CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
“Jace!” They shouted at the same time but I didn’t listen to them. I went to the room and saw a nanny carrying a baby. ‘Is he my Umami?’
“Jace, just leave —-”
“Leave him, Margot, he already knows the truth so leave him. Besides he has right to his son.” Maggie’s voice. So, is this Umami? This is my son. The child held by the nanny continued to cry. It didn’t stop and it cried even louder. The nanny looked at me as she tried to put the child to sleep.
“Give me the baby.” The nanny looked at me and looked behind me. It seemed to hesitate in what I said. “Give me my son.”
“Ma’am?” she asked while looking behind me.
“Give it to him,” Maggie ordered. My son was still crying when the nanny handed him to me. My hand was shaking when I touched him but I tried to calm myself down.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I touched my child. After all, I can’t be wrong. This is Umami. Strong in my hunch, the leap of blood. This is Umami, my son.
“Umami.” My son seemed to understand me because he stopped crying and looked at me. “Umami, daddy is here.” He lay on my arm as he stared at me and smiled. Gradually my knees softened so I sat on the floor.
“Come on, son.” He smiled at me and raised his hand and waved while smiling. “I’m sorry for what daddy did, son. I love you so much.” Umami laughed and touched my face. Even though there was no sound he was laughing but he was smiling at me.
I caressed my son’s face. I don’t know what I will feel now. I chose Margot to live and I don’t regret that because I love her. If I have any regrets, it is because of the fact that I could have sacrificed my son more than his mother. And that is what I regret.
“Umami, I’m sorry. Because of me, our family was ruined. Daddy is stupid, son. But son, I love you so much. Daddy loves you so much.” My son laughed again and raised his hand so I kissed it. “Do you like daddy will sing you a twinkle-twinkle? I always sing that to you? Do you want me to sing to you so you can sleep?” Umami turned around while smiling. He kicks while smiling at me.
I sang a twinkle-twinkle little star. I saw his eyes widen and slowly close so I just kept singing until he fell asleep. I did nothing but cry and cry as I watched my son sleep peacefully in my arms. My child. In my arms was my son whom I mourned and cried. In my arms was my son who I thought had left me.
I felt mixed emotions as I looked at my son. I’m sadly happy. Sad because I almost ruined him. Happy because he is here. I hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead, his hand. I caressed his cheek. I felt his presence on my arm. I want to make sure it’s not a dream. That is all true. I don’t know how many hours I did this as long as I just cried and cried.
“Jace.” I wiped away my tears and then stood up to face Blaze. I also looked at Margot and faced her.
“I’ll take my right to my son.”
“What do you mean?” Margot asked me.
“Three days for me, four days for you to take care of Umami. I know he’s still a baby but he’s already drunk in a bottle so you can leave him with me.”
“You can’t do that. We’re leaving.”
“You can’t leave, Margot. My son can’t leave this country. He’s banned from going anywhere.”
“Jace, I can’t, Dane will be angry at us.” I looked at Blaze.
“Leave Blaze, leave with your wife because no one is stopping you.” I looked at Margot and faced her. “Leave if you want because I can take care of my child even without you.”
“Do you think I’ll leave my son here, Jace?”
“I don’t care. And you think I’ll let you take him away from me? Ah, so maybe you’re leaving because you plan to hide my son from me forever?” She did not say a word. “I am right, right?”
“You don’t want an obligation, do you? When I’m gone, when your child is gone, you’re free to do whatever you want. This is what you want, right?”
“So you made me a fool and intend to mourn forever the loss of my son? Now you say that I am the only selfish here, Margot?” She was silent at my question. “If you don’t want to agree, I will talk to the lawyer tomorrow to file in court how I can get the right to my child. You are not the only one with a connection and money here.”
“You can’t do that.” Margot objected.
“Yes, I can do.”
“No, you can’t.”
“And why not?” She looked at Maggie and Blaze. She sighs and stares at me.
“Blaze and Maggie will be ruined.” I frowned and looked at the two then looked at her again. “Umami is their child. When I was in the hospital I named Umami after Maggie and Blaze so that I could take him to America freely. They needed the father’s signature, so when I was the only one left so we released her as Maggie’s child. In the record of the hospital, Maggie had an accident and gave birth.” I looked at Blaze and Maggie who were both looking at me.
“What?”
“He’s registered as Gonzales and they’re his parents.”
“You deprived me of the right to my child, Margot? And you too agreed?”
“Blaze is innocent. Maggie and I were the only ones talking. Blaze only found out when he found out the child was alive.” So can the three of them leave? Because the child cannot be taken out of the country by the aunt only with which is on paper it is Margot.
“Played well, Margot. But you’re unlucky because even though I’m stupid God still love me. Now, whether you like it or not, I’ll take my right to my child, you will allow my son to be with me for three days. If not —–I’m sorry, Blaze, but I will take an action.”
“I understand you, Jace. Do what you think is right for your child.”
“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Umami is mine. I’ll be back tomorrow to pick him up.” Then I looked at my son. “Daddy will be back tomorrow, Umami. Daddy will be back for you, ok, son?” I handed Umami to the nanny. I didn’t want to leave him but I had to because I had to go home. I left the room and walked out. I was about to go out when Blaze chased me.
“Hey, bud.” I stopped and faced him. “I’m sorry for everything,”
“Fuck, Blaze, I thought we were friends, as long as you said so. But you managed to keep me a secret?”
“Listen, man, I’m sorry. I know I’m one of those who hid from you but —”
“Can your sorry fix what happened?”
“Still I am sorry.”
“Damn it —- I don’t care what happened anymore. I just want to be with my son.” I wiped away my tears. “That’s all I want, Blaze. I hope as a father you understand that.” Blaze touched my shoulder.
“I understand you, man. That’s why I told you, do what you think is right. I’m sorry if you feel like we agreed. We just want you to learn.”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
“Really, do you think your relationship is so perfect that you really thought you didn’t hurt your wife before?” I asked bluntly.
“Bud.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid yet to forget what we had together and put you in trouble. You were just sympathized by this and I understood that.”
“There’s nothing I can do if that’s what you want. Our only request is that you and Margot get along for Umami.”
“She doesn’t want to, I don’t want to either. I’ve already signed the annulment.”
“I believe you can still fix it.”
“You said so. I’m leaving.” Then I left and headed for Dylan’s car. My son is alive. My Umami is alive. I shed tears one after another because of the truth I had discovered.