Chapter 4

Sheila's call came the next day.

Her voice was soft, almost pleading.

"Erick, are you still upset with me?

"Tomorrow is my parents' fiftieth anniversary. We promised we'd be there to celebrate, remember?

"They keep asking about you, and I... I've missed you. Come back, okay? No more arguing."

I had not forgotten.

I had even gone out of my way to order a set of handcrafted porcelain as a special gift for the occasion.

"Will Yoel be there?" I asked.

There was a brief silence before she answered, her words stumbling out.

"He's practically family, you know that. He's been around since forever. Of course, he'll be there for the big day.

"Erick, don't read too much into it. It's just a family get-together, that's all."

I shut my eyes for a moment, feeling the last bit of warmth in my heart flicker out.

"Fine. What time?" I asked calmly.

She sounded relieved, almost happy. "Noon, at the Crown House Dining. I'll see you there!"

I hung up, an icy smirk playing on my lips.

I showed up at the Crown House Dining thirty minutes early on the day of the big bash. Instead of heading straight to our reserved room, I made a beeline for the restaurant manager.

His name tag read 'Matthias Lynch', but to me, he was just Uncle Matt, a distant relative.

Matthias spotted me and broke into a grin. "Erick, man, it's been ages! What's up? What brings you in today?"

I flashed a smile, pulled an envelope from my jacket, and slid it across to him.

"Hey, Uncle Matt, I could use your help with something."

His face flickered for a second as he peeked inside the envelope, but he played it cool and tucked it away.

He gave me a reassuring clap on the shoulder. "You got it. No sweat, I've got your back."

"Appreciate it, Uncle Matt."

"Don't mention it."

He leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I've got the projector and speakers in the private room all set up for you. They'll work like a charm!"

I nodded, a weight lifted off my chest.

Right on the dot at noon, I pushed open the private room door.

Yoel was in the middle of a joke, animated as ever. Shiela's parents were eating it up, laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Sheila caught sight of me and popped up, ready to play cozy and loop her arm through mine.

"Erick, you made it! Grab a seat!"

I dodged her move and headed straight for her parents, Rhett Jones and Kelly Parker, handing over the gift box I had brought.

"Mr. Jones, Mrs. Jones, happy fiftieth anniversary! Here's to many more years of happiness and health."

"Hey, Erick's here! Take a seat, take a seat!"

Kelly grabbed my hand with a beaming smile that could light up the room. "Oh, you shouldn't have! Just showing up is a gift enough!"

From the corner, Yoel chimed in with a snarky edge, "Seriously, Erick's way too formal. I've been part of the Jones family since I was a kid, never cared for all that pomp and circumstance."

The rest of the family nodded and murmured their agreement.

"Absolutely, Yoel's the sweetest and most respectful kid, practically one of our own!" they said.

Sheila sat proudly next to Yoel, piling his plate with food. "Dig in, less chit-chat. Here's your favorite meatloaf."

Yoel gave her cheek a playful squeeze. "You know me best, my ride-or-die."

Their cozy little scene was like a punch to my gut.

As the party hit its stride and the drinks kept flowing, I stood up, raising my glass for attention.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jones, dear family and friends, today's a day for celebration, and I've brought along a little something special for the Joneses and for all of you."

Every eye in the room turned to me, buzzing with curiosity.

Sheila and Yoel shared a quick, puzzled look.

I strolled over to the projector, hit play, and let the pictures do the talking.

There they were, Sheila and Yoel, in photos a little too close for comfort, a tribute to their 'lost angel', and the signed document of an abortion that bore Yoel's name.

The room erupted in whispers, and the smiles on Sheila's parents' faces turned to stone.

I just looked at Sheila and smiled.

"Sheila, you told everyone that Yoel was your first love, and that you were pregnant with his child.

"Now, with your parents here, the ones you adore, and in front of all our friends and family, I want you to tell me again.

"Where is the child?"