Chapter 2
“Come now, is that how you greet your mother?” she went inside without being asked to, “I can’t believe you’d prefer to stay here, I am trying to offer you something better for you and your son…”
Cassandra closed the door, and she was leaning against it. She was speechless, did she really hire someone to search for her. “Mother, I’m sorry it’s just been so long, and…”
“I can’t believe it! You still have these pictures, but wait how did you manage to get a hold of them, I thought we had these in a box, sealed up in the attic.”
“Mother I can explain…”
“I also want to meet my grandson, I hope you don’t mind. What is his name? Where is he? By the way…”
“Mother! My son is sleeping, he is going to start school very soon, and…”
“Well, how old is he?”
“Mother please we need to talk, I received your letter, but I regret to inform you that, whatever you do, I’m not going back… please try to understand, I don’t want to cause any trouble for you with father, you know how he can be, but I’m glad you came to see me.”
Olivia Hopkins, was never used to someone saying ‘no’ to her, but she understood. She looked at her daughter, and ran to her side and hugged her, “I’m so sorry, my sweet how have you been? I just want you to be happy. There is something you must know, about the day that your father kicked you out.”
“Mother please, don’t make excuses for him, he decided to kick me out without listening to a word I was saying. I’m not going to apologize for something I haven’t done.”
“Well, fine don’t apologize, but listen to me and the you can understand, where I’m going with this. That day that your father kicked you out, he did something terrible I’m not here to justify his actions, but when he saw you weren’t coming back he left to look for you, when we came back we heard the message on the machine, saying you were ok, and…”
“I left with a friend, Julie was the only friend, my only real friend that helped me out.”
“And for that I’m sorry. I didn’t kick you out but I did nothing to stop it from happening, and when I saw you leave, my heart broke, trust me we had been looking for you, for a long time. I don’t even think your father has given up hope. Although he doesn’t know, I used most of the money to hire detectives here and there. But I finally found you, I’m not going to let you go that easily.”
“Thanks mom, I know dad was proud, but he is still a good person…”
“Please don’t say no. If you want come visit one day, and you can ask any questions. And if you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for your son, he deserves to know the truth. You know that!
I know, if you come home, I promise you, that I’ll buy a house for you and your son to live comfortably. You don’t have to live with us, I just want us to go back to being a family, again.”
“I don’t think we can go back, what happen five years ago was not my baby’s fault! And he should’ve never been punished, so mother please, you can come visit any time you want but...”
“I beg your pardon! I said this for the best of your son, I want you to have a better life to, if you don’t want to move in with us it’s fine. But we’ll need someone to take care of our house, I will pay you. You live there free of charge after all, you’ll be looking out for things there won’t you?”
Cassandra knew her mother meant well, but she couldn’t move just like that, “I don’t know mom, I want to give my son more, but…”
“Please don’t say anything, just think about it. For your son, and for what might be best for him.”
Cassandra, wanted to find a different kind of job, but taking care of one of her mother’s places was like caring for a museum. Her mother’s idea of living comfortably was living in a house with at least five bed rooms.
She used to be the same way, but life taught her the hard way that everything comes with a price.
But now, thinking about it she wanted to have more time with her son. But couldn’t do it working long hours for the coffee shop. She made enough to buy her food, pay her bills but not enough to really enjoy.
There had to be some other way! She knew that if she took her mother’s offer, she would have to come across, face to face with her father. And although she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted to be a family again but not at the cost of bringing problems for her family.
She would try to find a job, in an office there should be something she was good at. Cassandra took a college course in typing, she could probably get a job as a secretary. Her typing skills were excel, and thanks to her father she was a perfectionist.
Since her and her siblings were small he taught her, many good skills.
She would go through the news paper, and try to find a job. Somewhere where her father wouldn’t come face to face with her.
“Cassandra, there is actually something I haven’t told you, Thomas’s parents came are back for good. They came back recently, I didn’t tell anyone else because, well I don’t want your father to find out, you know how he gets.”
“What? Are you serious? But is Thomas with them?”
“I don’t know where he is, but one thing I can tell you, you should be prepared just in case.”
“But, I raised my son, this is why I didn’t let his family know about my pregnancy, I didn’t want anything to do with them. After all, they were against our marriage in the first place. They don’t have a right to say otherwise!”
“I know, this is why I’m telling you to think about it, if Thomas decides to come back and finds out you had his son, who knows how that’ll end. But if you have a job elsewhere, then you just might have a chance!”
“A chance? What do you think he would take me to court? Who does he think he is? Plus he never knew I was pregnant, I wouldn’t let him know, if it was the last thing I do.”
“I am telling you, because there has been rumors about him being here, this is why I came. I wish you could make up with your father, and just come back, but if not I have an offer for you.”
“Fine! But I don’t want to see dad, coming one day, through the door, and seeing me in your house.”
“He doesn’t know about the house, if you want there is a private school near by, that way…”
“Thomas is here ! And that means he can’t find out about him, no matter how it hurts me to say this but he doesn‘t deserve to know. I raised my son, I was never with him to get richer, or have better status, I loved him but he…”
“I understand… you should think about what I just told you, you don’t want to end up, giving him up one day to…”
“I don’t want to, I will not lose him. I’ll be happy if he ever found out about our…my son. I‘ll think about it and I‘ll let you know.”
Olivia seemed relieved, but sad at the same time, “I never met my grandson, Cassandra but tell me how old is your son?”
“Four.”
“Then it’s simple, say he is another man’s child. He left you five years ago, not four.”
“But, there’s the nine months of pregnancy, I can’t let him even know, we had a son. I won’t let him take him away from me. He’s my son, not his!”
“Surely, you got that from your father, you are very proud, and you like to do things your way, but for once let me help you. I am after all your mother, and I want to help you. You have no idea how worried I’ve been of you all this years. I didn‘t even know if you were ever going to be found, I should‘ve have known you used your nick name, Cassie Hopkins. What’s my grandson’s name?”
“Thomas.”
“Oh my! You named him after?”
“Yes, mom I named him after his father, why?”
“Because, Thomas will find out, that’s why.”
“Please mother, he thinks his father died, do you know how much harder it will be if he found out I have been lying to him all this years?”
“Why would you lie to him?.. Ok nevermind,” she sighed, “I guess you’re right. Think if you were to move, he wouldn’t find you or your son, you would be safe from him.”
“Well no he wouldn‘t find me, but I think there’s a better way we just need to think differently. What if Thomas is not with them? What if they’re just rumors and you thought it were true?”
“I don’t know, but if it is the true anybody, if he is here who knew about your secret?”
“My friends knew about my pregnancy, most of them stopped talking to me, they don’t know where I live or work, I only have one friend left, and that’s Julie. But she kept my secret why would she turn her back on me?”
“Maybe, it was from another, of this ’friends’ of yours, you said you told them all.”
“I have many suspects but no idea who it could be, all I can do is make sure Thomas never finds out.” Rebecca knew but she didn’t want to say any thing, could she have? She was in love with Thomas after all.
“I see, well if you want I can get information for your son’s private school, and we’ll see what happens from there.”
Cassandra couldn’t imagine being without her son, she would have to do everything in her power, if she wants to keep it from happening.
Suddenly, her mother interrupted her thoughts, “Cassandra, can I see my grandson? I would like to meet him.”
“Sure, but you’ll have to be quiet, he is asleep.” Olivia followed, her.
She quietly opened the door, his room was adorned with spaceships, cars, and dinosaurs. Thomas was sleeping profoundly, Olivia bent down to kiss her grandson on his forehead. He moved, a little but quickly but quickly went to sleep.
“He looks so much like you,” she walked out the door quietly, being careful not to wake him. “I’ll leave my number, call me tomorrow when your free, I’ll leave now, good night.”
“Good night,” she stood there until she saw her mother leave, when her mother left, she closed the door locked it and leaned against it, how was she would have to tell her son that they were moving, she would have to quit her job at the coffee shop and restart her life elsewhere.
The next day her sister was there, and they talked about their mom, and she saw that Cassandra had begun bringing boxes to start packing, Cassidy was surprised, “what’s going on? Are you moving?”
“Mother, came to see me yesterday and she told me that Thomas is in town,” she sighed, “too bad I had already registered my son in school and he was happy to know that he was starting on Monday.”
“Mother? But how did she?”
“She hired a detective to look for me, apparently, she was worried about the rumors of Thomas being here…” she sighed, “I knew this would happen one day but I never expected it to be this soon.”
“I heard about those rumors, but why would he look you up?”
“Because, he probably stays in contact with my so called friends, and they knew about my pregnancy, I don’t want him to find us or I could end up loosing him.”
“But what are you going to do? You can’t just leave like that! Where are you going to live?”
“I am taking mother’s offer, she offered me a job, and a place to live, for my son and me,” she sighed knowing she would have to explain, “she has a house that dad has no idea exists. She wants me to care for her house and she will pay me to do so.”
“Are you sure of what you’re doing? I will keep your secret, but how will I visit you if you don’t live here, remember I supposedly, don’t know where you are and…”
“I will do what I should have done, years ago.”
“What’s that?”
“I will pay a family visit to my father, I don’t know yet what I’m going to say, or what to ask, but for my son I’ll do it! I won’t move back in, but I’ll take my mother’s offer, and accept to work for her.”
Cassidy couldn’t help but cry, but her tears were of joy, “you have no idea how long I wanted to hear you say this, I am so glad for you sister, as for me I will keep coming every day to see you guys.”
“I know you will,” she hugged her.
“I’ll help you pack, are you visiting us today?”
Cassandra was nervous, “yes, but I don’t know how I should…”
“Just be there everything will be alright I promise, dad is proud but I know if he knew all you went through, he would help you and at the end he would get to accept that he was wrong.”
Cassandra lowered her head, she looked down at all the boxes and all the things she owned, “I really hope so, or it will be the same story all over again.”
“Don’t worry, I know you’ll be fine, you were alone then this time I am there with you, and I’m sure mother is, Stanley is fifteen years old but he has his own opinions, he won’t take dad’s side if he knows what’s right.”
Cassandra smiled at her sister, “thank you, sis. I really missed our conversations, like this.”
They started packing and Thomas woke up, “mommy? What’s happening?”
“Hey sweety how are you? Why don’t you come and I’ll explain, do you want to eat some cereal?”
Thomas looked up at her, with a smile and nod his head, “kay!”
They were packing and taping the boxes, and Thomas was eating while he watched them work, he sat on the chair and his bare feet kicking while he let them hang.
Cassandra explained that they would move, and that he would meet his grandparents. Thomas was wide eyed listening to his mother go on about his grand parents, and the new school, and new place.
“Can I see the house, mommy?” Apparently he was excited, he couldn’t wait to see where they would move to, and his new school, he was going to love it!
“Sure hon, as soon as I take you to see it, ok?”
“Ok.”
How nice it was to be a child with no worries what so ever, she wishing she could live like her son free of worries, when they finished packing they got ready, to go to her parents house.
She looked at her mother’s number, she had left her the night before, Cassandra grabbed it and dialed it. Her mother was ecstatic! “Hon sure come on over, are you on you way?”
“Who is that?!”
“Harold! Please you meet her when she comes. Hurry home honey I’ve… we’ve missed you.”
Olivia had their cook make food for two more people, and Harold was astonished to see two extra chairs on the table. The door bell rang, and Harold went to see who it was, the butler opened the door.
“Dad! Help me I brought my, guitar, and my set of drums is in the car.”
Harold sighed, apparently his son would never look at a future to become a lawyer or a doctor. He went out to bring the rest of the music instruments, and took them inside.
Meanwhile, Cassandra was driving to her mother’s house, with her son in the back seat and Cassidy next to her, she was explaining to her son that his grandparents were her parents, and that they anted to meet him.
Thomas was looking out the window at the big houses as they were getting close, “are we almost there?” They had been driving for only half an hour, but it felt like forever to her, it had been so long.
“We’re almost there, ok?”
“Ok.”
When she arrived she held on hard to her steering wheel until her knuckles turned white, she took a deep breath and smiled, “are you ready, hon?”
“Yeah, are we here?”
She turned to her son, “we’re here,” she got off and walked up to the old known stairs, to her old door way.
Olivia answered the door she was surprised to see Cassidy with Cassandra together, but she smiled and went through.
Cassandra and her son were there she felt nervous, to what her father might say, but was glad her mother was there to see her first.
Thomas looked nervous, he was hiding behind her, grabbing on to her, and he wouldn’t let her go. Cassandra knelt down, and whispered into his ear, “this is your grandmother, she’s my mother?”
Cautiously he let go of her, and came around her, Stanley was coming down the stairs when he noticed Cassandra there, he paused in astonishment. He didn’t say anything he just looked at the boy next to her.
The last time he saw his sister was five years ago, and he never thought she would be back, especially in a day like no other. But he smiled and said, “hi little guy, what’s your name?”
Thomas was wide eyed, they were strangers to him since he never met them. Mr. Hopkins, was coming downstairs, and as he saw that they had two visitors, he hadn’t notice who they were.
But everyone looked up to him, and that made him curious, “what’s going on here?”
He saw Cassandra, near the door way, he didn’t know what to believe, “Cassandra is that you?”
“Yes, father it’s me, Cassandra. How have you been?”
He couldn’t believer it! “Cassandra? It’s been so long, I looked for you everyday, although I didn’t know where to find you, I never gave up hope,” he hugged his daughter and he was curious about the boy next to her daughter, was this his grandson?
He bent down, “hey there! What’s your name?”
“Thomas, like my dad!”
He sighed, “yes, like your father.” He looked at Cassandra, “we need to talk, but why don’t you come in and take your son up stairs? I think he would love Stanley’s old toys.”
“I’ll take him, come on I have a lot of toys in my old bedroom, do you want to see them?”
Cassandra noticed how well Stanley and Thomas were going to get along, she went to her father as they walked to the table, he turned suddenly, “where have you been all these years? I have been worried for you.”
Her father had definitely changed, he was not the same as he use to be, he seemed more patient, and she was enjoying to talk to him like she hadn’t enjoyed since… never. He was really listening to her, and he ended up apologizing to her, for not having the patience to listen to her all those years ago.
They promised to visit each other more often, and Thomas was having fun with Stanley’s old toys, they sat to eat, and Cassandra left back home with her son. Stanley ended up carrying him to the car, since he was asleep.
When they got home Thomas woke up, and he had a smile on his face, “mommy can we go back tomorrow?”
“You are going to school tomorrow, and I’ll be going back to work, but we’ll see ok?”
“Oh, ok!” he extended his arms up to her, “I can’t walk mom, I’m to tired, can you carry me?”
Cassandra smiled, she bent down to carry her son and took him up stairs to his bedroom, “ok now go to sleep you’ll have to wake up early tomorrow ok, so we can go to work.”
“But, I’m going to school,” he had his eyes wide open.
“Yes, you are going to school, and I am going to work, Mrs. Schultz is picking you up ok?”
“Can you take me to school in the morning?”
“I will, ok just go to sleep, now.”
Thomas turned and put his head under the covers, “ok mommy, luv ya!”
“Love you too, sweet heart.” She turned off the lights of his room, and when she was walking towards her room, she heard a knock on her door, she looked at the clock from the kitchen.
It was midnight, who would knock at her door, at this hour? She looked through the loop whole on the door, and turned on the light. But all she saw was a head full of hair.