While I Breathe: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book One

Twenty

Callum's gaze shifted from Ambrosia to the little one in front of him, his eyes widening as he realized the boy looked too much like him for the meeting to be a mere coincidence. The boy had strawberry blond hair, and deep brown eyes that shimmered with intelligence. Though slender in build with a natural, sun-kissed complexion, there was a cunning familiarity about the child that didn’t go unnoticed by the man at all.

“Ambrosia, get your butt in the kitchen to eat before I shovel it down your throat.” Another man walked into the hall, scowling darkly. Turning his azure eyes to the child, he said, “Hey, squirt, go eat your food before it gets cold.”

The child rolled his eyes, as he moved to the next room. “Nothing is colder than the way you die in Fortnite, Uncle Declan.”

Callum shook his head to clear the rising jealousy he felt. On more than one occasion, he’d heard the name, and distantly recalled meeting the man a long time ago.

“Hey, Callum,” Declan said nonchalantly. He seemed to know not to bother trying for a handshake as he grinned, yet he seemed familiar with the facts of the past. Had Amber told her brother about him? Did he know the relationship they shared before their separation?

Ambrosia fixed her brother with a sinister look. “Declan, go occupy your nephew.”

Choosing not to listen to his sister, Declan looked at the blond, a devilish grin twisting his lips. “Callum, you got to fix up with my sister. She’s been hell to deal with since you guys lost contact."

Growling in frustration, his sister snapped at him. "Declan!"

"Oh, stuff it, Brosia." Declan countered with a roll of his eyes.

A slow smile spread across the little boy's face as Callum watched the child cautiously. He went over to Ambrosia, and hugged her around the waist. “Mom, you're the most beautiful woman in the world.”

"Phoenix, can you kick your uncle for me? I’m too tired to beat the crap out of him right now." Ambrosia commented, hugging the child.

Callum quietly removed his shoes as he watched Declan ruffle the boy's hair. Phoenix grabbed a handful of cutlery to set the table while Declan handled the food. He blinked back tears as the pieces of the puzzle snapped into place as he looked over at Ambrosia noting where she’d gained a bit of weight over the years. He licked his lips, imagining what she would taste like, imagining how it would feel to slip into her warmth until he was fully sated and had her screaming her release to the high heavens.

She waited for me, he realized as he walked over to her. A recognisable perfume tickled his nose, making him smile. He knew that scent, and he knew what it meant to her. “I’m so sorry I didn’t find you sooner. Is he mine, Amber?"

Ambrosia stared into the dark eyes she had missed so much. For the first time in a long time, her voice failed her. Her resolve strengthened the closer he got to her, her decision solidifying in her mind. He needed to know he was a father, regardless of what other people thought of him, and her son deserved to know his father.

When he was close enough, Callum could feel his emotions waking up, stirring from their forced slumber. He'd shut himself down, not allowing himself to even think of another woman due to the lack of closure they both experienced. He smiled when Ambrosia sighed the moment his hands settled on her waist, the warmth and gentleness reminding him of their teens, as he rested his head against hers gently.

Her trembling hands gripped the zippered part of the leather jacket he was wearing. “I didn’t know how to get in touch with you when I found out I was pregnant.”

He felt her hot tears soak through his shirt as she clung to him.

"Baby, it's okay. I know you wouldn't have hidden this from me if you had the chance," Callum murmured as he tilted her head up to kiss the tears from her face. Holding her felt like finding the missing piece of his heart that he desperately searched for years to find. "I'm here now. You have your own mind, and she can’t restrict an adult."

“Um, Mom,” they jumped apart as Phoenix spoke. He looked at them, a shadow of a smile playing at the edges of his lips. For some reason, the boy seemed okay with a strange man being so close to his mother.

"What is it, Nix?" Ambrosia asked, kneeling down to gently fix the boy's shirt.

“Uncle Declan said if you don’t come to eat supper, he’s going to give me chocolate,” the little boy answered.

Ambrosia scowled, “Honey, tell your uncle I’ll kill him if he does that. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Okay!” The boy grinned before he ran back to the kitchen.

Callum turned his gaze back to Ambrosia, fixing her with a look of guilt-ridden regret. “I’ve missed out on so much time, so many of his firsts. Tell me, what do I need to do in order to be included in his life, Amber? I want to be there for him.”

“That's what I want, Callum,” she replied with a sigh. “I want Nix to know you for himself, not through me or other people. By the way, my brother wasn't kidding about supper, and I’m certain that Phoenix already set a place for you. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. Go wash up, then meet us in the kitchen.”

He nodded, “I want to know all about him.”

She smiled sadly, “I’ll tell you everything later. After Nix is in bed for the night.”

Walking down the hall, he pulled out his cell phone. Closing the bathroom door, he leaned against the vanity as he waited for his father to answer.

“Hey, kid, what's going on?”

Callum laughed dryly through the stinging burn of tears, “She never moved on, Dad.”

For a moment, his father said nothing. Then, “What? Are you serious? She’s still single? After all this time, she’s not shacked up with another man?”

“Dad! Look, I’m at her place about to have supper with them,” Callum said.

Hans breathed a sigh of relief, "You sound upset, did something happen?"

Unsure of how the older man would take the next bit of news, Callum took a calming breath. He stated the truth like he was providing a report, “She was pregnant, Dad.”

“That’s a joke, right?” Hans asked, his interest stirring at the news.

“You really think I’d lie about something so serious? No, Dad. She was pregnant when we got separated. I just met my son for the first time,” Callum breathed in vexation.

“I’m a Grandfather?” His father was definitely excited for the news, and he could hear Ross snickering in the background as the patter of little steps echoed in the hall outside the door.

“Dad, I have to go. Someone's coming,” Callum said as he cut the call. He washed his hands, staring at himself in the mirror.

The distinct sound of a child's knock on the door made him grin. He had never really envisioned having a family of his own. A soft, flustered growl from the hall made him laugh.

“Dad, come on,” Phoenix called out, making Callum freeze in place.

Hope reared its head as he opened the door to crouch down in front of the child. “Do you know who I am and what I am to you?”

“Yeah, of course,” Phoenix’s brow arched slightly over his youthful, humour-filled brown eyes. "Mommy talks about you all the time."

"Did she, now?" Callum mused. "What did she tell you?"

“Not that much. She did say that you were good, and that you loved her very much.” His son rubbed the tip of his sock-clad foot against the carpet of the hall for a moment. “Mom named me after you.”

Feigning ignorance, he prayed that the kid had not inherited his mother’s sharp mind. Yeah, right. He had a better chance of hitting David with a tranquillizer dart. “What do you mean?”

Nix grinned, shyly biting down on his lip. “My full name is Phoenix Evan Callumsson. Grandma doesn't like it, though. Uncle Declan said Mom never listens to G-ma cause she still loves you.”

Realizing she had kept every promise she ever made to him, Callum relaxed a little more. As he rose to his feet, he felt the usual dizziness hit him. Struggling to stay conscious, he barely heard the terrified voice of his son calling out to him.