Olive Branches

Chapter 2

I slowly turned around, cautious not to wake Nico up, and there was Elijah, that Mr. from store.

"Hey, I know this handsome little boy and his beautiful mother." He warmly smiled but flattering will get him no where.

"Hi Elijah. Nice to see you too."

"So you guys know each other?" Jer asked genuinely intrigued.

"Well yeah but no thanks to you, but to your daughter. I was shopping birthday presents with Nico and we ran into each other."

"So what was that about a one nightstand?" Elijah asked. Before I could reply, Lily answered.

"I was just saying to my bestie, that even though she has a baby, she can have some fun."

"Lilian, stop it. I already told you- " She cut me off.

"Yeah, yeah, you don't need a guy. You have Nico. But guess what Nico will grow up and you will be alone then."

"Lilian Bates we are not having this conversation right now! Let's enjoy your daughters birthday and let me be. Now can I please put somewhere this little monster to sleep? I brought baby monitor." I sigh.

"Okay okay Skylar Pearl Grey. Come on, we will put him in Yara's room."

We were walking down the corridor and I have to ask Lily something.

"Lily are you pregnant?" At my question she nervously laughs.

"What? No, where did you get this idea." She nervously answers.

"Um I don't know, you are acting weird and you walked really carefully upstairs. And you didn't lift Nico, which you usually do." I remark.

"Okay, yeah I am but please don't tell Jer I haven't told him yet because doctor said it's risky, you know how I barely got pregnant with Yara and now I am being careful."

"I am so happy for you!" I marveled.

We place Nico in bed and head downstairs. And boys were talking in the kitchen, when I hear a name I don't want to have any deal with it.

"Yeah and now dad wants me to introduce Jake Hayes into business. And he is really annoying little brat." Elijah said just as me and Lily step in the kitchen.

"You will do no such thing." Jer said with cold voice. I am like his younger sister, so he is really protective over me.

"I was just saying to you that I don't want to. What has this dude ever done to you by the way?" Elijah said perplexed.

"Boys want to eat?" Lily asked, it was obvious, she wanted to change the topic.

"Yeah, but seriously man, what is wrong with him? I mean I don't like him but it looks like you hate him." Why wouldn't Elijah just drop the subject?

Jer and Lily looked at me and I nodded my head. If we are going to ever see each other again, it's best if he knows. I guess.

"Not to me, but to my family. He umm-" Jer stumbles upon his words. I see Lily getting impatient, so I am just waiting for her to blab it out.

"Oh for Christ sake Jer, I will tell him. That asshole impregnated my best friend and then when the news came, he dumped her and leave her all alone to rise a child." Told ya.

I think Elijah got the picture that that friend is me.

"Now I will definitely not work with him. But Nico doesn't look like him at all?" He directs question at me.

"Yeah to my luck he looks just like me. But Elijah if it is good for your business work with him, I am a nobody to you. Besides I am happy I am not with him anymore." I try to reason with him. I mean come on, he knows me for less then an hour.

"You certainly aren't nobody but still if a man can't take responsibility for his action in private life, he too can't in business. Besides he really is annoying." Okay he's got a point.

" I can imagine." Was all I said. And we started eating, Yara is playing with a doll and eats in silence. As we finished I heard crying through baby-phone. "And that is my cue." I hurried upstairs.

"Shh baby shh, mommy is here. Did you sleep well?" I coo at Nico.

"Momma." He happily said as he hugs me.

"Come baby, you must be hungry." Before we went downstairs I changed his diaper. At least now he isn't tired or grumpy.

"Look who is awake guys! Say hi to auntie Lily, uncle Jer, to Elijah and to Yara."

"Hi." Nico says. Although Yara wasn't at the table anymore. They all cooed as he said that in his cute sleepy voice.

"Jer can you hold him for me, so I can prepare him food on plate?" Before Jer could answer me, Elijah asked me: "Can I maybe hold him?"

"Umm yeah sure, if he will want. Baby will you go to Elijah?" He looks at Elijah and waved with his hands indicating yes. So Elijah took him, and Nico was happy. I took his plate and put on mashed potatoes and cooked vegetable.

"Thanks Elijah, come to mommy Nico it's time to eat."

"No." Nico answers in his baby voice.

"Nico please, come on baby you have to eat." I try persuading him with soft voice.

"Maybe I can help him eat?" Elijah asked.

"If it's not a problem to you..."

"It's not, I would love to. Hand me the plate." He beams.

"Thanks."

Nico starts eating and he smiles to Elijah just as Yara come running downstairs.

"Daddy, daddy can I go to Ella's? Please daddy please." She can always persuade Jer. Oh and Ella is their neighbor, so they constantly play together.

"Fine princess you can go. For an hour ok?"

"Thanks daddy. Bye!" She runs off.

"Dadda, dadda, dadda." Nico starts repeating after Yara, but he is looking at Elijah. Great just what I need. I was just about to apologize to Elijah, since it must be weird to him, and than he said something i could never imagine.

"Yes Nico, dadda." He then looked at me sheepishly. "Sorry Skylar, I was kinda in the moment and I didn't want to ruin it to him."

I was speechless. First: A guy I first saw a day ago wasn't bothered by Nico calling him dad. And second: Nico never wanted to be with strangers, but with Elijah that was not a problem.

"It's fine." Was my simple answer. But Lily and I knew my real answer: I just don't know what I am going to do when he will be older, it will be hard for him, when his friends will have dads and he won't have one. How do you explain to a child that somebody doesn't want him?