was about to put Tim down but he hugged my neck tightly and did not want to let go. Mom and I looked at each other.
"Do you want breakfast, Paul?" Mom turned to Paul.
"I would love to, please," Paul responded. I hid my shock by turning away from Paul and walking towards the kitchen.
Mom and Paul talked while we all headed to the kitchen. Mom already brewed some coffee and we could smell it in the entire house. I secured Timothy on his high chair and went to fix his milk, cereals, and fruits. Our landline phone rang and mom went to the living room to answer it. I used wet wipes to clean Timothy's hands and placed the fruit and cereal bowl on his table. I smiled as he picked up a sliced banana.
"What did I do to deserve this, Nat?" Paul said with a hoarse voice, "This is the second time that you broke my heart."
We looked at each other while Timothy started his milk bottle. I shook my head and said, "We can't be together, Paul. You know that." I blinked faster because I did not want to cry.
"Two years…" Paul shook his head and looked at Timothy, "How could you hide him from me?"
Both of us turned to the living room's direction when we heard mom's footsteps, "We need to pick your dad from the airport tomorrow." Mom told me.
"I have work tomorrow," I told mom, "What time is his arrival?"
"He said five thirty in the afternoon," mom answered me as she opened the fridge, "What do you want for breakfast, Paul?"
"The usual, thank you," Paul answered mom politely.
Paul had been here a lot of times during our 3-year relationship. And mom likes him a lot not because he was handsome and wealthy but because he was nice and they said that I looked very happy with Paul. I had a hard time explaining to mom and dad why I broke up with him. Because they too knew that Paul and I did not have a problem at that time.
All of us turned to Tim when he uttered the word moma. He wanted me to carry him. Paul watched as I placed Timothy on my lap and I rested my cheeks on his head.
"I'm still sleepy, mom," I told my mom and I carried Timothy with me to my room. I felt Paul was at my back but I ignored him. I placed Tim on my bed on the safe side. My bed was positioned beside the wall to save space. I fixed his pillows, and laid down beside him on the edge so he would not fall.
I unhooked my bra and closed my eyes. I felt it when Tim lifted my shirt and my bra and sucked my right breast. I already stopped breastfeeding Tim for a year, maybe he was just used to it that he always did this when we slept together. I opened my eyes when I felt a huge hand cupping my left breast. It was Paul, he was kneeling at my back.
I scowled at him and removed his hands from my breast, "What are you doing?"
"I'm hungry too," Paul commented as he watched Timothy play with my nipples, "I've been starving for two fucking years."
"You mentioned two relationships last night?" I reminded Paul, "You did not starve. Can you leave us alone please?"
"The hell, I will," Paul commented and sat up, "I'll wait downstairs until you wake up."
When I woke up it was around one in the afternoon. I took a bath and wore a mid-thigh length spaghetti strapped floral dress and house slippers. I clamped my wet hair up and did not bother to look at myself in the mirror before I went down.
I glanced at Paul and Tim. They were watching a Disney film with a box of doughnuts and popcorn on the center table. Paul looked up to me, "Want some doughnuts?"
I shook my head, "Not too much sugar Paul, Tim will go hyper." I reminded Paul then I went to the kitchen to find something to eat. I saw two boxes of pizza on the counter top and slightly opened it to check the flavor when I felt Tim touch the back of my knee. I carried him up and made him sit on his high chair.
I adjusted my dress straps and decided which pizza to eat. I glanced at Paul and he was watching me. He was standing beside Tim's high chair on the right, "What?" I asked Paul.
"I forgot how nice your skin is," Paul commented with a naughty smile.
I rolled my eyes at him, "Don't you have any place that you need to be?" Then I took a bite of the Hawaiian flavored pizza.
"Well I love going out-of-town during weekends but now I have a new plan." Paul replied.
I sat on one of the stools and rested my elbow on the counter top and turned to Paul, "And that is?"
"Here," Paul said as he took the stool near Tim, "I'll visit you and Tim."
"People separate because they don't want to see each other anymore, Paul?" I reminded Paul then I placed my pizza back on the opened box so I could open the fridge to get a coke.
"You broke up with me for reasons that are only valid in some circumstances. The decision was not mutual. And then you hid something from me for two years. So I think you owe me." Paul said and got a slice of the pepperoni pizza near him.
"I don't owe you anything, Paul," I said when I got a glass and poured coke in it.
"You broke my heart and you kept my son from me," Paul argued, "Do you think that's fair?"
"Paul, I am only asking one thing from you and that is to leave me and my family alone." I said then I took a couple of gulps of coke.
"Like I will do that?" Paul said then he glanced at Tim who was ogling at his pizza, "Is he allowed to eat pizza?"
"Just small portions. Be careful because he might choke," I warned Paul.
I watched as Tim chewed the portion that Paul gave him, "I want to change Timothy's last name to mine."
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