Once His Wife

Ethan Forester

"I've learned that we're all entitled to have our secrets."

- Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

Chassie George

"Mommy!"

I bent my knees with my arms spread out, engulfing him in a bear hug.

"Mi manchi così tanto!" (I miss you so much!) He said, returning my embrace.

I scooped him up. "I missed you too. How has my baby Than's day been?" I asked combing his silky black hair with my fingers and planting a kiss on his nose.

He pouted when I did so. The same sapphire blue eyes I have been enthralled by years ago, look back at me.

"Put me down, mommy. I'm not baby Than."

I chortled and did as what I was told. I slouched down on his eye-level. "If you're not my Ethan, who are you? Where is my baby Than?" I queried, playing along.

His real name is Ethan but he like it better if I call him that. I know, the name Ethan is a short one already.

He showed off a toothy grin.

"He will be back later. For now, I'm ..." he paused for a moment as though he's mustering all his vigor.

"SUPERMAN!!!" he proclaimed strongly audible like he just swallowed a microphone, making me wince.

He stretched out his right arm, his hand fisted then started to move every which way. He's wearing a superman suit.

I sighed at the sound of the coffee table tipping over and a vase rattling uncontrollably.

"You do feed him with batteries, don't you?" Andrei spoke, making me realize that he was still there standing beside me.

I smiled apologetically.

"Sorry for those things he had broken and soon will."

We've been sharing the same house and he buys most of the furnitures. So, this is really thick skinned of me to say yes to that offer.

"Nah. Those are just replaceable material things," he replies with a shrug. Andrei's expressive brown orbs complements his hair with the exact shade. He looks charming and approachable. His light attitude bestows warmth to everyone around him, hence his employees are fond of him.

We ushered ourselves to the living room and Leila - Ethan's baby sitter came into sight nearly out of breath.

"Leila, I'm sorry. Did he tired you out?" I walked over to her and put my hands on her shoulders.

She couldn't manage to say a word because she was literally gasping for air! Andrei exited the living room then came back with a glass of water and handed it to Leila.

She took it and down all the contents greedily like she just journeyed through Sahara desert.

Oh, crap.

"Leila, please don't tell me you're not going to baby sit him anymore," I said looping my hands together like I was praying for a miracle.

She shook her head and smiled sweetly at me.

"I won't. In fact, I love to be with baby Than. He's the most adorable kid I ever met, ma'am Chassie," she replied sincerely.

"Thanks." I smiled back.

Thank God. She's the fifth baby sitter since we moved back here. Ethan can be a hurricane sometimes. I don't know where he gets his energy! It doesn't seem to run out.

"Leila! Leila, giochiamo!" (Leila. Leila, let's play!) Than's voice came in as he emerged from nowhere with plastic dinosaurs in his either hands.

"Baby, what did I told you about speaking in English? We're not in Italy anymore."

He pouts at me. "Ma la zia Andrei e zia France ancora parla italiano." (But aunt Andrei and aunt France still speaks Italian.) He held my hand.

"We both know your aunt France have to go back to Italy next week. So he have to speak Italian to not forget how." I explained, trying to make sense. France have to go back and manage Andrei's restaurant which made a name back in Italy and now had expanded here.

His eyes saddened. "Okay. I'll try to speak English all the time. I'm going to miss aunt France."

"Me too, sweetie." I fondly ruffled his hair. I took a glance at the wall clock. It's already five in the afternoon. "Baby, Leila had to leave now."

"But I still wanna play with her." He looked at me with puppy eyes then turned to Leila.

I groaned inwardly. I don't like it when he does the puppy eyes because I feel terrible whenever I say no.

"Sorry, baby Than. I really need to go now." she knelt down and took hold of his hand.

"Why can't you stay with me and mommy and Aunt Pretty?" he queried referring to me and Andrei.

"Aww. That's my boy," he joined in and smiled the widest when he heard Than called him aunt Pretty.

I rolled my eyes at him who was sitting luxuriously on the sofa with his right leg crossed over the other.

"Because my grandma is waiting for me."

My attention shifted back to them and the way Leila talks to my Ethan, I could tell that she's obviously really good with kids.

"But I'll be back tomorrow."

Than's blue eyes lit up.

"Does that mean we can play again tomorrow?" his enthusiasm reliven.

"Yup," she replied mimicking his zealousness.

"Come on, baby. Let's lead Leila up the door." I butt in since I was starting to feel out of place.

He stretched out his arms to me and I lift him up in my arms. Then we paced towards the door.

"Bye, sir Andrei, ma'am Chassie and bye Than," she muttered with a smile on her face. Her honey blonde hair is tied up in a ponytail and her green eyes are shimmering like a pair of emeralds encrusted on a billion-dollar pendant.

"It's Ma'am Andrea, Leila." Andrei corrected, making her giggle.

"Sorry, Ma'am Andrea." She turned to Ethan then kissed his cheek. "Bye, baby Than. See you tomorrow."

Ethan purses his lips.

Aww. My three year old baby is too cute to not be showered with kisses.

"Bye bye, Leila." He waved at her and after a couple of minutes, Leila vanished completely from our line of visions.

I put him down to his feet. As soon as it got contact on the floor, he sprinted towards the hallway with his red cape billowing as it sweeps through the air.

I saw Andrei out of the corner of my eye, shaking his head with an amused smile.

We went to the living room where I assume my son would be.

"You know, baby Than may always tend to bump into fragile things. But he is the most lovable kid the world has."

I felt a smile emerge on my face.

"... And I wonder where he took after."

My smile faded and was replaced with a scowl.

He swerve his head to the other side. "Honestly it's kind of strange that you're his mother," he murmured for himself but unfortunately my ears were able to take it in. "Ouch!" he glared at me whilst rubbing the back of his head where I smack him lightly.

I arched a brow at him and placed my hands on my waist.

"What do you mean strange? Are you trying to say that I'm churlish?" I shot him my deadliest glare.

"That came from your own mouth dear." He snickered and remained unfazed.

"Mommy, mommy... catch!" baby Than's voice intervened.

I did spare him a glance then retrieve my eyes back to Andrei. I'm not done with him yet. But when I did a double take on Ethan, I realize he's standing on the coffee table aiming to leap off like a mad man wanting to put himself out of his misery.

"Jesus Christ!" with my eyes broad with panic, I scurried towards him and caught him just in time. "Do you realized what could've happened if I haven't caught you?" I put him down, my knees bent on the floor and was holding his face in my hands.

"I'm sorry, mommy. I could've shattered the floor and Aunt Pretty will be upset."

I ludicrously gaped at my son in astonishment.

What the hell? He could've shattered his own skull instead for heaven's sake!

He peck on my nose dragging me out of my thoughts. With a blink of an eye, my Ethan's out of sight. I look around but he seemed to have evaporated completely.

Now where did he go?

"Upstairs." Andrei answered my unspoken query. He was already seated on the sofa with legs crossed. "Your son can be so crazy sometimes..." he struggle to suppress a laugh. "And he obviously inherited it from you." He burst out laughing like there's no tomorrow.

I groaned and took quick long paces towards him. I pinched him hard on his shoulder then tweak his skin violently.

"Ouch! Just tell me you begrudge me my flawless skin and I'll give you some beauty tips to make yours a flawless one, too!"

I rolled my eyes on him.

"Whatever, Andrei." I said bitingly, emphasizing his name.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's not Andrei. It's Andrea!" he retorted, stomping his feet.

Yeah, right. If nobody else is around.

I sneered at him then crossed my arms over my chest.

"Okay. I'll tell your dad and grandfather to call you that too." I eyed him audaciously.

His eyes distended and I heard him gasped. An evil smirk crawled up my face when I saw his reaction.

"You'll cost me my life if you spill them the beans! I don't wanna take a dirt nap yet!" he blurted out hysterically with his hands on his chest like he was running out of breath.

I couldn't blame him if he reacted that way. His grandfather is a retired General and knows nothing about him being a gay.

"He could've chased me with guns in his hands and grenades in his pockets! Or he could've bombarded me with missiles if he had happened to know!" his nostrils hilariously distended as well.

I laughed hard and clutched my stomach. I seated myself beside him.

"How did you keep your secret this long?" I queried between my laughter.

He groaned out loud. "You don't know how much I struggled for an unquestionable excuse when he caught me playing with my barbie dolls I hid under my bed!"

I laughed even more. "What did you tell him?"

He sighed deeply like he was recalling a dreadful part of his life.

"I told him I bought them for those girls I was courting." He stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Then he bragged me to his friends saying I'm a lot more chivalrous than other older boys..." he paused for a minute then continued his story telling.

"When he enrolled me in a military school, gosh! I wanted to jump off a bridge!" he exclaimed.

I remained quiet, entertainment crawling through me.

"But I told him I don't want to go in a military school cause I can't live without girls. I said I wanted to enroll myself in a culinary school where my 'girlfriends' are." He clasped his mouth as though 'girlfriend' is the most revolting word he had ever uttered.

I let out a giggle.

"You're the best liar." I commented.

"Nah. Just a best actress."

I laughed along with him.

"So, if you still want to a have a friend as gorgeous as this one," he put the back of his hand beneath his chin like he's showing the world his ethereal beauty. "You better hold your tongue first." He continued.

I giggled but was silenced when a question popped in my head.

"How long are you going to keep your secret?" I said voicing it out.

He thinks for a while then looked at me in a rather downcasted face.

"Well, my answer will be the same with your answer with 'How long are you going to keep Ethan hidden from everyone?'"

That caught me off guard.

Silence consumed us for a minute. Andrew's dejected expression faded to let a happy one blossom again.

"I have to go now. I do have handsome and smokin' hot customers right now." He squealed and his eyes lustered with the word 'handsome'. "I've already cooked for dinner. It's in the fridge. You can just warm it up if you want." He instructed glancing at his wristwatch and gesturing his hand in the air.

"Aunt Pretty, can I go with you, please?" Ethan made Andrei jumped out of his skin with his sudden interruption.

"Jesus! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he exclaimed, putting his hand on his chest. He's back here in the living room like a sneaky little ninja that he is.

Ethan gaze at him with a quizzical look on his cute face. But his eyes glistened after a fraction of second like he had just found the answer to his own query himself.

"Don't worry, Aunt Pretty. I can't give you a heart attack." He hurriedly shook his head from side to side. "I haven't bring one with me." He beamed, sticking out his hands and showing off his chubby palms.

Andrei peered at him with his mouth gaping. I chortled audibly at the sight of his priceless face.

"Come here, baby."

My Ethan turned to me and did as he was told.

"Mommy, I think Aunt Pretty's brain froze." He whispered at me, then plopped himself down on my lap.

"I think so too." I whispered back, fondling him in my arms whilst glancing mockingly at Andrei's ridiculous expression.

He shook his head as though he had just recovered from shock; then narrowed his eyes on me, putting his hands on his waist."I heard that."

I chortled and show off a vicious smirk.

"Like mother, like son," he mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Baby, you can't come with Aunt Pretty today," he said amiably, obviously referring to my baby.

He sulked and pouted cutely.

"But we'll spend the whole day at my restaurant tomorrow." He stated comfortingly.

My Ethan perked up.

"Yey!" he squealed energetically and clapped his hands together. "Bye bye, aunt Pretty."

Andrei waved back at him and made his way out.