SOFT MELLOW

CHAPTER FIVE

Are you in my baby's life or.. out?

“You still haven't told me how it happened.” Penelope mumbles from the sofa across the room. How does she know I'm here?

“ I know you're there and please Stop avoiding me, Lana.”

My hand freeze on the handle of the freezer.

“Ur.. Just getting a coke from the fridge.” I shrug, yanking the heavy door open. The freezer is a little bit too loaded. Wild-caught Salmon,Organic Greek Yogurt,Grass-fed Beef,Free-range Eggs,Berries, Feta Cheese,Smoked Salmon, Turkey Breast, Kefir…The fridge has never been so loaded. My jaw drops.

“We got an anonymous delivery of Food stuff…must have been from the stupid CEO you have a fling with.” She crunches something in her mouth. Is that Pringles?

“I was gonna tell you, but you've been avoiding me like forever and I didn't know when to…and you've got a note. It's right on .. the..uhn.. where did I left it again? Uhmm the shelf.”

I spin for the shelf and picks up the paper. It's a white envelope, plain and simple. No special design with Angelino Enterprise stamp on it.

It's a phone number with a short message. Have you decided yet? Call this number whenever you've come up with something.

xoxo

“So what did it say, is it from that jerk?” Penelope props her face on the sofa, frowning.

“Nothing,he just wants to know what I think,” I hug my shoulder. Drifting back to way his words has spear into my chest.

“He dares ask that after treating you like s**t, that man deserves a good beating.”

I shut the fridge,pick up a glass from the shelf and take some water from the faucet.

“Does he even know what he's done to you? Do you need me to show him?”

“ No thank you,” I drink from the glass to avoid saying more and as I plant my gaze out the window. The dandelions Peter and I planted in the garden a year ago tug at my chest. I feel my eyes filling up,gently.

He's gone,I remind myself. I caused it.

“I'm sorry this had to happen to you, Lana…I wish you could see how heart broken I am. It should have been me instead,it doesn't make sense.” I feel Penelope's feet moving near me. I try to edge away to avoid her pity but I couldn't. Her warm hands envelopes me and tears prickles my face. A sound breaks out from my chest and it couldn't have been mine…never.

“It's okay…it's okay,” Penelope's lips melts against my forehead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Have a nice sleep sir and feel comfortable to ring the order alarm if there's anything you need.” The short woman in red dress address him, tucking her caramel hair behind her ear.

“He'll be sure to do that.thanks for the prompt.” Trance says in his place while he heads for the room without looking back, and when he gets there,he swipes the pass card on his lodge door and it slides open.

A warm glow illuminates the white walls as he steps in and the golden neon lights flicks on around the rotating bed.

He plops on the bed, running a hand through his hair, gazing at his silent phone's screen.

It's been two days since he's sent the note and hasn't gotten a reply. What if she didn't see it? What if she's got a terrible plan to ruin him with the pregnancy?

“Do you think she's gonna want to keep it?” He asks Trance who just walks into the room with the laugages.

For a moment Trance pauses at the door, his eyes dilating and mouth moving without a word then he shrugs. “ I don't know man.”

“I don't know what is going on in that little rat’s mind but I have a feeling it's gonna be very bad,” He pinches his eyebrows together.

A sudden shrills of his phone's ringtone suddenly pierces the air and “unknown caller” flashes across the screen.

“Is that her?” Trance points at the phone , but his finger moves to the answer button and pushes it.

“Hello.” He says, locking eyes with Trance.

“I saw the note…” Lana's voice says from the other line.

“So?”

He could feel her swallow something as she says; "I don't care what you say or what you want. I'm going to have this baby, and I'm going to raise it, no matter what. You can walk away, you can abandon us, but I'll never abandon my child. I'll never give up on them, no matter what."

"You think I'd get rid of my baby just because of you? Just because you're a monster who only cares about himself? I'll never do it! I'll never end a life because of my own suffering."

"I didn't have a family, I didn't have love, I didn't have anything. But my child will have me. And I'll be enough. I'll be their rock, their shelter, their safe haven."

"You're welcome to walk away, to cut yourself off from us. But I'll never let you take this away from me. I'll never let you take my child's life away from them. I'll do this on my own, if that's what it takes. But I'll never back down. I'll never give up on my child. Never.”

The room stands in a pregnant silence. He feels his own lungs closing up and again he feels the presence of guilt. He's once felt. She's still the same. Nothing has changed.

“You wanna keep it?” He demands.

“ Yes Mr Angelino, and here's a question for you.” “ Are you a part of my baby's life or…out?”

The intensity makes his chest drops and reduces his breath. He shuts his eyes and rubs his eyes.

“Do you wanna have a child with me?”

She's silent.

“Will you ever forgive yourself if you know who I am? Can you overlook the things I've done to you?”

Her voice breaks , “ Wh.. what do you mean?”

“You don't wanna know, Lana,”

“ I'm having my baby,Mr, nothing would change that,”

Her confidence brings a smile to his lips, “ Damn right,Soft Mellow, you've grown some strong wings.”

“Where…where did you hear that name from?”

“Now that's a mystery for you, Soft Mellow.”

He drops the call.